“UJehova uNkulunkulu wamthatha umuntu wambeka eSivandeni sase-Edeni ukuthi asisebenze njalo asinakekele. Njalo uJehova uNkulunkulu wamlaya umuntu wathi, ‘Ukhululekile ukudla loba yisiphi isihlahla esivandeni; kodwa ungadli isihlahla sokwazi okuhle lokubi, ngoba ungaze usidle uzakufa ngempela.’ ”—UGenesisi 2:15-17.

UNkulunkulu wafaka umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu esivandeni sase-Edeni esasilipharadayisi elalisemhlabeni elaligcwele izinyamazana kanye lezihlahla ezinhle kakhulu. Kwakulezihlahla zezithelo, njalo u-Adamu wayengazidlela santando. Kodwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wamtshela ngesinye isihlahla okwakungamelanga asidle, wamxwayisa lokuthi wayezakufa nxa angasidla.

U-Adamu wayezwisisa ukuthi uJehova wayesitshoni nxa esithi uzakufa ngoba wayeke abone izinyamazana zisifa. Kanti njalo nxa kwakuyikuthi u-Adamu wayedalelwe ukuthi aphile isikhathi esithile abesesifa, phela isixwayiso sikaNkulunkulu sasingasoze sitsho lutho kuye. Wayekwazi ukuthi nxa wayezalalela uNkulunkulu angadli isihlahla sokwazi okuhle lokubi wayezaphila kuze kube nini lanini, okutsho ukuthi wayengasoze afe.

Abanye bakholwa ukuthi ukuya kuka-Adamu lo-Eva emacansini yiso isihlahla okukhulunywa ngaso. Kodwa lokhu akuqondanga ngoba uJehova watshela u-Adamu lomkakhe u-Eva wathi, “Zalani lande ngobunengi,” waphinda wathi, “Wugcwaliseni umhlaba, liwubuse.” (UGenesisi 1:28) Yikho lapho uJehova ebatshela ngesihlahla, wayesitsho isihlahla ngokwaso. Wasibiza ngokuthi ‘yisihlahla sokwazi okuhle lokubi’ ngoba sasimela ilungelo lakhe lokutshayela abantu umthetho mayelana lokuthi kuyini okuhle lokubi. Nxa u-Adamu wayengasoze adle isihlahla kwakuzakhanya ukuthi uyalalela lokuthi uyambonga sibili uMdali wakhe ngazo zonke izibusiso ezinhle kakhulu ayemnike zona.

“Ku-Adamu [uNkulunkulu] wathi, ‘Ngokuba . . . wadla isihlahla engangikulaye ngathi ungaqali ukusidla, . . . ngezithukuthuku zebunzi lakho uzakudla ukudla kwakho uze ubuyele emhlabathini, njengoba wathathwa kuwo; ngokuba uluthuli njalo uzabuyela othulini.’ ”—UGenesisi 3:17, 19.

U-Adamu wadla isihlahla ayeqonqoselwe ukuthi angasidli. Lokhu akwenzayo kwakulicala elesabekayo. Kwakuyikuhlamuka okwatshengisa Ukuhlamuka kwakhe kwatshengisa ukuthi wayengelandaba lakho konke uJehova ayemenzele khona. Lapho esidla isihlahla watshengisa lokuthi wayengasafuni ukubuswa nguJehova njalo lokhu kwakuzakwenza ukuthi impilo ibe nzima kakhulu.

Njengoba nje uJehova wayevele etshilo, u-Adamu wafa. UNkulunkulu wayebumbe u-Adamu “ngothuli lomhlabathi” njalo wayemtshele ukuthi “uzabuyela othulini.” U-Adamu wathi esefile kazange ayephila kwenye indawo kumbe abe ngesinye isidalwa. Wahle wafa, okutsho ukuthi wayengasaphili, njengoba nje inhlabathi ayethethwe kuyo ingaphili.—UGenesisi 2:7; UmTshumayeli 9:5, 10.

“Isono sangena emhlabeni ngomuntu oyedwa, lokufa ngesono, njalo ngale indlela ukufa kwafika ebantwini bonke, ngoba bonke benze isono.”—KwabaseRoma 5:12.

Ukungalaleli kuka-Adamu loba ukona kwakhe kwabangela umonakalo omkhulu kakhulu. Walahlekelwa lithuba lokuphila kuze kube nini lanini hatshi elokuphila iminyaka engu-70 kumbe engu-80 kuphela. Kanti njalo lapho esona waba ngumuntu ongaphelelanga, okutsho ukuthi wayezagula, aguge njalo afe. Labantwana ayezabazala babezakuba njalo.

Sonke siyizizukulwane zika-Adamu. Imizimba yethu yathola isono kuye, yikho ihlaselwa yikugula, ukuguga kanye lokufa. UPhawuli wakucacisa lokhu lapho esithi: “Mina kangisuwomoya, ngathengiswa esonweni njengesigqili. Yeka isinothongwana esengiyiso sona. Ngubani ozangihlenga kulo umzimba wokufa?” Wawuphendula umbuzo wakhe wathi: “Kabongwe uNkulunkulu—ngoJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu!”—KwabaseRoma 7:14, 24, 25.

“UBaba uyithumele iNdodana yakhe ukuba ibe nguMsindisi womhlaba.”—1 UJohane 4:14.

UJehova uNkulunkulu wahlela ukuthi abantu bakhululwe ebuhlungwini obubangelwa yisono lokufa. Wakwenza njani lokhu? Wathumela iNdodana yakhe ayithandayo emhlabeni, yasizalwa ingumuntu ongelasono. U-Adamu wona kodwa uJesu “kenzanga sono.” (1 UPhetro 2:22) UJesu wazalwa ephelele yikho engatholanga isijeziso sokufa njalo wayengaphila kuze kube nini lanini emhlabeni.

Kodwa uJehova wavumela ukuthi uJesu abulawe yizitha zakhe. Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu uJehova wamvusa eseyisidalwa somoya ukuze ngokuya kwesikhathi abuyele ezulwini. Yikho-ke uJesu wanikela ngokuphila kwakhe okupheleleyo ukuze kwesulwe isono esabangelwa ngu-Adamu. UJehova wawemukela umnikelo lo, njalo lokhu kwanika abantu abalokholo kuJesu ithuba lokuthi bathole impilo engapheliyo.—KwabaseRoma 3:23, 24; 1 UJohane 2:2.

Yikho uJesu wenza ukuthi abantu babelethuba lokuthola lokho okwakulahlwe ngu-Adamu. Wasifela ukuze sithole ukuphila okuphakade. IBhayibhili lithi: ‘UJesu wavuma ukufa ukuze kuthi ngomusa kaNkulunkulu ezwe ukufa ngenxa yabantu bonke.’—KumaHebheru 2:9.

Lokhu kusifundisani ngoJehova? Kusifundisa ukuthi ulemithetho yakhe ayisebenzisa nxa esahlulela, yikho wabona ukuthi akulamuntu olesono owayengakhulula abantu. Kodwa uthando lwakhe kanye lomusa wakhe kwamfuqa ukuthi avume ukulahlekelwa kabuhlungu, wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa ukuze asindise abantu.—KwabaseRoma 5:6-8.

“UKhristu wavuswa impela kwabafileyo, izithelo zakuqala zalabo asebelele. Ngoba njengoba ukufa kweza ngomuntu, ukuvuka kwabafileyo lakho kuza ngomuntu. Ngoba njengoba ku-Adamu bonke besifa, ngokunjalo kuKhristu bonke bazaphiliswa.”—1 KwabaseKhorinte 15:20-22.

Asithandabuzi ukuthi uJesu waphila njalo wafa. Kodwa bukhona yini ubufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi wavuswa kwabafileyo? Obunye ubufakazi obukhona yikuthi uJesu wathi esevusiwe wabonakala ebantwini abanengi ezindaweni ezitshiyeneyo. Wake wabonakala ebantwini abedlula 500. Umphostoli uPhawuli wakhuluma ngodaba lolu lapho ebhalela abaseKhorinte. Waveza ukuthi abanye ofakazi babelokhu besaphila, esitsho ukuthi babengafakaza ngalokho ababekubonile lababekuzwile.—1 KwabaseKhorinte 15:3-8.

Lapho uPhawuli ebhala ukuthi uKhristu nguye “izithelo zakuqala” kulabo abavuswayo, wayetshengisa ukuthi kulabanye futhi ababezavuswa ngesikhathi esizayo. UJesu laye wathi isikhathi siyeza lapho ‘bonke abasemathuneni bezaphuma.’—UJohane 5:28, 29.

“UNkulunkulu walithanda ilizwe waze wanikela iNdodana yakhe iyiyo yodwa ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo.”—UJohane 3:16.

Ekuqaliseni kweBhayibhili siyatshelwa ukuthi ukufa kwafika njani lokuthi iPharadayisi lalahleka njani. Ekucineni kwalo sitshelwa ukuthi ukufa kuzasuswa lokuthi uNkulunkulu uzabuyisela iPharadayisi emhlabeni. Ngalesosikhathi abantu bazaphila impilo emnandi kakhulu kuze kube nini lanini. ISambulo 21:4 sithi: “Akusayikuba khona futhi ukufa.” Ivesi 5 igcizelela ukuthi lokhu kuzagcwaliseka sibili ngoba ithi: “Amazwi la aqotho njalo aliqiniso.” UJehova uyenelisa ukwenza konke asithembisa khona.

Wena uyakukholwa yini ukuthi “amazwi la aqotho njalo aliqiniso”? Nxa ukholwa funda okunengi ngoJesu Khristu njalo ube lokholo kuye ngoba lokhu kuzakwenza ukuthi uJehova akwamukele. Uzakubusisa njalo ngesikhathi esizayo uzathola impilo engapheliyo emhlabeni oliPharadayisi lapho okuyabe ‘kungaselakufa loba ukulila loba ukukhala loba ubuhlungu.’