UJesu nabafundi bakhe bafika eBethesayida. Nje-ke, abantu baletha kuye indoda esiphofu, bamncenga bona ayikghwathe ayipholise.

UJesu ubamba indoda le ngesandla, uphumela nayo ngaphandle kwemizi. Uyikhafulela emehlweni, uthi kiyo: “Ubonani?” Indoda le iyamphendula ithi: “Ngibona abantu, kodwana babonakala njengemithi ekhambakhambako.” (Markosi 8:23, 24) UJesu ubeka izandla zakhe emehlweni wendoda le, ithoma ukubona kuhle. Utjela indoda esele ibona kuhle le ukuthi ikhambe iye ekhaya, uyiyala bona ingangeni ngemzini.

Nje-ke, uJesu nabafundi bakhe baya ngetlhagwini esifundeni seKhesariya Filipi. Ukuya khona kuyindlela ede ekhuphukelako, engaba makhilomitha ama-40. Umuzi lo usentabeni. Nawukiwo, ukghona ukubona iNtaba iRherimoni egutjuzeswe ligabhogo. Ikhambweli lithatha pheze amalanga amabili namkha ngaphezulu.

Nabasendleleni, uJesu uphambukela ngeqadi bona ayokuthandaza ayedwa. Kusele iinyanga ezingaba lithoba namkha ezilitjhumi kwaphela ngaphambi kobana afe, nje-ke uJesu utshwenyekile ngabafundi bakhe. Mvanje, abanengi balisile ukumlandela, abanye kungenzeka bahlangahlangene namkha badanile. Mhlamunye bayazibuza ukuthi kubayini uJesu abhala lokha abantu bafuna ukumenza ikosi, namkha kubayini angenzi isibonakaliso ukutjengisa bona ungubani kwamambala.

Abafundi nabeza lapha athandazela khona, uJesu uyababuza: “Abantu bathi iNdodana yomuntu ingubani?” Bathi: “Abanye bathi inguJwanisi uMbhabhadisi, abanye bathi ingu-Eliya, abanye bathi inguJoromiya namkha omunye wabaphorofidi.” Iye, abantu bacabanga bona uJesu kungenzeka ungomunye wabantwaba abavuswe ekufeni. Yeke, bona athole ukuthi abafundi bakhe bacabangani, uyababuza: “Alo-ke, nina nithi ngingubani?” UPitrosi uphendula msinyana uthi: “UnguKrestu, iNdodana kaZimu ophilako.”​—Matewu 16:13-16.

UJesu uthi uPitrosi uyathaba ngombana uZimu umambulele lokhu, uyangezelela: “Ngithi kuwe: Wena unguPitrosi, begodu edwaleneli ngizokwakha ibandla lami, amasango weThuna angeze alihlula.” UJesu utjho ukuthi yena uzokwakha ibandla begodu iThuna angekhe liwathumbe amalunga walo nawahlala athembekile ekambweni yawo yephasini. Uthembisa uPitrosi uthi: “Ngizokunikela iinlodlhelo zomBuso wezulu.”​—Matewu 16:18, 19.

UJesu akanikeli uPitrosi indawo yokuthoma hlangana nabapostoli, begodu akamenzi isisekelo sebandla. UJesu uliDwala ibandla lakhe elizokwakhelwa phezu kwalo. (1 Korinte 3:11; Efesu 2:20) UPitrosi uzokunikelwa iinlodlhelo ezintathu. Uzokuba nelungelo lokuvulela iinqhema zabantu ithuba lokungena emBusweni wezulu.

 UPitrosi uzokusebenzisa isilodlhelo sokuthoma ngePentekoste lomnyaka ka-33, ukutjengisa amaJuda aphendukileko nabantu abatjhugulukele ekolweni yobuJuda ukuthi kufuze benzeni bona basindiswe. Uzokusebenzisa isilodlhelo sesibili ukuvulela amaSamariya akholwako ithuba lokungena emBusweni kaZimu. Ngomnyaka ka-36, uPitrosi uzokusebenzisa isilodlhelo sesithathu ukudlulisela ithubeli nakwabangasimaJuda abangakasoki, uKorneliyasi nabanye.​—­IzEnzo 2:37, 38; 8:14-17; 10:44-48.

Engcocweni le, abapostoli bakaJesu batshwenyekile nakabatjela ngokutlhaga nokufa azokuqalana nakho msinyana eJerusalema. UPitrosi angazwisisi ukuthi uJesu uzokuvuselwa ekuphileni kwezulwini, udosela uJesu ngeqadi, uyamkhalima: “Ungazihloboki Kosi; angeze kwenzeke kuwe lokhu.” UJesu uyamfulathela, uthi kuye: “Iya emva kwami Sathana! Usiqabo phambi kwami, ngombana awucabangi imicabango kaZimu kodwana yabantu.”​—Matewu 16:22, 23.

Nje-ke uJesu ubiza abanye ngaphandle kwabapostoli, uyabahlathululela bona angeze kube lula ukuba mlandelakhe. Uthi: “Nanyana ngubani ofuna ukungilandela, akazidele athathe isigodo sakhe sokuhlunguphazwa angilandele qobe. Ngombana nanyana ngubani ofuna ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe kuzomlahlekela, kodwana nanyana ngubani olahlekelwa kuphila kwakhe ngebanga lami nangebanga leendaba ezimnandi uzokusindisa.”​—Markosi 8:34, 35.

Bona baziveze bafaneleka ukufumana umusa kaJesu, abafundi bakhe kufuze babe nesibindi begodu bazidele. UJesu uthi: “Nanyana ngubani oneenhloni ngami nangamezwami esizukulwaneni esifebako nesinesonwesi, iNdodana yomuntu izokuba neenhloni ngaye nayiza ngephazimulo kaYise ineengilozi ezicwengileko.” (Markosi 8:38) UJesu nakezako, ‘uzokwahlulela ngamunye ngokwemisebenzakhe.’​—­Matewu 16:27.