Pambuyo pa Jezu kugumana na Marta patsogolo pace na Mariya pafupi na Betanya, iwo adayenda ku thenje komwe akhadapendesa Lazaro. Thenjero likhali cimphako cakufunga na cimwala. Pomwe Jezu adafika ku thenjeko iye adalewa kuti: ‘Cosani cimwalaci!’ Koma Marta akhana thupo, thangwe akhadziwa lini bzomwe Jezu akhafuna kucita. Tenepo, iye adauza Jezu kuti: ‘Mbuya, pinango wayamba kale kununkha, pakuti ana nsiku zinai ali m’thenjemu.’ Tsono Jezu adamuuza kuti: ‘Kodi ndiribe kukuuza Ine kuti, ukakhulupira, un’dzaona mphanvu ya Mulungu?’—Juwau 11:39, 40.

Cimwalaco cidacosedwa. Patsogolo pace Jezu adanyang’anisa kudzulu acipemba kuti: ‘Baba, Inepano ndinkukutendani, thangwe mwandibva. Ndin’dziwa kuti Imwepo mumbandibva nthawe zense, tsono ndinkulewa bzimwebzi, thangwe ra wanthu adaima panowa, kuti iwo atawire kuti ndimwepo  mudandituma.’ Pakuti Jezu adapemba pa thimu, wanthu wense adadziwa kuti bzomwe akhafuna kucita angadabzicita na mphanvu yakucokera kwa Mulungu. Patsogolo pace Jezu adakuwa na mphanvu kuti: ‘Lazaro, bula kunja kuno!’ Lazaro adabuladi ndipo manja na minyendo yace ikhadakulungidwa na nguwo, ndipo nkhope yacembo ikhadamanga na nguwo. Jezu adawauza kuti: ‘Mutsudzuleni, mumuleke ayende.’—Juwau 11:41-44.

Ajuda azinji omwe adayendambo kukaponda masamba kwa Mariya na Marta, iwo adakhulupirambo Jezu pomwe adawona cakudabwisa comwe Jezuyo adacita. Tsono winango adacoka aciyenda kukauza Afarizeu bzinthu bzomwe Jezu adacitabzo. Afarizeu pabodzi na akulu-akulu wa ansembe omwe akhali wa nyumba ikulu yakutongera mirandu, yomwe ikhadziwikambo na dzina lakuti Sinedriyo, iwo adacita mtsokhano. Pa thimulo pakhana mkulu wa ansembe dzina lace Kaifasi. Winango wa anyakuyeruzawo adadandaula kuti: ‘Ticite ciyani, pakuti munthuyu ankucita bzizindikiro bzakusiyana-siyana? Tikamulekerera kuti apitirize kumbacita bzimwebzi, wanthu wense an’dzamukhulupira ndipo Aroma an’dzabwera, acidzatenga mbuto yathu pabodzi na mtundu wathuyu.’ (Juwau 11:47, 48) Napo kuti wanthuwo adacita kubva na mboni zomwe zidacita kuwona zokha Jezu ‘ankucita bzizindikiro bzakusiyana-siyana,’ iwo alibe kudekedwa na bzomwe Mulungu adabvuma kuti Jezu acite. Iwo akhana thupo kwene-kwene na udindo bwawo pabodzi na ulemu bomwe akhapasidwa.

Pomwe Asaduki adabva kuti Lazaro walamusidwa, iwo adakalipa kwene-kwene thangwe akhakhulupira lini bza kulamusidwa kwa anyakufa. Kaifasi omwe akhali Msaduki adalewa-lewa pamaso pa wanthu wensenewo kuti: ‘Imwepo mun’dziwa lini cinthu ciri-cense, ndipo munkuwona lini kuti bziribwino kwa imwepo kuti munthu m’bodzi afere wanthu wense, kuti mtundu wense uleke kupfudzidwa.’—Juwau 11:49, 50; Mabasa 5:17; 23:8.

Kaifasi alibe ‘kundolewambo bzimwebzi,’ koma Mulungu ndiye adacitisa kuti alewe bzimwebzi thangwe iye akhali mkulu wa ansembe. Kaifasi akhathandauza kuti Jezu akhafunika kuphedwa kuti aleke kupitiriza kunyozesa udindo pabodzi na mphanvu zomwe atsogoleri wacijuda akhanazo. Tenepo bzomwe Kaifasi adalewabzi, bzikhali polofesiya yakuti infa ya Jezu in’dzapereka mwayi wakupulumusa wanthu ku pikado, sikuti kwa Ajuda okha koma pabodzi na wanthu wense omwe akhali ninga ‘wana wa Mulungu omwe akhadabalalika.’—Juwau 11:51, 52

Kaifasi adacitisa kuti wanthu wense wa Sinedriyo abverane na nfundo ya kufuna kupha Jezu. Nikodemo akhali m’bodzi wa akulu-akulu wa mu Sinedriyo ndipo akhadziwanambo na Jezu. Tsono kodi iye adakauza Jezuyo bzomwe wa mu Sinedriyowo akhafuna kucita? Mu njira iri-yense, Jezu adacoka m’dera lomwe likhali pafupi na Jeruzalemulo kuti aleke kuphedwa pa nthawe yomwe Mulungu akhalibe kuisankhula.