U-Elizabethi usezabeletha. UMariya isihlobo sakhe ubehlala laye okwezinyanga ezintathu. Khathesi uMariya sekumele avalelise njalo ahambe umango omude ebuyela ngakibo eNazaretha. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingaba yisithupha laye uzabeletha indodana.

Kungakedluli insuku ezingaki uMariya esukile, u-Elizabethi uyabeletha. Yena loZekhariya bayathokoza kakhulu ngoba ubelethe kuhle njalo losane lwabo luziphilele. Omakhelwane lezihlobo labo bayathokoza ngesikhathi u-Elizabethi ebatshengisa indodana yakhe.

UMthetho uNkulunkulu awunika ama-Israyeli wawusithi umntwana ongumfana kumele asokwe ngelanga lesitshiyagalombili ezelwe njalo wayehle aphiwe ibizo mhlalokho. (ULevi 12:2, 3) Abanye babona kungcono ukuthi indodana kaZekhariya iphiwe ibizo likayise, kodwa khumbula ukuthi ingilosi uGabriyeli yayithe umntwana kwakumele aphiwe ibizo elithi Johane. Yikho u-Elizabethi uqunga isibindi athi: “Hayi bo! Uzabizwa ngokuthi nguJohane.”​—ULukha 1:60.

Omakhelwane lezihlobo kabavumelani lakho lokhu. Bathi: “Kakho loyedwa ezihlotsheni zakho obizwa ngebizo lelo.” (ULukha 1:61) Bakhuluma ngezandla loZekhariya bembuza ukuthi ufuna indodana yakhe ithiwe ngubani. UZekhariya ucela ipulanka eliyisicecedu abhale ukuthi: “Ibizo lakhe nguJohane.”​—ULukha 1:63.

Khonokho nje kwenzakala isimanga uZekhariya aqalise ukukhuluma. Khumbula ukuthi waba yisimungulu ngesikhathi engakukholwa okwatshiwo yingilosi lapho isithi u-Elizabethi uzakuba lendodana. Yikho omakhelwane bakaZekhariya bayamangala bemuzwa ekhuluma besebesithi: “Umntwanyana lo uzakuba yini?” (ULukha 1:66) Bayananzelela ukuthi nguNkulunkulu owathi uJohane aphiwe ibizo lelo.

Kusenjalo uZekhariya ugcwala umoya ongcwele abesesithi: “Kadunyiswe uJehova  uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngoba ubakhumbulile abantu bakhe wabakhulula. Usesivusele uphondo lwensindiso endlini kaDavida inceku yakhe.” (ULukha 1:68, 69) “Uphondo lwensindiso” uZekhariya akhuluma ngalo yiNkosi uJesu osekusele izinyanga ukuthi izalwe. Uphinda athi uNkulunkulu uzasebenzisa uJesu ‘ukuthi ngemva kokukhululwa ezandleni zezitha zethu asiphe isibusiso sokumenzela inkonzo engcwele singesabi, ukuze sibe qotho njalo sibe ngabalungileyo phambi kwakhe zonke insuku zethu.’​—ULukha 1:74, 75.

Ekhuluma ngomntanakhe, uZekhariya uthi: “Kodwa wena mntanami uzabizwa ngokuthi ungumphrofethi woPhezukonke ngoba uzahamba phambi kukaJehova ulungise izindlela zakhe, wenze labantu bakhe bazi ukuthi yena uzabasindisa ngokubathethelela izono zabo ngenxa yokuthi yena uNkulunkulu ulozwelo kakhulu. Uzwelo lolu oluvela ezulwini luzakhazimula phezu kwethu njengelanga liphuma, ukuze kukhanyiselwe abahlezi ebumnyameni lasethunzini lokufa, njalo inyawo zethu zikhokhelwe endleleni yokuthula.” (ULukha 1:76-79) Omakhelwane lezihlobo bayathokoza kakhulu besizwa isiphrofetho lesi.

UMariya usefikile ngakibo eNazaretha njalo kakatshadi. Kuzahamba njani nxa isisu sakhe sesikhanya?