U-Elisabethi sekaseduze nokubeletha. Sele kuziinyanga ezintathu uMariya, isihlobo sakhe sihlezi naye. Kodwana njenganje, sekusikhathi sokuthi asalise angene indlela ede, ebuyela ekhaya eNazaretha, etlhagwini yemibundu yeJudiya. Pheze eenyangeni ezisithandathu ezizako, naye uzokubeletha indodana.

Msinyana ngemva kobana uMariya akhambile, u-Elisabethi uyabeletha. Kuthabisa khulu ukuthi koke kukhambe kuhle nokuthi u-Elisabethi nomntwana baphile tswe! U-Elisabethi nakatjengisa abomakhelwana neenhlobo umsanyanakhe, nabo bathaba naye.

UmThetho uZimu awunikela ama-Israyeli bewuthi ngelanga lobunane umntwana womsana abelethiwe, kufanele asokwe begodu athiywe ibizo. (Levitikusi 12:2, 3) Abanye bathi indodana kaZakariya kufuze ithiyelelwe ngaye. Kodwana u-Elisabethi uyaphendula, uthi: “Awa! Uzokubizwa ngokuthi nguJwanisi.” (Lukasi 1:60) Khumbula ukuthi ingilozi uGabhariyeli yathi kufuze bathiye umntwana lo ngokuthi nguJwanisi.

Abomakhelwana neenhlobo bayanghonghoyila bathi: “Akakho noyedwa eenhlotjeni zakho obizwa ngebizweli.” (Lukasi 1:61) Benza amatshwayo ngezandla, babuza uZakariya bona yena ufuna ibizo lendodanakhe kube ngubani. UZakariya ubawa ilitje okutlolwa kilo bese utlola ipendulwakhe athi: “NguJwanisi ibizo lakhe.”—Lukasi 1:63.

Khonokho, ngokusimangaliso uZakariya uthoma ukukhuluma. Kungenzeka uyakhumbula ukuthi waba simumu ngesikhathi angakholwa amezwi ingilozi eyawatjhoko kuye ukuthi, u-Elisabethi bekazokuba nendodana. Nje-ke, uZakariya nakathoma ukukhuluma, abomakhelwana bakhe bayarareka begodu bayazibuza: “Kazi umntwana lo uzokuba yini?” (Lukasi 1:66) Bayasibona isandla sakaZimu endleleni uJwanisi athiywe ngayo.

 Azele ummoya ocwengileko, uZakariya uyamemezela uthi: “Akadunyiswe uJehova, uZimu ka-Israyeli, ngombana ubatjhejile abantu bakhe wabasindisa. Usivusele umsindisi onamandla ngendlini kaDavida incekwakhe.” (Lukasi 1:68, 69) Nakathi “umsindisi onamandla,” utjho iKosi uJesu, osazokubelethwa. UZakariya uthi ngoJesu, uZimu ‘uzosinikela ilungelo lokumenzela umsebenzi ocwengileko ngesibindi, ngemva kokobana sisindiswe ezandleni zamanaba ngokuthembeka nangokulunga phambi kwakhe ukuphila kwethu koke.’—Lukasi 1:74, 75.

Nakabikezela malungana nendodanakhe, uZakariya uthi: “Kodwana wena mntwana, uzokubizwa ngokuthi umphorofidi woPhezukoke, ngombana uJehova uzokuthuma bona ukhambe phambili uyokulungisa iindlela zakhe, bona wazise abantu bakhe ukuthi yena uzobasindisa ngokubalibalela izono, ngebanga lesirhawu sakaZimethu. Ngesirhawesi ukusa kuzosivakatjhela kuvela phezulu, bona anikele ukukhanya kilabo abasebumnyameni nethunzini lokufa begodu anqophise neenyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.” (Lukasi 1:76-79) Qala bona sikhuthaza kangangani isiphorofidweso!

Njenganje, uMariya ongakatjhadi, sele afikile ekhaya eNazaretha. Kuzokwenzekani kuye nakuthoma ukubonakala bona usidisi?