U-Elizabethe usezobeletha. Sekuphele izinyanga ezintathu isihlobo sakhe uMariya sihleli naye. Manje sekuyisikhathi sokuba uMariya avalelise bese ethatha uhambo olude abuyele kubo eNazaretha, esenyakatho. Ezinyangeni ezingaba yisithupha, naye uzobeletha indodana.

Ngemva nje kokuhamba kukaMariya, u-Elizabethe uyabeletha. Kuyajabulisa ukuthi u-Elizabethe akabi nazinkinga njengoba ebeletha, futhi yena nomntwana bayimiqemane! Lapho omakhelwane nezihlobo beyibona indodana yakhe, nabo bayajabula.

UMthetho uNkulunkulu ayewunike ama-Israyeli wawuthi ingane yomfana kwakumelwe isokwe ngosuku luka-8, bese iqanjwa igama. (Levitikusi 12:2, 3) Abanye bathi indodana kaZakariya kumelwe ibizwe ngegama lakhe. Nokho, u-Elizabethe uyenqaba, athi: “Lutho! Uzobizwa ngokuthi uJohane.” (Luka 1:60) Khumbula ukuthi ingelosi uGabriyeli yayithe ingane kwakumelwe iqanjwe ngokuthi uJohane.

Omakhelwane nezihlobo bayakhononda, bathi: “Asikho nesisodwa isihlobo sakho esibizwa ngaleli gama.” (Luka 1:61) Bekhuluma ngezandla, babuza uZakariya ukuthi ufisa ingane iqanjwe liphi igama. UZakariya ucela ukuba bamnike itshe eliyisicaba azobhala kulo, ube esebhala: “NguJohane igama lakhe.”—Luka 1:63.

Ngokuyisimangaliso, uZakariya uqala ukukhuluma futhi. Uzokhumbula ukuthi waba yisimungulu ngemva kokungawakholwa amazwi engelosi lapho imtshela ukuthi u-Elizabethe wayezoba nendodana. Manje njengoba uZakariya esekwazi ukukhuluma, omakhelwane bakhe bayamangala futhi bayazibuza: “Uyoba nhloboni yomuntu lo mntwana lapho esekhulile?” (Luka 1:66) Bayabona ukuthi uNkulunkulu ube nesandla ekuqanjweni kukaJohane.

 Egcwele umoya ongcwele, uZakariya usho la mazwi: “Makadunyiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngoba ubakhumbulile abantu bakhe wabakhulula. Usiphakamisele uphondo lwensindiso endlini kaDavide inceku yakhe.” (Luka 1:68, 69) Ngenkulumo ethi “uphondo lwensindiso,” ubhekisela eNkosini uJesu eyayisazozalwa. UZakariya uthi uNkulunkulu, esebenzisa le Nkosi ‘uyosinika ilungelo lokunikela kuye inkonzo engcwele ngesibindi, ngobuqotho nokulunga phambi kwakhe zonke izinsuku zethu.’—Luka 1:74, 75.

UZakariya ube esebikezela lokhu ngendodana yakhe: “Wena, mntwana, uyobizwa ngokuthi ungumprofethi woPhezukonke, ngoba uJehova uyokuthumela kusengaphambili ukuba ulungise izindlela zakhe, unike abantu bakhe ulwazi lwensindiso ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo, ngenxa yozwela lukaNkulunkulu wethu. Uzwela oluvela ezulwini luyokhanya njengelanga phezu kwethu, ukuze lukhanyisele labo abahlezi ebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa, luqondise izinyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.” (Luka 1:76-79) Sikhuthaza ngempela leso siprofetho!

Ngalesi sikhathi, uMariya owayengakashadi, usefikile ekhaya eNazaretha. Kuzokwenzekani kuye lapho sekubonakala ukuthi ukhulelwe?