Kungabe sekudlule izinyanga eziyisithupha uJohane uMbhabhathizi eqalise ukutshumayela. UJesu useleminyaka engaba ngu-30 njalo uya kuye eMfuleni uJodani. Kalandanga ukuzamvakatshela nje kumbe ukuzobona ukuthi uqhuba njani umsebenzi wakhe, kodwa uzocela ukuthi uJohane ambhabhathize.

Akumangalisi ukuthi uJohane uyala ukubhabhathiza uJesu. Uthi: “Yimi okumele ngibhabhathizwe nguwe, pho kungani usiza kimi?” (UMathewu 3:14) UJohane uyakwazi ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu eligugu. Khumbula ukuthi uJohane wathaba wakhabakhaba esesiswini sikanina ngesikhathi uMariya owayezithwele isisu sikaJesu evakatshela u-Elizabethi. Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi unina wamtshela ngalokho. Kumele ukuthi watshelwa langalokho ingilosi eyakutshoyo ngokuzalwa kukaJesu kanye lezingilosi ezabonakala kubelusi ngobusuku uJesu azalwa ngabo.

UJohane uyakwazi ukuthi abantu ababhabhathizwayo yilabo asebephendukile ezonweni zabo. Kodwa uJesu kalasono. Lanxa uJohane esala ukumbhabhathiza, uJesu uthi: “Yekela kube njalo khathesi, ngoba ngaleyondlela siyabe sisenza konke okulungileyo.”—UMathewu 3:15.

Kungani uJesu efuna ukubhabhathizwa? Kabhabhathizwa ukuze kukhanye ukuthi usephendukile ezonweni kodwa ufuna kukhanye ukuthi usezinikele ukwenza intando kaYise. (KumaHebheru 10:5-7) Engakabhabhathizwa uJesu ubengumbazi kodwa khathesi sesifikile isikhathi sokuthi aqalise inkonzo uYise osezulwini amthume ukuthi ayenze emhlabeni. UJohane engabe elindele ukuthi kwenzakale isimanga yini ngesikhathi ebhabhathiza uJesu?

UJohane uthi: “Lowo owangithuma ukuthi ngibhabhathize ngamanzi wathi kimi: ‘Loba ngubani ozabona umoya usehlela phezu kwakhe uqhubeke ukuye, nguye obhabhathiza ngomoya ongcwele.’” (UJohane 1:33) Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi uJohane ulindele ukubona umoya kaNkulunkulu usehlela komunye umuntu azambhabhathiza. Yikho ngesikhathi uJesu ephuma emanzini, kumele ukuthi uJohane  kamangali nxa ebona “umoya kaNkulunkulu usehla njengejuba usiza phezu [kukaJesu].”—UMathewu 3:16.

Kukhona okunye okwenzakalayo ngesikhathi uJesu ebhabhathizwa. Ubona ‘amazulu evuleka.’ Lokhu kungabe kusitsho ukuthi uJesu uqalisa ukukhumbula impilo yakhe esasezulwini egoqela izinto azifundiswa nguYise engakabuyi emhlabeni.

Kanti njalo kuzwakala ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: “Le yiNdodana yami engiyithandayo futhi engiyamukelayo.” (UMathewu 3:17) Lilizwi likabani leli? Akungeke kube ngelikaJesu ngoba lizwakala ngesikhathi eloJohane eMfuleni uJodani. Ilizwi leli ngelikaNkulunkulu. Kusegcekeni ukuthi uJesu kayisuye uNkulunkulu kodwa uyiNdodana yakhe.

Ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni, wayeyindodana kaNkulunkulu engelasono njengo-Adamu. Ngemva kokukhuluma ngokubhabhathizwa kukaJesu, umfundi uLukha uthi: ‘UJesu wathi eqalisa umsebenzi wakhe wayeleminyaka engaba ngu-30. Abantu babesithi uyindodana kaJosefa, indodana kaHeli, indodana kaDavida, indodana ka-Abrahama, indodana kaNowa, indodana ka-Adamu, indodana kaNkulunkulu.’—ULukha 3:23-38.

Ngesikhathi uJesu ebhabhathizwa, uJehova umthululela umoya wakhe njalo uba yindodana yakhe ngenye indlela eqakathekileyo. Khathesi uJesu usengaqalisa ukwenza umsebenzi uYise amthume wona wokufundisa abantu iqiniso ngoNkulunkulu lowokubatshengisa indlela eya ekuphileni. Umsebenzi lo uphela ngesikhathi enikela ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yethu.