Emva kweenyanga ezintandathu uYohane umBhaptizi eqalile ukushumayela, uYesu oneminyaka ephaa kweyi-30 ngoku, uza kuye kuMlambo iYordan. Uzokuthini? Akazanga kuzokumbona nje okanye ajonge ukuba umsebenzi wakhe uhamba njani. UYesu uzokucela uYohane ukuba ambhaptize.

UYohane akavumi aze athi: “Indim nje ekufuneka ebhaptizwe nguwe, kutheni usiza kum?” (Mateyu 3:14) UYohane uyayazi ukuba uYesu nguNyana KaThixo othandwayo. Ukhumbule kaloku ukuba xa umama wakhe wayekhulelwe nguye, uYohane waxhuma esesibelekweni akungena uMariya owayekhulelwe uYesu. Inoba umama wakhe uElizabhete wambalisela ngale nto. Inoba wachazelwa nangengelosi eyachaza ngokuzalwa kukaYesu, neengelosi ezafika kubelusi ngobusuku uYesu awazalwa ngabo.

UYohane ubhaptiza abantu abaguquke kwizono zabo. Kodwa yena uYesu akanasono. Nangona uYohane engavumi, uYesu uthi: “Vuma okwangoku, kuba kumele kwenzeke ngale ndlela ukuze senze ukuthanda kukaThixo.”​—Mateyu 3:15.

Kutheni uYesu kufuneka ebhaptiziwe? Akabhaptizwa kuba eguquke kwizono zakhe. Ukubhaptizwa kwakhe kuthetha ukuba ngoku uza kwenza ukuthanda kukaTata wakhe. (Hebhere 10:5-7) UYesu ebengumchweli kodwa ngoku lixesha lokuba aqalise umsebenzi awuthunywe nguTata wakhe osezulwini. Ucinga ukuba ikhona into uYohane alindele ukuba yenzeke xa ebhaptiza uYesu?

Ekuhambeni kwexesha uYohane uthi: “Lowo wayendithume ukuba ndibhaptize emanzini wathi kum: ‘Nabani na obona kusehla umoya phezu kwakhe, nguye obhaptiza ngomoya oyingcwele.’” (Yohane 1:33) UYohane ulindele ukuba umoya kaThixo uhle phezu komnye wabantu aza kubabhaptiza. Nyhani ke xa uYesu ephuma emanzini inoba uYohane akothuki xa ebona “umoya kaThixo usihla njengehobe phezu [koYesu].”​—Mateyu 3:16.

Kodwa zikhona nezinye izinto ezenzekayo xa uYesu ebhaptizwa. Kuvuleka amazulu. Ithetha ukuthini le nto? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ukubhaptizwa kwakhe uYesu utsho akhumbule ubomi  bakhe basezulwini. Ngoku ukhumbula ubomi bakhe xa ebengunyana kaYehova ongumoya, nezinto azifundiswe nguThixo ezulwini ngaphambi kokuba aze emhlabeni.

Kwakhona xa uYesu ebhaptizwa kuvakala ilizwi ezulwini lisithi: “Lo nguNyana wam endimthandayo, nondivuyisayo.” (Mateyu 3:17) Lilizwi likabani eli? Ayinakuba lilizwi likaYesu kuba ukunye noYohane. Lilizwi likaThixo. Kuyacaca ukuba uYesu nguNyana kaThixo akangoThixo.

Enye into esimele siyiqonde kukuba xa uYesu wayengumntu emhlabeni wayengunyana kaThixo ogqibeleleyo njengoAdam. Emva kokuchaza ukubhaptizwa kukaYesu, umfundi uLuka ubhala athi: “UYesu wayeneminyaka emalunga neyi-30 xa waqalisa ukushumayela. Abantu babemazi engunyana kaYosefu, unyana kaHeli, . . . unyana kaDavide, . . . unyana ka-Abraham, . . . unyana kaNowa, . . . unyana ka-Adam, unyana kaThixo.”​—Luka 3:23-38.

Kanye njengokuba uAdam ‘wayengunyana kaThixo’ ongumntu, noYesu unguye. Kodwa xa ebhaptizwa uThixo umnika umoya oyingcwele aze abe nguNyana KaThixo ngendlela entsha nekhethekileyo. Ngoku uyakwazi ukudlulisela inyaniso ngoThixo aze abonise indlela esa ebomini. Uqalisa nokwenza umsebenzi awuthunywe nguTata wakhe. Lo msebenzi uwugqiba xa enikela ngobomi bakhe ngenxa yethu.