Ngemva kokugubha iPhasika entwasahlobo ka-30 C.E, uJesu nabafundi bakhe bayahamba eJerusalema. Kodwa abaphindeli emakhaya eGalile. Baya endaweni yaseJudiya, bafike babhapathize abantu abaningi. Sekuphele isikhathi esingangonyaka uJohane uMbhapathizi enza umsebenzi ofanayo, futhi abanye babafundi bakhe basalokhu benaye, mhlawumbe esigodini soMfula iJordani.

UJesu yena akabhapathizi muntu—kodwa abafundi bakhe ababhapathizayo, beqondiswa nguye. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi senkonzo kaJesu, uJesu noJohane bafundisa amaJuda aphendukayo ezonweni zawo zokuphula isivumelwano soMthetho kaNkulunkulu.—IzEnzo 19:4.

Kodwa abafundi bakaJohane banomona, ngakho bayakhononda kuye ngoJesu: “Lomuntu owayenawe [uJesu] . . . uyabhapathiza futhi bonke baya kuye.” (Johane 3:26) Kodwa uJohane akanamona. Kuyamjabulisa ukuthi uJesu uyaphumelela futhi ufuna nabafundi bakhe bajabule. UJohane uyabakhumbuza: “Nina ngokwenu niyangifakazela ukuthi ngathi, ‘angiyena uKristu, kodwa ngithunywe ngaphambi kwakhe.’” Ukuze acacise leli phuzu, wenza umfanekiso bonke abazowuqonda: “Noma ubani onomakoti ungumkhwenyana. Kodwa umngane womkhwenyana, lapho ema futhi emuzwa, ujabula kakhulu ngenxa yezwi lomkhwenyana. Ngakho injabulo yami isiphelelisiwe.”—Johane 3:28, 29.

Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngaphambili, uJohane, njengomngane womkhwenyana, wajabula lapho ethula abafundi bakhe kuJesu. Abanye babo baba abalandeli bakaJesu futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi babezogcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele. UJohane ufuna nalaba abangabalandeli bakhe manje balandele uJesu. Empeleni, inhloso kaJohane iwukulungiselela inkonzo kaKristu. UJohane uyachaza: “Yena kumelwe aqhubeke anda, kodwa mina kumelwe ngiqhubeke ngincipha.”—Johane 3:30.

Omunye uJohane osengumlandeli kaJesu, kamuva wabhala ngemvelaphi kaJesu nendima yakhe ebalulekile ekusindisweni kwesintu: “Ovela phezulu ungaphezu kwabo bonke abanye. . . . UBaba uyayithanda iNdodana futhi unikele zonke izinto esandleni sayo. Obonisa ukholo eNdodaneni uyothola ukuphila okuphakade; ongayilaleli iNdodana ngeke akubone ukuphila, kodwa ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luhlezi phezu kwakhe.” (Johane 3:31, 35, 36) Ave kubalulekile ukuba abantu balazi lelo qiniso!

Ngemva kwesikhashana nje uJohane uMbhapathizi ekhulume ngokuthi indima yakhe nomsebenzi wakhe kumelwe kunciphe, iNkosi uHerode iyambopha. UHerode uthathe uHerodiya, inkosikazi kaFiliphu umfowabo, washada naye. Lapho uJohane emdalula ukuthi uyaphinga, uHerode uyala ukuba afakwe ejele. Lapho uJesu ezwa ukuthi uJohane uboshiwe, uyasuka eJudiya nabafundi bakhe ‘aye eGalile.’—Mathewu 4:12; Marku 1:14.