UYesu ufundisa abantu kummandla waseKesareya Filipi omalunga neekhilomitha eziyi-25 xa usuka kwiNtaba yeHermon. Kuthi kusenjalo achazele abafundi bakhe into eyothusayo. Uthi: “Ndiyaniqinisekisa ukuba, kubantu abemi apha, kukho abangazukufa de baqale bambone uNyana womntu esiza eseBukumkanini bakhe.”​—Mateyu 16:28.

Inoba abafundi bakaYesu bayazibuza ukuba uthetha ukuthini. Kwiintsuku ezimbalwa emva koko, unyuka intaba ephakamileyo nabapostile bakhe abathathu, uPetros, uYakobi noYohane. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba kusebusuku, kuba la madoda mathathu ayozela. Uthi uYesu esathandaza aqalise ukutshintsha apha phambi kwawo. Abapostile babona ubuso bakhe bukhanya njengelanga nezinto azinxibileyo ziqaqamba njengokukhanya.

Kuthi kusenjalo, kubonakale “uMoses noEliya.” Baqalisa ukuthetha noYesu “ngokumka kwakhe okwakusele kuza kwenzeka eYerusalem.” (Luka 9:30, 31) Ukumka kwakhe kubhekisela kukufa nokuvuswa kwakhe, ibe ebesandokuthetha nabafundi bakhe ngaloo nto. (Mateyu 16:21) Le ncoko kaYesu nala madoda mabini, ibonisa ukuba le ndlela aza kubulawa ngayo ilihlazo imele yenzeke, nangona uPetros ebebawela kungabi njalo.

Ngoku abapostile bayekile ukozela, babukele ibe bamamele bemangalisiwe. Nangona lo ingumbono, ubonakala ngathi yinto eyenzeka nyhani ibe uPetros akakwazi ukuzibamba, uthi: “Mfundisi, kuyasivuyisa ukuba lapha. Ngoko masimise iintente zibe ntathu, eyakho, ekaMoses nekaEliya.” (Marko 9:5) Ngaba esithi makumiswe iintente nje ufuna lo mbono ungakhawulezi uphele?

Uthi uPetros esathetha, kuvele ilifu eliqaqambileyo phezu kwabo, kuze kuvakale ilizwi kwelo lifu lisithi: “Lo nguNyana wam endimthandayo, nondivuyisayo. Mmameleni.” Ngoko nangoko abapostile bayoyika baze baqubude, kodwa uYesu uthi kubo: “Phakamani. Sanukoyika.” (Mateyu 17:5-7) Xa bephakama, abapostile abasaboni mntu ngaphandle koYesu. Umbono uphelile. Xa besihla entabeni, uYesu uthi kubo: “Ze ningaxeleli mntu ngalo mbono de uNyana womntu avuswe ekufeni.”​—Mateyu 17:9.

Ukuvela kukaEliya embonweni kwenza abapostile babuze bathi: “Kutheni ke ababhali besithi kumele kuqale kufike uEliya?” UYesu uthi: “UEliya sele ezile, yaye zange babone ukuba nguye.” (Mateyu 17:10-12) Uthetha ngoYohane umBhaptizi owenza umsebenzi ofanayo nowawusenziwa nguEliya. UEliya walungiselela uElisha indlela, noYohane walungiselela uKristu indlela.

Lo mbono uyamomeleza uYesu nabapostile! Ubonisa kusengaphambili uzuko loBukumkani bukaKristu. Kufana nokungathi abapostile babone “uNyana womntu esiza eseBukumkanini bakhe” njengokuba uYesu ebebathembisile. (Mateyu 16:28) Xa abapostile bebesentabeni, bazibonela ngokwabo “indlela amangalisa ngayo.” Nangona abaFarisi babefuna ummangaliso ukuze bangqine ukuba uYesu wayeza kuba nguKumkani okhethwe nguThixo, uYesu akazange abenzele. Kodwa abafundi bakhe abasondeleyo bavumelekile bona ukumbona etshintsha, ibe loo nto ingqina iziprofeto zoBukumkani. Ngenxa yaloo nto, uPetros ubhala athi: ‘Siqinisekile ukuba zonke izinto ezazithethwe nguThixo ziza kwenzeka.’​—2 Petros 1:16-19.