Ngesikhathi uJesu efundisa abantu esifundeni saseKhesariya Filiphi, esiqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-25 ukusuka eNtabeni iHermoni, wenza isaziso esimangalisayo kubaphostoli bakhe, uthi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini kukhona abanye kulaba abami lapha abangeke bakunambithe nhlobo ukufa bengakayiboni iNdodana yomuntu iza eMbusweni wayo.”—Mathewu 16:28.

Kumelwe ukuba abafundi bayazibuza ukuthi uJesu usho ukuthini. Esikhathini esingaba yisonto kamuva, uthatha abaphostoli abathathu—uPetru, uJakobe noJohane—aye nabo entabeni ephakeme. Kungenzeka sekusebusuku ngoba la madoda amathathu ayozela. Njengoba uJesu ethandaza, isimo sakhe siyaguqulwa phambi kwabo. Abaphostoli babona ubuso bakhe bukhanya njengelanga, babone nezingubo zakhe zikhazimula njengokukhanya, zimhlophe zicwebezela.

Kube sekuvela abantu ababili, okuthiwa ‘uMose no-Eliya.’ Baqala ukukhuluma noJesu “ngokuhamba kwakhe okwase kuzokwenzeka eJerusalema.” (Luka 9:30, 31) Ukuhamba kwakhe ngokusobala kubhekisela ekufeni kukaJesu nokuvuswa kwakhe okuzolandela, asanda kukhuluma ngakho. (Mathewu 16:21) Le ngxoxo ifakazela ukuthi ngokuphambene nalokho okwashiwo uPetru, ukufa kukaJesu okuhlazisayo akunakugwenywa.

Manje njengoba sebephapheme ngokuphelele, abaphostoli abathathu bayabukela futhi balalele bemangele. Lona umbono, kodwa ubonakala ungokoqobo kangangokuba uPetru uqala ukuhlanganyela kuwo, athi: “Rabi, kuhle ukuba lapha. Ngenxa yalokho masimise amatende amathathu, elinye libe ngelakho, elinye libe ngelikaMose, elinye libe ngelika-Eliya.” (Marku 9:5) Ingabe uPetru ufuna kumiswe amatende ukuze lo mbono uqhubeke isikhathi esithile?

Lapho uPetru esakhuluma, bambozwa yifu elikhanyayo bese kuzwakala izwi kulelo fu lithi: “Le yiNdodana yami, ethandekayo, engiyamukele. Yilaleleni.” Lapho bezwa izwi likaNkulunkulu, abaphostoli abethukile bawa phansi ngobuso, kodwa uJesu uyabakhuthaza athi: “Sukumani. Ningesabi.” (Mathewu 17:5-7) Lapho besukuma, laba baphostoli abathathu abasaboni muntu ngaphandle kukaJesu. Umbono usuphelile. Lapho sekusile njengoba behla entabeni, uJesu uyabayala: “Ningatsheli muntu ngalo mbono ize ivuswe iNdodana yomuntu kwabafile.”—Mathewu 17:9.

Ukubonakala kuka-Eliya embonweni kuphakamisa umbuzo. Abaphostoli bayabuza: “Kungani ababhali bethi kumelwe kufike u-Eliya kuqala?” UJesu uyabaphendula: “U-Eliya usefikile kakade kodwa abamazanga.” (Mathewu 17:10-12) UJesu ukhuluma ngoJohane uMbhapathizi, owafeza indima efana neka-Eliya. U-Eliya walungisela u-Elisha indlela, noJohane walungisela uKristu indlela.

Lo mbono umqinisa ngempela uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe! Ubonisa ukuthi iyoba njani inkazimulo yoMbuso kaKristu. Ngale ndlela abafundi bayibona “iNdodana yomuntu iza eMbusweni wayo,” njengoba nje uJesu ayethembisile. (Mathewu 16:28) Lapho besentabeni, ‘bazibonela mathupha ubukhazikhazi bakhe.’ Nakuba abaFarisi babefuna isibonakaliso esifakazela ukuthi uJesu wayezoba yiNkosi ekhethwe uNkulunkulu, akazange abanikeze. Kodwa abalandeli bakaJesu ababesondelene naye bavunyelwa ukubona ukuguqulwa kukaJesu isimo, okuqinisekisa ukugcwaliseka kweziprofetho zoMbuso. Ngakho uPetru wayengabhala kamuva: “Sinezwi lesiprofetho eliqinisekiswe ngokwengeziwe.”—2 Petru 1:16-19.