UJesu ulokhu eseMkhosini Wamathabanikeli (loba oWezihonqo) eJerusalema. Kuyamthokozisa ukuthi “abanengi exukwini baba lokholo kuye.” Kodwa abakhokheli benkolo kabathokozi ngalokhu. Bathuma amadoda ukuthi ayebopha uJesu. (UJohane 7:31, 32) Loba kunjalo uJesu kazami ukucatsha.

Uqhubeka etshumayela egcekeni eJerusalema, uthi: “Ngizabe ngilani okwesikhatshana ngingakayi kuLowo ongithumileyo. Lizangidinga kodwa kalisoze lingithole njalo lapho engizabe ngikhona kalingeke libuye.” (UJohane 7:33, 34) AmaJuda kawazwisisi amazwi la yikho esithi: “Kanti indoda le ifuna ukuya ngaphi lapho esingasoze siyithole khona? Pho kayifuni ukuya kumaJuda asabalale agcwala kumaGrikhi ukuze iyefundisa amaGrikhi? Itshoni nxa isithi, ‘Lizangidinga kodwa kalisoze lingithole njalo lapho engizabe ngikhona kalingeke libuye’?” (UJohane 7:35, 36) UJesu ukhuluma ngokufa lokuvuka kwakhe esiya ezulwini lapho izitha zakhe ezingeke zimlandele khona.

Ilanga lesikhombisa lomkhosi liyafika. Nsuku zonke ekuseni ngamalanga omkhosi umphristi kade ethela amanzi athethwe eChibini leSilowami ukuze agelezele ngaphansi kwe-alithare elisethempelini. Mhlawumbe uJesu ukhumbuza abantu ngomkhuba lo ngesikhathi esithi: “Loba ngubani owomileyo kabuye kimi azonatha. Njengoba nje umbhalo usitsho, loba ngubani okholwa kimi, ‘Izifudlana zamanzi okuphila zizageleza zisuka ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yakhe.’”​—UJohane 7:37, 38.

Lapha uJesu ukhuluma ngalokhu okuzakwenzakala abafundi bakhe bangagcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele ukuze bayephila ezulwini. Lokhu kuzakwenzakala ngelanga lePhentekhosti ngemva komnyaka uJesu efile. Ngalelolanga abafundi abagcotshwe ngomoya ongcwele bazaqalisa ukufundisa abanye iqiniso njalo ngalesosikhathi izifudlana zamanzi anika ukuphila zizaqalisa ukugeleza.

Abanye abalalele uJesu efundisa bathi: “Lo nguye umPhrofethi sibili.” Kusegcekeni ukuthi batsho umphrofethi omkhulu kuloMosi okwakukhulunyiwe  ukuthi uzakuba khona. Abanye bathi: “Lo nguKhristu,” kodwa abanye bathi: “Angithi uKhristu kaveli eGalile? Kanti umbhalo kawutsho yini ukuthi uKhristu uzavela enzalweni kaDavida, eBhethilehema, isigaba uDavida ayekuso?”​—UJohane 7:40-42.

Abantu bacabanga izinto ezitshiyeneyo ngoJesu. Lanxa abanye befuna abotshwe, kakho ombambayo. Abalindi bayaphenduka kubakhokheli benkolo bengelaye uJesu, abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi bababuze bathi: “Kungani lingabuyanga laye?” Abalindi baphendula bathi: “Kakukaze kube lomuntu okhuluma kanje.” Abakhokheli benkolo bayazonda baqalise ukukhuluma kubi. Bathi: “Kanti lani selidukisiwe? Akulambusi kumbe umFarisi osemkholiwe, angithi? Kodwa ixuku leli elingawaziyo uMthetho lingabantu abaqalekisiweyo.”​—UJohane 7:45-49.

Kusenjalo uNikhodemu umFarisi olilunga leSanhedrini uyamsekela uJesu. Eminyakeni emibili lengxenye edlulileyo uNikhodemu walanda uJesu ebusuku waba lokholo kuye. Khathesi uthi: “Kanje eMthethweni wethu siyamahlulela yini umuntu singaqalanga samlalela sakwazi ukuthi wenzeni?” Baphendula besithini abakhokheli benkolo? Bathi: “Kanti lawe uvela eGalile yini? Dinga, uzabona ukuthi akulamphrofethi ozavela eGalile.”​—UJohane 7:51, 52.

IMibhalo kayikuvezi egcekeni ukuthi kuzakuba lomphrofethi ovela eGalile. Loba kunjalo, iLizwi likaNkulunkulu latshengisa ukuthi uKhristu wayezavela khona ngoba laphrofetha ‘ngokukhanya okukhulu’ okwakuzabonakala ‘eGalile yabezizweni.’ (U-Isaya 9:1, 2; UMathewu 4:13-17) Kanti njalo uJesu wazalelwa eBhethilehema njalo uyinzalo kaDavida njengoba kwaphrofethwa. Lanxa abaFarisi bekwazi konke lokhu, kungenzeka yibo abasakaza izinto ezinengi ezingaqondanga ezimayelana loJesu.