UYesu uze eYerusalem kwitheko lokukhumbula umhla wokunikezelwa kwetempile (okanye iHanuka). Kwiminyaka engaphezu kweyi-100 ngaphambili uKumkani waseSiriya uAntiochus IV Epiphanes wakha isibingelelo phezu kwesibingelelo esikhulu esisetempileni kaThixo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha oonyana bombingeleli ongumYuda baphinda bayithimba iYerusalem baza baphinda banikela itempile kuYehova. Ukususela ngoko, qho ngonyaka, ngomhla we-25 kwinyanga kaKislevu esekupheleni kukaNovemba ukuyokutsho ekuqaleni kukaDisemba kwenziwa eli theko.

Kuyabanda, kusebusika. UYesu usetempileni, kwiveranda kaSolomon. AmaYuda ayamjikeleza aze athi: “Kunini silindile! Ukuba unguye nyhani uKristu, sixelele.” (Yohane 10:22-24) Uza kuthini? Uthi: “Ndinixelele, kodwa anindikholelwa.” Akakabaxeleli ngqo ukuba unguKristu njengokuba ebenzile kumfazi ongumSamariya ebethetha naye equleni. (Yohane 4:25, 26) Kodwa ubaxelele ukuba ungubani kuba uthe: “Ndabakho uAbraham engekazalwa.”​—Yohane 8:58.

Ufuna abantu bazigqibele ngokwabo ukuba unguKristu ngokujonga izinto azenzayo nekwakuthwe uKristu uza kuzenza. Yiyo loo nto ngamanye amaxesha ebesithi kubafundi bakhe bangaxeleli mntu ukuba unguMesiya. Kodwa ngoku uthi kula maYuda: “Ndingqinelwa nayimimangaliso endiyenza egameni likaTata. Kodwa anindikholelwa.”​—Yohane 10:25, 26.

Kutheni bengamkholelwa uYesu ukuba unguKristu? Uthi: “Anindikholelwa, kuba anizizo izimvu zam. Izimvu zam ziyalimamela ilizwi lam; ndiyazazi ibe ziyandilandela. Ndizinika ubomi obungunaphakade. Soze zitshabalale, ibe akukho mntu unokuzihlutha kum. Izimvu uTata andinike zona zibaluleke ngaphezu kwayo yonke enye into.” Emva koko ubaxelela indlela asondelelene ngayo noTata wakhe. Uthi: “Mna noTata sibanye.” (Yohane 10:26-30) UYesu ulapha emhlabeni. UTata wakhe usezulwini. Ngenxa yaloo nto akanakuba uthetha ukuba yena noTata wakhe bangumntu omnye. Endaweni yaloo nto bamanyene kuba bafuna izinto ezifanayo.

Le nto ayithethayo iyawacaphukisa amaYuda. Aphinda achole amatye efuna ukumbulala. Kodwa ayimoyikisi le nto uYesu. Uthi: “Ndenze imimangaliso emininzi evela kuTata. Nindibethela owuphi?” AmaYuda athi: “Asikubetheli mimangaliso, kodwa sikubethela ukudelela uThixo, kuba . . . uzenza uthixo.” (Yohane 10:31-33) UYesu zange athi unguthixo, kutheni ke emtyhola?

Kaloku uthi unamandla ibe amaYuda akholelwa ukuba nguThixo yedwa omele abe nala mandla. Ngokomzekelo xa ebethetha ‘ngeegusha’ uthe: “Ndizinika ubomi obungunaphakade.” Loo nto ayikwazi ukwenziwa ngabantu. (Yohane 10:28) AmaYuda awayihoyi into yokuba uYesu ebethe igunya ulifumana kuTata wakhe.

UYesu akavumi ukutyholwa ukuba uzenza uthixo. Uthi: “Akubhalwanga na eMthethweni wenu [kwiNdumiso 82:6] kwathiwa, ‘Ndathi: “Ningoothixo”’? . . . Ngoko ukuba wababiza ngokuba ‘ngoothixo’ abo libagwebayo ilizwi likaThixo, nitsho njani ukuba ‘ndidelela uThixo,’ kuba ndithe ‘ndinguNyana kaThixo,’ ekubeni inguye owandingcwalisayo waza wandithuma ehlabathini?”​—Yohane 10:34-36.

IZibhalo zithi abagwebi abangabantu, abangagwebi nakakuhle ‘ngoothixo.’ Ngoko la maYuda amkhalazela njani uYesu xa esithi “ndinguNyana kaThixo”? Uthetha ngento emele iwaqinisekise, uthi: “Ukuba andenzi kuthanda kukaTata, sanukundikholelwa. Kodwa ukuba ndenza kona, yikholelweni ke imimangaliso endiyenzayo, nokuba anindikholelwa mna, ukuze nazi yaye nihlale  nisazi ukuba uTata umanyene nam, nam ndimanyene noTata.”​—Yohane 10:37, 38.

Emva kokuba uYesu ethethe le nto amaYuda azama ukumbamba kodwa uyawabaleka aze emke. Uyemka eYerusalem aze aye ngapha koMlambo iYordan kwindawo uYohane awaqala ukubhaptiza kuyo kwiminyaka ephantse ibe mine edlulileyo. Kubonakala ukuba ayikho kude kumzantsi woLwandle LwaseGalili.

Abantu beza kuye baze bathi: “Akukho nomnye ummangaliso owenziwa nguYohane, kodwa zonke izinto awazithetha ngalo mntu ziyinyani.” (Yohane 10:41) Ngenxa yaloo nto amaYuda amaninzi ayakholwa kuYesu.