UJesu useJerusalema uze eMkhosini Wokunikezela. Lona umcimbi wokunikezelwa kabusha kwethempeli. Eminyakeni engaphezu kweyikhulu edlule, iNkosi yase-Asiriya u-Antiochus Epiphanes wesine wakha i-altare phezu kwe-altare elikhulu ethempelini likaNkulunkulu. Kamuva, amadodana ompristi ongumJuda aphinde alithatha iJerusalema futhi alinikezela kabusha ithempeli kuJehova. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kuba nomkhosi waminyaka yonke owenziwa ngomhlaka-25 enyangeni kaKhisilevi eqondana nokuphela kukaNovemba nokuqala kukaDisemba.

Kusebusika, amakhaza ashubisa umnkantsha. UJesu uhamba emphemeni kaSolomoni ethempelini. AmaJuda ayamngunga bese ethi kuye: “Kuyoze kube nini ulokhu usenza singaqiniseki? Uma unguKristu, sitshele ngokucacile.” (Johane 10:22-24) Uzothini uJesu? Uyaphendula: “Nganitshela kodwa anikholwa.” UJesu akabatsheli ngokuqondile ukuthi unguKristu njengoba atshela owesifazane waseSamariya emthonjeni. (Johane 4:25, 26) Empeleni, wazisho ukuthi ungubani lapho ethi: “Ngaphambi kokuba u-Abrahama abe khona, ngase ngikhona.”—Johane 8:58.

UJesu ufuna abantu bazibonele bona ukuthi unguKristu ngokuqhathanisa imisebenzi ayenzayo naleyo eyayibikezelwe ukuthi uKristu wayeyoyenza. Yingakho ngezinye izikhathi atshela abafundi bakhe ukuba bangatsheli muntu ukuthi wayenguMesiya. Kodwa manje utshela la maJuda amphikisayo kwezikabhoqo: “Imisebenzi engiyenzayo egameni likaBaba, yona iyafakaza ngami. Kodwa anikholwa.”—Johane 10:25, 26.

Kungani la maJuda engakholwa ukuthi uJesu unguKristu? Uthi: “Anikholwa ngoba anizona izimvu zami. Izimvu zami ziyalilalela izwi lami, nami ngiyazazi, futhi ziyangilandela. Ngizinika ukuphila okuphakade, futhi azisoze zabhubha nanini, akukho muntu oyozihlwitha esandleni sami. Lokho uBaba anginike khona kukhulu kunazo zonke ezinye izinto.” UJesu uwatshela ukuthi yena noYise basondelene kangakanani, uthi: “Mina noBaba simunye.” (Johane 10:26-30) UJesu usemhlabeni uYise usezulwini ngakho wayengaqondile ukuthi yena noYise bamunye ngokoqobo. Kunalokho bamunye ukuze bafeze umgomo owodwa.

Amazwi kaJesu awacasula kakhulu amaJuda kangangokuba aphinde acoshe amatshe ukuze ambulale. Lokhu akumesabisi uJesu. Uthi: “Nginibonise imisebenzi eminingi emihle evela kuBaba. Yimuphi kuleyo misebenzi eningikhanda ngamatshe ngenxa yawo?” Aphendula athi: “Asikukhandi ngamatshe ngenxa yomsebenzi omuhle kodwa ngenxa yokuhlambalaza; ngoba . . . uzenza unkulunkulu.” (Johane 10:31-33) UJesu akakaze athi ungunkulunkulu, pho kungani bembeka icala?

UJesu uthi unamandla amaJuda akholelwa ukuthi angakaNkulunkulu kuphela. Ngokwesibonelo, mayelana ‘nezimvu’ uthi: “Ngizinika ukuphila okuphakade,” okuyinto umuntu angeke akwazi ukuyenza. (Johane 10:28) AmaJuda alishaya indiva iqiniso lokuthi uJesu wakuvuma obala ukuthi igunya lokwenza imisebenzi yakhe walithola kuYise.

Ephikisa izinto ezingamanga abamsola ngazo, uJesu uyabuza: “Akulotshiwe yini eMthethweni wenu [emBhalweni weHubo 82:6] ukuthi, ‘Ngathi: “Ningonkulunkulu”’? Uma ababiza ngokuthi ‘onkulunkulu’ labo okwafika izwi likaNkulunkulu lamelana nabo . . . ingabe nisho kimi, lowo uBaba amngcwelisa futhi wamthumela ezweni, ukuthi, ‘Wena uyahlambalaza,’ ngoba ngithe, ‘ngiyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu’?”—Johane 10:34-36.

Yebo, imiBhalo ibiza ngisho abahluleli abangabantu abangalungile ngokuthi “onkulunkulu.” Pho amaJuda angambeka kanjani uJesu icala uma ethi: “NgiyiNdondana kaNkulunkulu”? Usho into okufanele ibenze bakholwe ukuthi uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu uthi: “Uma ngingenzi imisebenzi kaBaba, ningangikholwa. Kodwa uma ngenza yona, ngisho noma ningangikholwa  mina, kholwani yimisebenzi, ukuze nazi futhi niqhubeke nazi ukuthi uBaba nami simunye, nami ngimunye noBaba.”—Johane 10:37, 38.

Ngenxa yalokho, amaJuda azama ukubamba uJesu, kodwa uyaphunyuka futhi. Uyasuka eJerusalema aye ngaphesheya koMfula iJordani endaweni lapho uJohane aqala khona ukubhapathiza, cishe eminyakeni emithathu eyedlule. Le ndawo ayikude nendawo engaseningizimu ekugcineni koLwandle LwaseGalile.

Izixuku ziza kuJesu zithi: “UJohane akenzanga ngisho nesisodwa isibonakaliso, kodwa zonke izinto uJohane azisho ngalo muntu zaziyiqiniso.” (Johane 10:41) Ngenxa yalokho, amaJuda amaningi aba nokholo kuJesu.