Sekulesikhathi uJesu esePhereya “ngaphetsheya kweJodani.” (UJohane 10:40) Khathesi uya eningizimu elubangise eJerusalema.

UJesu kahambi yedwa. Uhamba labafundi bakhe, ‘lexuku elikhulu,’ labathelisi kanye lezoni. (ULukha 14:25; 15:1) AbaFarisi abasola lokho uJesu akutshoyo lakwenzayo labo bakhonapho. UJesu ulandise imizekeliso ephathelane lemvu elahlekileyo, lendodana yolahleko kanye lendoda eyisinothi loLazaro. Ngakho kulokunengi okumele bacabange ngakho.—ULukha 15:2; 16:14.

Khathesi uJesu usekhuluma labafundi bakhe ephinda okunye ayeke wakutsho ngesikhathi eseGalile. Mhlawumbe okwenza akhulume izinto lezi yikuthi abaphikisi bakhe bebemchothoza futhi bemenza inhlekisa.

Ngokwesibonelo, uthi: “Kuzahlala kulezinto ezenza abantu bakhubeke. Kodwa maye kulowo owenza abanye bakhubeke! . . . Nanzelelani. Nxa umfowenu angenza isono mkhuze, njalo nxa angaphenduka mxolele. Lanxa ekonela kasikhombisa ngelanga, aphenduke kuwe kasikhombisa elokhu esithi, ‘Ngiyaxolisa,’ kumele umxolele.” (ULukha 17:1-4) Amazwi uJesu acina ngawo lapha angabe ekhumbuza uPhetro ngombuzo ake wawubuza omayelana lokuthethelela kuze kube kasikhombisa.​—UMathewu 18:21.

Abafundi bazakwenelisa yini ukwenza lokho uJesu abatshela khona? Bathi kuye: “Sincedise ukuthi sibe lokholo oluqinileyo.” Yena uyabaqinisa athi: “Nxa lilokholo olungangentanga yemastadi, lizakuthi esihlahleni lesi somabhulosi, ‘Quphuka lapho uyegxumeka elwandle!’ Lakanye sililalele.” (ULukha 17:5, 6) Bangenelisa sibili ukwenza izinto ezinkulu lanxa belokholo oluncane.

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu ukhuluma ngokuthi umuntu kumele azithobe. Uthi kubaphostoli: “Ukhona yini phakathi kwenu ongatshela inceku yakhe ivela lima emasimini kumbe ivela kwelusa athi, ‘Wohle ubuye ngapha etafuleni uzokudla’? Hatshi, kodwa uzathi kuyo, ‘Akungilungisele ukudla kwami kwantambama, ugqoke ezokupheka ungiphe engikufunayo ngize ngiqede ukudla lokunatha. Ungaqeda lawe usungadla unathe.’ Kambe angatshona ebonga inceku yona yenze umsebenzi ebithunywe ukuthi iwenze? Lani nxa selizenzile zonke izinto ebelithunywe ukuthi lizenze kumele lithi: ‘Siyizinceku ezingatsho lutho. Senze obekumele sikwenze.’”​—ULukha 17:7-10.

Inceku kaNkulunkulu ngayinye kumele iqakathekise ukwenza izinto eziphathelane lokumkhonza. Kumele iqakathekise lesibusiso elaso sokukhonza uNkulunkulu ililunga lemuli yakhe.

UJesu uthi esakhuluma kufike isithunywa. Sivela kuMariya loMatha, odadewabo bakaLazaro abahlala eBhethani eJudiya. Sithi: “Nkosi, lowo omthanda kakhulu uyagula!”​—UJohane 11:1-3.

Umbiko lo omayelana lomngane wakhe uLazaro kawumqedi amandla uJesu. Uthi: “Ukugula lokhu akusoze kuphethe ngokufa kodwa kuzakwenza ukuthi uNkulunkulu akhazinyuliswe ukuze iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ikhazinyuliswe ngakho.” Uqhubeka okwamalanga amabili elokhu esendaweni akuyo abesesithi kubafundi bakhe: “Kasibuyeleni eJudiya.” Bona bathi: “Rabi, kakukabi lesikhathi eside abantu baseJudiya bezame ukukukhanda ngamatshe. Manje ubusubuyela khona futhi?”​—UJohane 11:4, 7, 8.

UJesu ubaphendula esithi: “Ilanga likhanyisa okwamahola angu-12 angithi? Nxa umuntu ehamba emini, akulanto ezamkhuba ngoba uyabe ebona ukukhanya komhlaba lo. Kodwa nxa umuntu ehamba ebusuku, uyakhubeka ngoba ukukhanya kakukho kuye.” (UJohane 11:9, 10) Kumele  ukuthi uJesu utsho ukuthi inkonzo uNkulunkulu amthume ukuthi ayenze ayikapheli, yikho kufanele asisebenzise kuhle isikhathi esincane esiseleyo.

Uqhubeka esithi: “Umngane wethu uLazaro uselele kodwa ngiya khona ukuze ngiyemvusa.” Abafundi bacabanga ukuthi uLazaro uyaziphumulela nje lokuthi uzakuba ngcono yikho bathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, nxa elele kutsho ukuthi uzasila.” UJesu ukubeka kucace ukuthi utshoni, uthi: “ULazaro usefile . . . Kodwa kasiyeni kuye.”​—UJohane 11:11-15.

UTomasi uyakwazi ukuthi kungenzakala uJesu abulawe eJudiya. Lanxa kunjalo, ufuna ukumsekela yikho uthi kwabanye abafundi: “Kasihambeni lathi ukuze siyekufa laye.”​—UJohane 11:16.