UJesu ubuya ePhereya, ufikela emkhawulweni weBethaniya, indawo ekude ngamakhilomitha amathathu ukusuka epumalanga yeJerusalema. UMariya noMarta, abodadwabo lakaLazaru, bayalila ngokuhlongakalelwa mfowabo lo. Kuze nabantu abanengi abazobatjhiriya.

Omunye umuntu utjela uMarta bona uJesu uyeza, nje-ke uphuma ngokurhaba uyomhlangabeza. UMarta utjela uJesu ngalokho yena nodadwabo okungenzeka bebakucabanga amalanga amane, uthi: “Kosi, ngathana bewulapha, umfowethu ngangakafi.” Nokho, lokhu akutjho bona uMarta akanathemba. Uthi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi nanyana yini oyibawa kuZimu, uZimu uzokunikela yona.” (Jwanisi 11:21, 22) Unethemba lokuthi kukhona uJesu angakwenzela umfowabo.

UJesu uthi: “Umfowenu uzokuvuka.” UMarta uphetha ngokuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngokuvuswa kwabafileko okuzako ephasini, okulithemba u-Abrahama nabanye ebebanalo. Uveza indlela akholelwa ngayo ukuthi lokhu kuzokwenzeka kwamambala, uthi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uzokuvuswa kwabafileko ngelanga lamaswaphela.”—Jwanisi 11:23, 24.

Kghani ikhona into uJesu angayenza msinyana bona asize ebujamwenobu? Ukhumbuza uMarta bona uZimu umuphe amandla wokuhlula ukufa, uthi: “Loyo okholwa kimi, ngitjho nanyana angafa, uzokuphila; bese kuthi woke umuntu ophilako akholwe kimi angekhe afe.”—Jwanisi 11:25, 26.

UJesu akatjho ukuthi abafundi bakhe abaphila ngesikhatheso ngekhe bafe. Ngitjho naye kufuze afe, njengombana wakhe watjela abapostoli bakhe. (Matewu 16:21; 17:22, 23) UJesu uveza ukuthi ukukholelwa kuye kungasenza sifumane ukuphila okungapheliko. Abantu abanengi, bazokufumana ukuphilokho ngokuvuswa kwabafileko. Nokho, abantu abathembekileko abaphila ekupheleni kwephaseli angekhe kutlhogeke bafe. Kinanyana ngikuphi, woke umuntu okholwa kuye angaqiniseka bona angekhe afe unomphela.

Kghani uJesu osand’ ukuthi, “Mina ngikuvuka nokuphila,” angamsiza uLazaru osele afe amalangana? UJesu ubuza uMarta, uthi: “Uyakukholwa lokhu na?” UMarta uyamphendula uthi: “Iye Kosi, ngiyakholwa bona unguKrestu, iNdodana kaZimu, loyo ebekufuze eze ephasini.” Akholwa bona uJesu angenza okuthileko khona mhlokho, uMarta ugijimela ekhaya utjela udadwabo ngemsitheleni uthi: “UMfundisi ulapha begodu uyakubiza.” (Jwanisi 11:25-28) Khonokho, uMariya uyaphuma ngendlini, nabanye bayamlandela bacabanga bona uya ethuneni lakaLazaru.

Kunalokho, uMariya uya kuJesu, uguqa eenyaweni zakhe uyalila, ubuyelela amezwi atjhiwo ngudadwabo: “Kosi, ngathana bewulapha, umfowethu ngangakafi.” UJesu nakabona uMariya nesiqubuthu silila, uthinteka khulu ehliziywenakhe, uyalila. Lokho kuyabathinta ababukeleko. Kodwana abanye bayabuzana, bathi: ‘Nangabe uJesu angavula amehlo wesiphofu, bekangabhalelwa kuvimba lo bona angahlongakali?’—Jwanisi 11:32, 37.