UYesu usuka ePereya, ibe ngoku ukwindawo engaphandle kweBhethani, ilali emalunga neekhilomitha ezintathu xa usuka ngakwimpuma yeYerusalem. UMariya noMarta, bazilela ukusweleka kukaLazaro ubhuti wabo. Abantu abaninzi bazokubathuthuzela.

UMarta uxelelwa ukuba uYesu uyeza aze akhawuleze amkhawulele. Uxelela uYesu into ekusenokwenzeka ukuba yena nodadewabo bebecinga ngayo kwezi ntsuku zine. Uthi: “Nkosi, ukuba ubulapha umntakwethu ngengafanga.” Kodwa akayithethi le nto kuba engenathemba. Uthi: “Ndiyazi ukuba uThixo uza kukunika nantoni na oyicelayo.” (Yohane 11:21, 22) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uMarta ucinga ukuba uYesu angamvusa umntakwabo.

UYesu uphendula athi: “Umntakwenu uza kuvuka.” UMarta ucinga ukuba uthetha ngexesha elizayo xa kuza kuvuswa abantu apha emhlabeni, ithemba awayenalo uAbraham nabanye. Ubonisa ukuba naye uqinisekile ukuba le nto iza kwenzeka. Uthi: “Ndiyazi ukuba uza kuvuka xa kuvuswa abantu ngomhla wokugqibela.”​—Yohane 11:23, 24.

Kodwa ngaba uYesu unako ukumvusa ngoku? Ukhumbuza uMarta ukuba unamandla awanikwe nguThixo okulawula ukufa. Uthi: “Lowo uzikholelwayo izinto endizifundisayo aze azenze, nokuba angafa uza kuphinda avuke; ibe wonke umntu ophilayo, ozikholelwayo izinto endizifundisayo aze azenze akasoze afe.”​—Yohane 11:25, 26.

Akathi abafundi bakhe abaphila ngeli xesha esemhlabeni soze bafe. Kaloku naye uza kufa, njengokuba ebetshilo kubapostile bakhe. (Mateyu 16:21; 17:22, 23) Eyona nto ayithetha kukuba, abantu abazikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo baze bazenze baza kufumana ubomi obungunaphakade. Abantu abaninzi obo bomi baza kubufumana ukuvuswa kwabo. Kodwa abathembekileyo naxa kupheliswa eli hlabathi, kusenokwenzeka ukuba soze bafe bona. Noba bavuka ekufeni okanye baye basinda xa eli hlabathi lipheliswa, bonke abantu abazikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo baze bazenze bangaqiniseka ukuba nokuba bangafa baza kuphinda bavuke.

Kodwa ngaba uYesu, osandokuthi “Ndim uvuko nobomi,” angamvusa uLazaro osele eneentsuku eswelekile? Ubuza uMarta athi: “Uyayikholelwa le nto?” UMarta uthi: “Ewe, Nkosi; ndiyakholwa ukuba unguye uKristu uNyana kaThixo, lowo umele eze emhlabeni.” UMarta unokholo lokuba uYesu ikhona into angayenza kwangale mini. Ngenxa yaloo nto uyakhawuleza aye endlini aze athethe noMariya ecaleni athi: “Ufikile uMfundisi, ibe uyakubiza.” (Yohane 11:25-28) Ngoko nangoko uMariya uyemka endlini ibe abantu bayamlandela kuba bacinga ukuba uya kwingcwaba likaLazaro.

UMariya uya kuYesu aze aziphose ezinyaweni zakhe aphinde athethe into ibithethwe ngudadewabo athi: “Nkosi, ukuba ubulapha, umntakwethu ngengafanga.” Xa uYesu ebona uMariya nabanye abantu abakunye naye belila, intliziyo yakhe iba buhlungu aze naye alile. Abantu bayabona ukuba ebemthanda nyhani uLazaro. Kodwa abanye bathi: “Wawavula nje amehlo omntu ongaboniyo, ebengenako ke ukwenza noLazaro angafi?”​—Yohane 11:32, 37.