Evela ePhereya, uJesu ufika emaphethelweni eBhethaniya indawo eqhele ngamakhilomitha amathathu ukusuka empumalanga yeJerusalema. UMarta noMariya, odadewabo bakaLazaru, bayalila njengoba esanda kushona. Kunabantu abaningi abafikile bezobaduduza.

Othile utshela uMarta ukuthi uJesu uyeza, ube esephuma ngokushesha ayomhlangabeza. UMarta utshela uJesu lokho yena nodadewabo okungenzeka bebelokhu bekucabanga kulezi zinsuku ezine: “Nkosi, ukube ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.” Nokho, akukhona ukuthi akanalo ithemba. UMarta uthi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi noma yini oyicelayo kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uyokunika yona.” (Johane 11:21, 22) Ucabanga ukuthi uJesu usengamsiza umfowabo.

UJesu uyamphendula: “Umfowenu uzovuka.” UMarta uphetha ngokuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngovuko oluyokwenzeka emhlabeni esikhathini esizayo, ithemba u-Abrahama nabanye ababenalo. Usho la mazwi abonisa ukuthi uyaqiniseka ngokuthi lokhu kuyokwenzeka: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyovuka ovukweni ngosuku lokugcina.”—Johane 11:23, 24.

Kodwa kungenzeka yini ukuthi kukhona uJesu angakwenza manje ukuze abakhulule osizini lwabo? Ukhumbuza uMarta ukuthi unamandla awanikwe uNkulunkulu angaphezu kokufa, uthi: “Lowo obonisa ukholo kimi, ngisho noma efa, uyophila; futhi wonke umuntu ophilayo obonisa ukholo kimi akasoze afa.”—Johane 11:25, 26.

UJesu akasho uthi abafundi bakhe ababephila ngaleso sikhathi ngeke bafe. Ngisho naye kumelwe afe njengoba atshela abaphostoli bakhe. (Mathewu 16:21; 17:22, 23) UJesu ugcizelela ukuthi ukubonisa ukholo kuye kungaholela ekuphileni okuphakade. Abaningi bayokuthola lokhu kuphila ngemva kokuba sebevusiwe. Nokho, abathembekile abayobe bephila lapho kubhujiswa lo mhlaba, bangase bangafi nhlobo. Kunoma yikuphi, noma ubani obonisa ukholo kuye, angaqiniseka ngokuthi akasoze afa unomphela.

Kungenzeka yini uJesu osanda kuthi “Mina ngiwukuvuka nokuphila,” asize uLazaru osenezinsuku efile? UJesu ubuza uMarta: “Uyakukholelwa lokhu?” Uyaphendula: “Yebo Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi wena unguKristu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, lowo ozayo ezweni.” Ekholelwa ukuthi kukhona uJesu angakwenza ngalo lolo suku, uMarta uyagijima aye ekhaya afike athi kudadewabo ngasese: “UMfundisi ukhona futhi uyakubiza.” (Johane 11:25-28) Lapho ezwa lokho, uMariya uyaphuma endlini, alandelwe abanye abacabanga ukuthi uya ethuneni likaLazaru.

Kunalokho, uMariya uya kuJesu afike aguqe ezinyaweni zakhe ekhala, aphinde amazwi ashiwo udadewabo: “Nkosi, ukube ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.” Ethintwa ukubona uMariya nezixuku zikhala, uJesu waquma ngaphakathi kuye wakhathazeka, waze wakhala izinyembezi. Lokho kuyabathinta ababukele. Kodwa abanye bayabuza: “Lo muntu owavula amehlo empumputhe ubengeke yini akwazi ukuvimbela lona ukuba angafi?”—Johane 11:32, 37.