UJesu labafundi bakhe sebelensuku ezintathu befike eBhethani bevela eJerikho. Khathesi sekunguNisani 10 futhi kungoMvulo njalo uJesu labafundi bakhe baqonda eJerusalema ekuseni kakhulu. UJesu uselambile, yikho uthi ebona isihlahla somkhiwa asilande. Kodwa isihlahla leso silazo yini izithelo?

Khathesi sekusiyaphela uMarch kodwa isikhathi sezithelo zomkhiwa singoJune. Lanxa kunjalo isihlahla lesi silamahlamvu aphangise ukuhluma. Yikho uJesu ubona angani sesiqalisile ukuba lezithelo. Kodwa uthi efika afice singela ngitsho lesisodwa. Amahlamvu yiwo enze uJesu wabona angani sekulezithelo. Uthi kuso: “Akungabi lamuntu ozaphinda adle isithelo kuwe futhi.” (UMakho 11:14) Isihlahla lesi sihle siqalise ukubuna njalo ukuthi lokho kutshoni kuzachasiswa ngelanga elilandelayo.

UJesu labafundi bakhe bafika eJerusalema ngesikhatshana nje. Uqonda ethempelini ake alihlola izolo emini. Lamuhla kalihloli kuphela kodwa wenza lokho ake wakwenza eminyakeni emithathu eyadlulayo ngePhasika lika-30 C.E. (UJohane 2:14-16) Uxotshela phandle ‘abathengisayo labathengayo’ ethempelini. Uphinda agenqule ‘amatafula alabo abantshintsha imali kanye lamabhentshi alabo abathengisa amajuba.’ (UMakho 11:15) Kavumeli lokuthi umuntu othwele izinto zakhe esiya kwelinye icele ledolobho aqume egumeni lethempeli.

Kungani uJesu engathikazi ukuxotsha labo abantshintsha imali labathengisa inyamazana ethempelini? Uthi: “Akubhalwanga yini ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokuthandazela yezizwe zonke’? Kodwa lina seliyenza ubhalu lwamasela.” (UMakho 11:17) Uthi abantu laba bangamasela ngenxa yokuthi bathengisa inyamazana zomhlatshelo ngemali emba eqolo. UJesu ubona abakwenzayo kuyibuqili loba ubusela.

Abaphristi abakhokhelayo, lababhali kanye labakhokheli besizwe bathi besizwa lokho uJesu akwenzileyo balole amacebo abo okuthi abulawe. Kodwa bahlangana lohlupho. Kabenelisi ukumbulala ngoba abantu lokhu bembuthanela.

AmaJuda kayisiwo wodwa alande umkhosi wePhasika kodwa kubuye labantu abaphendukele okholweni lwesiJuda, njalo abanye bakhona ngamaGrikhi. Mhlawumbe amaGrikhi la akhangwa libizo likaFiliphu lesiGrikhi abesemlanda acele ukubona uJesu. UFiliphu uqala akhulume lo-Andreya ngoba kungenzeka uyazibuza ukuthi kuqondile yini ukuwabizela uJesu. Abafundi laba balanda uJesu okungenzakala ukuthi lokhu esethempelini, bafike bamtshele ngalokho.

UJesu uyakwazi ukuthi sekusele amalanga amalutshwana ukuthi afe yikho lesi kayisiso sikhathi sokuchasisela abantu izinto kumbe esokufuna ukudunyiswa. Uphendula abaphostoli laba ababili ngokubalandisela umzekeliso. Uthi: “Isikhathi sokuthi iNdodana yomuntu ikhazinyuliswe sesifikile. Ngiqinisile sibili ngithi kini, nxa uhlamvu lwengqoloyi lungazange luwele emhlabathini lufe, luhlala luluhlamvu olulodwa nje. Kodwa nxa lungafa, luthela amabele amanengi.”​—UJohane 12:23, 24.

Uhlamvu olulodwa lwengqoloyi lungakhanya lungancedi kangako. Lanxa kunjalo, nxa lungahlanyelwa “lufe” luyamila futhi lukhule, lucine lusiba lenhlamvu ezinengi. UJesu laye ngumuntu oyedwa ongelasono. Loba kunjalo, nxa angaqhubeka ethembekile aze afe uzanika abantu abanengi abazidelayo njengaye ukuphila okungapheliyo. Yikho esithi: “Loba ngubani  othanda ukuphila kwakhe uyakutshabalalisa, kodwa loba ngubani ozonda ukuphila kwakhe emhlabeni lo uzakulondoloza athole ukuphila okungapheliyo.”​—UJohane 12:25.

UJesu kakhulumi ngokuzakwenziwa nguye kuphela kodwa ukhuluma langokuzatholwa ngabanye, uthi: “Nxa umuntu efuna ukuba yinceku yami, kangilandele. Lapho engikhona lenceku yami izakuba lapho. Nxa umuntu efuna ukuba yinceku yami, uBaba uzamupha udumo.” (UJohane 12:26) Lo ngumvuzo omkhulu sibili. Abazanikwa udumo nguBaba bazakuba loKhristu eMbusweni.

UJesu uyakwazi ukuthi kumele ahlupheke kakhulu njalo afe ngendlela ebuhlungu, yikho uthi: “Khathesi ngikhathazekile, pho ngingathini? Baba ngisindisa kulelihola.” Kodwa uJesu kafuni ukubalekela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu, uthi: “Lanxa kunjalo, lokhu yikho okwenze ngafika kulelihola.” (UJohane 12:27) Uvumelana lakho konke uNkulunkulu akuhlosileyo njalo uzimisele lokufa esiba ngumhlatshelo.