UYesu nabafundi bakhe bahleli iingokuhlwa ezintathu eBhethani emva kokufika kwabo bevela eYeriko. Ngoku, kwakusasa ngoMvulo, ngoNisan 10, baya eYerusalem. UYesu ulambile. Ngenxa yaloo nto xa ebona umthi wamafiya uya kuwo. Ngaba uyawafumana?

Kusengasekupheleni kukaMatshi, amafiya awakazokubakho de kube ngoJuni. Kodwa lo mthi sowunamagqabi aphume ngaphambi kwexesha. Mhlawumbi uYesu ucinga ukuba namafiya aphume ngaphambi kwexesha. Kodwa ufika kungekho nelinye. La magqabi ayaqhatha nje. Ngenxa yalo nto uYesu uthi: “Makungaze kuphinde kubekho mntu utya mafiya aphuma kuwe ngonaphakade.” (Marko 11:14) Ngoko nangoko lo mthi uyoma, ibe iza kucaca ngemini elandelayo ukuba ithetha ntoni le nto.

Akubi kudala, uYesu nabafundi bakhe bafike eYerusalem. Uya etempileni, le ebejonge izinto ezenzeka kuyo emva kwemini izolo. Namhlanje akajongi nje izinto ezenzeka kuyo, wenza into efana nale ebeyenze kwiminyaka emithathu edlulileyo kwiPasika ka-30 C.E. (Yohane 2:14-16) Ugxotha ‘abantu abathengisa nabathenga etempileni.’ Uwisa ‘iitafile zabo zokutshintsha imali nezitulo zabo bathengisa amahobe.’ (Marko 11:15) Akavumeli nomntu ophethe izinto esiya kwenye indawo ekwalapha esixekweni anqumle kwiyadi yetempile.

Kutheni uYesu esenza le nto kwaba bantu batshintsha imali nabathengisa izilwanyana etempileni? Uthi: “Akubhalwanga na kwathiwa, ‘Indlu yam iza kubizwa ngokuba yindlu yomthandazo yazo zonke iintlanga’? Kodwa nina niyenze indawo yootsotsi.” (Marko 11:17) Uthi la madoda ngootsotsi kuba ababiza imali eninzi abantu abafuna ukuthenga izilwanyana abaza kunikela ngazo. UYesu uyijonga njengokuqhatha okanye ukutsotsa le nto bayenzayo.

Ngokulindelekileyo ababingeleli abaziintloko, ababhali, nezikhulu zabantu bayayiva into eyenziwe nguYesu, baze bafune ngakumbi ukumbulala. Kodwa ingxaki kukuba abayazi ukuba baza kumbulala njani kuba abantu baya kuye.

Akuyi amaYuda qha kodwa kuya nabantu abaguqukele ebuYudeni, abaze ePasikeni. Phakathi kwabo kukho namaGrike, azokukhonza kweli theko. Aya kuFilipu, mhlawumbi kuba enegama lesiGrike, aze acele ukubona uYesu. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uFilipu akaqinisekanga ukuba ivumelekile na loo nto, ngoko uya kuAndreya. Bobabini baxelela uYesu, ekubonakala ukuba uselapha etempileni.

UYesu uyayazi ukuba uza kufa kwiintsuku ezimbalwa ezizayo, ngoko eli ayiloxesha lokuba abe ezithandisa ebantwini. Ubaphendula ngokubenzela umzekelo aba bapostile babini. Uthi: “Lifikile ixesha lokuba uNyana womntu azukiswe. Ndiyaniqinisekisa ukuba, ukuba ukhozo lwengqolowa aluweli emhlabeni luze lufe, luhlala lulukhozo nje olunye; kodwa ukuba luyafa, luthwala ingqolowa eninzi.”​—Yohane 12:23, 24.

Ukhozo olunye lwengqolowa lusenokubonakala lungenaxabiso. Kodwa ukuba lufakwa emhlabeni luze “lufe” njengokhozo, luza kukhula luze ekuhambeni kwexesha lube ludiza oluvelisa iinkozo ezininzi. NoYesu ke ngumntu nje omnye ongenasono. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthembeka kwakhe kuThixo ade afe, uza kubanika ubomi obungunaphade abantu abaninzi abazincamayo njengaye. Yiloo nto esithi: “Nabani na obuthandayo ubomi bakhe, uyabutshabalalisa, kodwa nabani na obucaphukelayo ubomi bakhe kweli hlabathi, uza kubukhusela ngonaphakade.”​—Yohane 12:25.

UYesu akacingi ngesiqu sakhe qha kuba uthi: “Ukuba nabani na ufuna ukundisebenzela, makandilandele, abe kunye nam apho ndikhoyo. UTata  uza kumsikelela nabani na ondisebenzelayo.” (Yohane 12:26) Awukho omnye umvuzo omkhulu kunalo. Abo basikelelwe nguTata baza kulawula noKristu kuBukumkani.

UYesu ucinga ngezinto eziza kwenzeka kuye nokuba uza kufa kabuhlungu, aze athi: “Ndikhathazeke kakhulu, ndingathini kodwa? Tata, ndisindise kweli xesha lentlungu.” Kodwa akafuni ukukuphepha ukwenza le nto ifunwa nguTata wakhe. Wongeza athi: “Kodwa ke, bendizele loo nto emhlabeni.” (Yohane 12:27) Uyavumelana nayo yonke into efunwa nguThixo, nale yokufa kwakhe.