UJESU wayekwazi okwakuzokwenzeka. Wayeqonda ukuthi wayengeke aphile ngokuthula. Wayazi nokuthi ukuphila kwakhe kwakuyonqanyulwa kabuhlungu engakayihlanganisi neminyaka engu-40, futhi wayekuhlomele ngokuphelele ukubhekana nokufa.

IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi ukufa kukaJesu kubaluleke kakhulu. Enye incwadi ithi kukhulunywa ngokufa kukaJesu ngokuqondile izikhathi ezingaba ngu-175 emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki, noma eTestamenteni Elisha. Nokho, kungani kwadingeka ukuba ahlupheke futhi afe? Kumelwe siyazi impendulo yalo mbuzo ngoba ukufa kwakhe kungaba nethonya elikhulu ekuphileni kwethu.

Phakathi nonyaka afa ngawo, watshela abafundi bakhe izikhathi eziningi ukuthi wayezohlupheka futhi abulawe. Ngesikhathi esendleleni eya eJerusalema eyogubha iPhasika lakhe lokugcina, watshela abaphostoli bakhe abangu-12: “INdodana yomuntu izonikelwa kubapristi abakhulu nakubabhali; bazoyilahlela ekufeni bayinikele kubantu bezizwe, bahlekise ngayo bayikhafulele, bayibhaxabule futhi bayibulale.” * (Marku 10:33, 34) Kungani ayeqiniseka kangaka ngalokho okwakuzomehlela?

UJesu wayezazi iziprofetho eziningi ezisemiBhalweni yesiHebheru ezazibikezele ukuthi wayeyobulawa kanjani. (Luka 18:31-33) Nazi ezinye iziprofetho kanye nezikhombo zemiBhalo ezichaza ukuthi zaziyogcwaliseka kanjani.

UMesiya . . .

• Wayeyokhashelwa ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30.—ZAKARIYA 11:12; MATHEWU 26:14-16.

• Wayeyoshaywa futhi akhafulelwe ngamathe.—ISAYA 50:6; MATHEWU 26:67; 27:26, 30.

• Wayeyobethelwa.—IHUBO 22:16; MARKU 15:24, 25.

• Wayeyohlanjalazwa esigxotsheni.—IHUBO 22:7, 8; MATHEWU 27:39-43.

• Wayeyobulawa kungaphulwa ngisho nelilodwa lamathambo akhe.—IHUBO 34:20; JOHANE 19:33, 36.

UJesu wagcwalisa lezi ziprofetho kanye nezinye eziningi. Wayengeke akwazi ukukwenza lokhu eyedwa. Ukugcwaliseka kwazo zonke lezi ziprofetho kuye kubonisa ukuthi ngempela wayethunywe uNkulunkulu. *

Nokho, kungani kwadingeka ukuba uJesu ahlupheke futhi afe?

UJesu wayezazi izimpikiswano ezibalulekile zendawo yonke ezaphakama kudala ensimini yase-Edene. Bethonywe isidalwa somoya esiyisihlubuki, u-Adamu no-Eva bakhetha ukungamlaleli uNkulunkulu. Ukuhlubuka kwabo kwenza kwangabazeka ukufaneleka kobukhosi bukaNkulunkulu, noma indlela yakhe yokubusa. Ukona kwabo kwenza kwangabazeka nokuthi abantu bangahlala bethembekile kuNkulunkulu ngaphansi kovivinyo.—Genesise 3:1-6; Jobe 2:1-5.

 UJesu wanikeza impendulo eshaya emhlolweni kuzo zombili lezi zimpikiswano—ubukhosi bukaJehova nobuqotho bomuntu. Ngokulalela kwakhe ngokwethembeka “kwaze kwaba sekufeni . . . esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa,” wasekela ubukhosi bukaNkulunkulu. (Filipi 2:8) Wafakazela nokuthi umuntu ophelele angakwazi ukugcina ubuqotho bakhe kuJehova naphezu kovivinyo olunzima.

Umprofethi u-Isaya wabikezela ukuthi ukuhlupheka nokufa kukaMesiya othenjisiwe kwakuyohlawulela izono zabantu. (Isaya 53:5, 10) UJesu wayekuqonda kahle lokhu, futhi ngokuzithandela wanikela ‘ngomphefumulo wakhe waba yisihlengo sabaningi.’ (Mathewu 20:28) Ukufa kwakhe okuwumhlatshelo kwacaba indlela yokuba abantu abangaphelele babe nobuhlobo obuhle noJehova futhi bophulwe esonweni nasekufeni. Ukufa kukaJesu kusivulela ithuba lokuthola lokho u-Adamu no-Eva abakulahla—ukuphila phakade ezimweni ezinhle emhlabeni. *—IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

Kulezi zihloko eziwuchungechunge siye sahlola okushiwo iBhayibheli ngoJesu—lapho avela khona, lokho akwenza nesizathu sokuba afe. Ukwazi la maqiniso kungakusiza ukuba ulungise imibono enganembile ngoJesu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukwenza ngokuvumelana nawo kungaletha izibusiso—ukuphila okungcono manje nokuphila okuphakade esikhathini esizayo. IBhayibheli lisitshela lokho okudingeka sikwenze ukuze sithole lezi zibusiso.

• Funda okwengeziwe ngoJesu Kristu nangendima yakhe enjongweni kaJehova.—JOHANE 17:3.

• Yiba nokholo kuJesu, ubonise ngendlela ophila ngayo ukuthi umamukele njengoMsindisi.—JOHANE 3:36; IZENZO 5:31.

OFakazi BakaJehova bangakujabulela ukukusiza ukuba ufunde okwengeziwe ngoJesu Kristu, ‘iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ezelwe yodwa,’ esingathola ngayo ‘ukuphila okuphakade.’—Johane 3:16.