Ngemihla kaYohane uMbhaptizi, “abantu babenolindelo yaye bonke beqiqa ezintliziyweni zabo ngoYohane besithi: ‘Makube mhlawumbi unguKristu na?’” (Luka 3:15) Yintoni eyayinokwenza amaYuda alindele ukuba uMesiya uza kuvela ngelo xesha? Ziliqela izizathu zoko.

Emva kokuzalwa kukaYesu, kwabonakala ingelosi kaYehova kubalusi ababesalusa izimvu zabo endle kufuphi neBhetelehem. ⁽¹⁾ Le ngelosi yathi: “Nizalelwe namhlanje uMsindisi, onguKristu iNkosi, kwisixeko sikaDavide.” (Luka 2:8-11) Kwalandela “inkitha yomkhosi wasezulwini, idumisa uThixo isithi: * ‘Uzuko kwiindawo eziphakamileyo phezulu kuThixo, uxolo emhlabeni phakathi kwabantu abakholekileyo.’”—Luka 2:13, 14.

Eso sibhengezo simel’ ukuba sabachukumisa abo balusi bathobekileyo. Ngoko nangoko basinga eBhetelehem, ibe bathi bakubona uYosefu noMariya kwakunye noYesu olusana, “balibhengeza ilizwi elalithethwe kubo ngokuphathelele lo mntwana uselula.” Ngenxa yoko, “bonke abo bevayo bamangaliswa zezi zinto babezixelelwa ngabalusi.” (Luka 2:17, 18) Ibinzana elithi “bonke abo bevayo” lisenokuthetha ukuba ngaphandle koYosefu noMariya, bakho nabanye abathetha nabo aba balusi. Endleleni egodukayo, baqhubeka “bemzukisa yaye bemdumisa uThixo ngenxa yazo zonke izinto abazivayo nabazibonayo, kanye njengoko babezixelelwe.” (Luka 2:20) Abazange bazigcine kubo izinto ezintle ababezivile eziphathelele uKristu!

Xa uMariya waya nosana lwakhe eYerusalem ukuze alunikele kuYehova, ngokuvisisana noMthetho kaMoses, uAna owayengumprofetikazi “wambulela uThixo waza wathetha ngaye lo mntwana kubo bonke abo babelindele intlangulo yeYerusalem.” (Luka 2:36-38; Eks. 13:12) Ngenxa yoko, iindaba zokuvela kukaMesiya zasasazeka nangakumbi.

Kamva, “abavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi abavela kwimimandla yasempumalanga beza eYerusalem besithi: ‘Uphi na lowo uzelweyo ukumkani wamaYuda? Kuba sibone inkwenkwezi yakhe xa besisempuma, yaye size kuqubuda kuye.’” (Mat. 2:1, 2) Akukuva oku, “uKumkani uHerode waphazamiseka,  nayo yonke iYerusalem; wahlanganisela ndawonye bonke ababingeleli abaziintloko nababhali babantu waza wababuza apho wayeza kuzalelwa khona uKristu.” (Mat. 2:3, 4) Ngoko baninzi abantu abevayo ukuba: Lowo wayeza kuba nguMesiya ufikile! *

ULuka 3:15 ocatshulwe ngaphambili, ubonisa ukuba wambi amaYuda ayecinga ukuba uYohane uMbhaptizi usenokuba unguKristu. Noko ke, uYohane wenza kwacaca ukuba akanguye xa wathi: “Lowo uzayo emva kwam womelele kunam, ombadada zakhe ndingakufanelekelanga ukuzikhulula. Yena uya kunibhaptiza ngomoya oyingcwele nangomlilo.” (Mat. 3:11) Amazwi kaYohane akhulisa ulindelo lwabantu kuMesiya.

Ngaba akunakwenzeka ukuba amaYuda abala ixesha lokufika kukaMesiya ngokusekelwe kwisiprofeto esikuDaniyeli 9:24-27 seeveki eziyi-70? Nakuba kusenokuba njalo, asinakuqiniseka. Ngemihla kaYesu babesichaza ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo nezingavisisaniyo esi siprofeto seeveki eziyi-70, ibe akukho nanye esondeleyo kwindlela esisiqonda ngayo thina namhlanje. *

AmaEssene, ihlelo elithile lamaYuda, ayecinga ukuba kwakuza kuvela ooMesiya ababini ngasekupheleni kweminyaka eyi-490, kodwa ke asiqinisekanga enoba babebale ngokwesiprofeto sikaDaniyeli kusini na. Nokuba kunjalo, asiqondi ukuba amaYuda ayenokuphenjelelwa lelo hlelo.

Ngenkulungwane yesibini, wambi amaYuda ayekholelwa ukuba ezi veki ziyi-70 zisusela ekutshatyalalisweni kwetempile yokuqala ngo-607 B.C.E. ukusa ekutshatyalalisweni kweyesibini ngo-70, ngoxa amanye edibanisa ukuzaliseka kwesi siprofeto nexesha leeMaccabees elaqalisa malunga nonyaka ka-170 B.C.E. Ngoko izimvo zazibethabethana ngendlela yokubala ezi veki ziyi-70.

Ukuba iiveki eziyi-70 zaziqondwa kakuhle ngenkulungwane yokuqala, abapostile namaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ayeza kubhekisela kuzo ukungqina ukuba uMesiya othenjisiweyo wafika ngexesha elifanelekileyo yaye yaba nguYesu Kristu. Noko ke, abukho ubungqina obubonisa ukuba amaKristu okuqala akwenza oko.

Enye into esimele siyiqonde kukuba abanye ababhali beVangeli babesithi ezinye iziprofeto ezikwiZibhalo zesiHebhere zazaliseka kuYesu Kristu. (Mat. 1:22, 23; 2:13-15; 4:13-16) Nakuba kunjalo, akukho nanye enxulumanisa ukuvela kukaYesu emhlabeni nesiprofeto seeveki eziyi-70.

Ngamafutshane: Asinakuqiniseka ukuba abantu bemihla kaYesu babesiqonda kakuhle esi siprofeto. Noko ke, iincwadi zeVangeli zisinika izizathu ezivakalayo zokuba abantu ‘babenolindelo’ lukaMesiya.