Jesu abasikwiiya bakwe basika ku Betesaida. Mpoonya bantu bamuletela mwaalumi umwi moofwu akukombelezya Jesu kuti amujate kutegwa amuponye.

Jesu wamujata kujanza mwaalumi ooyo akumugusya anze aamunzi. Mpoonya naamana kumuswida mate mumeso, Jesu wamubuzya kuti: “Sena kuli ncobona?” Mwaalumi ooyo wavwiila kuti: “Ndibona bantu, pele balibonya mbuli zisamu zyeendeenda.” (Marko 8:23, 24) Naajata meso aamwaalumi ooyo, Jesu wapa kuti atalike kubona kabotu. Mpoonya Jesu waambila mwaalumi ooyo lino uukonzya kubona kabotu kuti aunke kuŋanda, wamulailila kuti atanjili mumunzi.

Kumane Jesu abasikwiiya bakwe baunka kulubazu lwakunyika kucooko ikuli munzi wa Kaisareya Filipi. Ooyu musinzo mulamfwu wakukkwezyeka mulundu uulampa makkilomita aatandila ku 40. Munzi ooyu ulaamulundu uulampa mamita aali 350 kuzwa atala aalwizi, alimwi ujisi Cilundu ca Herimoni icili kunyika lwaajwe calo cijisi caanda atala. Oolu lweendo ambweni lutola mazuba obilo.

Aciindi cimwi kabacili mulweendo, Jesu waunka kuti akapaile alikke. Kusyeede buyo myezi iili fwuka naa iili kkumi kuti afwe, eelyo Jesu ulilibilikide kujatikizya basikwiiya bakwe. Takunainda ciindi cilamfwu kuzwa ciindi banji nobakaleka kumutobela, alimwi kuboneka kuti bamwi balinyongene naa balityompedwe. Ambweni balalibuzya kaambo ncaakakakila kuti bantu bamubikke kuba mwami naa ncaatakabapa citondezyo bantu kuti bamuzyibe kakunyina kuzumbauzya.

Basikwiiya nobasika kubusena nkwapailila, Jesu wababuzya kuti: “Ino bantu baamba kuti Mwanaamuntu nguni?” Bavwiila kuti: “Bamwi baamba kuti ngu Johane Mubbapatizi, bamwi baamba kuti ngu Elija, alimwi bamwi baamba kuti ngu Jeremiya naa umwi wabasinsimi.” Inzya, bantu bayeeya kuti Jesu inga kali umwi wabaalumi aaba iwabusyigwa kuzwa kubafwu. Kutegwa azyibe mbobayeeya basikwiiya bakwe, Jesu wababuzya kuti: “Ino nywebo mwaamba kuti ndime ni?” Cakufwambaana Petro wavwiila kuti: “Nduwe Kristo, Mwana wa Leza muumi.”—Matayo 16:13-16.

Jesu waamba kuti Petro ulilelekedwe akaambo kakuti Leza wamuyubunuda makani aaya, alimwi wayungizya kuti: “Ndikwaambila kuti: Nduwe Petro, aboobo amwala ooyu mpondiyooyakila mbungano yangu alimwi taikazundwi amilyango ya Cuumbwe.” Aawa Jesu upandulula kuti walo kumugama uyooyaka mbungano alimwi akuti nociba Cuumbwe tacikabajalili basimbungano ikuti naa bazumanana kusyomeka anyika. Wasyomezya Petro kuti: “Ndiyookupa makkii aa Bwami bwakujulu.”—Matayo 16:18, 19.

Jesu tanaapa Petro busena bwakusaanguna akati kabaapostolo, alimwi Jesu tanaamubikka kuba ntalisyo yambungano. Jesu lwakwe ngo Mwala aawo mpoiyakuyakilwa mbungano yakwe. (1 Bakorinto 3:11; Baefeso 2:20) Pele Petro uyakupegwa makkii otatwe. Tulakonzya kwaamba kuti, uyakupegwa mukuli wakujaluda nkamu zyabantu coolwe cakunjila mu Bwami bwakujulu.

 Petro wakali kuyakubelesya kkii yakusaanguna aciindi ca Pentekoste mu 33 C.E., ikutondezya ba Juda beempwa alimwi abasandule ncobeelede kucita kutegwa bakafwutuke. Wakali kuyakubelesya kkii yabili kujaluda ba Samariya ibasyoma coolwe cakunjila mu Bwami bwa Leza. Mpoonya mu 36 C.E. wakali kuyakubelesya kkii yatatu ikubapa coolwe eeco bantu Bamasi batapaludwe, mbuli Korneliyo alimwi abambi.—Milimo 2:37, 38; 8:14-17; 10:44-48.

Mumubandi ooyu, baapostolo ba Jesu bakopana ciindi naasinsima kuti lino-lino uyakupenzyegwa alimwi akujaigwa ku Jerusalemu. Akaambo kakutamvwisya kuti Jesu uyakubusyilwa kubuumi bwakujulu, Petro wamutola ambali Jesu akumukalalila kuti: “Kolyeengelela Mwami; eeci tacikakucitikili pe.” Pele Jesu wamufwutatila akumwaambila kuti: “Koya kusyule lyangu, Saatani! Uli cilebyo kulindime, nkaambo ulaamizeezo yabantu ikutali ya Leza.”—Matayo 16:22, 23.

Mpoonya Jesu waita bantu bambi kunze lyabaapostolo bakwe akubapanduluda kuti tacikabaubili pe kuba basikumutobela. Wabaambila kuti: “Ikuti umwi kayanda kunditobela, aliimye akunyamuna cisamu cakwe cakupenzyezya akuzumanana kunditobela. Nkaambo kufwumbwa uuyanda kufwutula buumi bwakwe uyoobusweekelwa, pele kufwumbwa uusweekelwa buumi bwakwe akaambo kandime alimwi amakani mabotu uyoobufwutula.”—Marko 8:34, 35.

Masimpe, ikutegwa kabakkomaninwa a Jesu, basikumutobela beelede kuba bantu basicamba alimwi balyaabide. Jesu waamba kuti: “Kufwumbwa uufwa nsoni akaambo kandime amajwi aangu muzyalani eeli lyabasimamambe abasizibi, awalo Mwanaamuntu uyoofwa nsoni akaambo kamuntu ooyo aakuboola mubulemu bwa Bausyi antoomwe abangelo basalala.” (Marko 8:38) Inzya, ciindi Jesu aakuboola, “uyoopilusizya umwi aumwi kweelana amilimo yakwe.”—Matayo 16:27.