IENCYCLOPEDIA OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY ithi: “Umhla ochanileyo wokuzalwa kukaKristu awaziwa. Sekunjalo, izigidi zabo bazibanga bengamaKristu emhlabeni ngokubanzi zibhiyozela umhla wokuzalwa kukaYesu ngoDisemba 25. Noko ke, olu suku aluveli naphi na eBhayibhileni. Ngaba ngokwenene uYesu wazalwa ngoDisemba?

Nangona iBhayibhile ingawuchazi ngokungqalileyo umhla wokuzalwa kukaYesu, inikela ubungqina bokuba akazange azalwe ngoDisemba. Kwakhona, sinokufunda nakubungqina beencwadi zehlabathi isizathu sokuba kukhethwe uDisemba 25 njengosuku lokubhiyozelwa komhla wokuzalwa kwakhe.

UYesu wazalelwa kwaYuda kwisixeko saseBhetelehem. IVangeli kaLuka ithi: “Kwakukwakho kwelo lizwe likwalinye abalusi ababehlala ezindle yaye belinde imihlambi yabo ebusuku.” (Luka 2:4-8) Oku kwakungeyonto ingaqhelekanga. Incwadi iDaily Life in the Time of Jesus ithi: “Umhlambi wawuchitha ixesha elininzi ngonyaka usezindle.” Kodwa ngaba abelusi babeya kuhlala phandle nemihlambi yabo ngobusuku obubandayo ngoDisemba? Le ncwadi ithi: “Imihlambi yayihlala kwindawo elikhusi ebusika; yaye ngenxa yoko usuku ekubhiyozelwa ngalo iKrismesi alunakuba luchanile, ekubeni ingxelo yeVangeli isithi abelusi babesezindle.”

Oku kuxhaswa nayenye ingxelo yeVangeli kaLuka ethi: “Ngaloo mihla kwaphuma ummiselo kuKesare Agasto wokuba wonke umhlaba omiweyo ubhaliswe; (olu bhaliso lokuqala lwenzeka xa uKwiriniyo wayeyirhuluneli yaseSiriya;) yaye bonke abantu bahamba besiya kubhaliswa, ngamnye kwisixeko sakowabo.”—Luka 2:1-3.

Kungenzeka ukuba uAgasto wayalela abantu ukuba babhalise ukuze agcine ingxelo yabantu abafanele bahlawule irhafu nababeza kuya emkhosini. Ukuze athobele lo myalelo, uMariya, nangona wayekhulelwe, wapheleka umyeni wakhe, uYosefu, kuhambo olumalunga neekhilomitha ezili-150, ukusuka eNazarete ukuya eBhetelehem. Cinga ngako oku. Ngaba kwakuya kuba  sengqiqweni ngoAgasto—umlawuli owayengafane angenelele kwimicimbi yolawulo lwasekuhlaleni—ukuyalela amaYuda awayehleli enemvukelo nxamnye nabalawuli bamaRoma ukuba ahambe umgama omde kangako ebusika?

Okuphawulekayo kukuba, ababhali-mbali abaninzi nabaphengululi beBhayibhile bathi uYesu akazange azalwe ngoDisemba 25. Ngokuqinisekileyo inkcazelo enjalo unako ukuyifumana nakweyiphi na intyilalwazi. IOur Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Kuyavunywa ngokubanzi ukuba uYesu akazange azalwe ngoDisemba 25.”

Kumakhulu eminyaka emva kokufa kukaYesu, uDisemba 25 wakhethwa njengomhla wokuzalwa kwakhe. Kwakutheni? Ababhali-mbali abaninzi bathi ixesha lonyaka elakhethwa njengexesha leKrismesi, yayilixesha lemibhiyozo yabahedeni.

Ngokomzekelo, iEncyclopædiaBritannica ithi: “Esinye isizathu sesokuba namaKristu aqalisa ukulubhiyozela usuku lukaDisemba 25, suku olo ekwakuthiwa yidies solis invicti nati (‘umhla wokuzalwa kwelanga elingenakoyiswa’), iholide ethandwayo ngamaRoma eyayisenziwa ngeyona mini imfutshane ebusika, neyayingumqondiso wokuvela kwakhona kwelanga, ukuphela kobusika nokuqalisa kwentwasahlobo nehlobo.”

IThe Encyclopedia Americana isazisa oku: “Isizathu sokumiselwa kukaDisemba 25 njengeKrismesi sifihlakele ngandlel’ithile, kodwa kudla ngokuthiwa olu suku lwakhethwa ukuze lungqamane nemigidi yabahedeni eyayiqhubeka malunga nexesha lasebusika, xa iintsuku ziqalisa ukuba nde, ukuze kubhiyozelwe ‘ukuzalwa kwakhona kwelanga.’ . . ISaturnalia yamaRoma (umgidi owawunikelwa kuSaturn, uthixo wolimo, nakumandla ahlaziyiweyo elanga), nayo yayiqhubeka ngeli xesha.” Loo mibhiyozo yayibandakanya ukuziphatha kakubi ngokwesini kwamalungu awo, awayengalawuleki nawayenemvukelo. Ngokuqhelekileyo, kwimibhiyozo emininzi yeKrismesi yanamhlanje abantu basaziphatha ngaloo ndlela.

Abanye bavakalelwa kukuba nangona singalwazi olona suku luchanileyo, amaKristu afanele alubhiyozele usuku lokuzalwa kukaYesu. Ezingqondweni zabo bacinga ukuba, xa loo mbhiyozo unokwenziwa ngesidima, unokuba yindlela efanelekileyo yokuhlonela uKristu.

Ukuzalwa kukaYesu ngokwenene kubalulekile ngokwengxelo yeBhayibhile. IBhayibhile ithi xa uYesu wayezalwa, inkitha yeengelosi yabonakala ngesiquphe izele yimincili idumisa uThixo isithi: “Uzuko kwiindawo eziphakamileyo phezulu kuThixo, uxolo emhlabeni phakathi kwabantu abakholekileyo.” (Luka 2:13,14) Noko ke, okubaluleke nakakhulu kukuba akukho apho iBhayibhile ithi ukuzalwa kukaYesu kufanele kubhiyozelwe. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, kukho umyalelo ongqalileyo wokukhumbula ukufa kwakhe, oko kanye amaNgqina kaYehova akwenzayo kanye ngonyaka. (Luka 22:19) Leyo yenye indlela esinokumhlonela ngayo uYesu.

Ngobusuku bakhe bokugqibela bokuphila njengomntu, uYesu wathi: “Ningabahlobo bam ukuba nenza oko ndiniyalela kona.” (Yohane 15:14) Wongezelela wathi: “Ukuba niyandithanda niya kuyigcina imiyalelo yam.” (Yohane 14:15) Ngokucacileyo, akukho ndlela yimbi yokuhlonela uYesu Kristu ngaphandle kokufunda nokulandela iimfundiso zakhe.