MALUNGA neminyaka engama-2 000 eyadlulayo, kwiPasika yamaYuda yowama-33 C.E., kwafa indoda emsulwa ukuze kuphile abanye. Yayingubani loo ndoda? YayinguYesu waseNazarete. Ngoobani ababeza kuzuza ngeso senzo sizukileyo? Nguye wonk’ umntu onyathela kweli gada. Enye yezona ndinyana zeBhayibhile zaziwayo ilishwankathela ngale ndlela eli dini lokusindis’ ubomi: “Kuba wenjenje uThixo ukulithanda kwakhe ihlabathi, ude wancama uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze abakholwayo kuye bangatshabalali, koko babe nobomi obungunaphakade.”—Yohane 3:16, iBhayibhile yesiXhosa.

Nangona abantu abaninzi beqhelene nale ndinyana kodwa bambalwa gqitha abayaziyo intsingiselo yayo. Bayazibuza: ‘Siza kulenza ntoni idini likaKristu? Ukufa komntu omnye kuza kuluhlangula njani uluntu ekufeni?’ IBhayibhile iyiphendula ngendlela ecacileyo le mibuzo.

Abanye abantu bakholelwa ekubeni siziindwendwe aph’ emhlabeni, siza kuvavanywa, sonwabe, sife size sifudukele kwenye indawo ephucukileyo kunale. Ukuba ke abantu bacinga ngolo hlobo, loo nto ithetha ukuba yayiyinjongo kaThixo ukuba abantu bafe. Phofu, iBhayibhile ichaza esinye isizathu sokufa kwabantu. Ithi: “Ngenxa yoko, kanye njengokuba isono sangena ngamntu mnye ehlabathini nokufa ngaso isono, ngaloo ndlela ukufa kwasasazeka kubo bonke abantu ngenxa yokuba bonke bonayo.” (Roma 5:12) Le ndinyana ibonisa ukuba abantu bafa ngenxa yesono. Ngubani ke loo ‘mntu mnye’ okweza ngaye ukufa?

IThe World Book Encyclopedia ithi izazinzulu zikholelwa ukuba bonke abantu bayinzala yomntu omnye neBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba sonke sizalwa ngumntu omnye. KwiGenesis 1:27, sifunda oku: “UThixo wamdala umntu ngokomfanekiso wakhe, wamdala ngokomfanekiso  kaThixo; wadala indoda nebhinqa.” Ngaloo ndlela iBhayibhile isixelela ukuba isibini sokuqala sasiluzuko lwendalo kaThixo uSomandla.

Ingxelo yeGenesis isinika iinkcukacha ezongezelelekileyo ngobomi babantu emva kokuba uYehova uThixo edale umntu wokuqala. Kuyo yonke loo ngxelo uThixo akazange athethe ngokufa kunoko wakukhankanya njengesohlwayo sokungathobeli. (Genesis 2:16, 17) Wayefuna abantu bahlale kwiparadesi entle esemhlabeni bonwabile yaye beyimiqabaqaba ngonaphakade. Wayengafuni ukuba abantu baluphale baze bafe. Kwalawula njani ke ukufa phezu kwabantu?

Isahluko 3 sencwadi yeGenesis sisichazela indlela isibini sokuqala esamvukela ngayo ngabom uMniki-bomi waso uYehova uThixo. Ngenxa yoko, uThixo wabohlwaya ngesigwebo awayesixele kwangaphambili. Wathi kwindoda: “Ngokuba uluthuli, uya kubuyela kwaseluthulini.” (Genesis 3:19) Ngokuvisisana nelizwi likaThixo, aba bavukeli babini bamnabel’ uqaqaqa.

Umonakalo awuzange uphelele kweso sibini. Ukuvukela kwaso kwaphanzisa ithemba lenzala yaso lokuphila ubomi obufezekileyo. UYehova waquka loo nzala yayingekazalwa ngenjongo yakhe xa wathi kuAdam noEva: “Qhamani, nande, niwuzalise umhlaba nize niwoyise, nibe nobukhosi kwiintlanzi zolwandle nakwizidalwa eziphaphazelayo emazulwini nakuzo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezinambuzelayo emhlabeni.” (Genesis 1:28) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, inzala yabo yayiza kuzalisa umhlaba ize iphile ngolonwabo ingafi. Kodwa ukhokho wayo uAdam—‘umntu omnye’—wananisa ngabo kubukhoboka besono yaye ukufa kwakungenakuphepheka. Umpostile uPawulos, inzala yomntu wokuqala wabhala wathi: “Mna ndingowokwenyama, ndithengiswe phantsi kwesono.”—Roma 7:14.

Kanye njengokuba abantu benokonakalisa umzobo omhle, ngokona kwakhe, uAdam wagxobha indalo kaThixo emangalisayo—uluntu. Abantwana baka-Adam bazala bophul’ uluthi bade baba nabazukulwana. Izizukulwana zazisina zidedelana zisutywa kukufa. Kwakutheni ukuze bafe bonke? Kuba bonke babeyinzala ka-Adam. IBhayibhile ithi: “Ngesigqitho somntu omnye kufe abaninzi.” (Roma 5:15) Ukugula, ukwaluphala, utyekelo lokwenza izinto eziphosakeleyo nokufa ziyimiphumo elusizi yokungcatsha kuka-Adam inzala yakhe. Loo ntsapho ngabo bonke abantu abaphila emhlabeni.

Eziquka ke phofu, umpostile uPawulos wabhala ngemeko elusizi yabantu  abangafezekanga, nomlo ongapheliyo nxamnye nesono kwincwadi yakhe eyayisiya kumaKristu aseRoma. Wadanduluka esithi: “Hayi usizana endilulo! Ngubani na oya kundihlangula kulo mzimba usisisulu sokufa?” Ngaba akucingi ukuba ngumbuzo ofanelekileyo lo? Ngubani owayeza kuhlangula uPawulos nabanye ababefuna ngamehlo amnyama ukukhululeka kubukhoboka besono nokufa? UPawulos uwuphendula ngokwakhe lo mbuzo esithi: “Ndiyambulela uThixo ngaye uYesu Kristu iNkosi yethu!” (Roma 7:14-25) Ewe, uMdali wethu uye wenza ilungiselelo lokuba sihlangulwe ngoNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu.

UYesu wayidandalazisa indima yakhe ekuhlanguleni uluntu kubukhoboka besono. Wathi: “UNyana womntu weza . . . kulungiselela nokuncama ubomi bakhe bube yintlawulelo yokukhulula abaninzi.” (Mateyu 20:28 IBhayibhile yesiXhosa) Ubomi bukaYesu buba yintlawulelo ngayiphi indlela? Sizuza njani ngokufa kwakhe?

IBhayibhile ithi uYesu ‘wayengenasono’ yaye ‘ahluliwe kuboni.’ Kubo bonke ubomi bakhe, uYesu wawuthobela ngokugqibeleleyo uMthetho kaThixo. (Hebhere 4:15; 7:26) Ngoko, uYesu akazange afe ngenxa yesono nokungathobeli njengoAdam. (Hezekile 18:4) Kunoko, uYesu wafa emsulwa ukuze aphumeze intando kaYise yokuhlangula uluntu esonweni nasekufeni. Njengokuba sele sitshilo, uYesu ngokuzithandela ‘wancama ubomi bakhe baba yintlawulelo.’ Ngenxa yothando olungazange lwabonwa ngaphambili, uYesu ngokuzithandela ‘wangcamla ukufa ngenxa yabantu bonke.’—Hebhere 2:9.

Ubomi uYesu awabuncamayo babulingana nqo nobomi obalahlwa nguAdam xa wonayo. Waba yintoni umphumo wokufa kukaYesu? UYehova walamkela elo dini ‘njengentlawulelo yabo bonke.’ (1 Timoti 2:6) Ngale ndlela, uThixo wasebenzisa ixabiso lobomi bukaYesu ukuze abuyise, ahlawulele uluntu kubukhoboka besono nokufa.

IBhayibhile isoloko isikhankanya esi senzo sothando esenziwa nguMdali. UPawulos wakhumbuza amaKristu ukuba ‘ayethengwe ngexabiso.’ (1 Korinte 6:20; 7:23) UPetros wabhala esithi uThixo wasebenzisa kungekhona igolide okanye isilivere, kodwa igazi loNyana wakhe ukuze akhulule amaKristu kubomi obukhokelela ekufeni. (1 Petros 1:18, 19) Ngenxa yedini lentlawulelo likaKristu, uYehova wenza ilungiselelo lokuhlangula uluntu ekufeni ngonaphakade.

Ngokuphathelele iingenelo zentlawulelo kaKristu, umpostile uYohane wathi: “[UYesu Kristu] ungumbingelelo wokucamagushela izono zethu, kanti kungekhona ezethu kuphela kodwa kwanezehlabathi liphela.” (1 Yohane 2:2)  Ewe, intlawulelo kaKristu yenzelwe lonke uluntu. Ngaba loo nto ithetha ukuba wonk’ umntu uza kuzenzela kweli lungiselelo? Unotshe. Khumbula intlangulo ekuthethwe ngayo kwinqaku elandulela eli. Abahlanguli bahlisa ikhetshi kubasebenzi basemgodini, kodwa umsebenzi ngamnye kwakufuneka angene kuyo. Ngokufanayo, abo bafuna ukuzuza kwiintsikelelo zedini lentlawulelo likaKristu abanakuhlala nje basonge izandla belindele iintsikelelo zikaThixo. Kufuneka benze okuthile.

Yintoni uThixo afuna siyenze? UYohane 3:36 uthi: “Lowo ubonisa ukholo kuNyana unobomi obungunaphakade; lowo ungamthobeliyo uNyana akayi kububona ubomi, kodwa ingqumbo kaThixo ihleli phezu kwakhe.” UThixo ufuna sibe nokholo kwidini likaKristu. Kukho izinto ezingakumbi ekufuneka sizenzile. “Sazi ngale nto ukuba siyamazi [uYesu], ngokuthi siqhubeke siyigcina imiyalelo yakhe.” (1 Yohane 2:3) Licacile elokuba, eyona nto ekufuneka siyenzile ukuze sihlangulwe esonweni nasekufeni kukuba nokholo kwintlawulelo kaKristu nokuthobela imiyalelo yakhe.

Enye indlela ebalulekileyo yokubonisa ukholo kwintlawulelo kaYesu kukubonisa uxabiso ngalo ngokwenza isikhumbuzo sokufa kwakhe njengokuba wayalelayo. Ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe wenza isikhumbuzo nabapostile bakhe waza wabayalela esithi: “Hlalani nisenza oku nindikhumbula.” (Luka 22:19) AmaNgqina kaYehova abuxabisa ngokwenene ubuhlobo anabo noNyana kaThixo yaye ayawuthobela lo myalelo. Kulo nyaka iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaYesu Kristu siya kwenziwa ngoMgqibelo, Matshi 22 emva kokutshona kwelanga. Siyakumema ukuba ubekho kule ntlanganiso ikhethekileyo njengoko uthobela umyalelo kaYesu. AmaNgqina kaYehova asekuhlaleni anokukuchazela ixesha nendawo esiza kuqhutyelwa kuyo iSikhumbuzo. ESikhumbuzweni uya kufunda okungakumbi ngoko ufanele ukwenze ukuze intlawulelo kaKristu ikukhulule kwimiphumo yesono nokufa kuka-Adam.

Liqaqobana nje labantu eliliqondayo idini elikhulu elenziwa nguMdali noNyana wakhe ukuze kuhlangulwe abantu. Abanokholo kulo bafumana ulonwabo olukhethekileyo. Umpostile uPetros wathi xa ebhalela amanye amaKristu: “Nibonisa ukholo kuye [uYesu] yaye niyaphuphuma yimihlali ninovuyo olungathethekiyo noluzukisiweyo, njengoko nisamkela isiphelo sokholo lwenu, usindiso lwemiphefumlo yenu.” (1 Petros 1:8, 9) Ngokuhlakulela uthando nokuba nokholo kwidini lentlawulelo likaYesu Kristu, unokuhlala uchwayitile ngoku uze ukhangele phambili ekusindisweni esonweni nasekufeni.