“UYehova uThixo wamthabatha umntu waza wambeka emyezweni wase-Eden ukuba awulime aze awunyamekele. Kwaye uYehova uThixo wamwisela lo myalelo umntu: ‘Kuyo yonke imithi yomyezo ungadla wanele. Kodwa wona umthi wokwazi okulungileyo nokubi uze ungadli kuwo, kuba mhla uthe wadla kuwo uya kufa ngokuqinisekileyo.’”—Genesis 2:15-17.

UThixo wabeka umntu wokuqala uAdam kumyezo wase-Eden, iparadesi elapha emhlabeni ezele izilwanyana zasendle neyokozela izityalo ezihle. Kwakukho imithi yeziqhamo uAdam awayenokutya kuyo ngokukhululekileyo. Sekunjalo, uYehova uThixo wamyalela ngokungqalileyo uAdam ukuba angatyi kumthi nje omnye, emlumkisa ukuba wayeya kufa ukuba wayengathobelanga.

Ngaba sasicacile kuAdam eso silumkiso? Wayekwazi ukuba kuthetha ukuthini ukufa, wayeqhele ukubona izilwanyana zisifa. Ukuba uAdam wayedalelwe ukuba afe ekugqibeleni, isilumkiso sikaThixo sasiya kufana nokoyikiswa ngenyok’ efileyo. Kunoko, uAdam wayesazi ukuba xa emthobele uThixo, angatyi kula mthi, wayeya kuhlala ephila—wayengayi kufa.

Abanye bakholelwa ukuba la mthi wawuthetha ukwabelana ngesondo, kodwa ayinakuba yinyani leyo. Kaloku uYehova wayefuna ukuba uAdam nenkosikazi yakhe uEva ‘baqhame bande bawuzalise umhlaba baze baweyise.’ (Genesis 1:28) UYehova wayethetha ngomthi wokoqobo. Wawubiza ngokuba ngumthi “wokwazi okulungileyo nokubi” kuba wawumela ilungelo analo uYehova lokuxelela abantu oko kulungileyo nokubi. Ukungatyi kula mthi kwakungayi kuthetha nje ukuba uAdam wayemthobela uThixo kuphela, kodwa kwakuya kuthetha nokuba unombulelo kuLowo wamdalayo waza wamsikelela ngolu hlobo.

“Wathi kuAdam: ‘Ngenxa yokuba . . . uyewadla kuwo umthi endakunikaumyalelo ngawo, . . . uya kudla isonka sokubila kobuso bakho udeubuyele emhlabeni, kuba uthatyathwe kuwo. Ngokuba uluthuli, uyakubuyela kwaseluthulini.’”—Genesis 3:17, 19.

UAdam watya kumthi awayeyalelwe ukuba angatyi kuwo. Ukungathobeli kuka-Adam kwakungeyonto emele ibethwe ngoyaba. Wayevukela, ejongela phantsi zonke izinto ezintle uYehova awayemenzele zona. Ngokutya kwakhe kula mthi, wayebonisa ukuba akasafuni kulawulwa nguYehova, ekhetha ukuzilawula, nto leyo eyayiza kuphumela kwintlekele.

Kwenzeka kanye oko kwathethwa nguYehova, uAdam wafa ekugqibeleni. UThixo wamdala “ngothuli lomhlaba” uAdam, ibe wamxelela ukuba “uya kubuyela kwaseluthulini.” UAdam akazange aye kuphila komnye ummandla enamzimba wumbi. Ukufa kwakhe kwakuthetha ukuba akasaphili, kanye njengokuba uthuli awayethatyathwe kulo lungaphili.—Genesis 2:7; INtshumayeli 9:5, 10.

“Isono sangena ngamntu mnye ehlabathini nokufa ngaso isono, ngaloo ndlela ukufa kwasasazeka kubo bonke abantu ngenxa yokuba bonke bonayo.”—Roma 5:12.

Ukungathobeli kuka-Adam—ukona kwakhe—kwabangela intlungu engaphezulu lee kunaleyo yayilindelekile. Ngokona, uAdam akazange aphoswe kukuphila nje ubomi obuqhelekileyo, iminyaka eyi-70 okanye eyi-80, kodwa waphoswa kukuphila ngonaphakade. Ngaphezu koko, xa uAdam wonayo waphulukana nokufezeka, waza wosulela yonke inzala yakhe ngokungafezeki.

Sonke siyinzala ka-Adam. Ngenxa yakhe, singazikhethelanga ke phofu, sifumene ilifa lomzimba ongafezekanga, osisisulu sesono nokufa. UPawulos wayichaza kakuhle intlungu esikuyo. Wathi: “Ndingowokwenyama, ndithengiswe phantsi kwesono. Hayi usizana endilulo! Ngubani na oya kundihlangula kulo mzimba usisisulu sokufa?” Waphinda waziphendula ngelithi: “Ndiyambulela uThixo ngaye uYesu Kristu iNkosi yethu!”—Roma 7:14, 24, 25.

“UBawo uye wamthumela uNyana wakhe njengoMsindisi wehlabathi.”—1 Yohane 4:14.

UYehova uThixo uye wenza indlela yokulungisa umonakalo obangelwe sisono, neyokusikhulula kwisohlwayo sokufa ngonaphakade. Njani? Wathumela uNyana wakhe oyintanda esuka ezulwini, waza wazalwa engumntu ongenasono njengoAdam. Kodwa ngokungafaniyo noAdam, uYesu “akazange enze sono.” (1 Petros 2:22) Ngenxa yokuba wayefezekile, uYesu wayengekho phantsi kwesohlwayo sokufa, ibe wayenokuphila ngonaphakade, engumntu ofezekileyo.

Endaweni yoko, uYehova wavumela ukuba uYesu abulawe ziintshaba zakhe. Emva kweentsuku ezintathu uYehova wamvusa esisidalwa somoya ukuze xa kufika ixesha, akwazi ukubuyela ezulwini. UYesu wanikela kuThixo ngexabiso lobomi bakhe obugqibeleleyo ukuze athenge oko uAdam nenzala yakhe baphulukana nako. UYehova walamkela elo dini, nto leyo eyavula ithuba lokuba abo babonisa ukholo kuYesu bafumane ubomi obungunaphakade.—Roma 3:23, 24; 1 Yohane 2:2.

Ngaloo ndlela, uYesu wathenga oko kwalahlwa nguAdam. Wanyamezela intlungu yokufa ukuze sifumane ubomi obungunaphakade. IBhayibhile ithi: ‘UYesu wabandezeleka ekufeni, ukuze ngobubele obungasifanelanga bukaThixo angcamle ukufa ngenxa yabantu bonke.’—Hebhere 2:9.

Eli lungiselelo lisityhilela into eninzi ngoYehova. Kuba ubulungisa bukaThixo buphakamile, abantu abangafezekanga bebengenakukwazi ukuzihlawulela. Sekunjalo, uthando nenceba anazo zamchukumisela ekubeni afikelele imilinganiselo ebekwe kwanguye ngexabiso elikhulu kakhulu—ukuhlawula ngoNyana wakhe.—Roma 5:6-8.

“UKristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo, intlahlela kwabalele ekufeni. Ekubeni ukufa kungomntu, nokuvuka ekufeni kukwangomntu. Kuba kanye njengoko kuAdam bonke besifa, ngokunjalo nakuKristu bonke baya kwenziwa baphile.”—1 Korinte 15:20-22.

Alithandabuzeki elokuba uYesu wayekhe waphila waza wafa, kodwa ke, buphi ubungqina bokuba waye wavuswa kwabafileyo? Obunye bobona bungqina bubambekayo bobokuba emva kokuba uYesu evusiwe, wabonakala kubantu abaninzi kwindawo namaxesha ahlukahlukeneyo. Kwesinye isihlandlo wabonakala kubantu abangaphezu kwe-500. Umpostile uPawulos wathetha ngesi sihlandlo kwileta awayibhalela abaseKorinte, esithi abanye babo ababekho apho babesaphila, ebonisa ukuba bangakungqina oko bakubonayo nabakuvayo.—1 Korinte 15:3-8.

Kubalulekile ukuqonda ukuba xa uPawulos wabhala ukuba uKristu ‘wayeyintlahlela’ yabo baza kuvuswa, wayebonisa ukuba ekuhambeni kwethuba nabanye babeya kuvuswa. NoYesu buqu wathi kwakusiza ixesha lokuba “bonke abo bakumangcwaba enkumbulo balive ilizwi lakhe baze baphume.”—Yohane 5:28, 29.

“UThixo walithanda kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze wonk’ ubani obonisa ukholo kuye angatshabalali kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade.”—Yohane 3:16.

Amaphepha okuqala eBhayibhile asixelela ngexesha okwaqala ngayo ukufa nendlela esaphulukana ngayo neParadesi. Amaphepha okugqibela asixelela ngexesha apho uThixo aya kuginya ngalo ukufa, aze abuyisele iParadesi emhlabeni. Abantu baya kutsho baphile ubomi obanelisayo ngonaphakade. ISityhilelo 21:4 sithi: ‘Akusayi kubakho kufa.’ Ukusiqinisekisa ngenyaniso yaloo mazwi, ivesi 5 ithi: “La mazwi athembekile yaye ayinyaniso.” UYehova ukwazi ngokupheleleyo ukwenza oko akuthembisayo.

Ngaba uyakholelwa ukuba “la mazwi athembekile yaye ayinyaniso”? Ngoko funda okungakumbi ngoYesu Kristu uze ube nokholo kuye. Ukuba wenza oko, uYehova uya kukuthanda. Awuyi kutyeba ziintsikelelo zakhe nje kuphela kodwa uya kuba nethemba lobomi obungunaphakade eParadesi, apho kungasayi kubakho kufa, “kuzila nakukhala nantlungu kwakhona.”