Sekulixesha elide uYesu ‘engaphesheya kweYordan’ kwindawo ekuthiwa yiPereya. (Yohane 10:40) Ngoku uya emzantsi ngaseYerusalem.

Akahambi yedwa. Uhamba nabafundi bakhe, ‘nabantu abaninzi’ kunye nabaqokeleli berhafu naboni. (Luka 14:25; 15:1) Kukho nababhali nabaFarisi abasoloko bezigxeka izinto uYesu azithethayo nazenzayo. Ininzi into abamele bacinge ngayo emva kokuba ebalise umzekelo wegusha elahlekileyo, wonyana wolahleko nowendoda esisityebi noLazaro.​—Luka 15:2; 16:14.

Mhlawumbi kuba uYesu ecinga ngokugxekwa nokunyevulelwa ngabantu abangamfuniyo, ujonga kubafundi bakhe. Uthetha ngezinto ebekhe wathetha ngazo ngaphambili eGalili.

Ngokomzekelo uthi: “Ziza kuhlala zikho izinto ezenza abantu bone. Kodwa uza kuthi shu umntu obangela ukuba bone! . . . Lumkani. Ukuba umzalwana wakho uyona, mlumkise yaye ukuba uyaguquka, mxolele. Nokuba ukona kasixhenxe ngemini aze azokucela uxolo kasixhenxe, esithi, ‘Ndixolele,’ umele umxolele.” (Luka 17:1-4) Le nto uYesu ayithethayo isenokumkhumbuza uPetros ngombuzo ebekhe wawubuza ngokuxolela kasixhenxe.​—Mateyu 18:21.

Ngaba abafundi baza kukwazi ukuzenza ezi zinto uYesu azithethayo? Bathi kuye: “Sincede sibe nokholo olungaphezu kolu sinalo.” Uyabaqinisekisa athi: “Ukuba nje ninokholo olulingana nokhozo lwemostade, ninokuthi kulo mthi wamaqunube, ‘Ncothuka uyokutyaleka elwandle!’ ibe ubuza kunithobela.” (Luka 17:5, 6) Nokholo oluncinci lungenza izinto ezinkulu.

UYesu uyaqhubeka aze abafundise indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuthobeka nokungaziphakamisi. Uthi kubapostile bakhe: “Ngubani kuni onokuthi xa ikhoboka lakhe libuya ekwaluseni okanye emasimini athi kulo, ‘Khawuleza uhlale phantsi uzokutya’? Ayinakwenzeka loo nto, kodwa angathi, ‘Nxiba ifaskoti uze undenzele ukutya, ndihoye de ndigqibe ukutya nokusela, wakugqiba nawe ungatya usele.’ Akazukulincoma elo khoboka, kuba lenze into ebelimele ukuba liyenzile kakade, andithi? Nani ke, xa nenze yonke into ebenimele ukuba niyenzile, yithini: ‘Singamakhoboka nje thina. Senze umsebenzi ebesimele ukuba siwenzile kakade.’”​—Luka 17:7-10.

Wonke umntu okhonza uThixo umele ayiqonde indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukubeka izinto ezifunwa nguThixo kuqala. Wonk’ umntu umele acinge ngendlela asikeleleke ngayo, ukukhonza uThixo endlini yakhe.

Emva koko, kufika umntu othunywe nguMariya noMarta. Aba ngoodade bakaLazaro ibe bahlala eBhethani kwaYuda. Lo mntu uthunyiweyo uthi: “Nkosi, umhlobo wakho omthanda kakhulu uyagula.”​—Yohane 11:1-3.

Nangona exelelwe ukuba umhlobo wakhe uLazaro uyagula, uYesu ayimkhathazi kakhulu le nto. Endaweni yoko uthi: “Esi sigulo asizukuphelela ekufeni kwakhe, kodwa uThixo noNyana wakhe baza kuzukiswa ngenxa yaso.” Uqhubeka ehlala kule ndawo akuyo iintsuku ezimbini aze athi kubafundi bakhe: “Masibuyeleni kwaYuda.” Bona bathi: “Mfundisi, usafuna ukuphindela pha, ngoku amaYuda ebefuna ukukubetha ngamatye?”​—Yohane 11:4, 7, 8.

UYesu ubaphendula athi: “Andithi imini ineeyure eziyi-12? Ukuba umntu uhamba emini, akangqubeki ntweni, kuba uyakubona ukukhanya kweli hlabathi. Kodwa ukuba umntu uhamba ebusuku, uyangqubeka, kuba ukukhanya  akukho kuye.” (Yohane 11:9, 10) Uthetha ukuba ixesha uThixo alibekileyo lokuba uYesu agqibe ukushumayela alikapheli. De liphele, kufuneka alisebenzise kakuhle.

Uphinda athi: “ULazaro umhlobo wethu ulele, kodwa ndiyokumvusa apho akhoyo.” Abafundi bakhe bacinga ukuba uthi uLazaro ulele ubuthongo ibe uza kuphila, ngenxa yaloo nto bathi: “Nkosi, ukuba ulele uza kuphila.” UYesu uthetha phandle athi: “ULazaro ufile . . . Masiyeni kuye.”​—Yohane 11:11-15.

Abafundi bayaqonda ukuba uYesu angabulawa kwaYuda, kodwa bayafuna ukumxhasa, ngoko uTomas uthi kwabanye abafundi: “Nathi masihambeni, ukuze sife naye.”​—Yohane 11:16.