1-3. (a) UJesu wabashiya ngayiphi indlela abaphostoli bakhe, futhi kungani kwakungekona ukuhlukana okudabukisayo? (b) Kungani kudingeka sifunde ngokuphila kukaJesu kusukela aphindela ezulwini?

AMADODA angu-11 ami entabeni. Ngothando nenjabulo enkulu abuka umuntu weshumi nambili. Usesimweni somuntu kodwa empeleni nguJesu ovusiwe, indodana kaJehova yomoya enamandla kunawo wonke. UJesu uqoqele abaphostoli bakhe eNtabeni Yeminqumo ukuze babe naye okokugcina ngcí.

² Le ntaba, eyingxenye yondi lwezintaba zomcako olusuka eJerusalema lunqamule iSigodi SaseKidroni, kumelwe ukuba imkhumbuza izinto eziningi uJesu. Kula magquma kunomuzi waseBhethaniya uJesu avusa kuwo uLazaru. Emasontweni ambalwa adlule, uJesu uqale uhambo lwakhe lokunqoba engena eJerusalema esuka eBethafage eseduzane. Insimu yaseGetsemane cishe ikuyo le Ntaba Yeminqumo, okuyilapho uJesu achitha khona amahora osizi ngaphambi kokuba aboshwe. Manje, kuyo le ntaba, uJesu ulungela ukushiya abangane bakhe abaseduze abangabalandeli bakhe. Uvalelisa ngamazwi amnandi. Ngemva kwalokho uqala ukukhuphuka! Abaphostoli bama lapho sengathi babanjwe inomfi, begqolozele iNkosi yabo abayithandayo njengoba inyukela esibhakabhakeni. Ekugcineni, ifu liyayisitha bangaphinde bayibone.—IzEnzo 1:6-12.

³ Ingabe lokhu kuzwakala njengesiphetho esimnandi kodwa futhi esibuhlungu, ukuhlukana okudabukisayo? Cha akusona. Empeleni, njengoba izingelosi ezimbili zikhumbuza abaphostoli, indaba kaJesu ayikapheli. (IzEnzo 1:10, 11) Ngezindlela eziningi, ukuya kwakhe ezulwini kumane kuyisiqalo.  IZwi likaNkulunkulu alisishiyi ebumnyameni ngokuthi kwabe sekwenzekani kuJesu. Kubalulekile ukufunda ngokuphila kukaJesu selokhu ahamba emhlabeni. Ngani? Khumbula amazwi kaJesu kuPetru: “Qhubeka ungilandela.” (Johane 21:19, 22) Sonke kudingeka siwulalele lowo myalo, kungabi into esiyenza isikhashana, kodwa ube indlela yokuphila. Ukuze senze kanjalo, kudingeka siqonde ukuthi iNkosi yethu yenzani manje nokuthi yiziphi izabelo ezitholile ezulwini.

4. IBhayibheli lakwembula kanjani kusenesikhathi okwakuyokwenzeka ezulwini ngemva kokuba uJesu ebuyele khona?

⁴ ImiBhalo ayisho lutho ngokufika kukaJesu ezulwini, indlela amukelwa ngayo, nokuhlangana kwakhe okujabulisayo noYise. Kepha yakwembula kusengaphambili ukuthi kwakuyokwenzekani ezulwini ngemva nje kokufika kukaJesu khona. Uzokhumbula ukuthi kwase kuyiminyaka eyevile emakhulwini angu-15 amaJuda ewubona njalo umkhosi ongcwele. Kanye ngonyaka umpristi ophakeme wayengena eNgcwelengcwele yethempeli ayofafaza igazi lemihlatshelo yoSuku Lokubuyisana phambi komphongolo wesivumelwano. Ngalolo suku, umpristi ophakeme wayefanekisela uMesiya. UJesu wagcwalisa incazelo engokwesiprofetho yalowo mkhosi kwaba kanye kuphela ngemva kokubuyela ezulwini. Wafika kuJehova okhazimulayo ezulwini—indawo engcwele kunazo zonke ezulwini nasemhlabeni—wethula kuYise inani lomhlatshelo wakhe wesihlengo. (Hebheru 9:11, 12, 24) Ingabe uJehova walamukela?

5, 6. (a) Yibuphi ubufakazi obubonisa ukuthi uJehova wayewamukele umhlatshelo wesihlengo kaKristu? (b) Obani abazuzayo esihlengweni, futhi kanjani?

⁵ Impendulo siyithola ngokufunda okwenzeka ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngemva kokwenyuka kukaJesu. Iqenjana lamaKristu angaba ngu-120 lalihlangene eJerusalema  ekamelweni eliphezulu ngesikhathi kuzwakala umsindo ofana nowesivunguvungu esinamandla ugcwala indlu. Kwabonakala okunjengamalangabi phezu kwamakhanda abo, bagcwala umoya ongcwele, baqala ukukhuluma ngezilimi ezihlukahlukene. (IzEnzo 2:1-4) Lesi senzakalo saba uphawu lokuzalwa kwesizwe esisha, u-Israyeli ongokomoya, ‘owawuluhlanga’ olusha lukaNkulunkulu ‘olukhethiweyo, nobupristi bobukhosi’ ukuze ufeze intando yaphezulu emhlabeni. (1 Petru 2:9) Ngokusobala, uJehova uNkulunkulu wayewamukele umhlatshelo wesihlengo sikaKristu. Lokhu kuthululwa komoya ongcwele kuphakathi kwezibusiso zokuqala ezaba khona ngenxa yesihlengo.

⁶ Kusukela lapho, isihlengo sikaKristu siye sazuzisa abalandeli bakhe emhlabeni wonke. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ‘singabomhlambi omncane’ ogcotshiwe, ozobusa noKristu ezulwini, noma ‘singabezinye izimvu,’ abazobuswa nguye emhlabeni, siyazuza emhlatshelweni wakhe. (Luka 12:32; Johane 10:16) Uyisisekelo sethemba lethu nesokuthethelelwa kwezono zethu. Uma nje siqhubeka ‘sibonisa ukholo’ kuleso sihlengo, silandele uJesu usuku nosuku, singaba nonembeza ohlanzekile nethemba eliqhakazile lekusasa.—Johane 3:16.

7. Yiliphi igunya uJesu alinikwa lapho esebuyele ezulwini, futhi ungamsekela kanjani?

⁷ Ubenzani uJesu ezulwini selokhu abuyela khona? Unegunya elikhulu kakhulu. (Mathewu 28:18) Yebo, uJehova wammisa ukuba abuse phezu kwebandla lobuKristu, isabelo aye wasenza ngendlela enothando nenobulungisa. (Kolose 1:13) Njengoba kwabikezelwa, uJesu uye wabeka amadoda athembekile ukuba anakekele izidingo zomhlambi wakhe. (Efesu 4:8) Ngokwesibonelo, wakhetha uPawulu ukuba abe “umphostoli ezizweni,” wamthuma ukuba asakaze izindaba ezinhle kude naseduze. (Roma 11:13; 1 Thimothewu 2:7) Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala, uJesu watusa, weluleka futhi waqondisa amabandla angu-7 esifundazweni saseRoma,  i-Asiya. (IsAmbulo, izahluko 2-3) Ingabe uyamqaphela uJesu njengeNhloko yebandla lobuKristu? (Efesu 5:23) Ukuze uqhubeke umlandela, kuzodingeka ukhuthaze umoya wokulalela nokubambisana ebandleni lakini.

8, 9. UJesu wanikezwa liphi igunya ngo-1914, futhi lokho kufanele kusitsheleni ngezinqumo esizenzayo?

⁸ UJesu wanikezwa igunya elengeziwe futhi ngo-1914. Ngalowo nyaka wabekwa njengeNkosi enguMesiya yoMbuso kaJehova. Ngenkathi uJesu eqala ukubusa, “kwagqashuka impi ezulwini.” Waba yini umphumela? USathane namademoni akhe baphonswa emhlabeni, kwaqala inkathi yomaye. Ukudlanga kwezimpi, ubugebengu, ukwesaba, izifo, ukuzamazama komhlaba nendlala okuye kwahlupha umuntu namuhla kusikhumbuza ukuthi uJesu uyabusa ezulwini njengamanje. USathane usenguye “umbusi waleli zwe” ‘isikhathi esifushane.’ (IsAmbulo 12:7-12; Johane 12:31; Mathewu 24:3-7; Luka 21:11) Noma kunjalo, uJesu unikeza abantu emhlabeni jikelele ithuba lokwamukela ukubusa kwaKhe.

⁹ Kubalulekile ukuba sibe ngasohlangothini lweNkosi enguMesiya. Kuzo zonke izinqumo esizenza nsuku zonke, kumelwe sifune ukuvunyelwa nguye hhayi yileli zwe elonakele. Lapho le “Nkosi yamakhosi noMbusi wababusi” ihlola isintu, inhliziyo yayo elungile ivutha intukuthelo futhi ichichime injabulo. (IsAmbulo 19:16) Ngani?

10. UJesu ungumuntu onjani, kodwa yini emenza afuthelane yintukuthelo yokulunga?

¹⁰ NjengoYise, iNkosi yethu ingumuntu ojabulayo. (1 Thimothewu 1:11) Ngesikhathi ephila njengomuntu, uJesu wayengagxeki futhi kungenzima ukumjabulisa. Kuningi nokho okwenzeka emhlabeni namuhla okumelwe ukuba kumenza afuthelane yintukuthelo yokulunga. Ngokuqinisekile uzithukuthelele zonke izinhlangano zenkolo eziqamba amanga zithi zimmelele. Wabikezela: “Akuyena wonke umuntu othi  kimi, ‘Nkosi, Nkosi,’ oyongena embusweni wamazulu, kodwa lowo owenza intando kaBaba osemazulwini uyongena. Abaningi bayokuthi kimi ngalolo suku, ‘Nkosi, Nkosi, . . . [asenzanga yini imisebenzi] eminingi yamandla egameni lakho na?’ Kodwa nokho ngiyovuma kubo ngaleso sikhathi ngithi: Angikaze nginazi! Sukani kimi, nina abenza okungemthetho.”—Mathewu 7:21-23.

11-13. Kungani abanye bengase baxakwe amazwi kaJesu kulabo abenza ‘imisebenzi eminingi yamandla’ egameni lakhe, kodwa kungani ethukuthele? Fanekisa.

¹¹ Abaningi namuhla abazibiza ngamaKristu angase abaxake la mazwi. UJesu angawasho kanjani amazwi ashube kangaka kubantu abebenza ‘imisebenzi eminingi yamandla’ egameni lakhe? Amasonto eLobukholwa aye axhasa izinhlangano ezisiza abahluphekayo, asiza abampofu, akha izibhedlela nezikole, enza neminye imisebenzi eminingi. Ukuze ubone ukuthi kungani efanelwe intukuthelo kaJesu, cabanga ngalo mfanekiso.

¹² Ubaba nomama kudingeka bathathe uhambo. Ngeke bakwazi ukuhamba nezingane zabo, ngakho baqasha umzanyana. Kulula abafuna akwenze: “Ubogada izingane zethu. Uziphe ukudla, uqiniseke ukuthi zihlanzekile, uzibheke zingalimali.” Kodwa lapho abazali bebuya bayashaqeka uma bebona izingane zabo zifile yindlala. Zingcolile, ziyagula, zincela izithupha. Ziyakhala zifuna umzanyana azinake kodwa lutho ukuzinaka. Ikuphi inkinga? Nanguya phezulu ugeza amafasitela. Bethukuthele bengqangqa, abazali bayambuza ukuthi kwenzenjani. Uthi: “Hhawu, sengisebenze kanje! Angithi amafasitela ageziwe? Nginilungisele nezinto ebezonakele endlini!” Kungabajabulisa yini abazali lokho? Ngeke! Bebengashongo ukuthi akenze lezo zinto; bebefuna kugadwe izingane zabo nje kwaphela. Ukungakwenzi lokhu abetshelwe kona kungabathukuthelisa kakhulu.

¹³ ELobukholwa liye lenza njengalo mzanyana. UJesu wayala ukuba abameleli bakhe bondle abantu ngokomoya ngokubafundisa  iqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu futhi babasize bahlanzeke ngokomoya. (Johane 21:15-17) Kodwa eLobukholwa lihluleke ngendlela edabukisayo ukulalela isiqondiso sakhe. Liyeke abantu bebulawa indlala ngokomoya, bedidwe amanga futhi bengawazi amaqiniso eBhayibheli ayisisekelo. (Isaya 65:13; Amose 8:11) Ngisho nemizamo yalo yokuthuthukisa leli zwe ayisona isizathu sokungalaleli kwalo ngamabomu. Angithi lesi simiso sezwe sinjengendlu ezodilizwa! IZwi likaNkulunkulu likwenza kucace ukuthi isimiso sezwe likaSathane sekuseduze siqedwe.—1 Johane 2:15-17.

14. Yimuphi umsebenzi ojabulisa uJesu namuhla, futhi ngani?

¹⁴ Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kumelwe ukuba uJesu ujabula kakhulu uma ebheka emhlabeni esezulwini abone ukuthi izigidi zabantu zifeza umyalo wokwenza abafundi awunikeza abalandeli bakhe engakahambi emhlabeni. (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Yeka ilungelo okuyilo ukujabulisa iNkosi enguMesiya! Masizimisele ukuba singalokothi siyeke ukusiza “inceku ethembekileyo neqondayo.” (Mathewu 24:45) Ngokungafani nabefundisi beLobukholwa, leli qembu elincane labazalwane abagcotshiwe liye lawuqondisa ngenhlonipho umsebenzi wokushumayela futhi liye lazondla ngokwethembeka izimvu zikaKristu.

15, 16. (a) UJesu uzizwa kanjani ngokungabi khona kothando okudlange kangaka namuhla, futhi sikwazi kanjani lokho? (b) Kungani eLobukholwa lifanelwe intukuthelo kaJesu?

¹⁵ Singaqiniseka ukuthi le Nkosi iyathukuthela uma ibona lungekho uthando emhlabeni namuhla. Singase sikhumbule indlela abaFarisi abamgxeka ngayo uJesu ngokuphulukisa ngeSabatha. Babenezinhliziyo ezilukhuni, benenkani kangangokuthi akukho okunye ababekwazi ngaphandle kwencazelo yabo ebandlululayo yoMthetho KaMose nomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo. Izimangaliso zikaJesu zafeza okuhle kakhulu! Kodwa intokozo, impumuzo nokholo oluqinile olwaluba umphumela walezo zimangaliso kwakungasho lutho kubo. Wazizwa kanjani uJesu ngabo? Wake ‘wabaqalaza  ethukuthele, elusizi impela ngenxa yokungazweli kwezinhliziyo zabo.’—Marku 3:5.

¹⁶ Namuhla, uJesu ubona okungaphezulu kakhulu kwalokho, okumenza azizwe “elusizi impela.” Abaholi beLobukholwa baphuphuthekiswe ukuzinikela kwabo emasikweni nasezimfundisweni ezingqubuzana nemiBhalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, bathukutheliswa ukushunyayelwa kwezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Emazweni amaningi, abefundisi baye babangela ukuba ashushiswe kabuhlungu lawo maKristu azama ngokuzimisela ukushumayela isigijimi esashunyayelwa uJesu. (Johane 16:2; IsAmbulo 18:4, 24) Ngesikhathi esifanayo, labo befundisi bakhuthaza abalandeli babo ukuba baye empini bayobulala abanye abantu—njengokungathi lokho kuzomjabulisa uJesu Kristu!

17. Abalandeli bakaJesu beqiniso bayithokozisa kanjani inhliziyo yakhe?

¹⁷ Abalandeli bakaJesu beqiniso bona bazama ukubonisa uthando kwabanye abantu. Bahlanganyela izindaba ezinhle nazo “zonke izinhlobo zabantu” naphezu kokuphikiswa, njengoba noJesu enza. (1 Thimothewu 2:4) Uthando ababonisana lona luvelele; yilona ababonakala ngalo ngokuyinhloko. (Johane 13:34, 35) Njengoba bephatha amanye amaKristu ngothando nangenhlonipho, balandela uJesu ngempela—futhi bathokozisa inhliziyo yeNkosi enguMesiya!

18. Yini edumaza iNkosi yethu, kodwa singayijabulisa kanjani?

¹⁸ Masikhumbule nokuthi iNkosi yethu iyadumala lapho abalandeli bayo behluleka ukukhuthazela, bevumela uthando lwabo ngoJehova luphole futhi beyeka ukumkhonza. (IsAmbulo 2:4, 5) Kepha uJesu uyajabula ngabantu abakhuthazela kuze kube sekupheleni. (Mathewu 24:13) Khona-ke masenze okusemandleni ethu ukuze sihlale sikhumbula lo myalo kaKristu: “Qhubeka ungilandela.” (Johane 21:19) Masifunde ngezinye zezibusiso iNkosi enguMesiya eyozilethela abantu abakhuthazela kuze kube sekupheleni.

19, 20. (a) Ukulandela uJesu kuletha ziphi izibusiso kwamanje? (b) Ukulandela uKristu kungasisiza kanjani ukuba sigcwalise isidingo esinaso sokuba nobaba?

¹⁹ Ukulandela uJesu kuyindlela eya ekuphileni okubusiseke ngempela manje. Uma simamukela uKristu njengeNkosi yethu, silandela isiqondiso nesibonelo sakhe, siyothola ingcebo efunwa abantu kuwo wonke umhlaba kodwa abangayitholi. Siyobusiswa ngomsebenzi owenza ukuphila kwethu kube nenjongo, ngomkhaya wabakhulekeli abamunye esibophweni sothando lweqiniso, unembeza ohlanzekile, nokuthula kwengqondo. Ngamafuphi, siyothola ukuphila okucebile nokwanelisayo. Siyothola nokwengeziwe futhi.

²⁰ UJehova wenze uJesu waba ‘uBaba Ongunaphakade’ walabo abanethemba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni. UJesu uthatha isikhundla sikababa ongumuntu, u-Adamu, owayenzela phansi ngendlela edabukisayo inzalo yakhe. (Isaya 9:6, 7) Ngokwamukela uJesu ‘njengoBaba Ongunaphakade,’ sibonise ukholo kuye, siba nethemba eliqinisekile lokuphila okuphakade. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokwenza kanjalo sisondela ngokwengeziwe kuJehova uNkulunkulu. Njengoba sifundile, ukulwela ukulandela isibonelo sikaJesu imihla ngemihla kuyindlela enhle kakhulu yokulalela lo myalo waphezulu: “Yibani ngabalingisi bakaNkulunkulu, njengabantwana abathandekayo.”—Efesu 5:1.

21. Abalandeli bakaKristu bakhanyisa kanjani ezweni elimnyama?

²¹ Lapho silingisa uJesu noYise, uJehova, siba nelungelo elimangalisayo. Senza kukhanye bhá. Ezweni eligutshuzelwe ubumnyama, lapho izindimbane zabantu zidukiswe khona uSathane futhi zilingisa izimfanelo zakhe, thina esilandela uKristu sisakaza imisebe yokukhanya okukhazimulayo—ukukhanya kwamaqiniso emiBhalo, ukukhanya kwezimfanelo ezinhle zobuKristu, ukukhanya kwenjabulo yeqiniso, ukuthula kwangempela nothando lweqiniso. Ngesikhathi  esifanayo, sisondela ngokwengeziwe kuJehova futhi awukho umgomo odlula lowo, injongo ephakeme kakhulu yanoma isiphi isidalwa esihlakaniphile.

22, 23. (a) Yiziphi izibusiso eziyotholwa yilabo abaqhubeka belandela uJesu ngokwethembeka? (b) Yini okufanele sizimisele ukuyenza?

²² Cabanga nangezinto uJehova afuna ukukwenzela zona esikhathini esizayo ngeNkosi yakhe enguMesiya. Maduze nje le Nkosi izokulwa impi yokulunga nezwe likaSathane elonakele. Nakanjani uJesu uzonqoba! (IsAmbulo 19:11-15) Ngemva kwalokho, uKristu uyoqala ukuBusa Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane emhlabeni. Uhulumeni wakhe wasezulwini  uyodlulisela izinzuzo zesihlengo kubo bonke abantu abathembekile, ubaphelelise. Zibone ngeso lengqondo usuphila saka, ulokhu umusha futhi uyingqabavu, ujabulela ukusebenza nomkhaya wabantu onobunye niguqula lo mhlaba uba ipharadesi! Ekupheleni kwaleyo Minyaka Eyinkulungwane, uJesu uyobuyisela izintambo zokubusa kuYise. (1 Korinte 15:24) Uma uqhubeka umlandela ngokwethembeka uKristu, uyonikezwa isibusiso esihle ngendlela emangalisayo—‘inkululeko ekhazimulayo yabantwana bakaNkulunkulu’! (Roma 8:21) Yebo, siyothola zonke izibusiso u-Adamu no-Eva ababenazo kodwa bazilahla. Njengamadodana namadodakazi kaJehova asemhlabeni, siyokhululeka phakade esonweni sika-Adamu. Ngempela, “ukufa ngeke kusaba khona.”—IsAmbulo 21:4.

²³ Khumbula leya nsizwa engumbusi ocebile esixoxe ngayo eSahlukweni 1. Yasenqaba isimemo sikaJesu sokuthi: ‘Woza ube ngumlandeli wami.’ (Marku 10:17-22) Ungalinge ulenze lelo phutha! Sengathi ungasamukela ngentokozo nangomdlandla isimemo sikaJesu. Sengathi ungazimisela ukukhuthazela, uqhubeke ulandela uMalusi Omuhle usuku nosuku, unyaka nonyaka, futhi uphile uze umbone ekugcineni egcwalisa zonke izinjongo zikaJehova ngendlela ekhazimulayo!