UJesu nabafundi bakhe bayafika eBhetsayida. Abantu baletha indoda eyimpumputhe kuJesu bese bemncenga ukuba ayithinte ukuze yelapheke.

UJesu ubamba le ndoda ngesandla, ayihole aphumele nayo ngaphandle kwemizi. Ngemva kokuphimisela amathe emehlweni ale ndoda, uJesu uyayibuza: “Kukhona yini okubonayo?” Le ndoda iyaphendula: “Ngibona abantu, kodwa babukeka njengezihlahla ezihambayo.” (Marku 8:23, 24) UJesu ubeka izandla zakhe emehlweni ayo bese iyabona. UJesu uthi ayiye ekhaya le ndoda esibona kahle, ayiyale nokuba ingangeni emizini.

Ngemva kwalokho, uJesu nabafundi bakhe balibangisa enyakatho esifundeni saseKhesariya Filiphi. Indlela eya khona iwumqansa omude, oyibanga elingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-40. Le mizi isentabeni, ngemva kwayo kunentaba ende embozwe yiqhwa, iNtaba iHermoni. Uhambo oluya khona cishe luthatha izinsuku ezimbalwa.

Lapho besendleleni, uJesu uyasuka kubo ayothandaza eyedwa. Sekusele izinyanga ezingaba ngu-9 noma eziyishumi ngaphambi kokuba uJesu abulawe futhi ukhathazekile ngabafundi bakhe. Abaningi basanda kuyeka ukumlandela kanti abanye babonakala bedidekile noma bedumazekile. Kungenzeka bayazibuza ukuthi kungani enqabe imizamo yabantu yokumbeka abe yinkosi noma ukuthi kungani engazange enze sibonakaliso ukuze abonise ngokucacile ukuthi ungubani ngempela.

Lapho abafundi befika lapho uJesu ethandazela khona, uyababuza: “Abantu bathi iNdodana yomuntu ingubani?” Bayaphendula: “Abanye bathi inguJohane uMbhapathizi, abanye bathi ingu-Eliya, kanti abanye bathi inguJeremiya noma ingomunye wabaprofethi.” Abantu bacabanga ukuthi uJesu kungenzeka ukuthi empeleni ungenye yalawo madoda evuswe ekufeni. Ukuze athole umbono wabafundi bakhe, uJesu uyababuza: “Nina-ke nithi ngingubani?” UPetru uphendula ngokushesha: “UnguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.”—Mathewu 16:13-16.

UJesu uthi uPetru uyajabula ngokuthi uNkulunkulu umambulele lokhu, uyenezela: “Ngithi kuwe: Wena unguPetru, phezu kwaleli dwala ngizokwakha ibandla lami, amasango eThuna ngeke alehlule.” UJesu uqonde ukuthi yena uqobo uzolakha ibandla nokuthi ngisho neThuna ngeke likwazi ukuwavalela amalungu alelo bandla uma ehlala eqotho emhlabeni. Uthembisa uPetru: “Ngizokunika izihluthulelo zoMbuso wamazulu.”—Mathewu 16:18, 19.

UJesu akambeki phambili kunabanye abaphostoli uPetru, futhi akamenzi isisekelo sebandla. UJesu uqobo uyiDwala ibandla lakhe elizokwakhelwa phezu kwalo. (1 Korinte 3:11; Efesu 2:20) Nokho, uPetru uzokwamukela izihluthulelo ezintathu. Uzoba nelungelo lokuvulela amaqembu ahlukahlukene  abantu ithuba lokungena eMbusweni wamazulu.

UPetru wayezosebenzisa isihluthulelo sokuqala ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., abonise amaJuda namaproselithe aphendukayo lokho okumelwe akwenze ukuze asindiswe. Wayezosebenzisa esesibili ukuze avulele amaSamariya akholwayo ithuba lokungena eMbusweni KaNkulunkulu. Ngo-36 C.E., uPetru wayezosebenzisa isihluthulelo sesithathu ukuze anikeze abeZizwe abangasokile, uKorneliyu nabanye ithuba.—IzEnzo 2:37, 38; 8:14-17; 10:44-48.

Kule ngxoxo, abaphostoli bakaJesu bayakhathazeka lapho ebikezela ngokuhlupheka nokufa azobhekana nako maduzane eJerusalema. Engaqondi ukuthi uJesu uzovuselwa ekuphileni kwasezulwini, uPetru umbizela eceleni bese emkhuza ethi: “Yiba nomusa kuwe, Nkosi; ngeke neze lokhu kwenzeke kuwe.” Kodwa uJesu uyamfulathela bese ephendula: “Yana emva kwami, Sathane! Uyisikhubekiso kimi, ngoba awucabangi imicabango kaNkulunkulu, ucabanga eyabantu.”—Mathewu 16:22, 23.

UJesu ube esebiza nabanye ngaphandle kwabaphostoli bese echaza ukuthi ngeke kube lula ukuba umlandeli wakhe. Uthi: “Uma umuntu efuna ukungilandela, makazidele, athathe isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa angilandele njalo. Ngoba noma ubani ofuna ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe, kuyomlahlekela, kodwa noma ubani olahlekelwa ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami nangenxa yezindaba ezinhle, uyokusindisa.”—Marku 8:34, 35.

Ngempela, ukuze babonise ukuthi umusa kaJesu ubafanele, abalandeli bakhe kumelwe babe nesibindi futhi bazidele. UJesu uthi: “Noma ubani oba namahloni ngami nangamazwi ami kulesi sizukulwane esiphingayo nesinesono, neNdodana yomuntu iyoba namahloni ngaye lapho iza ngenkazimulo kaYise ikanye nezingelosi ezingcwele.” (Marku 8:38) Lapho uJesu efika ngaleso sikhathi, ‘uyobuyisela kulowo nalowo ngokokuziphatha kwakhe.’—Mathewu 16:27.