1, 2. Chaza lokho uJesu akwenzela abaphostoli bakhe abathembekile ngemva kokuba begubhe iPhasika ngo-33 C.E.

KUSEBUSUKU ngoNisani 14 ka-33 C.E. UJesu nabangane bakhe basanda kugubha iPhasika, elibakhumbuza indlela uNkulunkulu akhulula ngayo okhokho babo ebugqilini baseGibhithe. Kodwa abafundi bakhe abathembekile bazothola “ukukhululwa kwaphakade” okuhle nakakhulu. Ngosuku olulandelayo, umHoli wabo ongenasono uzobulawa izitha zakhe. Kodwa lesi senzo esinenzondo sizophenduka isibusiso. Igazi likaJesu elizochithwa lizoba isisekelo sokukhululwa kwesintu esonweni nasekufeni.—Heb. 9:12-14.

² Ukuze aqinisekise ukuthi asilikhohlwa leli lungiselelo lothando, uJesu wamisa umkhosi omusha waminyaka yonke owathatha indawo yePhasika. Wenza lokhu ngokuhlephula isinkwa esingenamvubelo, wasidlulisela kubo bonke abaphostoli bakhe abathembekile abangu-11, wabe esethi: “Lokhu kusho umzimba wami ozonikelwa ngenxa yenu. Qhubekani nikwenza lokhu ningikhumbula.” Wenza okufanayo nangendebe yewayini elibomvu, wabatshela: “Le ndebe isho isivumelwano esisha esenziwa ngegazi lami, elizothululwa ngenxa yenu.”—Luka 22:19, 20.

3. (a) Iluphi ushintsho olukhulu olwenzeka ngemva kokufa kukaJesu? (b) Imiphi imibuzo okufanele siyicabangele ngokuphathelene nomthandazo kaJesu olotshwe kuJohane isahluko 17?

³ Ukuphela kwesivumelwano soMthetho esidala esasiphakathi kukaNkulunkulu nama-Israyeli emvelo kwase kusondele. Sasizothathelwa indawo isivumelwano esisha esiphakathi kukaJehova nabalandeli bakaJesu abagcotshiwe. UJesu wayekhathazeke kakhulu ngenhlalakahle yalesi sizwe esisha esingokomoya. U-Israyeli wemvelo wayesehlukene ngendlela engenakulungiseka ngokwenkolo nangokwezenhlalo, eletha isihlamba esikhulu egameni likaNkulunkulu elingcwele. (Joh. 7:45-49; IzE. 23:6-9) Ngokuhlukile, uJesu wayefuna ukuba abalandeli bakhe bahlale bemunye ngokuphelele  ukuze bakwazi ukusebenza ndawonye ekukhazimuliseni igama likaNkulunkulu. Ngakho, ube esenzani uJesu? Wenza umthandazo omuhle kunayo yonke umuntu ayoke abe nelungelo lokuyifunda. (Joh. 17:1-26; bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.) Thina singakwazi ukubheka emuva, sibuze, “Ingabe uNkulunkulu uwuphendulile umthandazo kaJesu?” Kufanele futhi sizihlole bese sizibuza, “Ingabe ngenza ngokuvumelana nawo?”

4, 5. (a) Sifundani esethulweni somthandazo kaJesu? (b) UJehova wasiphendula kanjani isicelo uJesu asenza mayelana nekusasa lakhe?

⁴ UJesu ukhuluma kuze kube sebusuku kakhulu, ecobelela abafundi bakhe ulwazi oluyigugu oluvela kuNkulunkulu. Ube esephakamisela amehlo akhe ezulwini athandaze: “Baba, ihora selifikile; khazimulisa indodana yakho, ukuze indodana yakho ikukhazimulise, njengalokho uyinike igunya phezu kwenyama yonke, ukuze, bonke oyinike bona, ibanike ukuphila okuphakade. . . . Ngikukhazimulisile emhlabeni, njengoba ngiwuqedile umsebenzi onginike wona ukuba ngiwenze. Ngakho manje wena, Baba, ngikhazimulise eceleni kwakho ngenkazimulo enganginayo eceleni kwakho ngaphambi kokuba izwe libe khona.”—Joh. 17:1-5.

⁵ Phawula izinto eziza kuqala kuJesu esethulweni somthandazo wakhe. Into eyinhloko akhathazeke ngayo ukukhazinyuliswa kukaYise osezulwini, futhi lokhu kuvumelana nesicelo sokuqala esisemthandazweni wakhe oyisibonelo: “Baba, malingcweliswe igama lakho.” (Luka 11:2) Into elandelayo uJesu akhathazeke ngayo izidingo zabafundi bakhe, ukuze ‘abanike ukuphila okuphakade.’ Ngemva kwalokho uJesu wenza isicelo somuntu siqu: “Baba, ngikhazimulise eceleni kwakho ngenkazimulo enganginayo eceleni kwakho ngaphambi kokuba izwe libe khona.” UJehova uvuza iNdodana yakhe ethembekile ngokuyinika okungaphezu kwalokho ekucelayo, “igama elihle kakhulu” kunelazo zonke izingelosi.—Heb. 1:4.

6. Ukuze abaphostoli bathole ukuphila okuphakade, yini okwakudingeka bayenze, futhi sazi kanjani ukuthi baphumelela?

⁶ UJesu uthandaza nangalokho thina njengezoni okumelwe sikwenze ukuze sifanelekele ukuthola isipho esingafanelwe sokuphila okuphakade. (Funda uJohane 17:3.) Uthi kumelwe siqhubeke ‘singenisa ulwazi’ ngoNkulunkulu nangoKristu. Enye indlela yokwenza lokhu ukusebenzisa amehlo nezindlebe zethu ekufundeni okwengeziwe ngoJehova nangeNdodana yakhe. Enye indlela ebalulekile yokungenisa ulwazi ngoNkulunkulu ukunambitha injabulo esiyithola ngokusebenzisa lokho esikufundayo ngaye. Abaphostoli babeye bayilandela le nqubo enikeza ukuphila, ngoba uJesu waqhubeka wathi emthandazweni wakhe: “Amazwi owanginika wona ngibanike wona, bawamukele.” (Joh. 17:8) Kodwa ukuze bazuze ukuphila okuphakade, kwakudingeka baqhubeke bezindla ngamazwi kaNkulunkulu futhi bawasebenzise ekuphileni kwabo kwansuku zonke. Ingabe abaphostoli abathembekile baphumelela ekwenzeni lokhu kwaze kwabe sekupheleni kokuphila kwabo kwasemhlabeni? Ngempela, bakwenza. Siyakwazi lokhu ngoba ngamunye wabo igama lakhe libhalwe ngokungacimeki ematsheni angu-12 esisekelo seJerusalema Elisha elisezulwini.—IsAm. 21:14.

7. Kusho ukuthini ‘ukwazi’ uNkulunkulu, futhi kungani lokhu kubaluleke kakhulu?

⁷ Ngokwezazi zolimi lwesiGreki, inkulumo yesiGreki ehunyushwe ngokuthi ‘ukungenisa ulwazi’ ingahunyushwa nangokuthi “kufanele baqhubeke bazi.” Lezi zincazelo ziyaphelelisana futhi zibalulekile zombili. Umbhalo waphansi kuJohane 17:3 kuyi-Reference Bible unikeza enye indlela le nkulumo engahunyushwa ngayo, “ukukwazi kwabo.” Ngakho, ‘ukungenisa ulwazi,’  kubhekisela enqubweni eqhubekayo eholela esimweni ‘sokwazi’ uNkulunkulu esiyilungelo elikhulu. Nokho, ukwazi uMuntu omkhulu kunabo bonke ezulwini nasemhlabeni kuhilela okungaphezu nje kokuqonda izimfanelo nenjongo kaNkulunkulu. Ukwazi uJehova kuhlanganisa nokuba nesibopho sothando esiseduze naye kanye nabanye esikholwa nabo. IBhayibheli liyachaza: “Lowo ongenalo uthando akamazi uNkulunkulu.” (1 Joh. 4:8) Ngakho, ukwazi uNkulunkulu kuhlanganisa nokumlalela. (Funda eyoku-1 Johane 2:3-5.) Yeka ukuthi kuyilungelo elikhulu kangakanani ukubalwa phakathi kwabantu abazi uJehova! Kodwa lingasilahlekela leli lungelo eliyigugu njengoba kwenzeka kuJuda Iskariyothe. Masisebenze kanzima ukuze sililondoloze. Uma senza kanjalo siyokufanelekela ukuthola isipho esingafanelwe sokuphila okuphakade.—Math. 24:13.

8, 9. Yini uJesu ayekhathazeke ngayo ngokuyinhloko phakathi nenkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni, futhi iliphi isiko lenkolo okumelwe ukuba walenqaba?

⁸ Ubani ongathi ngemva kokufunda umthandazo kaJesu olotshwe kuJohane isahluko 17 angabaze uthando olujulile uJesu analo, hhayi kuphela ngabaphostoli bakhe ayenabo ngaleso sikhathi, kodwa nangabo bonke abafundi bakhe besikhathi esizayo? (Joh. 17:20) Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kudingeka siqonde ukuthi into esemqoka kuJesu akuyona insindiso yethu. Injongo yakhe eyinhloko kwasekuqaleni kwenkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni kuze kube sekupheleni yayiwukusebenzela ukungcweliswa nokukhazinyuliswa kwegama likaYise. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ememezela ngokuthunywa kwakhe esinagogeni laseNazaretha, uJesu wafunda umqulu ka-Isaya: “Umoya kaJehova uphezu kwami, ngoba ungigcobile ukuba ngimemezele izindaba ezinhle kwabampofu.” Ngokungangabazeki, uJesu waliphimisela ngokucacile igama likaNkulunkulu lapho efunda ngalokhu kuthunywa kwakhe.—Luka 4:16-21.

⁹ Ngokwesiko lamaJuda, abaholi benkolo babeyekise abantu ukusebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba uJesu eze emhlabeni. Singaqiniseka ukuthi uJesu walenqaba ngokuqinile lelo siko elingasekelwe emiBhalweni. Wathi kubaphikisi bakhe: “Ngizé ngegama  likaBaba, kodwa aningamukeli; ukube bekufike omunye umuntu ngegama lakhe siqu, yena beniyomamukela.” (Joh. 5:43) Kanti futhi ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uJesu wabonisa ukuthi yini eyayiza kuqala ekuphileni kwakhe ngokuthi athandaze: “Baba, khazimulisa igama lakho.” (Joh. 12:28) Ngakho akufanele kusimangalise ukuthi lokhu kukhathazeka kukaJesu ngegama likaYise kuvela kaningi emthandazweni wakhe esiwuhlolayo manje.

10, 11. (a) Yini eyayihilelekile ekwenzeni kukaJesu igama likaYise laziwe? (b) Abafundi bakaJesu kufanele basebenzele kumuphi umgomo?

¹⁰ UJesu wathandaza: “Ngilibonakalisile igama lakho kubantu onginike bona ezweni. Babengabakho, wanginika bona, futhi baligcinile izwi lakho. Angisekho ezweni, kodwa bona basezweni kanti mina ngiza kuwe. Baba ongcwele, babheke ngenxa yegama lakho siqu onginike lona, ukuze babe munye njengoba nje nathi simunye.”—Joh. 17:6, 11.

¹¹ Ukwenza abafundi bakhe bazi igama likaYise kwakuhilela okungaphezu kokumane aliphimisele lelo gama. UJesu wabasiza nokuba baqonde ukuthi lalimelelani, okungukuthi, izimfanelo zikaNkulunkulu ezinhle kakhulu nendlela asebenzelana ngayo nathi. (Eks. 34:5-7) Ngaphezu kwalokho, esesikhundleni sakhe esikhazinyulisiwe ezulwini, uyaqhubeka esiza abafundi bakhe ukuba benze igama likaJehova laziwe emhlabeni wonke. Ukwenza enamuphi umgomo? Ukuze kubuthwe abafundi abengeziwe ngaphambi kokuba ukuphela kwalesi simiso sezinto esibi kufike. Ngemva kwalokho, yeka ukuthi uJehova uyozenzela igama elimangalisa kangakanani njengoba ethatha isinyathelo sokukhulula ofakazi bakhe abaqotho!—Hez. 36:23.

12. Iziphi izinto ezintathu ezidingekile ukuze siphumelele emsebenzini wethu osindisa ukuphila?

¹² Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, uJesu wasebenza kanzima esiza abafundi bakhe ukuba banqobe ubuthakathaka babo. Lokhu kwakubalulekile ngoba ngalé kwalokho babengeke bawuqede umsebenzi uJesu ayewuqalile. UJesu uyathandaza: “Njengoba nje wangithuma ezweni, nami ngibathuma ezweni.” Ukuze baphumelele kulo msebenzi osindisa ukuphila, uJesu ugcizelela izinto ezintathu ezidingeka kakhulu. Okokuqala, uthandazela ukuba abafundi bakhe bangabi ingxenye yezwe likaSathane elingcolile. Okwesibili, uthandazela ukuba bangcweliswe, noma bagcinwe bengcwele, ngokulisebenzisa kubo iqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu. Okwesithathu, uJesu ucela ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuba abafundi bakhe babe munye esibophweni sothando esikhona phakathi kwakhe noYise. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kumelwe sizihlole. Ngamunye kithi kufanele azibuze, ‘Ingabe ngenza ngokuvumelana nalezi zicelo ezintathu zikaJesu?’ Lapho sizinaka lezi zinto, uJesu uyaqiniseka ukuthi ‘izwe liyokholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu umthumile.’—Funda uJohane 17:15-21.

13. Umthandazo kaJesu waphendulwa kanjani ekhulwini lokuqala C.E.?

¹³ Ukuthi umthandazo kaJesu waphendulwa singakubona ngokutadisha incwadi yeBhayibheli elandela amaVangeli amane, izEnzo Zabaphostoli. Cabanga ukuthi ayemaningi kangakanani amathuba okwahlukana phakathi kwamaKristu okuqala, ayehlanganisa amaJuda nabeZizwe, izicebi nabampofu, izigqila nabantu ababenezigqila. Noma kunjalo, aba munye kakhulu kangangokuthi aze afaniswa namalungu ahlukahlukene omzimba womuntu, onhloko yawo inguJesu. (Efe. 4:15, 16) Yeka ukuthi lokho kuyisenzakalo esimangalisa kangakanani ezweni likaSathane eligcwele ukwahlukana! Lonke udumo ngalokhu kumelwe luye kuJehova, oye wenza kwenzeka ngokusebenza komoya wakhe ongcwele onamandla.—1 Kor. 3:5-7.

14. Umthandazo kaJesu uye waphendulwa kanjani ezikhathini zanamuhla?

¹⁴ Kuyadabukisa ukuthi lobu bunye obuyisimangaliso abuzange buqhubeke  ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli. Kunalokho, njengoba kwabikezelwa, kwangena ukuhlubuka okwaholela emahlelweni ahlukene eLobukholwa. (IzE. 20:29, 30) Kodwa ngonyaka ka-1919, uJesu wakhulula abalandeli bakhe abagcotshiwe ekuthunjweni yinkolo yamanga futhi wababuthela ndawonye ‘esibophweni esiphelele sobunye.’ (Kol. 3:14) Umsebenzi wabo wokushumayela uye waba namuphi umphumela ezweni lonke? Kuye kwaqoqwa ‘abezinye izimvu’ abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-7 abavela “kuzo zonke izizwe nezinhlanga nabantu nezilimi,” abakhonza njengabangane babagcotshiwe bakaNkulunkulu, baba umhlambi owodwa onobunye. (Joh. 10:16; IsAm. 7:9) Yeka impendulo emangalisayo yomthandazo kaJesu, “ukuze izwe lazi ukuthi [wena Jehova] ungithumile nokuthi ubathandile njengoba nje nami ungithandile”!—Joh. 17:23.

15. Isiphi isicelo esikhethekile uJesu asenzela abafundi bakhe abagcotshiwe?

¹⁵ Lapho kusanda kuhlwa ngoNisani 14, uJesu wanika abaphostoli bakhe ilungelo elikhulu ngokwenza isivumelwano nabo sokuba babuse naye eMbusweni wakhe. (Luka 22:28-30; Joh. 17:22) Ngokuphathelene nabo bonke ababeyoba abalandeli bakhe abagcotshiwe, wabe esethandaza: “Baba, ngokuqondene nalokho onginike khona, ngifisa sengathi, lapho ngikhona, nabo bangaba khona kanye nami, ukuze babone inkazimulo yami onginike yona, ngoba wangithanda ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwezwe.” (Joh. 17:24) Ezinye izimvu zikaJesu azinamona ngalokhu, kodwa zijabula nabo, futhi kuwubufakazi obengeziwe bobunye obukhona phakathi kwawo wonke amaKristu eqiniso emhlabeni namuhla.

16, 17. (a) Esiphethweni somthandazo wakhe, yini uJesu athi uzimisele ukuyenza? (b) Yini okufanele sizimisele ukuyenza?

¹⁶ Lithonywe abaholi balo benkolo, iningi labantu ezweni likhetha ukungabunaki ubufakazi obusobala bokuthi uJehova unabantu abanobunye abamazi ngempela. Kwakunjalo nasosukwini lukaJesu. Ngakho waphetha ngala mazwi athinta inhliziyo: “Baba olungileyo, ngempela izwe alikwazanga; kodwa mina ngikwazile, nalaba bazile ukuthi ungithumile. Ngibazisile igama lakho futhi ngizolazisa, ukuze uthando ongithande ngalo lube kubo nami ngibe munye nabo.”—Joh. 17:25, 26.

¹⁷ Ubani ongaphika ukuthi uJesu ubelokhu enza ngokuvumelana nomthandazo wakhe? NjengeNhloko yebandla, uyaqhubeka esisiza ukuba senze abantu bazi igama likaYise nenjongo yakhe. Kwangathi singaqhubeka sizithoba ebunhlokweni bakhe ngokuwufeza ngentshiseko umyalo wokushumayela nokwenza abafundi. (Math. 28:19, 20; IzE. 10:42) Kwangathi singazikhandla nasekulondolozeni ubunye bethu obuyigugu. Ngokwenza lezi zinto, siyobe senza ngokuvumelana namazwi omthandazo kaJesu, kuholele ekukhazinyulisweni kwegama likaJehova nasenjabulweni yethu yaphakade.