CISHE eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule, ngePhasika lamaJuda ngonyaka ka-33 C.E., indoda engenacala yafa ukuze abanye bathole ukuphila. Kwakungubani leyo ndoda? KwakunguJesu waseNazaretha. Obani ababezozuza kulesi senzo esihle? Yiso sonke isintu. Ivesi elaziwayo leBhayibheli likufingqa ngale ndlela lokho kuzidela okusindisa ukuphila: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.

Nakuba abantu abaningi bewujwayele lowo mbhalo, bambalwa abakuqonda ngempela lokho okushoyo. Bayazibuza: ‘Kungani siwudinga umhlatshelo kaKristu? Ukufa komuntu oyedwa kungasitakula kanjani isintu ekufeni kwaphakade?’ IBhayibheli lisinikeza izimpendulo ezicacile nezanelisayo zale mibuzo.

Abantu abathile bakholelwa ukuthi abantu badalelwa ukuphila isikhathi esincane emhlabeni, babhekane nobunzima, bajabule isikhashana, bese befa badlulele endaweni engcono. Ngokwale ndlela yokucabanga, ukufa kuyingxenye yenjongo kaNkulunkulu ngesintu. Kodwa, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi isintu sihlushwa ukufa ngenxa yesizathu esihlukile. Lithi: “Ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.” (Roma 5:12) Leli vesi libonisa ukuthi abantu bafa ngenxa yesono. Nokho, ungubani lo ‘muntu oyedwa’ imiphumela yesono ebulalayo eyangena ngaye esintwini?

I-World Book Encyclopedia ithi ososayensi abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi bonke abantu bavela emthonjeni owodwa, futhi iBhayibheli liwuchaza ngokucacile lowo mthombo—‘umuntu oyedwa.’ KuGenesise 1:27, siyafunda: “UNkulunkulu wabe esemdala umuntu ngomfanekiso wakhe, wamdala ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu; wabadala kwaba owesilisa nowesifazane.” Ngakho iBhayibheli lithi umbhangqwana wokuqala ongabantu waba yinkazimulo yendalo kaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.

Umlando kaGenesise usinikeza neminye imininingwane yokuphila komuntu ngemva kokuba  uJehova uNkulunkulu edale umuntu wokuqala. Ngokuphawulekayo, kuwo wonke lowo mlando, uNkulunkulu akazange akhulume ngokufa ngaphandle nje kokuthi kwakuyoba umphumela wokungalaleli. (Genesise 2:16, 17) Wayefuna ukuba abantu baphile emhlabeni omuhle oyipharadesi bejabule futhi benobungqabavu kuze kube phakade. Wayengafuni ukuba babhekane nemiphumela yokuguga futhi bafe ekugcineni. Kwenzeka kanjani-ke ukuba ukufa kubuse sonke isintu?

UGenesise isahluko 3 ulandisa indlela abantu ababili bokuqala abakhetha ngayo ngamabomu ukungamlaleli uMniki-kuphila wabo, uJehova uNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yalokho, uNkulunkulu wakhipha isahlulelo ayebatshele ngaso kusengaphambili. Wabatshela: “Uluthuli, uyobuyela othulini.” (Genesise 3:19) Njengoba nje uNkulunkulu ayeshilo, ekugcineni laba bantu ababili abangalaleli bafa.

Kodwa, umonakalo wadlulela ngalé kwabantu ababili bokuqala. Ukungalaleli kwabo kwashabalalisa amathuba okuphila okuphelele ayezojatshulelwa yinzalo yabo. UJehova wahlanganisa nalabo bantu ababengakazalwa enjongweni yakhe lapho etshela u-Adamu no-Eva ukuthi: “Zalani nande nigcwalise umhlaba niwunqobe, nithotshelwe yizinhlanzi zolwandle nezidalwa ezindizayo zamazulu nazo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezihamba phezu komhlaba.” (Genesise 1:28) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, umkhaya wesintu wawuyogcwala umhlaba futhi ujabulele ukuphila ngenjabulo engenakuqhathaniswa, ngaphandle kokufa. Kodwa ukhokho waso u-Adamu—lowaya ‘muntu oyedwa’—wabadayisela ebugqilini besono, futhi ukufa kwaba umphumela ongenakugwenywa. Umphostoli uPawulu, owayeyinzalo yalo muntu wokuqala, wabhala: “Mina ngingowenyama, ngithengiswe ngaphansi kwesono.”—Roma 7:14.

Njengoba nje izichwensi ziye zacekela phansi izinto eziyigugu muva nje, ngokona u-Adamu, wacekela phansi indalo enhle kaNkulunkulu—isintu. Izingane zika-Adamu zazala ezazo izingane, nabazukulu njalo njalo. Isizukulwane ngasinye esilandelayo sazalwa, sakhula, sazala, sabe sesifa. Kungani zonke zifa? Ngoba zonke ziyinzalo ka-Adamu. IBhayibheli lithi: “Ngesiphambeko somuntu oyedwa kwafa abaningi.” (Roma 5:15) Ukugula, ukukhula, ukuthambekela ekwenzeni izinto ezimbi, nokufa kuyimiphumela edabukisayo yokukhaphela kuka-Adamu umkhaya wakhe. Lowo mkhaya usihlanganisa sonke.

Encwadini ayibhalela amaKristu aseRoma, umphostoli uPawulu wabhala ngesimo  esidabukisayo sabantu abangaphelele, kuhlanganise naye, kanye nomshikashika wesono. Wababaza: “Yeka mina muntu wosizi! Ubani oyongophula kulo mzimba othola lokhu kufa?” Umbuzo omuhle, akunjalo? Ubani owayengatakula uPawulu—nabo bonke abantu abafuna ukutakulwa—ebugqilini besono nokufa? UPawulu ngokwakhe waphendula: “Makabongwe uNkulunkulu ngoJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu!” (Roma 7:14-25) Yebo, uMdali wethu wenze ilungiselelo lokuba sitakulwe ngeNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu.

UJesu wayichaza indima yakhe ekutakuleni isintu ebugqilini besono obubulalayo. Wathi: ‘INdodana yomuntu yazela ukunikela ukuphila kwayo, kube yisihlengo sabaningi.’ (Mathewu 20:28, iBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile) Ukuphila kukaJesu kuyisihlengo ngayiphi indlela? Kusizuzisa kanjani ukufa kwakhe?

Lapho lichaza uJesu iBhayibheli lithi ‘akanasono’ futhi ‘uhlukanisiwe nezoni.’ Kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe, uJesu wawuthobela ngokuphelele uMthetho kaNkulunkulu. (Hebheru 4:15; 7:26) Ngakho-ke, ukufa kukaJesu kwakungewona umphumela wesono nokungalaleli njengokufa kuka-Adamu. (Hezekeli 18:4) Kunalokho, uJesu wavuma ukubulawa kungafanele ukuze afeze intando kaYise yokutakula isintu esonweni nasekufeni. Njengoba kushiwo ngenhla, ngokuzithandela uJesu wazela ‘ukuzonikela ngokuphila kwakhe njengesihlengo.’ Ngothando olungenakuqhathaniswa emlandweni wonke, ngokuzithandela uJesu “wanambitha ukufa ngenxa yawo wonke umuntu.”—Hebheru 2:9.

Ukuphila okwadelwa uJesu kwakufana ncamashí nalokho okwalahlwa u-Adamu lapho ona. Waba yini umphumela wokufa kukaJesu? UJehova wawamukela lowo mhlatshelo ‘njengesihlengo esihambelanayo.’ (1 Thimothewu 2:6) Empeleni, uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa inani lokuphila kukaJesu ukuhlawulela uhlanga lwesintu esonweni nasekufeni.

IBhayibheli likhuluma kaningi ngalesi senzo esikhulu sothando soMdali womuntu. UPawulu wakhumbuza amaKristu ukuthi ‘athengwa ngentengo.’ (1 Korinte 6:20; 7:23) UPetru wabhala ukuthi uNkulunkulu akasebenzisanga igolide noma isiliva, kodwa igazi leNdodana yakhe ukuze akhulule amaKristu endleleni yokuphila eholela ekufeni. (1 Petru 1:18, 19) Ngomhlatshelo kaKristu wesihlengo, uJehova wahlela ukutakula isintu ekufeni kwaphakade okwakuzoba umphumela.

Ngokuphathelene nezinzuzo ezinkulu zesihlengo sikaKristu, umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “[UJesu Kristu] ungumhlatshelo oyisihlawulelo wezono zethu, nokho kungezona ezethu kuphela kodwa nezalo lonke izwe.” (1 Johane 2:2) Yebo, isihlengo sikaKristu singazuzisa sonke isintu. Ingabe lokho kusho ukuthi wonke umuntu uyovele nje azuze kuleli lungiselelo eliyigugu?  Cha. Khumbula ukutakulwa kwabantu okukhulunywe ngakho esihlokweni esandulele. Labo ababezama ukutakula izisebenzi zasemayini ezazivalelekile bazehlisela ikheji, kodwa isisebenzi ngasinye kwakufanele sizingenele kulelo kheji. Ngendlela efanayo, labo abafisa ukuzuza emhlatshelweni kaKristu wesihlengo abanakumane balindele isibusiso sikaNkulunkulu. Kufanele bathathe isinyathelo.

Yisiphi isinyathelo uNkulunkulu asifunayo? UJohane 3:36 uyasitshela: “Obonisa ukholo eNdodaneni unokuphila okuphakade; ongayilaleli iNdodana ngeke akubone ukuphila, kodwa ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luhlezi phezu kwakhe.” UNkulunkulu ufuna ukuba sibe nokholo emhlatshelweni kaKristu. Kodwa kunokwengeziwe. “Sazi ngalokhu ukuthi sesiyamazi [uJesu], okungukuthi, uma siqhubeka sigcina imiyalo yakhe.” (1 Johane 2:3) Khona-ke kusobala ukuthi isihluthulelo sokutakulwa esonweni nasekufeni siwukuba nokholo esihlengweni sikaKristu nokulalela imiyalo yakhe.

Enye indlela ebalulekile yokubonisa ukholo esihlengweni sikaJesu ukwazisa ukufa kwakhe ngokukukhumbula, njengoba ayala. Ngaphambi kokuba afe, uJesu waba nesidlo esiyisifanekiselo nabaphostoli bakhe abathembekile, futhi wathi kubo: “Qhubekani nikwenza lokhu ningikhumbula.” (Luka 22:19) OFakazi BakaJehova babazisa ngokujulile ubungane babo neNdodana kaNkulunkulu, futhi bayawulalela lowo myalo. Kulo nyaka, iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaJesu Kristu sizoba ngoMgqibelo ngo-March 22, ngemva kokushona kwelanga. Sikumema ngemfudumalo ukuba ube khona kulowo mhlangano okhethekile ubonise ukuthi ulalela umyalo kaJesu. OFakazi BakaJehova endaweni yakini bangakutshela isikhathi nendawo yalesi senzakalo. ESikhumbuzweni uyofunda okuningi ngalokho okufanele ukwenze ukuze isihlengo sikaKristu sikukhulule emiphumeleni ebulalayo yesono sika-Adamu.

Bambalwa abantu namuhla abawazisa ngokugcwele umhlatshela omkhulu owenziwa uMdali wabo neNdodana yakhe ukuze babatakule ekubhujisweni. Labo ababonisa ukholo kuwo bajabulela umthombo okhethekile wenjabulo. Umphostoli uPetru wabhala ngokuphathelene namanye amaKristu: “Nibonisa ukholo [kuJesu] futhi nijabula kakhulu ngenjabulo engakhulumeki nekhazinyulisiwe, njengoba namukela isiphetho sokholo lwenu, insindiso yemiphefumulo yenu.” (1 Petru 1:8, 9) Ngokuhlakulela uthando ngoJesu Kristu nokholo emhlatshelweni wakhe wesihlengo, ungagcwalisa ukuphila kwakho ngenjabulo manje futhi ubheke phambili ekusindisweni esonweni nasekufeni.