UMBUSI ongumRoma uPontiyu Pilatu wabuza lo mbuzo ngesikhathi kuqulwa icala likaJesu elalisho ukufa nokuphila kuye. * UPilatu wayazi ukuthi uJesu uvela kuyiphi indawo kwa-Israyeli. (Luka 23:6, 7) Wayazi nokuthi uJesu wayengeyona indoda evamile. Ingabe uPilatu wayezibuza ukuthi uJesu wayeke waphila yini ngaphambili? Ingabe lo mbusi oyiqaba wayezimisele ngempela ukwamukela iqiniso futhi enze ngokuvumelana nalo? Kunoma yikuphi, uJesu akazange aphendule, futhi kungakabiphi kwaba sobala ukuthi uPilatu wayekhathalela kakhulu isikhundla sakhe kuneqiniso nobulungisa.—Mathewu 27:11-26.

Okujabulisayo ukuthi labo abafisa ngobuqotho ukwazi ukuthi uJesu wavelaphi bangayithola kalula impendulo. IBhayibheli libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi uJesu Kristu wavelaphi. Cabangela okulandelayo.

Ukubala kwanamuhla kubonisa ukuthi uJesu wazalelwa emzaneni wakwaJuda eBhetlehema, ezimweni eziphansi kakhulu, ngasekuqaleni kwekwindla yonyaka manje obizwa ngokuthi u-2 B.C.E. Umyalo wokubhalisa owawuvela kuKhesari Awugustu waphoqa unina kaJesu, uMariya, “owayesezobeletha” nomyeni wakhe uJosefa ukuba baye eBhetlehema, indawo yokhokho bakaJosefa. Bengakwazi ukuthola indawo yokuhlala kulowo mzana owawugcwele abantu, baphoqeleka ukusebenzisa isitebele, indawo uJesu azalelwa kuyo. Ngemva kokuzalwa kwakhe bambeka emkhombeni.—Luka 2:1-7.

Emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili, isiprofetho seBhayibheli sasiyibikezele indawo uJesu ayeyozalelwa kuyo: “Nawe, Bhetlehema-Efratha, wena omncane kakhulu ukuba ube phakathi kwezinkulungwane zakwaJuda, kuwe ngiyophunyelwa ozoba umbusi kwa-Israyeli.” * (Mika 5:2) Kubonakala sengathi iBhetlehema lalilincane kakhulu ukuthi lingabalwa phakathi kwemizi eyayisesifundeni sakwaJuda. Noma kunjalo, lo muzi omncane wawuzoba nelungelo eliyingqayizivele. UMesiya othenjisiwe, noma uKristu, wayeyovela eBhetlehema.—Mathewu 2:3-6; Johane 7:40-42.

Ngemva kokuhlala isikhashana eGibhithe, abazali bakaJesu bathuthela eNazaretha, umuzi osesifundeni saseGalile oqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-96 enyakatho yeJerusalema. Ngaleso sikhathi, uJesu wayengakayihlanganisi iminyaka emithathu. Kulesi sifunda esihle, umsebenzi wokulima, ukwalusa nokudoba wawudlondlobele. UJesu wakhulela emndenini omkhulu futhi kungenzeka ukuthi wawungacebile.—Mathewu 13:55, 56.

 Ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka, iBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi uMesiya wayeyoba “umNazaretha.” Umbhali weVangeli uMathewu uthi umndeni wakubo kaJesu wahamba wayohlala ‘eNazaretha, ukuze kugcwaliseke lokho okwakhulunywa ngabaprofethi ukuthi: “Uyobizwa ngokuthi umNazaretha.”’ (Mathewu 2:19-23) Kubonakala sengathi igama elithi umNazaretha lihlobene nelesiHebheru elisho “ihlumela.” Ngokusobala, uMathewu wayekhuluma ngesiprofetho sika-Isaya esabiza uMesiya ngokuthi “ihlumela” elivela kuJese, okusho ukuthi uMesiya wayeyoba owozalo lukaJese, uyise weNkosi uDavide. (Isaya 11:1) Eqinisweni, uJesu wayengowozalo lukaJese ngoDavide.—Mathewu 1:6, 16; Luka 3:23, 31, 32.

IBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi uJesu wayeseke waphila iminyaka eminingi ngaphambi kokuba azalelwe esitebeleni eBhetlehema. Isiprofetho sikaMika, esicashunwe ngenhla, siqhubeka sithi ‘isiqalo sakhe sisukela ezikhathini zakuqala, ezinsukwini zesikhathi esingaziwa.’ (Mika 5:2) NjengeNdodana kaNkulunkulu eyizibulo, uJesu wayeyisidalwa somoya ezulwini ngaphambi kokuzalwa njengomuntu emhlabeni. UJesu ngokwakhe wathi: ‘Ngehla ezulwini.’ (Johane 6:38; 8:23) Lokho kwenzeka kanjani?

Ngomoya wakhe ongcwele, uJehova uNkulunkulu wenza isimangaliso sokudlulisela ukuphila kweNdodana yakhe yasezulwini esibelethweni sentombi engumJuda uMariya ukuze izalwe ingumuntu ophelele. * Leso simangaliso siwubala kuNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke. Ingelosi eyafika kuMariya yathi: “KuNkulunkulu akukho simemezelo esiyoba yinto engenakwenzeka.”—Luka 1:30-35, 37.

IBhayibheli aligcini nje ngokusitshela ukuthi uJesu wavelaphi. AmaVangeli amane—uMathewu, uMarku, uLuka noJohane—asitshela okuningi ngalokho akwenza.