11—Ukubhaptizwa
[Esi sahluko sisekwe kuMat. 3:13-17; Marko 1:9-11; Luka 3:21, 22.]
Iindaba ezingomprofeti wasentlango nento awayeyithetha emangalisayo, yasasazeka kuyo yonke iGalili. Isigidimi safikelela kubahlali kwezona ndawo zikude kwiidolophu ezisezintabeni, nakubantu ababeloba ngaselwandle, kwathi kwezi ntliziyo zithobekileyo, nezinyanisekileyo, lafumana okona kwamkeleka kwenene. ENazarete, lalibaliswa endlwini yomchweli eyayiyekaYosefu naLowo walwamkelayo ubizo. Ixesha laKhe lalifikile. Ewushiya umsebenzi waKhe wemihla ngemihla, wabulisa emshiya umama waKhe, elandela ekhondweni labantu bakubo ababeyimiqodi ukusinga eYordan.ULw 109.1
UYesu noYohane umBhaptizi babe ngabazala, beyamene ngeemeko zokuzalwa kwabo; kanti ke, babengazange baqhelana ngokuhlangana omnye nomnye. Ubomi bukaYesu bachithwa eNazarete eGalili; obukaYohane, kwintlango yakwaYuda. Phakathi kweendawo ezibajikelezileyo ezahlukeneyo, baphila elowo eyedwa, abaze babe nakuqhagamshelana omnye nomnye. Ukubonelela kukaThixo kuko okwayilungiselelayo le meko. Yayingekho indlela yokuba kungathiwa bakha bathethathethana kunye ukuze baxhasane kwabakuthethayo.ULw 109.2
UYohane wayeqhelene neziganeko ezaphawula ukuzalwa kukaYesu. Wayevile ngotyelelo lwaseYerusalem eseyinkwenkwana, noko kwenzeka esikolweni soorabhi. Wayesazi ngobomi baKhe obungenasono, wakholelwa ekuthini unguMesiya; kodwa wayengenayo ingqiniseko ecacileyo ngale ndawo. Into yokuba uYesu iminyaka engaka ahlale emfihlakalweni, enganiki nobungqina obubodwa ngomsebenziathunywe wona, yamnika isizathusokuthandabuza Ukuba angabaunguyenaOwesithembiso. UmBhaptizi,sekunjalo, walinda ngokholo, ekholelwa ukuba, ngelikaThixo ixesha konke kuya kucaca. Wayetyhilelwe ukuba uMesiya uya kufuna ukubhaptizwa ngezakhe izandla, nokuba umqondiso wesimilo saKhe esingcwele uya kunikwa ngelo xesha. Uya kuthi ngoko abenako ukumveza ebantwini.ULw 109.3
Wathi uYesu akuza ukuba abhaptizwe, uYohane waphawula kuYe ubunyulu besimilo angazange wabuphawula nakubani ngaphambili. Kwaumoya nje wobukho baKhe wawungcwele ukhuthaza uloyiko lwentlonipho. Phakathi kwezihlwele ezazibuthene ngakuye eYordan, uYohane wayesiva ngamabali amabi okwaphulwa komthetho, ekwahlangana nabantu abasindwa ngumthwalo wemfumba yezono; kodwa akazange wahlangana nomntu ekwakuphuma kuye impembelelo yomoya ongcwele ngolo hlobo. Konke oku, kwakuhambelana noko kwakutyhiliwe kuYohane ngokubhekiselele kuMesiya. Noko kunjalo, woyika ukusamkela isicelo sikaYesu. Angathini yena, engumoni, ukubhaptiza Ongenasono? Kwaye, kutheni ukuba Lowo ungadingekanga ukuba aguquke ezinikela kwinkonzo yokuvuma ubutyala ekufuneka buhlanjiwe? ULw 110.1
Wathi uYesu akucela ukuba abhaptizwe, uYohane wabuya umva, ekhuza, “Mna kufuneka ndibhaptizwe nguwe nje, uza kum na wena?” ngegunya eliqinileyo kodwa elinobubele, uYesu waphendula, “Vuma okwakaloku; kuba kusifanele thina ukwenjenjalo ukuzalisa bonke ubulungisa.” UYohane evuma, wamkhokela uMsindisi wehla wangena eYordan, wamngcwaba ngaphantsi kwamanzi. “Wenyuka kwaoko emanzini;” UYesu “walibona izulu likrazulwe, noMoya enjengehobe, esihla phezu kwaKhe.”ULw 111.1
UYesu akazange alwamkele ubhaptizo njengokuvuma ubutyala obubobaKhe. Wazifanisa naboni, ethabatha amanyathelo ekufuneka thina siwathabathile, esenza umsebenzi omelwe kukwenziwa sithi. Ubomi baKhe bokuphatheka kakubi nokunyamezela ngomonde emva kokubhaptizwa kwaKhe, nabo babungumzekelo kuthi.ULw 111.2
Ekuphumeni kwaKhe emanzini, uYesu waguqa wathandaza eludongeni lomlambo. Ixesha elitsha nelibalulekileyo lalivuleka phambi kwaKhe. Ngoku wayekumhlaba obanzi, engena edabini lobomi baKhe. Nangona waye yiNkosi yoxolo, ukuza kwaKhe kufuneka kube njengokukhupha ikrele engxoweni yalo. Ubukumkani awayeze ukuba abumise babuchasene nobo amaYuda ayebulangazelela. Lowo wayesisiseko senkonzo nokuphila kukaIsrayeli, wayeza kubonwa njengotshaba nomtshabalalisi wako. Lowo wavakalisa umthetho phezu kweSinayi uya kugwetywa njengomaphuli wawo. Lowo weza ukuze aphule amandla kaSathana wayeza kusingelwa phantsi njengoBhelezabhubhe. Akakho phezu komhlaba owamqondayo, kwaza kwathi ngexesha lokusebenza kwaKhe kwafuneka ahambe yedwa. Kubo bonke ubomi baKhe, umama wakhe nabantakwabo abazange bawazi umsebenzi awuthunyiweyo. Nabafundi baKhe abazange bamqonde. Wayehleli ekukhanyeni okungunaphakade, njengomnye noThixo, kodwa ubomi baKhe emhlabeni kufuneka abuchithe eyedwa.ULw 111.3
Njengomnye kunye nathi, kufuneka athwale umthwalo wetyala nentlungu yethu. Ongenasono kufuneka ave ihlazo lesono. Umthandi woxolo kufuneka ahlale esilwa, inyaniso kufuneka ihlale nobuxoki, ubunyulu nenkohlakalo. Sonke isono, konke ukungavisisani, yonke inkanuko engcolisayo eziswe kukugqithwa komthetho, konke kwaba yimbandezelo emoyeni waKhe.ULw 111.4
Eyedwa, kufuneka ayihambe indlela; eyedwa, kufuneka awuthwale umthwalo. Phezu kwaKhe Lowo wabeka phantsi ubuqaqawuli baKhe wamkela ukungabi namandla koluntu, kufuneka kube phezu kwaKhe ukuhlangulwa kwehlabathi. Wakubona wakuva konke, kodwa injongo yaKhe yahlala izinzile. Phezu kwengalo yaKhe kwakuxhomekeke usindiso lohlanga oluwileyo, waza wolula isandla saKhe ukuba abambe isandla soThando Olumandla onke.ULw 111.5
Ukukhangela koMsindisi kubonakala ngathi kugqobhoza izulu ngexeshaethulula umphefumlowaKhe emthandazweni.Uyazi kakuhle ukuba isono sizenze lukhuni iintliziyo zabantu nokuba kuya kuba nzima kanjani ukuba bawuqonde umsebenzi waKhe, nokuba basamkele isipho sosindiso. Ubongoza uYise ukuba amnike amandla okoyisa ukungakholwa kwabo, ukuqhawulwa kwamatyathanga uSathana abaqamengele ngawo, nokuba athi, ngenxa yabo, amoyise umtshabalalisi. Ubacelela ubungqina bokuba uThixo ulwamkele uluntu kwisiqu soNyana waKhe.ULw 112.1
Azizange ngaphambili iingelosi ziphulaphule umthandazo onjalo. Zilangazelela ukuthumela kuMkhokeli wazo othandekayo isigidimi sengqiniseko nentuthuzelo. Oko, akuzokwenzeka; uYise uza kuphendula ngokwaKhe ukubongoza koNyana waKhe. Kuphuma ngqo etroneni imitha yobuqaqawuli baKhe. Amazulu ayavuleka, kuthi phezu kwentloko yoMsindisi, kuhla ukukhanya okunyulu kakhulu okukumila kunjengehobe, umfuziselo ofanelekileyo waKhe, Lowo unobulali nothobekileyo.ULw 112.2
Kwisihlwele esikhulu eYordan, bambalwa abamkela ukuba uYohane waba nombono wezulu. Yona indili yoBukho bezulu yahlala phezu kwentlangano yonke. Abantu bema bezolile beqwalasele kuKristu. Umzimba waKhe wawugutyungelwe kukukhanya okuhlala kujikeleze itrone kaThixo. Ubuso baKhe obabukhangele phezulu babengezela ngendlela obungazange babonwa bunjalo ubuso bomntu. Kumazulu avulekileyo, ilizwi lavakala lisithi, “Lo nguNyana wam oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguye.”ULw 112.3
La mazwi esiqinisekiso anikwa ukuze kukhuthazeke ukholo lwabo bawubonayo umboniso, nokuze komelezelwe uMsindisi umsebenzi awuthunyiweyo. Nangona izono zelizwe elinetyala zazibekwe phezu kukaKristu, nangona ethotywe kukuthabathela phezu kwaKhe imo yethu ewileyo, sekunjalo, ilizwi eliphuma ezulwini limazisa ngokuba unguNyana wOngunaphakade.ULw 112.4
UYohane wayechukumiseke kakhulu kukubona uYesu eguqa engolilayo, ebongoza enenyembezi ukuba amkelwe nguYise. Kwathi xa ubuqaqawuli bezulu bumjikelezile, ilizwi eliphuma ezulwini livakala, uYohane wawuqonda umqondiso awayewuthembisile uThixo. Waya wazi ukuba NguMhlawuleli wehlabathi lowo wayembhaptizile. UMoya Oyingcwele wahlala phezu kwakhe, wathi, ezivulile izandla, walatha kuYesu, wakhwaza, “Nantso iMvana kaThixo, ethwala isuse isono sehlabathi.”ULw 112.5
Akakho kwabo bamvayo, kwanothethayo ngokwakhe, owakuqondayo ukubaluleka kwala mazwi, “iMvana kaThixo.” Phezu kwentaba yeMoriya, uAbraham wawuva umbuzo wonyana wakhe, “Bawo, . . . iphi na ke imvu yedini elinyukayo?” uYese waphendula, “UThixo wozibonela imvu yedini elinyukayo, nyana wam.” Gen. 22:7, 8. Kwinkunzi yemvu elabonelela ngayo izulu endaweni kaIsake, uAbraham wabona umfuziselo waLowo wayeza kufelaizonozabantu.UMoyaOyingcwele, ngoIsaya, ethabatha lo mboniso, waprofeta ngoMsindisi, “njengemvana esiwa ekuxhelweni,” “waza uYehova wamwela ngobugwenxa bethu sonke.” (Isa. 53:7, 6); kodwa abantu bakwaIsrayeli abazange basiqonde isifundo. Abaninzi babo bayithabatha iminikelo yemibingelelo kanye njengoko abeentlanga babebona imibingelelo yabo,--njengezipho ababenokuthi bona ngokwabo bazicamagushele ngayo kuThixo wabo. UThixo walangazelela ukubafundisa ukuba, kolwaKhe uthando kukho isipho esixolelanisa bona kunye naYe.ULw 112.6
Ilizwi elathethwa kuYesu eYordan, “Lo nguNyana wam oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguye,” lalihlanganisa lonke uluntu. UThixo wabhekisa kuYesu njengommeli wethu. Sesinazo zonke izono zethu nobuthakathaka, asilahlelwanga ecaleni njengabangenaxabiso. “Wasibabala ngalo sikuye Othandiweyo.” Efese 1:6. Ubuqaqawuli obahlala phezu kukaKristu busisibhambathiso sothando lukaThixo kuthi. Busixelela ngamandla omthandazo,--indlela ilizwi lomntu elinokufikelela ngayo endlebeni kaThixo, nezibongozo zethu zifumane ukwamkeleka kwiinkundla zasezulwini. Ngenxa yesono, umhlaba wanqanyulwa ezulwini, webhekeliswa kude kunxulumano nalo; kodwa uYesu ubuye wawuhlanganisa nomhlaba wobuqaqawuli. Uthando lwakhe lumrhangqile umntu, lwafikelela kwelona liphezulu izulu. Ukukhanya okwawa kuphuma kumasango avuliweyo phezu kwentloko yoMsindisi, kuya kuwa phezu kwethu xa sithandazela uncedo lokumelana nesihendo. Ilizwi elathetha kuYesu lithi kuwo wonke umphefumlo oguqukayo, Lo ngumntwana wam oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguye.ULw 113.1
“Zintanda, ngoku singabantwana bakaThixo. Akukabonakali ke into esiya kuba yiyo; ke siyazi ukuba, xa athe wabonakala, sofana naye; ngokuba siya kumbona njengoko anjalo.” 1 Yohane 3:2. Umhlawuleli wethu uvule indlela ukuze noyena ongumoni, noyena usweleyo, noyena ucinezelweyo nodeliweyo, angafumana inyoba eya kuBawo. Bonke banako ukuba nendawo kumabhotwe uYesu ayokuwalungisa. “Utsho Oyingcwele, oyiNyaniso, lowo unaso isitshixo sikaDavide; lowo uvulayo kungavali namnye, avale kungavuli namnye; . . . Yabona, ndimise phambi kwakho ucango oluvulekileyo, akukho namnye unako ukuluvala.” IsiTy. 3:7, 8.ULw 113.2