18—“Yena Makande”

Esi sahluko sisekwe kuYohane 3:22-36

Kwaba lixesha impembelelo yomBhaptizi phezu kwesizwe inkulu kunaleyo yabaphathi, ababingeleli nabathetheli. Ukuba wayezazise njengoMesiya, wavusa uqhushululu ngakwiRoma, ababingeleli nabantu babeya kugxalathelana phantsi kwebhanile yakhe. Yonke into ethi ibe nomtsalane kuboyisi behlabathi, uSathana wema elungele ukuyibeka phambi kukaYohane umBhaptizi. Sekunjalo, ngobungqina obabuphambi kwakhe begunya lakhe, wema waqina ekulanduleni ukunyoba okuhle kakhulu. Ingqondo eyayimiliselwe kuye wayibhekisa koMnye. ULw 178.1

Ngoku wabona umsinga wokuthandwa ujika ungasayi ngakuye koko usiya kuMsindisi. Imihla ngemihla isihlwele esimngqongileyo saya sincipha. Wathi akufika uYesu evela eYerusalem eze kummandla waseYordan, abantu bayimiqodi ukuya kumphulaphula. Inani labafundi baKhe landa yonke imihla. Abaninzi beza ukuba babhaptizwe, kwathi, lo gama uKristu Yena engazange abhaptize, wakuvumela ukwenziwa kwenkonzo [yobhaptizo] ngabafundi baKhe. Waba ke ngoko ubeka itywina laKhe phezu komsebenzi walowo wahamba ngaphambi kwaKhe [onguYohane]. Noko kunjalo, abafundi bakaYohane babukela benekhwele ekukhuleni kokuthandwa kukaYesu. Bema belungele ukuwugxeka umsebenzi waKhe, akwaba kudala bengalifumananga ithuba. Wabakho umbuzo phakathi kwabo namaYuda malunga nokuba, ingaba loluphi ubhaptizo olwenza ukuba uhlanjululwe umphefumlo esonweni; kuba babesithi, ubhaptizo lukaYesu lwahlukile kolo lukaYohane. Kungekudala babephikisana nabafundi bakaKristu ngokubhekiselele kwimo yamazwi afanelekileyo anokusetyenziswa ekubhaptizeni, kwaza kwathi ekugqibeleni kwabakho umbuzo wokuba, angaba unalo na [uKristu] ilungelo lokubhaptiza.ULw 178.2

Abafundi bakaYohane beza kuye, uYohane, nezikhalazo zabo, besithi, “Rabhi, lowa wayenawe phesheya kweYordan, umngqinela, yabona, yena uyabhaptiza; beza kuye ke bonke.” Ngala mazwi uSathana wazisa isilingo phezu kukaYohane. Nangona umsebenzi kaYohane wawungathi ufikelela esiphelweni, wayesenako ukuwuphazamisa umsebenzi kaKristu. Ukuba wayezisizele, athethe ngentlungu kuba esogqithwa, wayeza kuba uhlwayela imbewu yokungavani, aze akhuthaze umnqweno nomona, abe uyiphazamise kakhulu inkqubela yeendaba ezilungileyo. ULw 179.1

Ngokwendalo, uYohane wayenazo iziphoso nobuthakathaka okukho kulo lonke uluntu, kodwa inkcukumiso yothando lwezulu yayimenze wangumntu omtsha. Wahlala kumoya ongangcoliswanga ngumona nokuthanda udumo, engaphaya ngaphezulu kumoya womona. Akazange abonakalalise luvelwano kukunganeliseki kwabafundi bakhe, kodwa wabonisa ukuba uyaluqonda ulwalamano lwakhe noMesiya, kunye nendlela amamkele ngovuyo ngayo Lowo wayemlungiselela indlela. ULw 179.2

Wathi, Akanakwamkela nto umntu, engayinikwanga ivela emazulwini. Nani ngokwenu niyandingqinela ukuba ndathi, Andinguye uKristu mna; Ndithunyiwe phambi kwakhe. Lowo unomtshakazi ngumyeni; isihlobo ke somyeni, esimiyo simve, sivuyela kunene ngenxa yezwi lomyeni.” UYohane wazazisa njengomhlobo owayesebenza njengomthunywa phakathi kwababini abatshatayo, elungisa indlela yomsitho. Xa umyeni esamkela umtshakazi wakhe, umsebenzi womhlobo wawenzekile. Wavuya ngolonwabo lwabo abakumanywa kwabo wayekwazisile. Ngoko ke, uYohane wayebizelwe ukuba alathise abantu kuYesu, kwaza kwaba luvuyo kuye ukubona impumelelo yomsebenzi woMsindisi. Wathi, “Ngoko olu luvuyo lwam luzalisekile.” Wathi, “Yena umelwe kukuthi ande, ndinciphe ke mna.” ULw 179.3

Ekhangele ngokholo kuMhlawuleli, uYohane wayenyuke waya kufikelela enkcochoyini yokuzithoba. Akazange afune ukutsalela abantu kuye, kodwa ukuziphakamisela phezulu ngakumbi nangakumbi iingcinga zabo zide zifike phezu kweMvana kaThixo. Yena ngokwakhe waye elilizwi lodanduluka entlango, kuphela. Ngoku, ngovuyo, wakwamkela ukuthi cwaka angabonakali, ukuze amehlo abo bonke akhangele ekuKhanyeni kobomi. ULw 179.4

Abo banyanisekileyo kubizo lwabo lokuba ngabathunywa bakaThixo, abasayi kufuna okwabo ukuzukiswa. Uthando luka-mna luya kuginywa luphele eluthandweni lukaKristu. Akukho butshaba buya kungcolisa umsebenzi weendaba ezilungileyo. Baya kwazi ukuba ngumsebenzi wabo ukuvakalisa, njengoko wenzayo uYohane umBhaptizi, “Nantso iMvana kaThixo ethwala isuse isono sehlabathi.” Yohane 1:29. Baya kumphakamisa uYesu, ukuze kunye naYe luphakanyiswe uluntu. “Ngokuba utsho ophezulu, owongamileyo, ohleli ngonaphakade, ogama linguNgcwele, ukuthi, Ndihleli phezulu engcweleni, ndihleli nakotyumkileyo, omoya uthobekileyo; ukuba ndibuye ndiphilise umoya wabathobekileyo, ndibuye ndiphilise intliziyo yabatyumkileyo.” Isa. 57:15.ULw 180.1

Umphefumlo womprofeti, uqongqothwe u-mna, wazaliswa kukukhanya koyingcwele. Njengoko wayengqina ngobuqaqawuli boMsindisi, amazwi akhe aphantsa afana nqwa nalawo uKristu ngokwaKhe wayewathethe kumhlangano noNikodemo. UYohane wathi, “Lowo uvela phezulu ungaphezu kwabo bonke. . . . Kuba lowo uthunywe nguThixo, uthetha amazwi kaThixo; kuba uThixo akamniki uMoya ngomlinganiselo.” UKristu wakwazi ukuthi, “Andifuni kuthanda kwam, ndifuna ukuthanda kukaBawo owandithumayo.” Yohane 5:30. Kuthiwa ngaYe, “Wathanda ubulungisa, wathiya okungendawo; ngenxa yoko, uThixo, uThixo wakho, ukuthambise ngeoli yomgcobo ngaphezu kowenu.” Heb. 1:9. UYise “akamniki uMoya ngomlinganiselo.” ULw 180.2

Ngokunjalo nakubalandeli bakaKristu. Singakwamkela ukukhanya kwezulu kuphela xa sinentumekelelo ukuzibhokoxa umna. Asingeke sisiqonde isimilo sikaThixo, okanye simamkele uKristu ngokholo, ngaphandle kokuba sivume ukubeka phantsi kwembophelelo yokuthobela uKristu yonke ingcamango. Kubo bonke abakwenzayo oku, uMoya Oyingcwele unikwa ngokungenawo umlinganiselo. KuKristu “kuhleli kuye konke ukuzaliseka kobuThixo ngokomzimba; kanjalo nigqibelele kuye.” Kol. 2:9, 10.ULw 181.1

Abafundi bakaYohane bavakalisa kubo bonke abantu ababesiza kuKristu, [ukuba] uYohane wayethe, “Akukho bani ubamkelayo ubungqina baKhe;” ngoko ke, bambalwa ababelungele ukumamkela njengoMsindisi esonweni. Phofu ke, “lowo ubamkelayo ubungqina bakhe, utywine waqinisela ukuthi, uThixo uyinyaniso.” Yohane 3:33. “Lowo ukholwayo kuNyana, unobomi obungunaphakade; ke lowo ungamviyo uNyana, akayi kubona bomi.” Akukho sidingo sokuxoxa ngokuba, ingaba ubhaptizo lukaKristu okanye olukaYohane lwaluhlambulula na esonweni. Lubabalo lukaKristu olunika ubomi emphefumlweni. Ngaphandle kukaKristu, ubhaptizo, njengayo nayiphi inkonzo, alunaxabiso. “Lowo ungamviyo [ungakholwayo] uNyana, akayi kubona bomi.”ULw 181.2

Impumelelo yomsebenzi kaKristu, awayamkela ngovuyo olukhulu umBhaptizi, yabikwa nakumagunya aseYerusalem. Ababingeleli noorabhi babenekhwele ngempembelelo kaYohane xa babebona abantu beyishiya indlu yesikhungu beyimiqodi ukusinga entlango; kodwa ngoku kwakukho Lowo wayenamandla amakhulu okutsala izihlwele. Ezo nkokeli zakwaIsrayeli zazingakulungelanga ukuthi kuye, “Yena umelwe kukuthi ande, ndinciphe ke mna.” Zavuka zinokuzimisela ngokutsha ukuwuphelisa umsebenzi owawutsala abantu ubasusa kuzo. ULw 181.3

UYesu wazi ukuba azisayi kuphosa nalinye inyathelo ekudaleni iyantlukwano phakathi kwabaKhe abafundi nabo bakaYohane. Wazi ukuba isaqhwithi esasiqokelelana sasiza kumtshayela omnye wabaprofeti abakhulu abakha banikwa ihlabathi. Enqwenela ukuliphepha lonke ithuba lokungaqondani okanye lokulwa, ngokuzola, wayiyeka imisebenzi yaKhe waya kuphumla eGalili. Nathi, nangona sinyanisekile enyanisweni, kufuneka sikuphephe konke okunokusikhokelela ekungavanini nasekungaqondanini. Kaloku naphina apho ezi zinto zithi zivuke khona, ziba nesiphumo esikukulahleka kwemiphefumlo. Naphina apho kubakho iimeko ezingathi zingenza kubekho ukungavani, kufuneka silandele umzekelo kaYesu nokaYohane umBhaptizi.ULw 181.4

UYohane wayebizwe ukuba akhokele njengomhlaziyo. Ngenxa yoku, abafundi bakhe babesengozini yokubeka ingqwalaselo yabo kuye, beve ngokungathi impumelelo yomsebenzi yayixhomekeke ekusebenzeni kwakhe nzima, baza balahlekwa ngumbono wokuba yena wayesisixhobo kuphela awayesebenza ngaso uThixo. Wonaumsebenzi kaYohane wawunganelanga ukuba ubeke isiseko sebandla lobuKristu. Akuba ewenze ngokupheleleyo umsebenziwakhe, omnye umsebenzi kwakusafuneka wenziwe, owawungenakho ukufezwa bubungqina bakhe. Abafundi bakhe babengayiqondi le nto. Bathi bakubona uKristu efika ezokuthabatha umsebenzi waKhe, baba nekhwele, abaneliseka.ULw 181.5

Iingozi ezifana nale zisekho nangoku. UThixo ubiza umntu ukuba enze umsebenzi othile; aze athi akuba ewenze kangangoko anesakhono esifanelekileyo ukuba awenze, iNkosi izise abanye, ukuba bawuqhubele phambili. Kuthi kodwa, njengabafundi bakaYohane, abaninzi beve ngokungathi impumelelo yomsebenzi ixhomekeke kumntu obengumsebenzi wokuqala. Ingqwalaselo iye ibekwe emntwini endaweni yezulu, kungene umona, uze ungcoliseke umsebenzi kaThixo. Uthi ke lowo uphakanyiswa ngokungafanelanga ngolo hlobo, alingeke ukuba abe nokuzithemba. Akakuqondi ukuxhomekeka kwakhe kuThixo. Abantu bafundiswa ukuba bathembele emntwini, baze ngaloo ndlela bangene kwimposiso, ize ibakhokelele kude noThixo.ULw 182.1

Umsebenzi kaThixo akufuneki ube nomfanekiso nombhalo womntu. Kumaxesha ngamaxesha iNkosi izisa izenzeleli ezahlukeneyo, nekuthi ngazo injongo yaYo ibe nokufezekiswa. Banoyolo abo balungele ukuba umna athotywe, bathi kunye noYohane umBhaptizi, “Yena umelwe kukuthi ande, ndinciphe ke mna.” ULw 182.2