Sekuphele ubusuku obuthathu uJesu nabafundi bakhe beseBhethaniya selokhu bafika bevela eJeriko. Manje kusekuseni kakhulu ngoMsombuluko, ngoNisani 10, balibangise eJerusalema. UJesu ulambile. Ngakho lapho ebona isihlahla somkhiwane uya kuso. Sinawo yini amakhiwane?

Sekuyophela uMashi, kodwa inkathi yamakhiwane ayikakafiki ngoba iba ngoJuni. Noma kunjalo, sesinamaqabunga, ngoba sisheshe saqhakaza. Ngakho, uJesu ucabanga ukuthi kungenzeka sesiqala ukuthela amakhiwane. Nokho, uthola ukuthi awekho. Amaqabunga enze isihlahla sabukeka sithembisa. UJesu ube esethi: “Makungaphinde kube khona muntu ozothola izithelo kuwe.” (Marku 11:14) Ngokushesha isihlahla siqala ukubuna, ngakusasa ekuseni bazoyithola incazelo yalokho.

Kungakabiphi, uJesu nabafundi bakhe bayafika eJerusalema. Ube eseya ethempelini, leli alihlole ngayizolo ntambama. Kodwa namhlanje akalihloli nje kuphela ithempeli, wenza lokho akwenza eminyakeni emithathu edlule ngePhasika lika-30 C.E. (Johane 2:14-16) Kulokhu uJesu uxosha “abathengisayo nabathengayo ethempelini.” Uphinde ‘agumbuqele namatafula abashintshi bemali namabhentshi alabo abathengisa amajuba.’ (Marku 11:15) Akavumeli muntu othwele izinto oya kwenye ingxenye yedolobha ukuba anqamule egcekeni lethempeli.

Kungani uJesu ethatha isinyathelo esiwujuqu ngokumelene nabashintsha imali nabathengisa ngezilwane ethempelini? Uthi: “Akulotshiwe yini ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami iyobizwa ngokuthi yindlu yomthandazo yazo zonke izizwe’? Kodwa nina niyenze umhume wabaphangi.” (Marku 11:17) Into eyenza ukuthi ababize ngabaphangi ukuthi babiza imali emba eqolo kulabo abazothenga izilwane zokwenza umhlatshelo. UJesu ubheka izenzo zabo njengokuphamba abantu nokubagebenga.

Yiqiniso, abapristi abakhulu, ababhali, nezikhulu bayezwa ngalokho uJesu akwenzile, bese befuna nakakhulu ukumbulala. Kodwa kunenkinga ekhona. Abazi ukuthi bazombulala kanjani uJesu ngoba abantu bathutheleka kuye bazomlalela.

Akuwona amaJuda emvelo kuphela eze ePhasikeni, kodwa kukhona nalabo abaphendukele enkolweni yobuJuda, amaproselithe. Phakathi kwabo kukhona namaGreki azokhulekela kulo mkhosi. La maGreki eza kuFiliphu, mhlawumbe edonswa igama lakhe lesiGreki, azocela ukubona uJesu. UFiliphu akaqiniseki ngokuthi ingabe kuyafaneleka yini ukuthi la maGreki ahlangane noJesu, ngakho uya ku-Andreya nalolu daba. Laba ababili baya nalolu daba kuJesu, ngokusobala osasethempelini.

UJesu uyazi ukuthi uzofa ezinsukwini ezimbalwa, ngakho lesi akusona isikhathi sokwanelisa ilukuluku labantu noma ukuzifunela udumo. Uphendula laba baphostoli ababili esebenzisa umfanekiso, athi: “Selifikile ihora lokuba iNdodana yomuntu ikhazinyuliswe. Ngiqinisile impela ngithi kini, ngaphandle kokuba uhlamvu lukakolweni luwele emhlabathini futhi lufe, luhlala luwuhlamvu olulodwa nje; kodwa uma lufa, khona-ke luthela izithelo eziningi.”—Johane 12:23, 24.

Uhlamvu olulodwa lukakolweni lungabonakala lunenani elincane kakhulu. Nokho, uma lufakwa emhlabathini futhi “lufa” lungahluma ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lukhule bese luthela izinhlamvu eziningi. Ngokufanayo, uJesu uyena yedwa ongenaso isono. Noma kunjalo, ngokwethembeka kwakhe kuNkulunkulu kuze kube sekufeni, uzodlulisela ukuphila okuphakade kwabaningi abanomoya ofanayo wokuzidela. Ngakho, uJesu uthi: “Noma ubani othanda ukuphila kwakhe uyakubhubhisa, kodwa noma ubani ozonda ukuphila kwakhe kuleli zwe, uyokulondela ukuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 12:25.

 UJesu akazicabangeli yena kuphela ngoba uthi: “Uma umuntu ezongikhonza, makangilandele, futhi lapho ngikhona yilapho nesikhonzi sami siyoba khona. Uma umuntu ezongikhonza, uBaba uyomdumisa.” (Johane 12:26) Umvuzo omuhle ngempela lona! Labo abayodunyiswa uBaba bayosebenza kanye noKristu eMbusweni.

Ecabanga ngokuhlupheka okukhulu nokufa kabuhlungu asazobhekana nakho, uJesu uthi: “Manje ngikhathazekile, ngizothini? Baba, ngisindise kuleli hora.” Kodwa uJesu akakubalekeli ukufeza intando kaNkulunkulu. Uyenezela: “Nokho, yingakho ngifike kuleli hora.” (Johane 12:27) UJesu uvumelana nakho konke okuyintando kaNkulunkulu, okuhlanganisa nokufa kwakhe okuwumhlatshelo.