UJesu uyaqeda ukuthandaza nabaphostoli bakhe abathembekile. “Ngemva kokucula izingoma zokudumisa baya eNtabeni Yeminqumo.” (Marku 14:26) Baya ngasempumalanga ensimini ebizwa ngokuthi iGetsemane, uJesu ajwayele ukuya kuyo.

Lapho befika kule ndawo abayijabulelayo ephakathi kwezihlahla zeminqumo, uJesu ushiya abaphostoli bakhe abangu-8. Kungenzeka balinde eduze kwesango lensimu, uthi kubo: “Hlalani lapha phansi, mina ngisayothandaza laphaya.” UJesu uthatha abathathu kubaphostoli—uPetru, uJakobe noJohane—bese engena phakathi ensimini. Uba lusizi kakhulu bese ethi kulaba abathathu: “Ngilusizi kakhulu, kuze kube seqophelweni lokufa. Hlalani lapha nilinde kanye nami.”—Mathewu 26:36-38.

UJesu uya phambili kancane bese ‘ekhothama phansi athandaze.’ Uthandaza uthini kuNkulunkulu kulesi sikhathi esinzima kangaka? Uthandaza uthi: “Baba, uyakwazi ukwenza zonke izinto; susa le ndebe kimi. Nokho, kungabi yilokho okufunwa yimi, kodwa kube yilokho okufunwa nguwe.” (Marku 14:35, 36) Usho ukuthini? Ingabe akasathandi ukudlala indima yakhe yokuba uMhlengi? Cha akunjalo!

Esezulwini, uJesu wabona abanye bephathwa kabi kakhulu amaRoma aze ababulala. Manje njengomuntu onemizwa futhi obuzwelayo ubuhlungu, uJesu akakujahile okuzokwenzeka kuye. Okubaluleke kakhulu, unomuzwa wokuthi ukufa kwakhe njengesigebengu kuzoletha isihlamba egameni likaYise. Emahoreni ambalwa uzolengiswa esigxotsheni njengokungathi uhlambalaze uNkulunkulu.

Ngemva kokuthandaza isikhathi eside, uJesu uphindela emuva athole abaphostoli bakhe abathathu belele. Uthi kuPetru: “Beningeke nilinde ngisho nehora elilodwa nje kanye nami? Hlalani nilindile futhi nithandaze njalo, ukuze ningangeni esilingweni.” UJesu uyabona ukuthi abaphostoli nabo bacindezelekile futhi isikhathi sesihambe kakhulu. Uyenezela: “Umoya uyafisa, kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka.”—Mathewu 26:40, 41.

UJesu ubuyela ukuyothandaza okwesibili, ucela uNkulunkulu ukuba asuse “le ndebe” kuye. Lapho ebuya uthola abaphostoli bakhe abathathu belele futhi, kuyilapho ngabe bathandazela ukungangeni esilingweni. Njengoba uJesu ekhuluma nabo, ‘abazi ukuthi bamphendule bathini.’ (Marku 14:40) UJesu uyahamba okwesithathu futhi uyaguqa athandaze.

UJesu ukhathazeke kakhulu ngokuthi ukufa kwakhe njengesigebengu kuzoletha isihlamba egameni likaYise. Nokho, uJehova uyayizwa imithandazo yeNdodana yakhe, futhi ngesikhathi esithile uthumela ingelosi ukuba iyiqinise. Noma kunjalo, uJesu akayeki ukunxusa uYise, kunalokho ‘uthandaza ngobuqotho nakakhulu.’ Ucindezeleke kakhulu. Waze wamkhulu umthwalo osemahlombe kaJesu! Ukuphila kwakhe okuphakade  nokwabantu abanokholo, kusengcupheni. Empeleni, ‘izithukuthuku zakhe ziba njengamathonsi egazi awela emhlabathini.’—Luka 22:44.

Lapho uJesu ebuyela okwesithathu kubaphostoli bakhe, uphinde abathole belele. Uthi: “Esikhathini esinjengalesi nilele niphumule! Bhekani! Ihora selisondele lokuba iNdodana yomuntu ikhashelwe ezandleni zezoni. Sukumani sihambe. Bhekani! Umkhapheli wami useseduze.”—Mathewu 26:45, 46.