UJesu uthi esafundisa abantu esigabeni seKhesariya Filiphi esingaba ngamakhilomitha angu-25 usuka eNtabeni iHemoni, atsho amazwi amangalisa abaphostoli bakhe. Uthi kubo: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, bakhona abanye abemiyo lapha abangasoze bafe bengakayiboni iNdodana yomuntu isiza eMbusweni wayo.”​—UMathewu 16:28.

Kumele ukuthi abafundi bayazibuza ukuthi uJesu utshoni. Ngemva kwamalanga amalutshwana uJesu uthatha abaphostoli bakhe abathathu uPhetro loJakhobe kanye loJohane akhwele labo intaba ende. Kukhanya kusebusuku ngoba amadoda la amathathu aselobuthongo. UJesu uthi esakhuleka aguquke isimo phambi kwabo. Abaphostoli laba babona ubuso bakhe bukhazimula njengelanga lezembatho zakhe zicazimula njengokukhanya, zisiba mhlophe.

Kusenjalo babona ‘sekuloMosi lo-Elija.’ Amadoda la aqalisa ukukhuluma loJesu ‘ngokusuka kwakhe osekuzakwenzakala eJerusalema.’ (ULukha 9:30, 31) Kusobala ukuthi ukusuka lokhu yikufa kukaJesu lokuvuswa kwakhe ake wakhuluma ngakho. (UMathewu 16:21) Ingxoxo le itshengisa ukuthi lokho uPhetro ayeke akhuza ngakho uJesu yinto engeke ibalekelwe ngoba uJesu kumele afe loba sekutheni.

Abaphostoli abathathu bathi sebevuke khwatshu babukele njalo balalele bemangele. Umbono lo ukhanya uyinto eyenzakalayo sibili okokuthi uPhetro ufuna ukuphathisa kokwenzakalayo, uthi: “Rabi, kuhle kithi ukuba lapha. Yikho kasimiseni amatende amathathu, elinye libe ngelakho, elinye libe ngelikaMosi, elinye libe ngelika-Elija.” (UMakho 9:5) Mhlawumbe uPhetro ufuna kumiswe amatende ukuze umbono lo uqhubeke usenzakala.

UPhetro uthi esakhuluma kube leyezi elibagubuzelayo besekuzwakala ilizwi kulo lisithi: “Le yiNdodana yami engiyithandayo futhi engiyamukelayo. Yilaleleni.” Abaphostoli bathi besizwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu bawe bathi mbo phansi ngobuso besesaba kakhulu, kodwa uJesu uthi kubo: “Sukumani. Lingesabi.” (UMathewu 17:5-7) Bavuka phansi babone umbono usuphelile, sekuloJesu kuphela. Kuthi sekusile sebesehla entabeni uJesu abalaye athi: “Umbono eliwubonileyo lingawutsheli muntu iNdodana yomuntu ize ivuswe kwabafileyo.”​—UMathewu 17:9.

Abaphostoli basala belombuzo ngo-Elija abambone embonweni. Bathi: “Kungani ababhali besithi u-Elija kumele aze kuqala?” UJesu uyabaphendula athi: “U-Elija sewabuya kodwa kabazange bananzelele ukuthi nguye.” (UMathewu 17:10-12) Lapha uJesu ukhuluma ngoJohane uMbhabhathizi owenza umsebenzi ofanana loka-Elija. U-Elija walungisela u-Elisha indlela, uJohane laye walungisela uKhristu indlela.

Kumele ukuthi umbono lo uyamqinisa uJesu labaphostoli. Utshengisa inkazimulo uKhristu azakuba layo eseseMbusweni. Abafundi babone “iNdodana yomuntu isiza eMbusweni wayo,” njengoba nje uJesu wayethembisile. (UMathewu 16:28) Bathe besentabeni ‘bayibona ngawabo inkazimulo yayo emangalisayo.’ Lanxa abaFarisi babefuna uJesu abaphe isibonakaliso sokutshengisa ukuthi uyiNkosi ekhethwe nguNkulunkulu, uJesu kabaphanga. Loba kunjalo abafundi bakaJesu ayebathanda kakhulu bavunyelwa ukuthi bambone eguquka isimo futhi umbono lo uyibufakazi bokuthi iziphrofetho zoMbuso zizagcwaliseka. Yikho ngemva kwesikhathi uPhetro wabhala wathi: “Saqiniseka kakhulu ukuthi ilizwi lesiphrofetho lizagcwaliseka.”​—2 UPhetro 1:16-19.