UJesu wafa ukuze abantu bathethelelwe izono futhi bathole ukuphila okungapheliyo. (KwabaseRoma 6:23; Kwabase-Efesu 1:7) Ukufa kwakhe kwatshengisa ukuthi umuntu angahlala eqotho kuNkulunkulu lanxa ephakathi kwezinhlupho.​—KumaHebheru 4:15.

 Ake sihlole ukuthi ukufa komuntu oyedwa kwakwenza njani lokhu.

1.   UJesu wafa ukuze ‘sithethelelwe izono.’​—KwabaseKholose 1:14.

    Umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu wadalwa engelasono kodwa wakhetha ukungalaleli uNkulunkulu. Ukona kwakhe kwathela abantu bonke emanyaleni. IBhayibhili lithi: “Ngokungalaleli kwalowomuntu oyedwa abanengi benziwa izoni.”​—KwabaseRoma 5:19.

    UJesu laye wayephelele kodwa kazange enze isono. Yikho okwenza waba ‘ngumhlatshelo wenhlawulo yezono zethu.’ (1 UJohane 2:2) Ukona kuka-Adamu kwenza abantu bonke baba lesono ikanti ukufa kukaJesu kwasusa lesosono ebantwini abalokholo.

    U-Adamu wenza abantu bonke baba lesono kodwa uJesu wabakhulula esonweni. Yikho ‘uma umuntu engenza isono silaye osikhulumelayo kuBaba esivikela—uJesu Khristu oLungileyo.’​—1 UJohane 2:1.

2.   UJesu wafa ‘ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuye angabhubhi kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo.’​—UJohane 3:16.

    Lanxa u-Adamu wayelethemba lokuphila phakade, ukona kwakhe kwamenza wafa. ILizwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “Isono sangena emhlabeni ngomuntu oyedwa, lokufa ngesono, njalo ngale indlela ukufa kwafika ebantwini bonke, ngoba bonke benze isono.”​—KwabaseRoma 5:12.

    Lanxa kunjalo ukufa kukaJesu kwasisusa lesosono kanye lesigwebo sokufa kubo bonke abantu abalokholo. IBhayibhili liyifinqa kanje indaba le: “Njengoba isono sabusa ekufeni, kuthi ngokunjalo umusa lawo ubuse ngokulunga ukuba ulethe ukuphila okungapheliyo ngoJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu.”​—KwabaseRoma 5:21.

    Kodwa iqiniso yikuthi khathesi siyafa. Loba kunjalo uNkulunkulu uthembisa ukuthi uzanika abantu abalungileyo ukuphila okungapheliyo futhi avuse labafileyo ukuze bazuze emhlatshelweni kaJesu.​—IHubo 37:29; 1 KwabaseKhorinte 15:22.

3.   UJesu “walalela kwaze kwaba sekufeni” ngaleyo ndlela etshengisa ukuthi umuntu angahlala ethembekile kuNkulunkulu lanxa ephakathi kwezinhlupho.​—KwabaseFiliphi 2:8.

    Lanxa u-Adamu wayedalwe ephelele kazange alalele uNkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi wafisa into eyayingayisiyo yakhe. (UGenesisi 2:16, 17; 3:6) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uSathane wathi akulamuntu ongaqhubeka elalela uNkulunkulu nxa esebunzimeni. (UJobe 2:4) Kodwa uJesu wahlala eqotho kuNkulunkulu wabulawa ngendlela elihlazo futhi ebuhlungu. (KumaHebheru 7:26) Lokhu kwaveza egcekeni ukuthi umuntu angahlala ethembekile kuNkulunkulu kungelani lokuthi uhlangana labuphi ubunzima.

Imibuzo emayelana lokufa kukaJesu

•   Kungani uJesu kwakumele afe ukuze akhulule abantu esonweni? Kungani uNkulunkulu engazange aphongukhipha isigwebo sokufa?

   Umthetho kaNkulunkulu uthi “umvuzo wesono yikufa.” (KwabaseRoma 6:23) UNkulunkulu wamtshela u-Adamu ukuthi isigwebo sokungalaleli yikufa. (UGenesisi 3:3) Lanxa kunjalo wona futhi uNkulunkulu “ongaqambi manga” waligcina ilizwi lakhe. (KuThithusi 1:2) U-Adamu wadlulisela kubo bonke abantu isigwebo lesi.

   Lanxa abantu bengaphansi kwesigwebo sokufa, uNkulunkulu wabatshengisa ‘umusa wengcebo yakhe.’ (Kwabase-Efesu 1:7) Ukuthumela uJesu ukuthi azofela abantu kwatshengisa isihawu lokulunga kukaNkulunkulu.

•   UJesu wafa nini?

   Wafa “ngehora lesificamunwe munye” kumbe ngehora lesithathu emini. Usuku afa ngalo kwakulilanga lePhasika yamaJuda. (UMakho 15:33-37) Ngokubala kwalamuhla kwakungoLwesihlanu mhlaka 1 April 33 C.E.

•   Wafela ngaphi uJesu?

   Wafela “eNdaweni yokhakhayi (okuthiwa ngesiHebheru yiGoligotha).” (UJohane 19:17, 18) Indawo le ‘yayingaphandle kwesango ledolobho’ leJerusalema. (KumaHebheru 13:12) Kungenzakala ukuthi yayisentabeni ngoba iBhayibhili lithi abanye babona ukufa kukaJesu “bekude.” (UMakho 15:40) Khathesi akwaziwa ukuthi iGoligotha yayingaphi.

•   UJesu wafa njani?

   Abantu abanengi bakholwa ukuthi uJesu wafela esiphambanweni. Kodwa iBhayibhili lithi: “Yena elalimbulele ngokumlengisa emthini.” (ImiSebenzi 5:30) Ngesikhathi abalobi beBhayibhili bebhala ngalapho uJesu afela khona basebenzisa ibala lesiGrikhi elithi stau·rosʹ lelithi xyʹlon. Izikhwicamfundo ezinengi zithi amabala la atsho isigodo esimileyo.

•   Kumele kukhunjulwe njani ukufa kukaJesu?

   UJesu waqalisa umkhosi othile ngelanga amaJuda ayenanza ngalo iPhasika futhi walaya abafundi bakhe wathi: “Yenzani lokhu ukuba lingikhumbule.” (1 KwabaseKhorinte 11:24) Ngemva kwamahora athile wabulawa.

   Abalobi beBhayibhili bafanisa uJesu lewundlu elalihlatshwa ngePhasika. (1 KwabaseKhorinte 5:7) Ukunanzwa kwePhasika kwakukhumbuza ama-Israyeli ukukhululwa kwawo ebugqilini. ISikhumbuzo sokufa kukaJesu laso sisinceda sikhumbule ngokukhululwa kwethu esonweni lasekufeni. IPhasika yayisenziwa kanye ngomnyaka mhlaka 14 ngenyanga kaNisani. Yikho lalamuhla amaKhristu ananza iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaJesu kanye ngomnyaka.

   AmaKhristu ananza ukufa kukaJesu ngelanga eliqondana loNisani 14.