1, 2. Wachaza ntoni umpostile uYohane ngokuphathelele ingokuhlwa yokugqibela abapostile abayichitha kunye noYesu?

 INDODA eyalupheleyo yathabatha usiba lwayo ukuze ibhale phantsi zonke iinkumbulo zayo. Igama layo nguYohane, yaye nguye kuphela owayesaphila kubapostile bakaYesu Kristu. Ngoko uYohane wayemalunga neminyaka eli-100 ubudala, yaye wayekhumbula isiganeko esenzeka ngenye ingokuhlwa malunga nama-70 eminyaka eyadlulayo—leyo yayiyingokuhlwa yokugqibela yena nabanye abapostile abayichitha bekunye noYesu ngaphambi kokufa Kwakhe. Esalathiswa ngumoya oyingcwele kaThixo, uYohane wakwazi ukuzikhumbula nokuzibhala phantsi iinkcukacha zeziganeko zaloo ngokuhlwa.

² Ngaloo ngokuhlwa, uYesu wabachazela ngokucacileyo ukuba uza kubulawa. NguYohane kuphela ochaza isizathu sokuba uYesu avume ukubandezeleka ade afe. Wathi: “Ukuze ihlabathi lazi ukuba ndiyamthanda uBawo, kwananjengoko uBawo endinike umyalelo wokwenza, ndenjenjalo. Sukumani, masihambe sisuke apha.”—Yohane 14:31.

 3. UYesu wabonisa njani ukuba uyamthanda uYise?

³ “Ndiyamthanda uBawo.” Ayikho enye into eyayibaluleke ngaphezu kwaleyo kuYesu. Wayengawaphindaphindi rhoqo la mazwi. Eneneni, uYohane 14:31 kuphela kwendawo eBhayibhileni echaza ukukuvakalisa kukaYesu ngokungqalileyo ukumthanda kwakhe uYise. Kodwa, uYesu wayephila ngokuvisisana naloo mazwi. Ukumthanda kwakhe uYehova kwakubonakala mihla le. Inkalipho kaYesu, ukuthobeka kwakhe, nokunyamezela kwakhe, konke kwakubonisa ukumthanda kwakhe uThixo. Bonke ubulungiseleli bakhe babusekelwe ekuthandeni kwakhe uThixo.

4, 5. Luluphi uthando olukhuthazwa yiBhayibhile, yaye lungakanani uthando awayenalo uYesu ngoYehova?

 ⁴ Namhlanje, abanye basenokucinga ukuba umntu onothando ubuthathaka. Basenokucinga ngemibongo yothando neengoma zothando, mhlawumbi nangentabatheko ebakho phakathi kwendoda nebhinqa. IBhayibhile iyathetha ngokuthandana kwendoda nebhinqa, kodwa ngendlela enesidima. (IMizekeliso 5:15-21) Noko ke, iLizwi likaThixo lixubusha ngakumbi ngolunye uhlobo lothando. Olu thando alusekelwanga kwiimvakalelo nje zokwexeshana, okanye kwimbono ethile engqwabalala nengenabubele. Kodwa lubandakanya ingqondo nentliziyo. Olu thando luvela entliziyweni, lusekelwe kwimigaqo ephakamileyo, yaye luyakha. Ngokuqinisekileyo aluyontabatheko nje. ILizwi likaThixo lithi: “Uthando aluze lutshitshe.”—1 Korinte 13:8.

⁵ Kubo bonke abantu abakha baphila, uYesu ngoyena wayemthanda ngokugqithiseleyo uYehova. Akukho namnye owawazalisekisa ngaphezu kukaYesu amazwi akhe uqobo athi: “Uze umthande uYehova uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho iphela nangomphefumlo wakho uphela nangengqondo yakho iphela nangamandla akho ephela.” (Marko 12:30) UYesu waluhlakulela njani uthando olungako? Walugcina njani lomelele uthando lwakhe ngoThixo ebudeni bokuphila kwakhe emhlabeni? Yaye sinokumxelisa njani?

6, 7. Sazi njani ukuba iMizekeliso 8:22-31 ichaza uNyana kaThixo, kungekuphela nje uphawu lobulumko?

⁶ Ngaba wakha wenza umsebenzi othile kunye nomhlobo wakho waza wafumanisa ukuba oko kwabomeleza ubuhlobo benu? Oko kunokukwenza uluqonde ngakumbi uthando oluphakathi kukaYehova noNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo. Siye sayikhankanya kaliqela iMizekeliso 8:30, kodwa makhe sihlolisise oko kuqulethwe ngaloo mazwi. Kwindinyana 22 ukusa kweyama-31 sifumana inkcazelo ephefumlelweyo yobulumko obumntwisiweyo. Sazi njani ukuba la mazwi abhekisela kuNyana kaThixo?

 ⁷ Kwindinyana 22, ubulumko buthi: “UYehova wandivelisa njengentlahlela yendlela yakhe, oyena ungaphambili kwizinto awazifezayo kwakudala.” Apha akuthethwa ngobulumko nje kuphela, kuba olo phawu aluzange ‘luveliswe.’ Aluzange lube nesiqalo, kuba uYehova ebesoloko ekho yaye ebesoloko enobulumko. (INdumiso 90:2) Kodwa yena uNyana kaThixo ‘ulizibulo kwindalo yonke.’ Waveliswa, okanye wadalwa; wayengowokuqala kwizinto zonke awazifezayo uYehova. (Kolose 1:15) Lo Nyana wabakho ngaphambi kokudalwa komhlaba namazulu, njengoko iMizekeliso ichaza. Yaye njengoLizwi, iSithethi sikaThixo, wayebufanekisela ngokugqibeleleyo ubulumko bukaYehova.​—Yohane 1:1.

 8. Wayesenza ntoni uNyana ngaphambi kokuphila kwakhe njengomntu, yaye yintoni esisenokucinga ngayo xa sincoma ubuhle bendalo?

⁸ Wayesenza ntoni uNyana ebudeni bexesha elide langaphambi kokuza kwakhe emhlabeni? Indinyana 30 isichazela ukuba wayesecaleni kukaThixo “njengomsebénzi onobuchule.” Kuthetha ntoni oko? EyabaseKolose 1:16 ithi: “Zadalwa ngaye zonke ezinye izinto emazulwini nasemhlabeni . . . Zonke ezinye izinto zidalwe ngaye yaye zidalelwe yena.” Ngoko uYehova, uMdali, wasebenzisa uNyana wakhe, uMsebénzi Onobuchule, ekudaleni zonke ezinye izinto—izidalwa zomoya ezulwini, indalo ebonakalayo iphela, umhlaba nazo zonke iintlobo-ntlobo ezimangalisayo zezityalo nezilwanyana, kwaneyona ndalo ibalaseleyo emhlabeni: abantu. Ulwalamano oluphakathi kukaYise noNyana singalufanisa nolwalamano oluphakathi komzobi weeplani kunye nomakhi ozabalazela ukwakha kanye ngokwendlela ekuboniswe ngayo kwiplani. Xa sincoma ubuhle bendalo, eneneni sidumisa uMzobi Omkhulu. (INdumiso 19:1) Noko ke, kwakhona simele sikhumbule ulwalamano lwexesha elide obelukho phakathi koMdali ‘nomsebénzi wakhe onobuchule.’

9, 10. (a) Yintoni eyenza kwabakho ulwalamano olunzulu phakathi kukaYehova noNyana wakhe? (b) Yintoni enokwenza kubekho ulwalamano olunzulu phakathi kwakho noBawo osemazulwini?

⁹ Xa abantu ababini abangafezekanga besebenza kunye,  maxa wambi kuba nzima ukusebenza ngemvisiswano. Kwakungenjalo ngoYehova noNyana wakhe! UNyana wasebenza kangangexesha elide kunye noYise, yaye ‘wayechulumanca phambi kwakhe amaxesha onke.’ (IMizekeliso 8:30) Ewe, kwakumchulumancisa ukuba kunye noYise, ibe noYise wayevakalelwa ngendlela efanayo. UNyana wayefana noYise, wafunda ukuxelisa zonke iimpawu zikaThixo. Kungako le nto kwabakho ulwalamano olunzulu phakathi kukaBawo noNyana! Olu lolona thando lunzulu nolwexesha elide kwindalo iphela.

¹⁰ Kodwa ke, kuthetha ntoni oko kuthi? Usenokuvakalelwa kukuba akunakuze ube nolwalamano olunzulu ngolo hlobo noYehova. Yinyaniso into yokuba, asikho kwisigxina esiphakamileyo njengoNyana. Kodwa sinethuba elikhethekileyo elisivulekeleyo. Khumbula ukuba, uYesu wasondela ngakumbi kuYise ngokuthi asebenze naye. Ngothando uYehova usivulele nathi ithuba lokuba sibe ‘ngabasebenzi abangamadlelane’ kunye naye. (1 Korinte 3:9) Njengoko sixelisa umzekelo kaYesu kubulungiseleli bethu, sifanele sihlale sikhumbula ukuba singabasebenzi abangamadlelane kunye noThixo. Ngaloo ndlela, luya kuba nzulu ngakumbi ulwalamano oluphakathi kwethu noYehova. Likho kusini na elinye ilungelo elibalasele ngaphezu kwelo?

11-13. (a) Kutheni kuluncedo nje ukucinga ngothando njengento ephilayo, yaye ngoxa wayeselula uYesu walugcina njani lomelele uthando lwakhe ngoYehova? (b) UNyana kaThixo wawubonisa njani umdla wokufunda kuYehova, ngaphambi nasemva kokuza kwakhe emhlabeni?

¹¹ Kuluncedo gqitha ukulugqala uthando njengento ephilayo. Njengentyatyambo entle esendlwini, uthando lufanele luhlakulelwe yaye lunyanyekelwe ukuze lukhule. Ukuba alunyanyekelwa, yaye aluhlakulelwa, luyancipha luze luphele. UYesu akazange aluthabathe lula uthando lwakhe ngoYehova. Walugcina lomelele ebudeni balo lonke ixesha lokuphila kwakhe emhlabeni. Makhe sibone indlela awakwenza ngayo oko.

 ¹² Khawucinge nje kwakhona ngesiganeko sokuthetha kukaYesu etempileni yaseYerusalem ngoxa wayeselula. Khumbula oko wakuxelela abazali bakhe ababexhalabile, esithi: “Bekutheni na ukuze nihambe nifunana nam? Beningazi na ukuba ndimele ndibe sendlwini kaBawo?” (Luka 2:49) Kubonakala ukuba ekukhuleni kwakhe uYesu wayengabukhumbuli ubomi bakhe bangaphambi kokuba abe ngumntu. Sekunjalo, wayenothando olunzulu ngoYise uYehova. Wayesazi ukuba olo thando lubonakaliswa ngokumnqula. Ngoko ayikho enye indawo emhlabeni eyayinomtsalane ngakumbi kuYesu njengendawo yonqulo olunyulu lukaYise. Wayekulangazelela ukuya kuyo, engafuni nokumka kuyo. Ngaphezu koko, wayengengombukeli nje kuphela. Wayekuthanda ukufunda ngoYehova aze athethe ngoko akwaziyo. Akazange aqale okanye agqibelise xa wayene-12 leminyaka ubudala ukuvakalelwa ngaloo ndlela.

¹³ Ngaphambi kokuphila kwakhe njengomntu, uNyana wafunda ngolangazelelo kuYise. Isiprofeto esikuIsaya 50:4-6 sibonisa ukuba uYehova wamnika imfundo ekhethekileyo uNyana wakhe ngokuphathelele indima yakhe njengoMesiya. Nangona loo mfundo yayiquka ukuchazelwa ngobunzima awayeza kubufumana njengoMthanjiswa kaYehova, lo Nyana wafunda ngolangazelelo. Kamva, xa uYesu weza emhlabeni waza wakhula waba mdala, waqhubeka ekulangazelela ukuya endlwini kaYise ukuze abe nenxaxheba ekunquleni nasekufundisweni nguYehova apho. Ngoko iBhayibhile ichaza ukuba uYesu wayesiya rhoqo etempileni nasendlwini yesikhungu. (Luka 4:16; 19:47) Ukuba sifuna uthando lwethu ngoYehova luhlale luphila yaye lomelele, sifanele sikukhuthalele ukuya kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu, apho sinqula khona uYehova, size sandise ulwazi lwethu noxabiso lwethu ngaye.

14, 15. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uYesu afune ukuba yedwa ngamaxesha athile? (b) Imithandazo kaYesu yayilubonisa njani ulwalamano lothando nentlonelo awayenayo ngoYise?

¹⁴ Kwakhona uYesu walugcina lomelele uthando lwakhe  ngoYehova ngokuthi athandaze rhoqo. Nangona wayenobubele yaye ethanda ukuba phakathi kwabantu, kuphawuleka ukuba wayekuxabisa ukuba yedwa ngamathuba athile. Ngokomzekelo, uLuka 5:16 uthi: “Wayemana eziba aye ezinkqantosini, athandaze.” Ngokufanayo, uMateyu 14:23 uthi: “Akuba ezindulule izihlwele, wenyuka waya entabeni yedwa ukuze athandaze. Kwahlwa eyedwa khona apho.” UYesu wakhetha ukuba yedwa ngezi zihlandlo nangezinye, kungekhona kuba wayefuna ukuzikhetha okanye engafuni ukuba phakathi kwabantu, kodwa ngenxa yokuba wayefuna ukuba yedwa noYehova, athethe ngokukhululekileyo noYise emthandazweni.

¹⁵ Xa ethandaza, maxa wambi uYesu wayesebenzisa amazwi athi “Abha, Bawo.” (Marko 14:36) Ngexesha likaYesu, igama elithi “Abha” lalisetyenziswa yintsapho xa ibhekisela “kutata” othandwa ngokugqithiseleyo. Lelinye lamagama okuqala awayefundwa ngumntwana. Kodwa, lalibonisa intlonipho. Ngoxa eli gama lalibonisa ulwalamano oluphakathi koNyana noYise, lalikwabonisa nentlonelo enzulu ngegunya analo uYehova njengoBawo. Siphawula ulwalamano olufanayo lothando nolwentlonelo kuyo yonke imithandazo ebhaliweyo kaYesu. Ngokomzekelo, kuYohane isahluko 17, umpostile uYohane wabhala umthandazo omde nosuk’ entliziyweni owenziwa nguYesu ngobusuku bakhe bokugqibela. Kuchukumisa ngokwenene ukufunda loo mthandazo yaye kubalulekile ukuba siwuxelise—kungekhona ngokucengceleza amazwi kaYesu, kodwa ngokuthetha ngokusuk’ entliziyweni noBawo wethu osezulwini ngokufuthi kangangoko kunokwenzeka. Ukwenza oko kuya kulugcina luphilile yaye lomelele uthando lwethu ngaye.

16, 17. (a) UYesu waluvakalisa njani ngamazwi uthando lwakhe ngoYise? (b) UYesu wabuchaza njani ububele bukaYise?

¹⁶ Njengoko sichazile ngaphambili, uYesu akazange awaphindaphinde amazwi athi “ndiyamthanda uBawo.” Sekunjalo,  kangangezihlandlo ezininzi wakuvakalisa ngamazwi ukumthanda kwakhe uYise. Njani? UYesu wathi: “Ndiyakudumisa esidlangalaleni, Bawo, Nkosi yezulu nomhlaba.” (Mateyu 11:25) KwiCandelo 2 lale ncwadi sibonile ukuba uYesu wayekuthanda ukudumisa uYise ngokunceda abantu ukuba bamazi. Ngokomzekelo, wafanisa uYehova nobawo owayelangazelela ukuxolela unyana wakhe onxaxhayo, kangangokuba wahlala elindele ukubuya konyana wakhe oguqukileyo, yaye wathi akumbona ekude, wabaleka ukuya kumhlangabeza waza wamanga. (Luka 15:20) Ngubani onokungachukumiseki xa efunda le ndlela uYesu aluchaza ngayo uthando nokuxolela kukaYehova?

¹⁷ Ngokufuthi uYesu wayemdumisa uYise ngobubele bakhe. Wasebenzisa umzekelo wabazali abangafezekanga ukubonisa indlela esinokuqiniseka ngayo ukuba uBawo wethu uya kusinika umoya oyingcwele xa siwufuna. (Luka 11:13) Kwakhona uYesu wathetha ngethemba esilinikwe nguYise ngobubele. Wachaza nokulangazelela kwakhe ukubuyiselwa ecaleni kukaYise ezulwini. (Yohane 14:28; 17:5) Wachazela abalandeli bakhe ngethemba uYehova alinike ‘umhlambi omncinane’ kaKristu—elokuhlala ezulwini ulawule noKumkani onguMesiya. (Luka 12:32; Yohane 14:2) Yaye wathuthuzela isaphuli-mthetho esasigwetyelwe ukufa ngethemba lokuphila eParadesi. (Luka 23:43) Ngokuqinisekileyo ukuthetha ngobubele obukhulu bukaYise kwamnceda uYesu ukuba alugcine lomelele uthando lwakhe ngoYehova. Abalandeli abaninzi bakaKristu bafumanise ukuba akukho nto ilomeleza ngakumbi uthando nokholo lwabo kuYehova ngaphezu kokuthetha ngaye nangethemba alinike abo bamthandayo.

18. Yiyiphi eyona ndlela ibalulekileyo esinokumxelisa ngayo uYesu, yaye ngoba?

¹⁸ Kuzo zonke iindlela esinokumxelisa ngazo uYesu, akukho  nanye ebaluleke njengale: Simele simthande uYehova ngentliziyo, umphefumlo, ingqondo namandla ethu ephela. (Luka 10:27) Olo thando alubonakaliswa nje ngemvakalelo, kodwa ngezenzo. UYesu akazange aneliswe nje kukuvakalelwa kukuba uyamthanda uYise, okanye kukutsho nje ngomlomo ukuthi, “ndiyamthanda uBawo.” Wathi: “Ukuze ihlabathi lazi ukuba ndiyamthanda uBawo, kwananjengoko uBawo endinike umyalelo wokwenza, ndenjenjalo.” (Yohane 14:31) USathana wathi akukho mntu unokukhonza uYehova kuba emthanda ngokunyanisekileyo. (Yobhi 2:4, 5) Ukuze amngqine elixoki uSathana, ngenkalipho uYesu wabonisa ihlabathi indlela amthanda ngayo uYise. Wathobela ukusa kumkhamo wokuba ade ancame ubomi bakhe. Ngaba uza kumxelisa uYesu? Ngaba uza kulibonisa ihlabathi ukuba umthanda ngokunyanisekileyo uYehova uThixo?

19, 20. (a) Sisiphi isizathu esibalulekileyo sokuba siye rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu? (b) Sifanele silugqale njani ufundisiso lobuqu, ukucamngca nokuthandaza?

¹⁹ Ukubonisa uthando olunjalo kuya kusinceda sanelise intswelo yethu yokomoya. Kaloku uYehova wenze ilungiselelo lokuba unqulo lwakhe luluhlakulele yaye lulomeleze uthando lwethu ngaye. Xa usiya kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu, khumbula ukuba uya ngenjongo yokunqula uThixo wakho. Olo nqulo lubandakanya umthandazo osuk’ entliziyweni, ukucula iingoma zokudumisa, ukuphulaphula ngenyameko, nokuba nenxaxheba kangangoko kunokwenzeka. Kwakhona ezi ntlanganiso zikunika ithuba lokukhuthaza amaKristu okhonza kunye nawo. (Hebhere 10:24, 25) Ukunqula uYehova rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu kuya kulwenza lomelele ngakumbi uthando lwakho ngaye.

²⁰ Kuyafana ke nangokwenza ufundisiso lobuqu, ukucamngca nokuthandaza. Zigqale ezi zihlandlo njengamathuba okuba wedwa kunye noYehova. Njengoko ufundisisa iLizwi likaThixo yaye ucamngca ngalo, uYehova udlulisela iingcamango zakhe kuwe. Xa uthandaza, umchazela oko  kusentliziyweni yakho. Khumbula ukuba umthandazo awupheleli nje ekuceleni okuthile kuThixo. Kodwa ukwalithuba lokubulela uYehova ngokukusikelela kwakhe, nelokumdumisa ngemisebenzi yakhe emangalisayo. (INdumiso 146:1) Ngaphezu koko, ukudumisa uYehova esidlangalaleni ngovuyo nangenzondelelo kuyeyona ndlela ibalaseleyo yokumbulela nokubonisa ukuba uyamthanda.

21. Kubaluleke kangakanani ukuthanda uYehova, yaye yintoni esiza kuyihlolisisa kwizahluko ezilandelayo?

²¹ Ukuthanda uThixo kuyeyona ndlela ibalaseleyo yokuzuza ulonwabo oluhlala luhleli. Koko kuphela ababemele bakwenze uAdam noEva ukuze baphumelele—yaye yiloo nto kanye abasilelayo ukuyenza. Leyo yeyona nto ibalulekileyo ofanele uyenze ukuze uphumelele naluphi na uvavanyo lokholo, yaye unyamezele nasiphi na isilingo. Elo lelona nyathelo libalulekileyo ekubeni ngumlandeli kaYesu. Kodwa ke, ukuthanda uThixo kuhlobene nokuthanda abantu. (1 Yohane 4:20) Kwizahluko ezilandelayo, siza kuhlolisisa indlela uYesu awalubonisa ngayo uthando ngabantu. Kwisahluko esilandelayo, siza kuhlolisisa isizathu sokuba abantu abaninzi batsaleleke kuYesu.