UJesu wafa ukuze abantu bathethelelwe izono futhi bathole ukuphila okuphakade. (Roma 6:​23; Efesu1:7) Ukufa kukaJesu kwabonisa ukuthi umuntu angakwazi ukuba qotho kuNkulunkulu ngisho ebhekene nobunzima.​—Hebheru 4:​15.

Ake sibone ukuthi ukufa komuntu oyedwa kwakungakwenza kanjani konke lokhu.

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

   Lapho umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu edalwa, wayengenaso isono. Nokho, wakhetha ukungamlaleli uNkulunkulu. Ukungalaleli, noma ukona, kuka-Adamu kwaba nemiphumela emibi ezinganeni zakhe. IBhayibheli lithi: “Ngokungalaleli komuntu oyedwa abaningi baba yizoni.”​—Roma 5:​19.

   UJesu naye wayengenaso isono, kodwa akazange nakanye aphule umthetho kaJehova. Ngakho, wayengaba “umhlatshelo oyisihlawulelo wezono zethu.” (1 Johane 2:2) Ukungalaleli kuka-Adamu kwenza abantu baba nesono, kodwa ukufa kukaJesu kwasisusa leso sono kubantu ababonisa ukholo kuye.

   Kufana nokuthi u-Adamu wadayisa abantu, baba nesono. Ngokuvuma ukusifela, uJesu wasithenga saba ngabakhe. Ngenxa yalokho, “uma-ke umuntu enza isono, sinomsizi kuBaba, uJesu Kristu, olungileyo.”​—1 Johane 2:1.

2. UJesu wafa ‘ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuye angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.’​—Johane 3:​16.

   Nakuba u-Adamu ayedalelwe ukuba aphile phakade, wathola isijeziso sokufa ngenxa yokona kwakhe. Ngo-Adamu, “isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”​—Roma 5:​12.

   Ngokungafani no-Adamu, ukufa kukaJesu akugcinanga ngokususa isono kuphela, kwasusa nesigwebo sokufa kubo bonke ababonisa ukholo kuye. IBhayibheli liyifingqa kanje le ndaba: “Njengoba nje isono sabusa kanye nokufa njengenkosi, ngokufanayo nomusa ongafanelwe ubuse njengenkosi ngokulunga ngombono wokuphila okuphakade ngoJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu.”​—Roma 5:​21.

   Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abantu namuhla abaphili phakade. Noma kunjalo, uNkulunkulu uthembisa ukuthi uzonika abantu abalungile ukuphila okuphakade, avuse nabafile ukuze nabo bazuze ekufeni kukaJesu.​—IHubo 37:29; 1 Korinte 15:22.

3. UJesu “walalela kwaze kwaba sekufeni,” ebonisa ukuthi umuntu angaba qotho kuNkulunkulu ngisho nalapho ebhekene nobunzima.​—Filipi 2:8.

   Nakuba u-Adamu ayengenaso isono, akamlalelanga uNkulunkulu ngoba waba yigovu, wafisa into okungeyona eyakhe. (Genesise 2:​16, 17; 3:6) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uSathane, isitha esikhulu sikaNkulunkulu, wathi akekho umuntu ongalalela uNkulukulu ikakhulukazi lapho ukuphila kwalowo muntu kusengcupheni. (Jobe 2:4) Nokho, uJesu naye owayengenasono, wamlalela uNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe. (Hebheru 7:​26) Lokhu kwabonisa ukuthi abantu bangakwazi ukuba qotho kuNkulunkulu, ngisho noma ngabe bakubuphi ubunzima.

Imibuzo emayelana nokufa kukaJesu

• Kungani kwadingeka ukuba uJesu afe ukuze asize abantu? Kungani uJehova engazange amane abaxolele o-Adamu ukuze bangafi?

  Umthetho kaNkulunkulu uthi “inkokhelo yesono ngukufa.” (Roma 6:23) UNkulunkulu akamfihlelanga u-Adamu ukuthi wawuyoba yini umphumela wokona kwakhe. (Genesise 3:3) Lapho u-Adamu ona kwenzeka njengoba uNkulunkulu ayeshilo, ngoba ‘akawaqambi amanga.’ (Thithu 1:2) U-Adamu akudluliselanga isono kuphela ezinganeni zakhe, kodwa wazilethela nokufa okuwumphumela wesono.

  Nakuba abantu kwakufanele bafe, uNkulunkulu wabanika “ingcebo yomusa wakhe ongafanelwe.” (Efesu 1:7) Ukuze asize abantu, uNkulunkulu wathumela uJesu ukuba anikele ngokuphila kwakhe okungenasono. Lokhu kwabonisa ukuthi uyaligcina izwi lakhe futhi unomusa omkhulu.

• Wafa nini uJesu?

  UJesu wafa ngemva kwamahora ‘ayisishagalolunye’ kusile, noma ngehora lesithathu ntambama, ngePhasika lamaJuda. (Marku 15:33-​37) Ngokwekhalenda lethu, lolo suku lwalungoLwesihlanu, ngo-Ephreli 1 ngonyaka ka-33.

• Wafela kuphi uJesu?

  UJesu wabulawelwa “endaweni okuthiwa iNdawo Yogebhezi, ebizwa ngokuthi i-Golgotha ngesiHebheru.” (Johane 19:17, 18) Ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni, leyo ndawo ‘yayingaphandle kwesango’ leJerusalema. (Hebheru 13:12) Kungenzeka yayisegqumeni, ngoba iBhayibheli lithi ngesikhathi uJesu ebulawa abanye ‘babebukele bekude.’ (Marku 15:40) Nokho, namuhla asiqiniseki ukuthi leyo ndawo ikuphi.

• Wafa kanjani uJesu?

  Nakuba abaningi bekholelwa ukuthi uJesu wabethelwa esiphambanweni, iBhayibheli lithi: “Yena ngokwakhe wathwala izono zethu emzimbeni wakhe esigxotsheni.” (1 Petru 2:​24) Ababhali beBhayibheli basebenzisa amagama amabili esiGreki ukuze babonise ukuthi uJesu wabulawela kuphi​—elithi stau·rosʹ nelithi xyʹlon. Izifundiswa eziningi zithi la magama asho isigxobo sokhuni noma ugodo olulodwa.

• Kufanele sikukhumbule kanjani ukufa kukaJesu?

  Ngobusuku bePhasika lamaJuda, uJesu wabonisa abafundi bakhe indlela elula ayefuna ukufa kwakhe kukhunjulwe ngayo, wabe esebayala: “Qhubekani nikwenza lokhu ningikhumbula.” (1 Korinte 11:24) Emahoreni ambalwa ngemva kwalokho, uJesu wabulawa.

  Abalobi beBhayibheli bafanisa uJesu nemvu eyayihlatshwa ngePhasika. (1 Korinte 5:7) Njengoba iPhasika lalikhumbuza ama-Israyeli ukuthi ayekhululwe ebugqileni, iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaJesu Kristu naso sikhumbuza amaKristu ukuthi akhululiwe ekugqilazweni isono nokufa. Ngokwekhalenda lamaJuda, iPhasika laligujwa minyaka yonke ngoNisan 14; amaKristu okuqala nawo ayenza iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaJesu kanye ngonyaka.

  Izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke zikhumbula ukufa kukaJesu kanye ngonyaka ngosuku okuqondana noNisan 14.