“UJehova uNkulunkulu wabe esemthatha umuntu wambeka ensimini yase-Edene ukuba ayilime futhi ayinakekele. Futhi uJehova uNkulunkulu wamnika lo myalo umuntu: ‘Kuyo yonke imithi yensimu ungadla usuthe. Kodwa ngokuqondene nomuthi wolwazi lokuhle nokubi ungadli kuwo, ngoba ngosuku oyodla ngalo kuwo uyokufa nokufa.’”—Genesise 2:15-17.

UNkulunkulu wabeka umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu ensimini yase-Edene, emhlabeni oyipharadesi owawugcwele izilwane nezitshalo ezinhle. Kwakunezihlahla ezithela izithelo u-Adamu ayengadla kuzo ngokukhululekile. Nokho, uJehova uNkulunkulu watshela u-Adamu ngokucacile ukuthi angadli emthini othile ambonisa wona, wamxwayisa ngokuthi uma engadla kuwo, wayezokufa.

Ingabe u-Adamu wakuqonda lokho? Wayazi ukuthi kuyini ukufa ngoba wayehlale ezibona izilwane zifa. Uma u-Adamu ayedalelwe ukuba afe ekugcineni, isixwayiso sikaNkulunkulu sasingeke sibe nesisindo. Kunalokho, u-Adamu waqaphela ukuthi uma elalela uNkulunkulu futhi angadli kulowo muthi, wayezophila phakade—angafi.

Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi umuthi wawumelela ukuya ocansini, kodwa lokho akulona iqiniso. Phela uJehova wayefuna ukuba u-Adamu nomkakhe u-Eva ‘bazale bagcwalise umhlaba bawunqobe.’ (Genesise 1:28) Lo myalo wawubenqabela ukuba badle izithelo zomuthi ongokoqobo. UJehova wabiza lo muthi ngokuthi ‘umuthi wolwazi lokuhle nokubi’ ngoba wawumelela ilungelo lakhe lokunquma ukuthi yini elungile nengalungile. Ngokungasidli isithelo salowo muthi, u-Adamu wayeyobe engabonisi nje ukuthi uyalalela, kodwa wayeyobe ebonisa nokwazisa ngoNkulunkulu owamdala futhi wambusisa ngokucebile.

“Ku-Adamu [uNkulunkulu] wathi: ‘Ngenxa yokuthi . . . udle emthini engakuyala ngawo, . . . uzodla isinkwa ngesithukuthuku sobuso bakho uze ubuyele emhlabathini, ngoba wathathwa kuwo. Ngoba uluthuli, uyobuyela othulini.’”—Genesise 3:17, 19.

U-Adamu wadla emthini ayenqatshelwe ukuba adle kuwo. Leso senzo sokungalaleli sasisibi kakhulu. Sasiwukuvukela, ukungakunaki ngamabomu konke okuhle uJehova ayemenzele kona. Ngokudla leso sithelo, u-Adamu wamenqaba uJehova, ekhetha ukuzibusa, okwakuzoba nemiphumela ebuhlungu kakhulu.

Njengoba uJehova ayebikezele, u-Adamu wagcina efile. UNkulunkulu wayebumbe u-Adamu “ngothuli lomhlabathi” futhi wayemtshelile ukuthi ‘wayezobuyela emhlabathini.’ U-Adamu akazange aqhubeke ephila ekwesinye isimo noma ekwenye indawo. Lapho efa, wayeka ukuphila wafana nothuli ayethathwe kulo.—Genesise 2:7; UmShumayeli 9:5, 10.

“Kungakho, njengoba nje ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”—Roma 5:12.

Ukungalaleli kuka-Adamu—noma isono—akulimazanga yena kuphela. Ngokona, u-Adamu akalahlekelwanga nje ukuphila okuvamile kweminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80, kodwa walahlekelwa ithemba lokuphila phakade. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho u-Adamu ona walahlekelwa ukuphelela futhi wadlulisela lokho kungapheleli kuzo zonke izingane zakhe.

Sonke siyinzalo ka-Adamu. Lapho sizalwa sizuza ukungapheleli okusenza sone futhi ekugcineni sife. UPawulu waluchaza kahle usizi lwethu. Wabhala: “Mina ngingowenyama, ngithengiswe ngaphansi kwesono. Yeka mina muntu wosizi! Ubani oyongophula kulo mzimba othola lokhu kufa?” UPawulu ube esewuphendula lo mbuzo: “Makabongwe uNkulunkulu ngoJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu!”—Roma 7:14, 24, 25.

“UBaba uthumele iNdodana yakhe njengoMsindisi wezwe.”—1 Johane 4:14.

UJehova uNkulunkulu wenza ilungiselelo lokunqoba imiphumela yesono nelokusikhulula esijezisweni sokufa kwaphakade. Kanjani? Wathumela iNdodana yakhe ethandekayo la emhlabeni ivela ezulwini, yazalwa njengomuntu ophelele ofana no-Adamu. Kodwa ngokungafani no-Adamu, uJesu “akenzanga sono.” (1 Petru 2:22) Ngenxa yokuthi wayephelele, wayengeke afe, wayengaphila phakade njengomuntu ophelele.

Noma kunjalo, uJehova wavumela ukuba uJesu abulawe izitha zakhe. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu, uJehova wamvusa njengesidalwa somoya ukuze ngemva kwesikhathi esithile akwazi ukubuyela ezulwini. Esezulwini, uJesu wanikela ngenani lokuphila kwakhe okuphelele njengomuntu ukuze ahlenge lokho u-Adamu akulahlekisela yena nenzalo yakhe. UJehova wawamukela lowo mhlatshelo, okunikeza labo ababonisa ukholo kuJesu ithuba lokuthola ukuphila okuphakade.—Roma 3:23, 24; 1 Johane 2:2.

Ngaleyo ndlela uJesu wathenga lokho okwalahlwa u-Adamu. Wafa ngenxa yethu ukuze sithole ukuphila okuphakade. IBhayibheli lithi: “UJesu . . . ngoba eye wafa, ukuze ngomusa ongafanelwe kaNkulunkulu anambithe ukufa ngenxa yawo wonke umuntu.”—Hebheru 2:9.

Leli lungiselelo lembula okuningi ngoJehova. Izinga lakhe eliphakeme lobulungisa lenza ukuba abantu abangaphelele bangakwazi ukuzihlenga. Nokho, uthando nomusa wakhe kwamshukumisela ukuba enze ngokuvumelana nezimfuneko zakhe, okwabangela ukuba alahlekelwe kakhulu—wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ukuze kukhokhwe inani lesihlengo.—Roma 5:6-8.

“UKristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo, ulibo lwalabo asebalala. Ngoba njengoba ukufa kweza ngomuntu, novuko lwabafileyo luza ngomuntu. Ngoba njengoba nje bonke befa ku-Adamu, kanjalo nakuKristu bonke bayokwenziwa baphile.”—1 Korinte 15:20-22.

Asingabazi ukuthi uJesu waphila futhi wafa, kodwa yibuphi ubufakazi obubonisa ukuthi wavuswa kwabafileyo? Ubufakazi obunamandla kakhulu ukuthi uJesu ovusiwe wabonakala kubantu abaningi ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene ngezikhathi ezingefani. Ngesinye isikhathi, wabonakala kubantu abangaphezu kuka-500. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala ngalokho encwadini yakhe ayeyibhalela abaseKorinte, ephawula ukuthi abanye balabo fakazi babesaphila, okusho ukuthi babenganikeza ubufakazi balokho ababekubonile nababekuzwile.—1 Korinte 15:3-8.

Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi ngesikhathi uPawulu ebhala ukuthi uKristu ‘wayewulibo’ lwalabo abavuswa, wayebonisa ukuthi nabanye abantu babezovuswa kamuva. UJesu naye wathi kuyofika isikhathi lapho “bonke abasemathuneni beyokhunjulwa” futhi “baphume.”—Johane 5:28, 29.

“Ngoba uNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.

Amakhasi okuqala eBhayibheli akhuluma ngokuqala kokufa nokulahleka kwePharadesi. Amakhasi okugcina akhuluma ngesikhathi lapho ukufa kuyoqedwa khona futhi uNkulunkulu enze umhlaba ube iPharadesi. Ngaleso sikhathi abantu bayokwazi ukuphila ukuphila okujabulisayo nokuzuzisayo phakade. IsAmbulo 21:4 sithi: “Ukufa ngeke kusaba khona.” Ukuze ligcizelele ukuthembeka kwaleso sithembiso, ivesi 5 lithi: “La mazwi athembekile ayiqiniso.” Lokho uNkulunkulu akuthembisayo uyakwazi ukukufeza ngokuphelele.

Ingabe uyakholelwa ukuthi “la mazwi athembekile ayiqiniso”? Uma kunjalo, funda okwengeziwe ngoJesu Kristu futhi ubonise ukholo kuye. Uma wenza kanjalo, uJehova uyokwamukela. Ngeke nje ugcine ngokuthola isibusiso sakhe esicebile manje, kodwa uyothola nethemba lokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyiPharadesi lapho ‘ukufa, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu kuyobe kungasekho khona.’