UJesu labafundi bakhe bathi sebephutsha uhambo lwabo eningizimu yePhereya beqonde eJerusalema, bachaphe uMfula uJodani eduze leJerikho. Bahamba labanye besiya ePhasikeni lika-33 C.E.

UJesu yena uhamba phambi kwabafundi bakhe ngoba uzimisele ukufika ngesikhathi ePhasikeni. Kodwa abafundi bayesaba. ULazaro wathi esefile, uJesu esezakuya ePhereya eqonde eJudiya, uTomasi watshela abanye abafundi wathi: “Kasihambeni lathi ukuze siyekufa laye.” (UJohane 11:16, 47-53) Yikho-ke kuyazwisiseka nxa abafundi besesaba ukuya eJerusalema ngoba kuyingozi ukuya khona.

UJesu ufuna abaphostoli bakhe balungiselele okuzakuza. Ngakho ubabizela eceleni athi kubo: “Siyaqansa siya eJerusalema, njalo iNdodana yomuntu izanikelwa kubaphristi abakhokhelayo lababhali. Bazayigwebela ukufa bayinikele ebantwini bezizweni ukuze bahlekise ngayo futhi bayibhaxabule, besebeyibethela esigodweni, ivuswe ngelanga lesithathu.”—UMathewu 20:18, 19.

Sekungokwesithathu uJesu etshela abalandeli bakhe ukuthi uzakufa aphinde avuswe. (UMathewu 16:21; 17:22, 23) Kodwa khathesi uthi uzabulawa ngokubethelwa esigodweni. Lanxa bemlalele kabazwisisi ukuthi utshoni. Mhlawumbe bakhangelele ukuthi umbuso wako-Israyeli ubuyiselwe khonapha emhlabeni besebekholisa ukuba lenkazimulo lodumo bebusa loKhristu emhlabeni.

Unina kaJakhobe loJohane, okumele ukuthi nguSalome laye uhamba labo. UJesu wabiza abaphostoli laba ababili ngokuthi ‘ngaMadodana Omdumo Wezulu,’ mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuthi batshiseka kakhulu. (UMakho 3:17; ULukha 9:54) Sekulesikhathi abaphostoli laba bekufuna  ngabomvu ukuba lezikhundla eMbusweni kaKhristu. Unina uyakwazi lokho. Yikho uya kuJesu afike amkhothamele abeseveza ukuthi ufisa ukwenzelwa okuthile. UJesu uthi kuye: “Ufunani?” Yena athi: “Ngicela ukuthi amadodana ami la womabili ahlale lawe eMbusweni wakho, enye esandleni sakho sokudla, enye kwesenxele.”—UMathewu 20:20, 21.

UJakhobe loJohane yibo abathume unina. UJesu usanda kukhuluma ngokuthi uzahlupheka aphinde ayangiswe. Yikho uthi kubo: “Kalikwazi elikucelayo. Lingayinatha yini inkomitsho esengizayinatha?” Baphendula bathi kuye: “Ye singayinatha.” (UMathewu 20:22) Kodwa kungenzeka balokhu bengakuzwisisi ukuthi kutshoni lokho.

UJesu ubatshela athi: “Lizayinatha sibili inkomitsho yami, kodwa ukuhlala esandleni sami sokudla lakwesenxele akusikho kwami ukuthi selingakuphiwa yimi. Ngokwalabo asebekulungiselelwe nguBaba.”​—UMathewu 20:23.

Abanye abaphostoli abalitshumi bathi besizwa okwenziwe nguJakhobe loJohane bazonde bafe. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi uJakhobe loJohane bebekhuluma kakhulu ngesikhathi abaphostoli bephikisana ngokuthi ngubani omkhulu phakathi kwabo? (ULukha 9:46-48) Kungelani lokuthi kuyini obekusenzakala, isicelo sikaJakhobe loJohane sitshengisa ukuthi abaliTshumi Lambili kabazange basilalele iseluleko sikaJesu sokuthi kumele baziphathe njengabancane. Balokhu bezifuna izikhundla.

UJesu ukhetha ukuthi alungise uhlupho lolu kanye lengxabano eziba khona ngenxa yalo. Ubiza abaliTshumi Lambili abesekhuluma labo kuhle athi: “Liyakwazi ukuthi labo ababusa izizwe bazenzela umathanda phezu kwazo, futhi labakhokheli bazo bazigcina zingaphansi kwabo. Kakumelanga kube njalo kini; kodwa loba ngubani ofuna ukuba mkhulu phakathi kwenu kumele abe yinceku yenu, njalo loba ngubani ofuna ukuba ngowokuqala phakathi kwenu kufanele abe yisigqili sabo bonke.”​—UMakho 10:42-44.

UJesu uphinda atshengise ukuthi kumele balingisele yena. Uyabachasisela athi: “Njengoba nje leNdodana yomuntu ingalandanga ukuzokhonzwa kodwa ukuzokhonza lokuzonikela ngokuphila kwayo kube yinhlawulo yabanengi.” (UMathewu 20:28) Sekuleminyaka engaba mithathu uJesu esenza imisebenzi enceda abantu njalo uzaqhubeka ekwenza lokho aze abafele. Abafundi labo kumele bafunde ukuba njengoKhristu, bathande ukusebenzela abanye hatshi ukufuna ukusetshenzelwa, njalo kumele babe njengabancane hatshi ukufuna izikhundla.