IBhethaniya bekuyindawo encani engaphasi kwamamayela amabili (3 km) ukusuka eJerusalema. (Jwanisi 11:18) Emavekeni ambalwa ngaphambi kokuhlongakala kwakaJesu, kwenzeka into ebuhlungu endaweni leyo. ULazaru omunye wabangani bakaJesu, wagula khulu kungakalindeleki begodu wahlongakala.

UJesu nekezwa kokuthoma iindabezi, watjela abafundi bakhe bona uLazaru ulele begodu uyakhamba uyomvusa. (Jwanisi 11:11) Kodwana abafundi bakaJesu khenge bazwisise bona utjho ukuthini, ngalokho uJesu wabatjela ngokunqophileko: “ULazaru ufile.”—Jwanisi 11:14.

Emalangeni amane ngemva kokubulungwa kwakhe, uJesu wafika eBhethaniya wafuna ukutjhiriya uMarta, udadwabo kamufi. UMarta wathi, “Ngathana gade ulapha, umfowethu ngangakafi!” (Jwanisi 11:17, 21) UJesu wathi kuye: “Ngingukuvuka nokuphila, loyo okholwa kimi uzakuphila, ngitjho nanyana angafa.”—Jwanisi 11:25.

Ukutjengisa bona amezwi lawo bekaliqiniso, uJesu waya ethuneni wabiza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Lazaru phuma!” (Jwanisi 11:43) Abantu ababukeleko bararekile, indoda egade ifile yaphuma.

UJesu besele avuse abantu ababili ngaphambilini. Kesinye isenzakalo wavusa umntazinyana ekufeni—indodakazi kaJayirosi. Ngaphambi kobana uJesu amvuse, wamhlathulula njengoleleko.—Lukasi 8:52.

Tjheja bona malungana nokuvuswa kwabo bobabili uLazaru nendodakazi kaJayirosi, uJesu wafanisa ukufa nokulala. Lokhu kumadanisa okufanelekako. Kubayini? Newuleleko awuzwa litho begodu lokho kuwudlulisela kuhle umqondo wokuphumula ebuhlungwini nekutlhageni. (UmTjhumayeli 9:5; qala ibhoksi elithi,  “Ukufa Kufana Nokulala Ubuthongo Obukhulu.”) Abafundi bakaJesu bekuthomeni bebabuzwisisa kuhle ubujamo babantu  abafileko. “Kubalandeli bakaJesu ukufa bekunjengokulala, begodu ithuna beliyindawo yokuphumula . . . kulabo abahlongakale bathembekile,” * kutjho i-Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics.

Kuyasiduduza ukwazi bona abafileko balele emathuneni begodu abatlhagi. Lokhu kusenza singakusabi ukufa ngombana siyazi bona kwenzekani kithi lokha nesihlongakalako.

Ngitjho nanyana sithabela ukulala kamnandi, ngubani ofuna ukulala unomphela? Ngiliphi ithemba esinalo lokobana abafileko abalele emathuneni bazokubuyela ekuphileni—njengombana kwenzeka kuLazaru nendodakazini kaJayirosi?

UJobho wabuza umbuzo ofanako lokha nakazizwa bona sekazokufa. Wabuza, “Umuntu nakafako angabuye aphile?”—Jobho 14:14.

Akhuluma noSomandla uZimu, uJobho waziphendula yena, wathi: “Bewuzakubiza mina ngiphendule, ngombana ulangazelela imisebenzi yezandla zakho.” (Jobho 14:15) UJobho bekaqiniseka bona uJehova ululukela ilanga lapho azokuvusa inceku yaKhe ethembekileko. Kghani uJobho bekalulukela okuthileko okungeze kwenzeka? Awa.

Ukuvuswa okwenziwa nguJesu bekunikela ubufakazi obukhanyako bokobana uZimu unikele uJesu amandla wokuhlula ukufa. Eqinisweni, iBhayibheli lithi uJesu kwanje unikelwe “iinhluthulelo zokufa.” (IsAmbulo 1:18) Ngalokho uJesu uzokuvula amasango wemathuneni, njengombana alayela bona kususwe ilitje ebelisethuneni lakaLazaru.

IBhayibheli ibuyelela isithembiso sevukwesi kanengi nengi. Ingilozi yaqinisekisa umphorofidi uDanyela: ‘Uzakuphumula bese ujamela umvuzwakho ekupheleni kwamalanga.’ (Danyela 12:13) UJesu watjela abaSadusi, abadosiphambili bamaJuda abaphika isithembiso sevuko: “Niyaphosisa niyazi! Kanti aniyazi imitlolo namkha amandla kaZimu?” (Matewu 22:23, 29) Umpostoli uPowula wathi: “Nginalo ithemba kuZimu, iye, lokobana kuzakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileko kwabo boke abalungileko nabangakalungi.”—IzEnzo 24:15.

Lizokwenzeka nini ivuko labalungileko nabangakalungi? Ingilozi yatjela uDanyela bona uzokuvuka “ekupheleni kwamalanga.” Ngokufanako uMarta bekakholelwa bona umnakwabo uLazaru, “uzakuvuka godu ngokuvuka komhla wokuphela.”—Jwanisi 11:24.

IBhayibheli ihlobanisa ‘imihla yokuphela’ le nokubusa komBuso kaKrestu. UPowula watlola: “Ngombana kumele [uKrestu] abuse bekufike lapha arabhalalisa khona zoke izitha zakhe ngaphasi kweenyawo zakhe. Isitha sokugcina esizokubhujiswa kukufa. (1 Korinte 15:25, 26) Leli libanga elinamandla lokobana kubayini kufuze sithandazele umBuso kaZimu bona uze nentando yaKhe yenziwe ephasini. *

Njengombana uJobho bekazi kuhle, intando kaZimu kuvusa abafileko. Ilangelo nelifikako, ukufa kuzokupheliswa. Akakho ozazibuza bona, ‘Kghani ukufa kusiphetho sakho koke?’