Endaweni engasempumalanga yoLwandle LwaseGalile, uJesu wapha izinkulungwane zabantu ukudla ngokuyisimangaliso, kamuva wabaleka lapho befuna ukumenza inkosi. Ngalobo busuku wahamba phezu kolwandle olwalunezivunguvungu, wasindisa uPetru naye owayehambe phezu kwamanzi kodwa wabe eseqala ukucwila ngenxa yokuthi ukholo lwakhe lwaqala ukuntengantenga. UJesu wathulisa nomoya, okungenzeka kwasindisa abafundi bakhe ekuphahlazekelweni umkhumbi.

Manje, uJesu usebuyele eKapernawume engasentshonalanga yolwandle. Labo abebaphe ukudla ngokuyisimangaliso bayamthola, bese bembuza: “Ufike nini lapha?” UJesu uyabakhuza, abatshele ukuthi bamfuna ngoba benethemba lokuthi bazophinde bathole ukudla. Ubanxusa ukuba, ‘bangasebenzeli ukudla okonakalayo, kodwa basebenzele ukudla okungonakali okunikeza ukuphila okuphakade.’ Ngakho bayambuza: “Yini okumelwe siyenze ukuze senze imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu?”—Johane 6:25-28.

Kungenzeka bacabanga ngemisebenzi ebhalwe encwadini yoMthetho, kodwa uJesu ubatshela ngomsebenzini obaluleke nakakhulu: “Yilo umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, ukuba nibonise ukholo kulowo amthumile.” Nokho, naphezu kwazo zonke izinto uJesu azenzile, abantu ababi nalo ukholo kuye. Bafuna ukuba enze isibonakaliso ukuze babe nokholo kuye. Bayambuza: “Yimuphi umsebenzi owenzayo? Okhokho bethu badla imana ehlane, njengoba nje kulotshiwe: ‘Wabanika isinkwa esivela ezulwini ukuba badle.’”—Johane 6:29-31; iHubo 78:24.

Ngokuphathelene nesicelo sabo sesibonakaliso, uJesu usiza laba bantu ukuba babone ukuthi ubani ngempela onguMthombo wezimangaliso: “Ngithi kini, uMose akaninikanga isinkwa esivela ezulwini, kodwa uBaba uninika isinkwa seqiniso esivela ezulwini. Ngoba isinkwa sikaNkulunkulu siyilowo owehla ezulwini futhi onika izwe ukuphila.” Njengoba bengakuqondi lokhu uJesu akushoyo, bayamncenga bathi: “Nkosi, sinike lesi sinkwa.” (Johane 6:32-34) Kodwa uJesu ukhuluma ngasiphi “isinkwa”?

Uyachaza: “Mina ngiyisinkwa sokuphila. Noma ubani oza kimi ngeke alambe, nanoma ubani obonisa ukholo kimi akasoze oma. Kodwa njengoba ngishilo kini, ningibonile nokungibona nokho anikholwa. . . . Angehlanga ezulwini ukuba ngizokwenza intando yami kodwa intando yalowo ongithumile. Yile intando yalowo ongithumile, ukuba ngingalahlekelwa muntu kubo bonke labo anginike bona, kodwa ukuba ngibavuse ngosuku lokugcina. Ngoba yile intando kaBaba, ukuba wonke umuntu owamukela iNdodana futhi abonise ukholo kuyo athole ukuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 6:35-40.

Lokhu kuyabathukuthelisa abantu futhi amaJuda aqala ukukhononda ngaye. Angasho kanjani ukuthi ‘uyisinkwa esehle ezulwini’? (Johane 6:41) Kubo, umane nje uyindodana ezalwa abantu abavamile baseNazaretha, idolobha eliseGalile. Bayabuza: ‘Lo akuyena yini uJesu indodana kaJosefa, esimaziyo uyise nonina?’—Johane 6:42.

UJesu uyaphendula: “Yekani ukukhononda phakathi kwenu. Akekho umuntu ongeza kimi ngaphandle kokuba uBaba ongithumile emdonsa, futhi mina ngizomvusa ngosuku lokugcina. Kulotshiwe kubaProfethi ukuthi: ‘Bonke bayofundiswa uJehova.’ Wonke umuntu omlalelile uBaba futhi wafunda, uyeza kimi. Akekho umuntu oye wabona uBaba, ngaphandle kwalowo ovela kuNkulunkulu; lona umbonile uBaba. Ngiqinisile impela ngithi kini, noma ubani okholwayo uyothola ukuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 6:43-47; Isaya 54:13.

Lapho ekhuluma noNikhodemu esikhathini esingaphambili, uJesu wakhuluma ngokuphila okuphakade wakuhlobanisa nokuba nokholo eNdodaneni yomuntu wathi: “Ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo [eNdodaneni kaNkulunkulu ezelwe  yodwa] angabhubhi kodwa athole ukuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:15, 16) Kodwa manje usekhuluma nezilaleli eziningana, uzitshela ukuthi unendima ekutholeni kwazo ukuphila okuphakade okungeke kutholakale ngemana noma ngesinkwa esivamile esitholakala eGalile. Pho kungatholakala kanjani ukuphila okuphakade? UJesu uyawaphinda amazwi akhe: “Mina ngiyisinkwa sokuphila.”—Johane 6:48.

Le ngxoxo ephathelene nesinkwa esivela ezulwini ayipheleli lapha, ishuba nakakhulu lapho uJesu efundisa esinagogeni eKapernawume.