I-Encyclopædia Britannica ichaza ama-Easter ngokuthi “awumkhosi oyinhloko wesonto lobuKristu eligubha ukuvuswa kukaJesu Kristu. Nokho, ingabe awumkhosi wobuKristu?

Ukuze siqiniseke ukuthi umvubukulo othile ngowasendulo ngempela, kubalulekile ukuwuhlolisisa ngokucophelela. Ngokufanayo ukuze sithole ukuthi ama-Easter awumkhosi wobuKristu ngempela, kusemqoka ukuba sihlolisise imininingwane ephathelene nama-Easter.

Okokuqala nje, uJesu wayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba bakhumbule ukufa kwakhe, hhayi ukuvuswa kwakhe. Umphostoli uPawulu wabiza lesi senzakalo ngokuthi “iSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa.”—1 Korinte 11:20; Luka 22:19, 20.

Ukwenezela kulokho, i-Britannica ithi amasiko amaningi ama-Easter “awahlobani nhlobo” nokuvuswa kukaJesu “kodwa avela emasikweni abantu.” Ngokwesibonelo, ngokuphathelene nezimpawu zama-Easter ezaziwa kakhulu, iqanda nonogwaja, i-Encyclopedia of Religion ithi: “Iqanda limelela ukuphila okusha okuphuma egobolondweni leqanda elimelela ukufa. Iyanezela: “Unogwaja wayaziwa njengesilwane esizala kakhulu, yingakho emelela ukufika kwentwasahlobo.”

UPhilippe Walter, uprofesa wemibhalo yasendulo, uchaza indlela amasiko anjalo afakwa ngayo emikhosini yama-Easter. Wabhala ukuthi “ngesikhathi kuhlanganiswa izinkolelo zobuKristu namasiko obuqaba” kwakulula ukuhlobanisa imikhosi yobuqaba nokuvuswa kukaJesu—le mikhosi kwakungeyokugubha “ukuphela kobusika obumelela ukufa bese kungena intwasahlobo emelela ukuphila”. UWalter uqhubeka athi lokhu kwakuyindlela eyinhloko yokufaka “le mikhosi yobuKristu” ekhalendeni lamaqaba okwabangela ukuba kube lula ngabaningi ukuba bayigubhe.

Le nqubo yokuhlanganisa “imikhosi yobuqaba nobuKristu” ayenzekanga ngesikhathi abaphostoli besaphila ngoba ‘babekuvimbela’ ukungena kobuqaba ebuKristwini. (2 Thesalonika 2:7) Umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa ngokuthi ‘ngemva kokuhamba kwakhe kwakuyovela amadoda akhulume izinto ezisontekile ukuze amonyule abafundi ukuba bawalandele.’ (IzEnzo 20:29, 30) Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala, umphostoli uJohane wabhala ukuthi amanye amadoda ayeseqalile ukudukisa amaKristu. (1 Johane 2:18, 26) Lokho kwaholela ekutheni ekugcineni ibandla lamukele amasiko obuqaba.

Nokho abanye, bangase babe nomuzwa wokuthi ukwamukela amanye amasiko ama-Easter kwakungekubi—lokho kwakunika “amaqaba” ithuba eligcono lokuqonda lokho okushiwo ukuvuswa kukaJesu. Nokho uPawulu wayengeke avumelane nalokho. Nakuba ayechayeka emasikweni amaningi amaqaba ngesikhathi edabula elaseRoma, akazange amukele ngisho nelilodwa isiko elalizokwenza abantu baqonde kangcono uJesu. Kunalokho, waxwayisa amaKristu: “Ningaboshelwa ejokeni nabangakholwa. Ngoba kunabudlelwane buni ukulunga nokungalungi na? Noma, ukukhanya kunasabelo sini nobumnyama? ‘Ngakho-ke phumani phakathi kwabo, nizihlukanise,’ kusho uJehova, ‘futhi niyeke ukuthinta into engcolile’”—2 Korinte 6:14, 17.

Uyini umphumela wokuhlolisisa kafushane imininingwane ephathelene nama-Easter? Lokhu kusibonise ngokucacile ukuthi ama-Easter awawona umkhosi wobuKristu.