IBhethani yayiyilali encinane neyayikumgama weekhilomitha ezintathu ukusuka eYerusalem. (Yohane 11:18) Kwiiveki nje ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokufa kukaYesu, kwehla intlekele kuloo lali. ULazaro, omnye wabahlobo abasenyongweni bakaYesu, wasuka wagula kakhulu de wafa.

Emva kokuva ezo ndaba, uYesu waxelela abafundi bakhe ukuba uLazaro ulele yaye wayeza kumvusa. (Yohane 11:11) Abafundi bakaYesu babengakuva ncam oko wayekuthetha, kwafuneka uYesu abachazele kakuhle ukuba: “ULazaro ufile.”—Yohane 11:14.

Emva kweentsuku ezine engcwatyiwe uLazaro, uYesu wafika eBhethani efuna ukuthuthuzela uMarta, udade bomfi. UMarta wathi: “Ukuba ubulapha umntakwethu ngengafanga.” (Yohane 11:17, 21) UYesu waphendula wathi: “Ndim uvuko nobomi. Lowo ubonisa ukholo kum, nokuba uyafa, uya kubuyela ebomini.”—Yohane 11:25.

Ukuze abonise ubunyani baloo mazwi, uYesu wasondela kwingcwaba waza wakhwaza esithi: “Lazaro, phuma!” (Yohane 11:43) Babamba ongezantsi abo babebukele njengoko umfi ephuma engcwabeni.

Ngaphambi koku, uYesu wayesele evuse abantu ababini. Ngesinye isihlandlo wavusa intombi kaYayiro eyayifile. Ngaphambi kokuba ayivuse, wathi ilele.—Luka 8:52.

Phawula ukuba xa wayechaza ukufa kukaLazaro nokwentombi kaYayiro, uYesu wafanisa ukufa nokulala. Wenza umzekelo wezinto ezifana gingci. Kutheni sisitsho nje? Xa umntu elele akazinto, ibe kuyiveza kakuhle oko ingcamango yokuba abafileyo abava zintlungu. (INtshumayeli 9:5; funda ibhokisi ethi,  “Ukufa Kufana Nobuthongo Obunzulu.”) Abafundi bakaYesu bokuqala babekuqonda kakuhle oko kwenzekayo xa umntu esifa. IEncyclopedia of Religion and Ethics ithi: “Kubafundi bakaYesu,  ukufa kwakuthetha ukulala, lona ingcwaba liyindawo yokuphumla . . . kwabo bafe benokholo.” *

Siyathuthuzeleka kukwazi ukuba abafileyo balele engcwabeni ibe abava zintlungu. Ngoko ke, ekubeni sisazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kuthi xa sisifa, akuyomfuneko ukuba soyike.

Nangona sikuthanda ukulala kamnandi ebusuku, ngubani kuthi ofuna ukulala ngonaphakade? Ngaba likho ithemba lokuba abo balele emangcwabeni bangaze bavuke—njengoLazaro nentombi kaYayiro?

Xa wayesiva ukuba usondele ekufeni, usolusapho uYobhi wabuza kwalo mbuzo mnye. Wathi: “Ukuba indoda iyafa, ngaba inokuphila kwakhona?”—Yobhi 14:14.

Ethetha kunye noThixo uSomandla, uYobhi wawuphendula lo mbuzo ngala mazwi: “Uya kubiza, ndisabele. Uya kuwulangazelela umsebenzi wezandla zakho.” (Yobhi 14:15) UYobhi wayeqinisekile ukuba uYehova ukulangazelela gqitha ukuvusa umkhonzi Wakhe othembekileyo. Ngaba uYobhi wayenqwenela into engenakwenzeka? Akunjalo.

Ukuvusa kukaYesu abantu abafileyo kububungqina bokuba uThixo wamnika amandla okoyisa ukufa. Kangangokuba iBhayibhile ithi ngoku uYesu ‘unezitshixo zokufa.’ (ISityhilelo 1:18) Ngoko ke, uYesu uza kuwavula amangcwaba njengokuba wenzayo xa wayalela ukuba kususwe ilitye elalikwingcwaba likaLazaro.

IBhayibhile ithetha ngokuphindaphindiweyo ngesi sithembiso sovuko. Ingelosi yaqinisekisa uDaniyeli yathi: “Uya kuphumla, kodwa uya kubuya uvuke, wamkele isabelo selifa lakho ekupheleni kwemihla.” (Daniyeli 12:13) UYesu wathi kubaSadusi, iinkokeli zamaYuda ezazingakholelwa kwithemba lovuko: “Niyaphazama, kuba ningazazi iZibhalo namandla kaThixo.” (Mateyu 22:23, 29) Umpostile uPawulos wathi: “Ndinethemba kuThixo . . . lokuba kuza kubakho uvuko lwamalungisa nabangengomalungisa.”—IZenzo 24:15.

Luza kubakho nini uvuko lwamalungisa nabangengomalungisa? Ingelosi eyayithetha noDaniyeli yathi uya kubuya avuke “ekupheleni kwemihla.” UMarta, naye wayekholelwa ukuba umntakwabo uLazaro wayeya “kuvuka eluvukweni ngomhla wokugqibela.”—Yohane 11:24.

IBhayibhile inxulumanisa lo ‘mhla wokugqibela’ kunye nokulawula koBukumkani bukaKristu. UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Kuba [uKristu] umele alawule njengokumkani ade uThixo azibeke phantsi kweenyawo zakhe zonke iintshaba. Olokugqibela utshaba oluya kutshitshiswa kukufa.” (1 Korinte 15:25, 26) Oku kusinika isizathu esibalulekileyo sokuba sithandazele ukuba uBukumkani bukaThixo bufike ukuze ukuthanda kukaThixo kwenziwe emhlabeni. *

Kanye njengokuba uYobhi watshoyo, injongo kaThixo kukuvusa abafi. Xa olo suku lufika, ukufa kuya koyiswa ngokupheleleyo. Ibe akusayi kubakho mntu ubuzayo , ‘Ngaba ukufa sisiphelo?’