UJesu useseJerusalema eMkhosini WamaTabernakele (noma WamaDokodo). Kuyamjabulisa ukuthi “abaningi kuleso sixuku baba nokholo kuye.” Nokho, lokho akubajabulisi abaholi benkolo. Bathumela onogada ukuba bayombopha. (Johane 7:31, 32) Noma kunjalo, uJesu akazami ukucasha.

Kunalokho, uJesu uyaqhubeka efundisa obala eJerusalema, uthi: “Ngizoba nani isikhashana ngaphambi kokuba ngihambe ngiye kuLowo ongithumile. Nizongifuna kodwa ngeke ningithole, futhi lapho ngikhona anikwazi ukuza.” (Johane 7:33, 34) AmaJuda awaqondi, ngakho akhuluma wodwa athi: “Lo muntu uhlose ukuyaphi, ukuze singamtholi? Akahlosile ukuya kumaJuda ahlakazekile phakathi kwamaGreki, afundise amaGreki, akunjalo? Usho ukuthini uma ethi, ‘Nizongifuna, kodwa ngeke ningithole, futhi lapho ngikhona anikwazi ukuza’?” (Johane 7:35, 36) Nokho, uJesu ukhuluma ngokufa kwakhe nangokuvuselwa kwakhe ezulwini futhi izitha zakhe ngeke zikwazi ukumlandela lapho.

Luyafika usuku lwesikhombisa lomkhosi. Njalo ekuseni phakathi nezinsuku zomkhosi, umpristi ubelokhu ekha amanzi eChibini LaseSilowama awathulule phansi ukuze agelezele e-altare elisethempelini. Cishe ekhumbuza abantu ngalo mkhuba, uJesu uthi: “Uma ekhona owomile makeze kimi aphuze. Noma ubani okholwa yimi, njengoba nje umbhalo ushilo: ‘Kuyogeleza imifudlana yamanzi aphilayo iphuma ngaphakathi kuye.’”—Johane 7:37, 38.

UJesu ukhuluma ngalokho okuzokwenzeka lapho abafundi bakhe begcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele futhi bemenywa ukuba bayophila ezulwini. Lokhu kugcotshwa kwenzeka ngemva kokufa kukaJesu. Kusukela ngePhentekoste ngonyaka olandelayo, imifudlana yamanzi anika  ukuphila iqala ukugeleza lapho abafundi abagcotshwe ngomoya befundisa abantu iqiniso.

Lapho bezwa uJesu efundisa, abanye bathi: “Ngempela lona ungumProfethi,” ngokusobala besho umprofethi owabikezelwa, omkhulu kunoMose. Abanye bathi: “Lo nguKristu.” Kodwa abanye bayaphikisa bathi: “UKristu akaveli eGalile, akunjalo? ImiBhalo ayisho yini ukuthi uKristu uvela enzalweni kaDavide naseBhetlehema, indawo uDavide ayehlala kuyo?”—Johane 7:40-42.

Ngakho isixuku sihlukene phakathi. Nakuba abanye befuna uJesu aboshwe, akekho ombambayo. Lapho onogada bebuyela kubaholi benkolo bengamphethe uJesu, abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi bayabuza: “Kungani ningezanga naye?” Onogada bayaphendula: “Akekho omunye umuntu owake wakhuluma kanje.” Bethukuthele, abaholi benkolo bayababhuqa futhi babadelele bathi: “Ingabe nani senidukisiwe? Akekho noyedwa kubabusi noma kubaFarisi oye wakholwa nguye, akunjalo? Kodwa lesi sixuku esingawazi uMthetho singabantu abaqalekisiwe.”—Johane 7:45-49.

Lapho besho lokhu uNikhodemu, ongumFarisi nelungu leSanhedrini, uqunga isibindi akhulumele uJesu. Eminyakeni emibili nohhafu ngaphambili, uNikhodemu weza kuJesu ebusuku futhi wabonisa ukholo kuye. Manje uNikhodemu uthi: “UMthetho wakithi awumahluleli umuntu ngaphandle kokuba uqale ngokumuzwa futhi uthole ukuthi wenzeni, akunjalo?” Bazivikela bathini? “Uphuma eGalile yini nawe? Hlola ubone ukuthi akukho mprofethi oyovela eGalile.”—Johane 7:51, 52.

ImiBhalo ayisho ngokuthe ngqo ukuthi umprofethi uyovela eGalile. Noma kunjalo, iZwi likaNkulunkulu liyasho ukuthi uKristu wayeyovela khona, laprofetha lathi “ukukhanya okukhulu” kwakuyobonakala ‘eGalile lezizwe.’ (Isaya 9:1, 2; Mathewu 4:13-17) Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba kwabikezelwa uJesu wazalelwa eBhetlehema futhi wayeyinzalo kaDavide. Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi abaFarisi bayakwazi lokhu, cishe yibona abasakaza imibono eminingi eyiphutha abantu abanayo ngoJesu.