Ngenxa yokuthi uJesu ubathanda ngokujulile abaphostoli bakhe, ubelokhu ebalungiselela ukuhamba kwakhe. Ubuka ezulwini bese ethandaza kuYise athi: “Khazimulisa indodana yakho ukuze indodana yakho ikukhazimulise, njengoba uyinike igunya phezu kwayo yonke inyama, ukuze ibanike ukuphila okuphakade bonke oyinike bona.”—Johane 17:1, 2.

Kuyacaca ukuthi uJesu uyaqaphela ukuthi kubaluleke kakhulu ukuba akhazimulise uNkulunkulu. Kodwa liyaduduza ngempela ithemba uJesu akhuluma ngalo—ukuphila okuphakade! Njengoba ‘enegunya phezu kwayo yonke inyama,’ uJesu angabazuzisa bonke abantu ngokubahlenga. Kodwa akubona bonke abantu abayobusiswa. Kungani bembalwa? Kungenxa yokuthi yilabo kuphela abenza ngokuvumelana nalokhu uJesu azokusho manje abayozuza esihlengweni sakhe: “Lokhu kusho ukuphila okuphakade, ukuba bakwazi, wena owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nalowo omthumile, uJesu Kristu.”—Johane 17:3.

Umuntu kumelwe azi uBaba neNdodana ngokuseduze futhi abe nobuhlobo obusondelene nabo. Kumelwe abe nombono ofana nowabo ngezinto. Kumelwe futhi azame ukulingisa ubuntu babo obungenakuqhathaniswa lapho esebenzelana nabanye. Kumelwe azi ukuthi ukukhazimulisa uNkulunkulu kuza kuqala kunokuba abantu bathole ukuphila okuphakade. Manje uJesu uphinde akhulume ngale ndaba, uthi:

“Ngikukhazimulisile emhlabeni, njengoba ngiwuqedile umsebenzi onginike wona ukuba ngiwenze. Ngakho manje Baba ngikhazimulise, mangibe seceleni kwakho, ngibe nenkazimulo enganginayo eceleni kwakho ngaphambi kokuba izwe libe khona.” (Johane 17:4, 5) Yebo, uJesu ucela ukuba abuyiselwe enkazimulweni yasezulwini ngokuthi avuswe.

Noma kunjalo, uJesu akakukhohliwe lokho akufezile enkonzweni yakhe. Uyathandaza athi: “Ngibazisile igama lakho abantu onginike bona ezweni. Babengabakho, wanginika bona, futhi baligcinile izwi lakho.” (Johane 17:6) UJesu wenza okungaphezu kokumane abize igama likaNkulunkulu, elithi Jehova, enkonzweni yakhe. Wasiza abaphostoli ukuba bazi ukuthi limelelani leli gama—ubuntu bukaNkulunkulu nendlela asebenzelana ngayo nabantu.

Abaphostoli sebeyamazi uJehova, indima yeNdodana yakhe nezinto uJesu azifundisile. Ngokuthobeka uJesu uthi: “Amazwi owanginika wona ngibanike wona, bawamukele, futhi sebeyazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi ngeza njengommeleli wakho futhi baye bakholwa ukuthi ungithumile.”—Johane 17:8.

UJesu ube esevuma ukuthi kukhona umehluko phakathi kwabalandeli bakhe nabanye abantu abasemhlabeni, uthi: “Ngicelela bona; angiceleli izwe, kodwa ngicelela labo onginike bona, ngoba bangabakho . . . Baba ongcwele, babheke ngenxa yegama lakho engibambulele lona, ukuze babe munye njengoba nje nathi simunye. . . . Ngibavikelile, akekho noyedwa kubo obhubhile ngaphandle kwendodana yokubhubha,” okuwukuthi, uJuda Iskariyothe, oyofeza izinhloso zakhe zokukhaphela uJesu.—Johane 17:9-12.

UJesu uyaqhubeka nokuthandaza athi: “Izwe libazondile . . . Angikuceli ukuba ubakhiphe ezweni, kodwa ukuba ubabheke ngenxa yomubi. Abayona ingxenye yezwe, njengoba nje nami ngingeyona ingxenye yezwe.” (Johane 17:14-16) Abaphostoli nabanye abafundi basezweni, emphakathini obuswa nguSathane, kodwa kumelwe bazihlukanise nalo nezinto ezimbi ezikulo. Kanjani?

Kumelwe bazigcine bengcwele, bazihlukanisele ukukhonza uNkulunkulu, ngokusebenzisa amaqiniso  atholakala emiBhalweni yesiHebheru namaqiniso uJesu ngokwakhe awafundisa. UJesu uyathandaza: “Bangcwelise ngeqiniso; izwi lakho liyiqiniso.” (Johane 17:17) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abanye abaphostoli bayobhala izincwadi eziphefumulelwe, eziyoba ingxenye ‘yeqiniso’ elingasiza umuntu ukuba angcweliswe.

Kodwa njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, kukhona nabanye abayolamukela ‘iqiniso.’ UJesu akaceleli “laba kuphela [labo abalapho], kodwa nalabo ababa nokholo [kuye] ngenxa yokushumayela kwabo.” Yini uJesu bonke abacelela yona? Ukuthi “bonke babe munye, njengoba nje wena, Baba, umunye nami futhi nami ngimunye nawe, ukuba nabo babe munye nathi.” (Johane 17:20, 21) UJesu noYise abayena umuntu oyedwa ngokoqobo. Bamunye ngoba bavumelana ngazo zonke izinto. UJesu uthandazela ukuthi abalandeli bakhe babe nalobu bunye obufanayo.

Ngaphambi nje kwalokhu, uJesu utshele uPetru nabanye ukuthi uzohamba ayobalungisela indawo, okuwukuthi indawo ezulwini. (Johane 14:2, 3) UJesu uyakuphinda lokhu emthandazweni wakhe: “Baba, ngifisa ukuthi labo onginike bona, babe nami lapho ngikhona, ukuze babone inkazimulo yami onginike yona ngoba wangithanda ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwezwe.” (Johane 17:24) Uyakugcizelela ukuthi kudala—ngaphambi kokuba u-Adamu no-Eva bazale abantwana—uNkulunkulu wayithanda iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, kamuva eyaba uJesu Kristu.

UJesu uphetha umthandazo wakhe ngokuphinde agcizelele kokubili igama likaYise nendlela uNkulunkulu athanda ngayo abaphostoli nabanye abasazokwamukela ‘iqiniso,’ uthi: “Ngibazisile igama lakho futhi ngizolenza laziwe, ukuze uthando ongithande ngalo lube kubo nami ngibe munye nabo.”—Johane 17:26.