1, 2. Kuyini uPhetro ayecabanga ukuthi kwakuzakwenzakala ngesikhathi uJesu efundisa eKhaphenawume, kodwa kwacina kuhambe njani?

UPHETRO wayengasahlalisekanga, esebathe nhla abantu ababelalele uJesu. Babesesinagogeni, eKhaphenawume. Umuzi kaPhetro wawusedolobheni lelo, njalo yikho lapho okwakuhlala khona abakhula bakhe lezinini zakhe ezinengi kanye labosowabo ayesenza labo ibhizimusi lakhe elalisekhunjini loLwandle lwaseGalile. Akuthandabuzwa-ke ukuthi wayeloyisa ukuthi omakhelwana bakhe bamthande uJesu njengaye. Wayefisa lokuthi kubathokozise ukulalela indoda le eyayiyingcitshi ekufundiseni ibatshela ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Kodwa isifiso sakhe saphelela emoyeni.

² Abanengi babengasafuni lakuzwa lelilodwa nje elivela kuJesu. Abanye basebengunguna, bengavumelani layekufundisa. Kodwa into eyayisimudla kakhulu uPhetro yikuthi kwasekuyiso leso lakubafundi bakaJesu. Basebebuthe inhlonzi, sebezonde bengasazazi lanxa ekuqaliseni babethokoza besizwa iqiniso uJesu ayebafundisa lona. Abanye babhavuma besithi ayekutsho kwakutshwaqisa igazi. Bangena indlela bemtshiya esinagogeni, badela lokuba ngabafundi bakhe.—Bala uJohane 6:60, 66.

3. Ukholo lukaPhetro lwamsiza ukuthi enzeni ngezikhathi esekulingweni?

³ UPhetro labanye abaphostoli basebephakathi kwelitshe lembokodo. Laye wayengakuzwisisi ngokugcweleyo okwakufundiswa nguJesu ngalelolanga. Wayezibonela ukuthi amazwi kaJesu ayengamkhuba umuntu wayengawathatha njengoba enjalo. Manje yena wenzani? Lesi kwakuyisilingo esasizaveza ukuthi wayeqotho yini eNkosini yakhe loba hatshi. Kwakungayisiso sokuqala, njalo sasingayisiso sokucina. Pho ukholo lwakhe lwamsiza njani ukuthi anqobe izilingo lezi njalo ahlale eqotho? Kasehle lodaba sizwe.

4, 5. Kuyini okwenziwa nguJesu okwamangalisa abantu?

⁴ Izenzo zikaJesu kanye lamazwi akhe kwakuke kummangalise uPhetro ngoba kwezinye izikhathi kwakuphikisana lalokho abantu ababekulindele kuye. Phela uJesu wayeke wenza isimanga, wasuthisa amaxuku abantu ngokudla okulutshwana. Bahle bathi hetshwa,  bazama ukumbeka ukuthi abe yinkosi yabo. Kodwa yena waba nguphunyuka bemphethe, nango esithi abafundi bakhe bahambe ngesikepe baye eKhaphenawume. Basala bengaselankani. Kwathi sekusebusuku abafundi bedabula elwandle, bamangala bebona uJesu thutshu ehamba phezu koLwandle lwaseGalile olwalulesiphepho. Mhlalokho uPhetro wafunda ukuthi kwakumele abe lokholo.

⁵ Kusisa, babona nampo abantu labaya ababebabalekele. Babebalandele baze babathola. Kukhanya babebukhali nganxanye njengengqamu, befuna ukumbona esenza imimangaliso ukuze bathole ukudla kodwa bengakuqakathekisi ukufunda iqiniso ngoJehova. UJesu wabasola kakhulu. (Joh. 6:25-27) Waqhubeka ngayo indaba le sebesesinagogeni eKhaphenawume, wabafundisa elinye iqiniso elaliqakathekile elabatshiya betshe amathe futhi kulukhuni ukuthi balizwisise.

6. UJesu wabalandisela wuphi omunye umzekeliso ababemlalele, njalo benzani bewuzwa?

⁶ UJesu wayefuna ukuthi abantu laba babone ukuthi yena wayengasiso siphala sokudla nje kodwa wayethunywe nguNkulunkulu ukuthi azobafela ukuze bathole ukuphila okungapheliyo. Yikho-ke wabatshela umzekeliso, ezifanisa lemana, isinkwa esasehle sivela ezulwini ngesikhathi sikaMosi. Lapho abanye bekwala lokhu, wabalandisela omunye umzekeliso, ebacacisela ukuthi kwakumele badle inyama yakhe banathe legazi lakhe ukuze bathole impilo. Kulapho-ke abala bajeka umduli, bazonda babila. Abanye bathi: “Le yimfundiso enzima. Kambe ngubani ongayamukela na?” Inengi labafundi bakaJesu lalo lathi lalingeke likuhlalele okunje, lamtshiya. *—Joh. 6:48-60, 66.

7, 8. (a) Kuyini uPhetro ayengakakuzwisisi ngoJesu? (b) UPhetro wawuphendula wathini umbuzo uJesu ayewuphosele abaphostoli?

⁷ UPhetro yena wenzani? Kumele ukuthi lokho okwakutshiwo nguJesu kwakuyinsindabaphenduli lakuye. Wayengakakuzwisisi ukuthi uJesu kwakufanele afe ukuze intando kaNkulunkulu yenziwe. Pho walingeka yini ukuthi atshiye uJesu njengabafundi laba ababengomajikeduze? Hatshi, ngoba kulokunye okuqakathekileyo okwakusenza ukuthi angafani labo.

⁸ UJesu wakhangela abaphostoli bakhe wasesithi: “Lina kalifuni ukutshiya na?” (Joh. 6:67) Wayebuza bonke abalitshumi lambili, kodwa kwaphendula uPhetro njengenhlalayenza. Engxenye wayemdala kulabo bonke. Esikunanzelelayo yikuthi wayengafihli  okwakusesifubeni sakhe futhi kukhanya angani wayengathikazi lokutsho ayekucabanga. Kodwa lapha watsho amazwi aqakathekileyo alokhu esakhunjulwa lalamuhla. Wathi: “Nkosi, sizakuya kubani na? Wena ulamazwi okuphila okungapheliyo.”—Joh. 6:68.

9. Kwakhanya njani ukuthi uPhetro wayeqotho kuJesu?

⁹ Wena uthini ngalokho okwatshiwo nguPhetro? Ukholo ayelalo kuJesu lwamnceda ukuthi abeqotho. Kwakuqakatheke kakhulu ukuthi ahlale eqotho kuye. Laye wazibonela ukuthi uJesu wayenguye yedwa uMsindisi owayethunywe nguJehova. Wayekubona lokuthi ayekufundisa ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu kwakunika abantu ithemba. Lanxa kwakukhona okwakumphica uPhetro, wayekwazi ukuthi akula lapho ayengaqonda khona nxa wayefuna ukuthi uNkulunkulu amamukele njalo amnike impilo engapheliyo.

10. Singamlingisela njani uPhetro?

¹⁰ Lawe uvumelana loPhetro yini? Kuyadanisa ukuthi abanengi lamuhla bathi bayamthanda uJesu kodwa kabakho qotho kuye. Nxa sifuna ukuhlala siqotho, kumele silingisele uPhetro, sibambelele ezintweni uJesu ayezifundisa abantu. Kumele sikubale, sizame ukukuzwisisa njalo sikusebenzise ekuphileni kwethu lanxa kungahambelani lesikufunayo loba kutshiyene lalokho ebesikukhangelele. Ukuhlala siqotho yikho kuphela okungenza ukuthi siphile impilo engapheliyo uJesu afuna siyithole.—Bala iHubo 97:10.

11. UJesu wayesiya ngaphi labalandeli bakhe?

¹¹ Ngemva kwesikhatshana, uJesu wahamba umango omude elabaphostoli bakhe kanye labanye abafundi bakhe belubangise enyakatho. Basondela eNtabeni iHemoni eyayisiba longqwaqwane. Nxa wawuseLwandle lwaseGalile, wawungasibona nansiya isiqongo sentaba le eyayisenyakatho yeLizwe Lesithembiso. Khathesi-ke basebeyibona phose yonke, beqansa besondela emizini ababesiya kuyo eyayiseduze kweKhesariya Filiphi. Basebesenelisa ukubuka okwakuseningizimu yeLizwe Lesithembiso ngoba basebesendaweni ethe ukuphakama. Yikho lapho uJesu ababuza khona umbuzo oqakathekileyo.

12, 13. (a) Kungani uJesu wabuza ukuthi abantu babesithi yena ungubani? (b) Amazwi kaPhetro atshengisa njani ukuthi wayelokholo lweqiniso?

¹² UJesu wabuza wathi: “Kanti abantu abanengi bathi ngingubani na?” Akumbone uPhetro esekhangele uJesu enhlamvini zamehlo, ebona ukuthi iNkosi yakhe yayilomusa, ilamandla njalo ilenhlakanipho ezikileyo. UJesu wayefuna ukwazi ukuthi abantu babesithi yena ungubani ngemva kokubona ayekwenzile layekutshilo. Lakanye abafundi bamphendula, bamtshela lokhu lalokhuya  okwakutshiwo ngabantu. Kodwa uJesu kazange acine khonapho. Wayefuna ukubona langabe abaphostoli bakhe babelahleka njengabanengi. Ngakho-ke wababuza wathi: “Pho lina-ke? Lithi ngingubani?”—Luk. 9:18-20.

¹³ Lalapha futhi uPhetro wahle waphendula. Kazange atshone ekhekheleza kodwa wacaca wathi: “UnguKhristu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.” Labanye bakhe babevumelana laye. Akumcabange uJesu ebobotheka, emncoma ngamazwi amnandi. Wamkhumbuza ukuthi nguJehova owayesize abantu ababelokholo ukuthi balazi iqiniso lelo elaliqakatheke kakhulu. UPhetro wayesekuzwisisa ukuthi uJesu kwakunguye uMesiya loba uKhristu okwasekukudala kwakhulunywa ukuthi wayezakuba khona.—Bala uMathewu 16:16, 17.

14. UJesu wamnika msebenzi bani uPhetro?

¹⁴ UKhristu lo nguye okwakuphrofethwe kudala ukuthi wayezakuba lilitshe elalizalahlwa ngabakhi. (Hubo. 118:22; Luk. 20:17) UJesu wayecabanga ngeziphrofetho lezo lapho eveza ukuthi uJehova wayezasekela ibandla elitsheni lelo. Ilitshe leli kwakunguye uJesu, uPhetro ambiza ngokuthi nguKhristu. Yikho-ke wanika uPhetro imisebenzi eqakatheke kakhulu ebandleni. Abanye bathi uPhetro wayesezakuba yingqwele phakathi kwabaphostoli, kodwa okwakutshiwo nguJesu yikuthi wayesezakuba lomsebenzi omkhulu. Wayesemnike “amakhiye ombuso wasezulwini.” (Mat. 16:19) UPhetro wayezakuba lesibusiso sokuvulela abantu bemihlobo etshiyeneyo ithuba lokungena eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu. Wayezaqala ngamaJuda, kulandele amaSamariya besekucina ngabeZizweni, loba abangasimaJuda.

15. Kwakutheni uPhetro aze asole uJesu, njalo wamsola esithini?

¹⁵ Lanxa kunjalo, uJesu waphinda wathi nxa umuntu wayephiwe okunengi, kwakuzafuneka okunengi kuye. (Luk. 12:48) Okwenzakala kuPhetro kwaveza ukuthi lalimqotho lelo. UJesu waveza okunye okunengi ngoMesiya kanye lokuthi wayezahlukuluzwa eJerusalema njalo acine ebulewe. Kodwa uPhetro akuzange kumphathe lokho. Wabizela uJesu eceleni wasemsola esithi: “Ngeke kwenzeke, Nkosi! Lokhu kakusoze kwafa kwenzeka kuwe!”—Mat. 16:21, 22.

16. UJesu wamqondisa njani uPhetro, njalo akutshoyo kusifundisani?

 ¹⁶ UJesu yena wathini? Wafulathela uPhetro, wakhangela abanye abafundi okumele ukuthi labo babevumelana loPhetro, wasesithi: “Buyela emva kwami, Sathane; uyisikhubekiso kimi, ngoba kawucabangi ngezinto zikaNkulunkulu kodwa ngezabantu.” (Mat. 16:23, The Holy Bible in Ndebele; Mak. 8:32, 33) Kufanele ukuthi uPhetro wamangala ngoba yena wayezitshela ukuthi uyamsiza. Amazwi kaJesu angasinceda kakhulu. Kulula ukuthi lathi sicine sisenza esikucabangayo kulokuthi silalele okutshiwo nguNkulunkulu. Nxa singenza njalo, singaba ngabasekeli bakaSathane singananzeleli, kungelani lokuthi siyabe sihlose ukusiza abanye. Manje uPhetro wenzani esezwe impendulo kaJesu?

17. UJesu wayesitshoni lapho etshela uPhetro ukuthi ‘abuyele emva kwakhe’?

¹⁷ Ayisikho ukuthi uJesu wayesithi uPhetro nguSathane uDeveli futhi kumele ukuthi uPhetro wakunanzelela lokho. Phela indlela uJesu amphendula ngayo itshiyene lendlela ayeke aphendula ngayo uSathane. KuSathane wayethe: “Suka kimi,” kodwa kuPhetro wathi: “Buyela emva kwami.” (Mat. 4:10) Kazange amlahlele iganga umphostoli lo ngoba wayebona okunengi okuhle kuye. Kodwa wamqondisa ngoba wayesephambuka. UPhetro kwakumele abe ngemva kweNkosi yakhe ayisekele njengoba wayengumlandeli wayo, kulokuthi ayihambele phambili acine esesiba lilitshe elingayikhuba.

18. UPhetro watshengisa njani ukuthi wayeqotho, njalo singamlingisela njani?

¹⁸ UPhetro waphinda watshengisa ukuthi wayeqotho. Kazange amisane loJesu, amzondele loba ambeke isikhupha, kodwa wazithoba wavuma ukukhuzwa. Lalamuhla sonke esilandela uKhristu kumele sizithobe nxa siqondiswa, ngoba phela akugobo lingeqondiswe. Lokhu kuzasisiza ukuthi sisondele eduze loJesu Khristu kanye loYise uJehova uNkulunkulu.—Bala iZaga 4:13.

19. UJesu wathini okwamangalisa abafundi, njalo kungenzeka ukuthi uPhetro wasala ecabangani?

¹⁹ UJesu waphinda wakhuluma okunye okwatshiya abafundi bebambe owangaphansi. Wathi: “Ngilitshela iqiniso, abanye abemiyo khonapha kabayikukuzwa ukufa bengakayiboni iNdodana  yoMuntu isiza embusweni wayo.” (Mat. 16:28) Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi amazwi la atshiya uPhetro esezidla izibindi. UJesu wayengabe esitshoni? Njengoba uPhetro wayesanda kukhuzwa, engxenye wayesecabanga ukuthi wayengasoze wafa wazithola ezinye izibusiso ezinjengalesi esasitshiwo nguJesu.

20, 21. (a) Chasisa isimanga uPhetro asibonayo. (b) UPhetro wananzelelani esezwe ingxoxo kaJesu lamadoda amabili ayesembonweni?

²⁰ Kodwa kwathi sekudlule phose iviki, uJesu wathatha uJakhobe loJohane kanye loPhetro wahamba labo “entabeni ende.” Mhlawumbe babesiya eNtabeni iHemoni eyayikhatshana ngamakhilomitha angu-25. Kumele ukuthi kwakusebusuku ngoba amadoda la womathathu ayelokhu ewozela ngapha uJesu ekhuleka. Kodwa wathi esakhuleka kwenzakala isimanga esenza avuka khwatshu!—Mat. 17:1; Luk. 9:28, 29, 32.

²¹ UJesu waqalisa ukuguquka bembona ngawabo. Ubuso bakhe bantshintsha baze babenyezela salanga. Izigqoko zakhe lazo  zasezikhazimula, sezimhlophe nke. Besathi sikubonile, thutshu embonweni amadoda amabili, uMosi lo-Elija. Yatsha ingxoxo amadoda la ekhuluma loJesu “ngokusuka kwakhe okwasekusondele ukuthi kugcwaliseke eJerusalema.” Kukhanya babexoxa ngokufa langokuvuswa kwakhe. Kwathi dlwe kuPhetro, wakubona ukuthi wayegxanguzile sibili ngokuma ngelokuthi uJesu wayengasoze ahlukuluzwe njalo afe.—Luk. 9:30, 31.

22, 23. (a) Kuyini okutshengisa ukuthi uPhetro wayetshiseka njalo elomusa? (b) UPhetro, loJakhobe kanye loJohane bathola siphi esinye isibusiso?

²² UPhetro kwamalela ukuthi azihlalele nje abukele isimanga leso. Yikho wathi kahle laye aphose elakhe. Engxenye wayezama ukuthi ayelule ingxoxo, nanko phela kwasekukhanya angathi uMosi lo-Elija basebesuka kuJesu. Ngakho-ke wathi: “Nkosi, kumnandi kithi ukuba lapha. Kasakhe amadumba amathathu—elakho, elinye elika Mosi lelinye elika-Elija.” Kodwa lo kwakungumbono kuphela. UMosi lo-Elija kwasekukade bazifela, yikho babengeke bahlale kulawo madumba. Kuyakhanya-ke ukuthi uPhetro wayekhulume engaqalanga wacabangisisa. Kodwa uthini ngokutshiseka kwendoda le kanye lomusa wayo?—Luk. 9:33.

²³ Ngalobobusuku, uPhetro loJakhobe kanye loJohane bathola esinye isibusiso. Kwaqubuka ifu lagubuzela intaba ababekuyo, kwaqhamuka ilizwi eyezini lelo. KwakungelikaJehova uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe! Wathi: “Lo yiNdodana yami engiyikhethileyo; yilaleleni.” Bathi besithi qaqabu bazibona sebebodwa loJesu entabeni. Umbono wawusuphelile.—Luk. 9:34-36.

24. (a) Umbono uPhetro awubonayo wamsiza ngani? (b) Kumele senzeni nxa sifuna ukuthi umbono owabonwa nguPhetro usisize?

²⁴ Umbono lo wamnceda kakhulu uPhetro futhi lathi ungasiphathisa. Kwathi sekwedlule iminyaka leminyaka lokhu kwenzakele, waloba mayelana lesibusiso leso sokuba ‘ngufakazi wobukhosi bukaJesu.’ Kwakungathi uthe lungu kancane wambona eyiNkosi yasezulwini elenkazimulo. Umbono lo watshengisa ukuthi iziphrofetho eziseLizwini likaNkulunkulu zizagcwaliseka njalo waluqinisa ukholo lukaPhetro. Lokhu kwamsiza ukuthi alwisane lobunzima obabuzamehlela. (Bala u-2 Phetro 1:16-19.) Lathi ungasisiza nxa singalingisela uPhetro, sihlale siqotho eNkosini le ebekwe nguJehova, silandele isibonelo sayo, siyilalele nxa isiqondisa njalo sizithobe kuyo nsuku zonke.