“Kwathi lokha [uJehova] uZimu nathatha umuntu ambeka esivandeni se-Edeni bona asisebenze abe asitjheje, wamyala wathi: ‘Ungazidlela ngokuthanda kwakho nanyana ngimuphi umuthi osesivandeni, kodwana ungawudli umuthi wokwazi okuhle nokumbi ngombana mhlana uwudlako uzokufa kokufa.’”—Genesisi 2:15-17, NW.

UZimu wabeka umuntu wokuthoma u-Adamu esimini ye-Edeni, ipharadeyisi elisephasini ebelizele ngeentjalo ezinothileko namathuthumbo amahle. Bekunemithi ethela iinthelo lapho u-Adamu ebekazidlela khona ngokutjhaphulukileko. Nanyana kunjalo, uJehova uZimu wakwenza kwakhanya ukuthi u-Adamu angadli emthini munye kwaphela, wamyelelisa ngokuthi nakangadla emthini loyo uzokufa.

Kghani u-Adamu wawuzwisisa umyalo loyo? Bekakwazi ukuthi ukufa kuyinto bani, bekazibona iinlwana nazifako. Nengabe u-Adamu bekadalelwe ukuthi afe ekugcineni, isiyalo sakaZimesi besizokuba yinto engatjho litho kangako. Kunalokho, u-Adamu wabona ukuthi nangabe bekalalele uZimu angadli emthini, bekazokuphila ngokungapheliko—bekangeze afa.

Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi umuthi bowufanekisela iindaba zomseme, kodwana bekungasi njalo. Kunalokho, uJehova bekafuna u-Adamu nomkakhe u-Eva ‘babelethe bande, bazalise iphasi balibuse.’ (Genesisi 1:28) Umyalo lo bewutjho umuthi wamambala. UJehova wawubiza ngokuthi ‘mumuthi wokwazi okuhle nokumbi’ ngebanga lokuthi bewujamele ilungelo lakhe lokuzikhethela ukuthi khuyini okuhle nokumbi ebantwini. Ngokungadli kwakhe isithelo somuthi loyo, u-Adamu bekazokutjengisa ingasi ukulalela kwakhe kwaphela kodwana nokuthi umthanda kangangani Loyo owambumbako bewambusisa nangokunothileko.

“Endodeni uZimu wathi: ‘Njengombana . . . wadla emthini engakwalela bonyana udle kiwo, . . . ukudla kwakho uzakujulukela bewubuyele ehlabathini. Iye, wathathwa kiyo begodu njengombana ulithuli nje, uzakubuyela ethulini.’”—Genesisi 3:17, 19.

 U-Adamu wadla emthini ebekangakavunyelwa ukudla kiwo. Isenzo sokungalalelesi bekufuze singeciselwa amehlo. Besikuvukela, ukungatjheji ngamabomu koke okuhle uJehova amenzele khona. Ngokudla isithelweso, u-Adamu wala uJehova, wakhetha ikambo yokuzibusa. Okwamlethela imiphumela ebuhlungu khulu.

Njengokutjho kwakaJehova, u-Adamu ekugcineni waphetha ngokufa. UZimu wabumba u-Adamu “ngethuli lehlabathi” wabe wamtjela nokuthi “uzakubuyela ethulini.” U-Adamu akhenge aphile kelinye ihlobo lokuphila namkha kenye indawo. Wafa, wabuye wafana nethuli lehlabathi njengombana wabunjwa ngalo.—Genesisi 2:7; UMtjhumayeli 9:5, 10.

“Yeke njengombana isono seza ephasini ngomuntu munye, ukufa kwangena ngesono, ngaleyondlela ukufa kwadlulela kibo boke abantu ngombana boke bonile.”—Roma 5:12.

Ukungalaleli kwaka-Adamu namkha isono—kwabangela imiphumela eyonakalisa izinto ezinengi khulu. Ngokona, u-Adamu wazilahlekisela ingasi ukuphila iminyaka engaba ma-70 nofana ema-80, kodwana walahlekelwa kuphila unomphela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Adamu nakonako, walahlekelwa kuphila okupheleleko, wadlulisela isono nebantwaneni bakhe.

Soke siziinzukulwana zaka-Adamu. Ngebanga lokuthi sivela kuye, bengeze salibalekela ifuzo lomzimba onesono notjhigamele esonweni nekufeni. UPowula wawuhlathulula kuhle umraro lo. Watlola: “Kodwana mina ngingowenyama, ngathengiselwa ebukhobokeni ngaphasi kwesono. Maye mina ngilisizi! Ngubani ozongikhulula kilomzimba wokufa na?” UPowula waziphendulela yena umbuzo lo: “Akathokozwe uZimu ngoJesu Krestu iKosethu!”—Roma 7:14, 24, 25.

“UYise wathumela iNdodanakhe bona ibe Msindisi wephasi.”—1 Jwanisi 4:14.

 UJehova uZimu wenza ilungiselelo lokwehlula imiphumela yesono nokusitjhaphulula esigwebweni sokufa unomphela. Njani? Wathumela iNdodanakhe ethandekako evela ezulwini yazokubelethwa ephasini njengomuntu onganasono ofana no-Adamu. Kodwana ngokungafani no-Adamu uJesu ‘azange enze isono.’ (1 Pitrosi 2:22) Ngebanga lokuthi bekanganasono, akhenge afumane isigwebo esikukufa begodu bekangakghona ukuphila ngokungapheliko njengomuntu opheleleko.

Kunalokho, uJehova wavumela ukuthi uJesu abulawe manabakhe. Kwathi ngemva kwamalanga amathathu, uJehova wamvusa njengomuntu womoya, enzelela ukuthi akwazi ukubuyela ezulwini. Lapho-ke, uJesu wanikela uZimu inani lepilwakhe yomuntu opheleleko, bona ahlenge lokho u-Adamu akulahlekisela yena neenzukulwana zakhe. UJehova wawemukela umnikelo loyo, wabe wenza kwakghonakala nangalabo abakholelwa kuJesu ukuthi bafumane ukuphila okungapheliko.—Roma 3:23, 24; 1 Jwanisi 2:2.

UJesu wabuye wathenga lokho okwalahlwa ngu-Adamu. Wasuhlwa kukufa ngebanga lokuthi thina sikwazi ukuphila unomphela. IBhayibheli lithi: “UJesu . . . wahlunguphazwa ekufeni, khona kuzakuthi ngomusa kaZimu afe ngebanga labo boke abantu.”—Hebheru 2:9, NW.

Ilungiselelweli liveza okunengi khulu ngoJehova. Iinkambiso zakhe zobulungiswa eziphakemeko zenze kwakghonakala ngabantu abanesono ukuthi bazifumanele ukusindiswa. Nanyana kunjalo, ithando lakhe nomusa kwamtjhukumisela ukuthi ahlangabezane neemfuneko ezibiza khulu—wanikela ngeNdodanakhe yaba mnikelo wokusindisa.—Roma 5:6-8.

“UKrestu uvusiwe kabafileko, yena osithelo sokuthoma sabaleleko. Njengombana ukufa kweza ngomuntu, kunjalo nokuvuka kabafileko kuza ngomuntu. Njengombana ku-Adamu boke bayafa, ngokunjalo kuKrestu boke bazakuvuswa.”—1 Korinte 15:20-22.

Akukho nokuncani ukuzaza ngokuthi uJesu waphila bewafa, kodwana ngibuphi ubufakazi obukhona bokuthi wavuswa ekufeni? Hlangana nobufakazi obunamandla, kunephuzu elithi uJesu owavuswako wabonakala ebantwini abanengi ezehlakalweni ezingafani neendaweni ezihlukahlukeneko. Kokuthoma, wabonakala ebantwini abangaphezu kwama-500. Umpostoli uPowula nakatlolela abantu beKorinte incwadi wathi, ngathana abanye babofakazaba bebasaphila, ahlathulula ukuthi bebazokutjho abakubonako nebakuzwako.—1 Korinte 15:3-8.

Sekuyakhanya-ke, ukuthi ngesikhathi uPowula atlola ngokuthi uKrestu ‘usithelo sokuthoma’ salabo abavusiweko, bekatjho ukuthi kukhona abanye nabo abazokuvuswa ngokuzako. UJesu naye ngokwakhe wathi siyeza isikhathi ‘lapha boke abasemalibeni bazakuvuka.’—Jwanisi 5:28, 29.

“Mbala uZimu walithanda kangaka iphasi, wabe wanikela ngeNdodanakhe ebelethwe yodwa, khona kuzakuthi loyo okholwa kiyo angabhubhi, kodwana abe nepilo engapheliko.”—Jwanisi 3:16.

 Amakhasi weBhayibheli wokuthoma asitjela ngokuthi ukufa kwangena njani nokuthi iPharadeyisi lalahleka njani. Kuthi amakhasi wokugcina asitjele ngesikhathi lapho ukufa kuzakwenziwa khona ilize, uZimu abuyisele iPharadeyisi ephasini. Lapho-ke abantu bazokuhlala bathabile, baphile ipilo enothileko unomphela. IsAmbulo 21:4 sithi: “Ukufa angekhe kusaba khona.” Ivesi laka-5 nalihlathulula ngamaqiniso wesithembiswesi lithi: “Amezwi la athembekile begodu aliqiniso.” UJehova izinto azithembisako, uzokukghona ukuzizalisa.

Uyakholelwa na ukuthi “amezwi la athembekile begodu aliqiniso”? Yeke, funda okungeziweko ngoJesu Krestu, bewuhlale ukholelwa kuye. Nawenza njalo, uzokwamukelwa nguJehova. Angeze ufumane iimbusiso zakhe kwanje kwaphela, kodwana uzokufumana ithemba lokuphila okungapheliko ephasini eliyiPharadeyisi, lapho “ukufa angekhe kusaba khona, ngitjho nokulila nobuhlungu angekhe kusabakhona.”