“USUKU oluqondile uKristu azalwa ngalo alwaziwa,” kusho i-Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Noma kunjalo, izigidi zalabo abazibiza ngamaKristu emhlabeni wonke zigubha ukuzalwa kukaJesu ngo-December 25. Kodwa lolu suku, aluveli ndawo eBhayibhelini. Ingabe uJesu wazalwa ngo-December ngempela?

Nakuba iBhayibheli lingalunikezi usuku oluqondile lokuzalwa kukaJesu, liyabunikeza ubufakazi bokuthi akazalwanga ngo-December. Futhi, ngokobufakazi beminye imithombo singafunda ukuthi kungani u-December 25 akhethwa njengosuku lokugubha ukuzalwa kwakhe.

UJesu wazalelwa eJudiya emzini waseBhetlehema. IVangeli likaLuka liyabika: “Kulo lelo zwe futhi kwakukhona abelusi behlala ngaphandle belinda imihlambi yabo ebusuku.” (Luka 2:4-8) Lokhu kwakungeyona into engavamile. Incwadi ethi Daily Life in the Time of Jesus ithi, “Imihlambi kwakudingeka ukuba ichithe ingxenye enkulu yonyaka isendle.” Kodwa ingabe abelusi babeyoba sendle nemihlambi yabo ngobusuku obubandayo ngo-December? Le ncwadi ithi: “Imihlambi yayivalelwa ubusika bonke; futhi ngalokho nje kukodwa kungabonakala ukuthi usuku lukaKhisimusi oseluyisiko, olusebusika [enhla nenkabazwe], alunakuba ngoluqondile, ngoba iVangeli lithi abelusi babesemadlelweni.”

Lesi siphetho sisekelwa omunye umniningwane otholakala ekulandiseni kweVangeli likaLuka: “Ngalezo zinsuku kwaphuma isinqumo kuKhesari Awugustu sokuba wonke umhlaba owakhiwe ubhaliswe; (lokhu kubhalisa kokuqala kwenzeka lapho uKhureniyu engumbusi waseSiriya;) bonke abantu bahamba bayobhaliswa, yilowo nalowo emzini wakubo.”—Luka 2:1-3.

Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Awugustu wayala ukuba kubhaliswe ukuze athole imininingwane ayezoyisebenzisela ezentela nokubuthelwa empini. Ukuze athobele lo myalo, uMariya nakuba ayekhulelwe, wathatha uhambo oluya eBetlehema esuka eNazaretha nomyeni wakhe uJosefa, olungaba amakhilomitha angu-150. Manje ake ucabange ngalokhu. Ingabe kunengqondo ukuthi u-Awugustu—umbusi owayengavamile ukuhileleka  ezindabeni zikamasipala—wayengathi abantu abase bethambekele ekumvukeleni abathathe uhambo olude kangaka ebusika?

Kuyinto ephawulekayo ukuthi izazi-mlando eziningi nezazi zeBhayibheli ziyaphika ukuthi u-December 25 uwusuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Akungabazeki ukuthi uyothola ukwaziswa okunjengalokhu kunoma iyiphi i-encyclopedia ongase uyithole. I-Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Kunokuvumelana okuvamile kokuthi uJesu akazalwanga ngo-December 25.”

Emakhulwini eminyaka ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, u-December 25 wakhethwa njengosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa. Kungani? Izazi-mlando eziningana zikholelwa ukuthi inkathi yonyaka eyaba inkathi kaKhisimusi empeleni yayiyinkathi okwakugujwa ngayo imikhosi yamaqaba.

Ngokwesibonelo, i-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Enye incazelo esabalele yomsuka walolu suku ukuthi u-December 25 wawuwusuku lokwamukelwa kwe-dies solis invicti nati ebuKristwini (‘usuku lokuzalwa kwelanga elingenakunqotshwa’), iholidi elidumile eMbusweni WaseRoma elaligujwa ngenjikalanga yasebusika njengophawu lokuphuma kabusha kwelanga, ukuxoshwa kobusika nokubikezela ukungena kwentwasahlobo nehlobo.”

I-Encyclopedia Americana isitshela ukuthi: “Isizathu sokubheka u-December 25 njengoKhisimusi asicacile, kodwa ngokuvamile kukholelwa ukuthi lolu suku lwakhethwa ukuze luhambisane nemikhosi yobuqaba eyayigujwa ngesikhathi senjikalanga ebusika, lapho izinsuku seziqala ukuba zinde, ukuze kugujwe ‘ukuzalwa kabusha kwelanga.’ . . . I-Roman Saturnalia (umkhosi owawenzelwa uSaturn, unkulunkulu wezolimo, namandla avuselelwe kabusha elanga), nayo yayiba ngalesi sikhathi.” Imikhosi enjalo ngokuvamile yayihlanganisa nokuziphatha kabi ngokobulili kwalabo abanengxenye, abahlanganyela ekuzijabuliseni okungenakuzithiba nokuxokozelayo. Ngokuphawulekayo, ukuziphatha okunjalo kuye kwavama emicimbini eminingi yokugubha uKhisimusi.

Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi usuku lwangempela lokuzalwa kukaJesu lunini, amaKristu kufanele alukhumbule. Ezingqondweni zawo, umkhosi onjalo uma wenziwa ngesizotha, uyindlela efanelekayo yokuhlonipha uKristu.

Ngempela ukuzalwa kukaJesu kuyisenzakalo esibalulekile ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli. IBhayibheli lithi lapho uJesu ezalwa, kwaqhamuka izingelosi eziningi ezakhamuluka zidumisa uNkulunkulu, zithi: “Inkazimulo kuNkulunkulu phezulu ezindaweni eziphakemeyo, naphezu komhlaba ukuthula kubantu abathakazelelwayo.” (Luka 2:13, 14) Kodwa, kuyaphawuleka ukuthi akukho ndawo eBhayibhelini lapho kusikiselwa khona ngisho nokuthi kufanele kugujwe usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Ngokuphambene, kunomyalo oqondile wokukhumbula ukufa kwakhe, oFakazi BakaJehova abakwenza kanye ngonyaka. (Luka 22:19) Leyo ngenye indlela yokuhlonipha uJesu.

Ngobusuku bokugcina bokuphila kwakhe engumuntu, uJesu wathi: “Ningabangane bami uma nenza lokho enginiyala ngakho.” (Johane 15:14) Waphinde wathi: “Uma ningithanda, niyogcina imiyalo yami.” (Johane 14:15) Kuyacaca ukuthi ayikho indlela engcono yokuhlonipha uJesu Kristu edlula ukufunda nokulandela izimfundiso zakhe.