Umsebenzi kaThixo wokuhlangula

Kuba wenjenje uThixo ukulithanda kwakhe ihlabathi, ukuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade. Kuba uThixo akamthumanga uNyana wakhe ehlabathini, ukuze aligwebe ihlabathi; ukuze ihlabathi lisindiswe ngaye (UYohane 3:16,17)

Jesus served His whole life; He served His Father and people, by obeying the commandments of His Father, doing good, kwaye healing all, that were oppressed by the devil (IZenzo 10:38).

Jesus represented His Father; He was a reflection of His Father.

Wathi uYesu, that if a person had seen Him, he had also seen the Father (UYohane 14:9). And in John 14:6-7, He said:

I am the way, inyani, kunye nobomi: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.

Jesus is the only Way, there is no other! Let us, therefore look at God’s perfect work of redemption, ngoYesu Kristu.

Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane

The work of redemption began in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus’ soul was sorrowful. Jesus prayed to the Father and said: “Utata, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done”.

Jesus knew the time had come that He would be handed over into the hands of sinners, and die for all sinners.

During his prayer, an angel appeared unto Him from heaven, to strengthen Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (ULuka 22:42-44).

Jesus conquered this deadly fear inside of HIm. He had to fight against His soul. Jesus conquered His soul (Funda kwakhona: ‘The crucifixion of the soul‘).

Now Jesus was ready to continue the mission of His Father, and go to the whipping post and the cross.

Jesus went to the whipping post

After His prayer, and when Jesus returned to His disciples, He was betrayed by one of His disciples, and was taken captive. After many interrogations, He was scourged. When Jesus was scourged at the whipping post, He bore our sickness and disease.

Inene, uzithwele umvandedwa wethu, wazithwala iintsizi zethu: kanti besiba Ubethiweyo, obethwa nguThixo, nabaxhwalekileyo. But He was wounded for our transgressions, Watyunyuzwa ngenxa yezenzo zethu ezigwenxa: ubetho lokuba sibe noxolo thina lube phezu kwakhe; kwaye ngemivumbo yaKhe siphilisiwe (uIsaya 53:4,5)

Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:by Whose stripes ye were healed (1 UPetros 2:24)

The crown of thorns

The crown of thorns, that the soldiers put on Jesus’ head could be a symbol of the oppression of man, but that’s my interpretation. Because in the Old Testament when they spoke of thorns, they referred to people:

But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell (Amanani 33:55)

Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but the shall be snares and trapes unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you (UYoshuwa 23:13)

But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands (2 Samuel 23:6)

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Then came the moment, that Jesus was chosen by the people, instead of Barabbas (a murderer), to be crucified. The devil thought that he was smart, he thought that by crucifying Jesus, he was getting rid of Jesus, and he could continue to build his kingdom on this earth. Ngamanye amazwi, he thought: good riddance! (Funda kwakhona: ‘UYesu okanye uBharabhas, ukhetha bani?‘)

But the devil was wrong. Because this was all part of God’s work of redemption. Jesus took all the sins, of the world, upon Him. UYesu, Who was without sin, was made sin and was sacrificed, in order to reconcile man back to God, once and for all. From the sixth till the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land.

Then at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, esithi: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”

These words mean: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Jesus had always been joint together with His Father; they were One. Jesus was never separated from Him, until sin came upon Him.

God is holy and can never have fellowship with sin, therefore Jesus was separated from His Father. Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom (Phawula 15:33-39).

Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed (1 UPetros 2:24)

Jesus took our punishment upon Himself

We should have been punished, because we are the sinners and not Jesus. We should have been scourged in hell. But because of the great love and mercy of God, Jesus took the punishment, which was meant for us, upon Himself.

Through the blood of Jesus and regeneration in Him, we are reconciled with God and live in unity with God in Christ Jesus. Through the baptism with water and the Holy Ghost, we have crucified our sinful nature and received God’s nature inside of us.

When you receive His nature inside of you, the process of sanctification will start. Uya kuyenza hlaziya ingqondo yakho ngeLizwi likaThixo. And instead of walking after the flesh (after your senses, ingqondo, iingcinga, iimvakalelo, iimvakalelo, intando, njl.), you shall walk after the Spirit according to the Word in the will of God.

The Holy Spirit is your Comforter and your Teacher. Together with Him, you shall be able to serve God, UYESU khristu, and men. Just like Jesus.

Jesus took the keys of hell and death

After Jesus died, He legally entered Hades. Jesus entered Hades, because Jesus was made sin; He had taken all sin and iniquity upon Himself. Jesus was in Hades for three days and preached. After three days, Jesus took the keys of the devil, ukufa, and Hades legally back.