JOSEFA WASE-ARIMATHIYA Phontiyuse Pilatu bekatiwa kakhulu ngekuba nenhloko lelukhuni. Kuze Jesu angcwatjwe ngendlela lehloniphekile, bekufanele kuyocelwa sidvumbu sakhe kuPilatu. Ngesikhatsi Josefa ayocela sidvumbu saJesu akuzange kube lukhuni njengobe abecabanga. Pilatu wabuta indvuna yemasotja, futsi yamcinisekisa kutsi Jesu ufile, wabese uyavuma. Nanoma Josefa abeseva buhlungu, wagijima waya lapho Jesu bekabetselwe khona.​—Mak. 15:42-45.

• Bekangubani Josefa wase-Arimathiya?

• Abehlobana njani naJesu?

• Kubaluleke ngani kutsi ufundze ngaye?

Livangeli laMakho litsi Josefa “abelilunga lelihlonishwako leNkantolo Yenkholo.” Lilunga lenkantolo yenkholo kuphela lebelingaba lilunga lenkantolo yemaJuda noma lilunga lenkantolo lephakeme. (Mak. 15:1, 43) Bekungaba melula kutsi umbusi waseRoma amlalele ngobe Josefa bekangulomunye webaholi bemaJuda futsi abenjingile.​—Mat. 27:57.

Emalunga enkantolo yemaJuda bekamenyanya Jesu, futsi enta lisu kutsi abulawe. Noma kunjalo, Josefa abeyindvodza ‘lelungile.’ (Luk. 23:50) Ngalokungafani nalamanye emalunga eNkantolo Lephakeme, Josefa beketsembekile, atiphatsa kahle futsi bekatimisele kugcina imitsetfo yaNkulunkulu. ‘Naye abelindze uMbuso waNkulunkulu,’ lokungaba sizatfu lesamenta waba ngumlandzeli waJesu. (Mak. 15:43; Mat. 27:57) Kungenteka bekawutsandza umlayeto waJesu ngobe bekanesifiso lesikhulu sekwati liciniso futsi afuna kulunga.

UmBhalo waJohane 19:38 utsi Josefa: ‘abengumfundzi waJesu, kodvwa atifihla ngoba esaba emaJuda.’ Bekesaba ini Josefa? Bekati kutsi emaJuda bekamenyanya Jesu, futsi bekafuna kutsi wonkhe umuntfu lobonisa kukholwa kuye acoshwe esinagogeni. (Joh. 7:45-49; 9:22) Nangabe ucoshiwe esinagogeni lamanye emaJuda abengakunaki, futsi bekakuphatsa njengesihambi. Josefa bekesaba kukhombisa kutsi abekholwa kuJesu ngobe bekatawulahlekelwa sikhundla kanye neludvumo labenalo.

Akusuye Josefa kuphela labebhekane nalesimo lesicindzetelako. Ngekusho kwemBhalo waJohane 12:42, “labanyenti kubo, lokufaka ekhatsi nebabusi, bakholwa kuye [Jesu], kodvwa ngenca yebaFarisi, bebangamvumi kuze bangacoshwa esinagogeni.” Lomunye labenenkinga lafanako bekunguNikhodemu naye lebekalilunga leNkantolo yemaJuda.​—Joh. 3:1-10; 7:50-52.

Nanobe Josefa bekangulomunye webafundzi baJesu, abetifihla. Loko bekuyinkinga lematima, ikakhulu ngobe Jesu bekatsite: “Nobe ngubani . . . lovuma embikwebantfu kutsi umunye nami, nami ngitamvuma embikwaBabe losezulwini, kodvwa nobe ngubani longiphikako embikwebantfu, nami ngiyawumphika embikwaBabe losezulwini.” (Mat. 10:32, 33) Josefa akazange amphike Jesu, noma kunjalo bekete sibindzi sekumvuma embikwebantfu. Unaso yini wena?

LiBhayibheli litsi Josefa wenta intfo lenhle ngekutsi angayisekeli iNkantolo Lephakeme yemaJuda nayenta lisu lekubulala Jesu. (Luk. 23:51) Labanye batsi kungenteka Josefa bekangekho ngesikhatsi kutekwa  licala laJesu. Kunome ngukuphi, Josefa weva buhlungu ngentfo lembi lebeyitowentiwa kuJesu, kodvwa bekute labengakwenta.

Ngesikhatsi Jesu asafile, Josefa wakhona kuncoba kwesaba futsi wancuma kusekela balandzeli baJesu. Lesincumo sivetwe kahle kulamavi laku Makho 15:43 latsi: “Wacunga sibindzi waya kuPilatu wayawucela sidvumbu saJesu.”

Kungenteka Josefa bekakhona nakufa Jesu. Ecinisweni wati kucala kunaPilatu kutsi Jesu abesafile. Ngesikhatsi Josefa acela sidvumbu saJesu, lombusi “watibuta kutsi Jesu sewufile yini.” (Mak. 15:44) Nangabe Josefa wambona Jesu eva buhlungu elugodvweni, loko bekungeke yini kumente atihlole futsi ekugcineni ancume kumelela liciniso? Bekungenteka. Loku kwamenta kutsi atsatse sinyatselo. Bekangeke asatifihla kutsi ungumfundzi waJesu.

Ngekwemtsetfo wemaJuda, nangabe umuntfu anikwe sigwebo sekufa bekufanele angcwatjwe ngalelo langa. (Dut. 21:22, 23) Umtsetfo wemaRoma bewutsi tidvumbu tetigelekece bekufanele tishiywe elugodvweni, tibolele khona noma tilahlwe emgodzini. Kodvwa Josefa bekangafisi kwentiwe njalo kuJesu. Kulendzawo Jesu labebetselwe kuyo, Josefa bekanelithuna lebelimbiwe edvwaleni lebekungakake kwangcwatjwa muntfu kulo. Lokutsi lelithuna belingakaze lisebente bekusho kutsi  Josefa besekatfutsile e-Arimathiya * sekahlala e-⁠Jerusalema, futsi abehlele kutsi tihlobo takhe utatingcwaba kulendzawo. (Luk. 23:53; Joh. 19:41) Kungwatjwa kwaJesu ethuneni lebelitawuba laJosefa kwakhombisa kutsi Josefa unemusa futsi wagcwalisa siphrofetho lebesitsi Mesiya utawugcwatjwa nebantfu “labanjingile.”​—Isa. 53:5, 8, 9.

EmaVangeli lamane atsi ngemuva kwekutsi sidvumbu saJesu sesehlisiwe elugodvweni, Josefa wasigocotela ngendvwangu yelineni lehlobile nalecolisakele, wasibeka ethuneni lelisha labelimbe edvwaleni. (Mat. 27:59-61; Mak. 15:46, 47; Luk. 23:53, 55; Joh. 19:38-40) Umuntfu lokutsiwa wasita Josefa nguNikhodemu labephetse emakha. Njengobe bebabantfu labakhulu, angeke kwenteke kutsi bamngcwaba babodvwana. Kungenteka basebentisa tisebenti kuze timtfwale futsi timngcwabe. Nanobe angcwatjwa tisebenti, bobabili benta umsebenti lobalulekile. Noma ngubani lobekatsintse sidvumbu bekaba ngulongcolile ngekwemtsetfo emalanga lasikhombisa, lebekwenta kutsi noma ngabe yini layintsintsako nayo ibe ngulengcolile. (Num. 19:11; Hag. 2:13) Simo lesifana naleso besibitela kutsi loyo muntfu ehlukaniswe nalabanye ngeliviki lemkhosi weliPhasika futsi angahlanganyeli kuwo. (Num. 9:6) Josefa akazange anake kutsi lamanye emalunga enkantolo bekatamphatsa njani ngenca yekutsi ulungiselela umngcwabo waJesu. Kodvwa bekatimisele kwemukela nome ngabe yini ngenca yekutsi bekangcwabe Jesu ngenhlonipho lobekutawukhombisa kutsi ungulomunye webafundzi baJesu.

Ngaphandle kwekulandzisa lokukhuluma ngekungcwatjwa kwaJesu, liBhayibheli aliphindzi likhulume ngaJosefa wase-Arimathiya. Loku kusenta sitibute kutsi: Kwabese kwentekani kuye? Liciniso likutsi asati. Ngekwaloko lesisandza kucoca ngako, kungenteka kutsi wagcina ativetile kutsi ungumKhristu. Kukholwa kwakhe kanye nesibindzi kwachubeka kucina ngesikhatsi avivinywa futsi abhekene netimo letimatima. Loko bekuyintfo lenhle.

Lendzaba yaJosefa iphakamisa umbuto sonkhe lokufanele sicabangisise ngawo, lotsi: Kukhona yini tintfo lesititsatsa njengaletibalulekile kwendlula buhlobo betfu naJehova? Kungaba sikhundla, umsebenti, tintfo lonato, umndeni ngisho nenkhululeko lesinayo.