Uku Zalwa kukaYesu

IBhetelehem ithetha “ indlu yesonka” ngesiHebhere. Maxa wambi ibizwa isixeko sikaDavide, ekuprofetwe ngaye ukuba kumnombo wakhe kuyakuvela uMesiya (bona Yeremiya 23:5; Yohane 7:42). USamuweli wamthambisa uDavide ukuba abe ngukumkani eBhetelehem (bona 1 Samuweli 16:1–13). Kwaprofetwa ukuba uMesiya wayeza kuzalelwa phaya (bona Mika 5:2).

Igama lesiGrike elithi indlu yabahambi linokuthetha nayiphi indawo yokuhlala yokwexeshana, kuquka igumbi leendwendwe. UMariya “wamlalisa [uMtwana uKrestu] emkhumbini wesitali; ngenxa enookuba babengenandawo endlwini yabahambi” (Luka 2:7). (Inguqulelo kaJoseph Smith ithi ”izindlu zabahambi.”) “Ukungabikho kwendawo” kunokuthetha ukuba bajikiswa okanye akukho ndawo ababenokuhlala kuyo eyayinendawo yokuzalela umntwana. Nangeyiphi na imeko, baya ndaweni ithile apha kwakukho umkhumbi.

Umkhumbi wesitali yibhokisi okanye umkhombe ophakamileyo ogcina ukutya kwezilwanyana KwelakwaYuda lamandulo, ezi uninzi lwazo zazenziwe ngamatye. Izindlu zabahambi zazineentendelezo ezisembindini nemikhumbi yezitali, yaye izindlu ezininzi kananjalo zazinemikhumbi yezitali kwigumbi elikhulu ukuze izilwanyana zigcinwe apho ubusuku bonke.

Oomama bebesongela iintsana ezisanda kuzalwa (bezisonga ngengubo okanye ilaphu) kangangamawaka eminyaka. Oku kuyabathoba kwaye kubathuthuzele emva komothuko wokuphuma esibelekweni. Ilaphu elasetyenziswa nguMariya lisenokuba lalinophawu olukhethekileyo kusapho.

Babengabantu abalungileyo nabangamalungisa, yaye bobabini babeyinzala kaDavide. Ngamnye watyelelwe yingelosi ekulungiseleleni ukuzalwa koMsindisi (bona UMateyu 1:18-25; ULuka 1:26–38). Bahamba imigama eyi100–140 km (60–90 iimayile) ukuya eBhetelehem. UMariya wayekhulelwe ngethuba lohambo.

Abalusi babesalusa imihlambi yabo kufuphi neBhetelehem. Ngokutsho kwezifundiswa, izimvu ezazilungele amadini asetempileni kuphela ezazivumelekile ukuba zifunyanwe kufuphi nesixeko. Ngoko aba balusi basenokuba babesalusa izimvu ezaziza kumela idini likaYesu Krestu ngenxa yethu (bona UMoses 5:6–7). Bayishiya imihlambi yabo ukuze babone uMesiya, lowo idini lakhe lentlawulelo lalizakuphelisa amadini ezilwanyana.

UYesu Krestu ungoyena mntu uphambili kumboniso wokuZalwa kukaYesu—kunye nobomi bethu.