Yohana Mbatizaji alikuwa nani? Yohana Mbatizaji alikuwa mwanadamu, ambaye alichaguliwa na kutengwa na watu na Mungu na hakuwasujudia watu. Yohana Mbatizaji alikuwa mwana wa kuhani Zakaria na Elisabeti, ambaye alikuwa wa binti za Haruni. Wazazi wa Yohana Mbatizaji wote wawili walikuwa wenye haki mbele za Mungu na walienenda bila lawama katika kutii amri na maagizo yote ya Bwana.. Kupitia wao utii kwa Mungu na matendo yao, walikuwa wenye haki mbele za Mungu. Hatuishi katika Agano la Kale tena bali katika Agano Jipya. Katika Agano Jipya, watu hawawezi tena kufanywa wenye haki mbele za Mungu kwa matendo yao wenyewe, bali tu kwa imani katika Yesu Kristo kupitia dhabihu yake na damu yake. Hata hivyo, wakati watu wamekuwa waadilifu, kwa kuwakuzaliwa mara ya pili katika Yesu Kristo na wako si mwenye dhambi tena, watazaa matunda ya hali yao ya haki. Hii ina maana ya utii kwa Mungu na kuishi kulingana na mapenzi yake; Amri zake, ambayo pia ni amri za Yesu naMapenzi yake. Sasa, tuangalie kuzaliwa na maisha ya Yohana Mbatizaji.
Kutokea kwa malaika Gabrieli
Elisabeth alikuwa tasa na hakuweza kupata watoto. Zakaria na Elisabeti wote walikuwa na miaka mingi. Kulingana na ulimwengu wa asili ilikuwa haiwezekani kwa Elisabeth kupata mimba na kuzaa mtoto. Lakini hakuna lisilowezekana kwa Mungu!
Na hivyo ikawa, wakati Zakaria alipokuwa akifanya kazi ya ukuhani mbele za Mungu, alichaguliwa kufukiza uvumba. Zakaria alipoingia katika hekalu la Bwana na wakati Zakaria akifukiza uvumba, malaika wa Bwana, Gabriel, akamtokea Zakaria na kusimama upande wa kulia wa madhabahu ya kufukizia uvumba. Zakaria alipomwona malaika wa Bwana, alifadhaika na hofu ikamwangukia. Lakini Gabrieli akamwambia, kwamba asiogope na kwamba sala ya Zakaria ilisikiwa. Gabrieli alimwambia Zakaria, kwamba Elisabeti atazaa mwana na kumwita Yohana, maana yake ni neema ya Yehova.
Malaika Gabrieli aliendelea na kusema, kwamba angekuwa na furaha na shangwe na kwamba wengi wangeshangilia kuzaliwa kwake. Kwa sababu Yohana angekuwa mkuu mbele za Bwana.
John hakutaka kunywa divai na vinywaji vikali. Lakini Yohana angejazwa Roho Mtakatifu tangu tumboni mwa mamaye na kuwageuza wana wa Israeli wengi kwa Bwana Mungu wao..
Yohana angetangulia mbele zake katika roho na nguvu za Eliya, kuigeuza mioyo ya baba iwaelekee watoto, na wasiotii hekima ya wenye haki; ili kuwaweka tayari watu walioandaliwa kwa ajili ya Bwana (Luka 1:17).
Badala ya kuwa na furaha baada ya kusikia maneno ya malaika Gabrieli, Zakaria alitilia shaka maneno yake. Zakaria hakuamini maneno ya Gabrieli na ahadi ya Bwana. Zakaria na mkewe wote walikuwa wazee. Kwa hiyo ilionekana kuwa haiwezekani kwa Zakaria, kwamba watapata mtoto na hivyo Zakaria akamwomba Gabrieli ishara. Lakini kuomba ishara ni kwa kizazi kisicho cha kweli; ya Mtu wa zamani wa kimwili (Mathayo 12:39). Kutokana na kutoamini kwake, Zakaria akawa bubu na hakuweza kuongea mpaka mchana, kwamba mambo, jambo ambalo Jibril alikuwa amelisema likatimia.
Kuzaliwa kwa Yohana Mbatizaji
Elisabeti akapata mimba na akajifungua mtoto. Mtoto alipokuwa kutahiriwa juu Siku ya nane, kwa mujibu wa sheria, wakamwita mtoto Zakaria. Lakini Elisabeti akawaambia wamwite Yohana. Hata hivyo, kwani hapakuwa na mtu katika familia hiyo jina lake Yohana, waliuliza Zakaria. Zakaria aliandika kwenye meza ya kuandika ‘jina lake ni Yohana’ na mara Zakaria’ ulimi ukafunguliwa na Zakaria akanena na kumsifu Mungu.
Hofu ikaja juu ya wote waliokaa karibu nao. Na yote yaliyokuwa yamefanyika, ilitangazwa kotekote katika nchi ya vilima ya Uyahudi. Watu, waliowasikia, sema: “huyu atakuwa mtoto wa namna gani!” Na mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa pamoja na Yohana.
Zakaria alijazwa na Roho Mtakatifu na kutabiri:
“Na ahimidiwe Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli; kwa maana amewajia na kuwakomboa watu wake, Naye ametuinulia pembe ya wokovu katika nyumba ya mtumishi wake Daudi; Kama alivyonena kwa vinywa vya manabii Wake watakatifu, ambazo zimekuwepo tangu ulimwengu ulipoanza: Ili tuokolewe kutoka kwa adui zetu, na kutoka katika mkono wa wote wanaotuchukia; Ili kuwatimizia rehema baba zetu, na kukumbuka agano lake takatifu; Kiapo alichomwapia baba yetu Ibrahimu, Ili atujalie, ili tukombolewe kutoka mikononi mwa adui zetu tumtumikie bila woga, Katika utakatifu na haki mbele zake, siku zote za maisha yetu.
Na wewe, mtoto, Shalt kuitwa nabii wa juu zaidi: kwa maana utaenda mbele ya uso wa Bwana kuandaa njia zake; Kuwajulisha watu wake wokovu kwa ondoleo la dhambi zao, Kwa rehema nyororo za Mungu wetu; ambapo siku ya siku kutoka kwa juu imetutembelea, Ili kuwaangazia wale walioketi katika giza na katika uvuli wa mauti, kuiongoza miguu yetu katika njia ya amani” (Luka 1)
Yohana Mbatizaji alikulia nyikani
Yohana Mbatizaji hakukulia miongoni mwa watu wake na hakuwa na utoto kama wavulana wengi wa rika lake. Yohana alitengwa na Mungu kwa ajili ya utumishi wake na alikulia jangwani (Luka 1:80). Tunaweza tu kukisia kuhusu umri wa Yohana wakati Herode alitoa amri ya kuua wavulana wote walio chini ya umri wa miaka miwili (Mathayo 2:16).
Kwa kuwa Yohana Mbatizaji alikuwa na umri wa takriban miezi sita kuliko Yesu, John angeweza kuwa mzee zaidi ya miaka miwili. Lakini pia inaweza kuwa kwamba Yohana alikuwa na miaka miwili na kwamba hii ilikuwa sababu, kwa nini Elisabeti na Yohana waliongozwa na Mungu kwenda nyikani, ili kuzuia Yohana asiuawe na Herode.
Ingawa Yusufu na Maria walirudi Israeli baada ya kukaa Misri, Yohana alikaa jangwani na kukulia majangwani mpaka Yohana alipotumwa na Mungu kwa watu wake.
Yohana Mbatizaji alikuwa akitayarishwa jangwani na Mungu, bila kuathiriwa na kuchafuliwa na utamaduni na tabia za watu wa Israeli. Kulingana na ulimwengu, John aliishi maisha ya upweke ya utulivu, lakini yote yalikuwa sehemu yake Mpango wa Mungu kwa maisha yake.
Kwa sababu kama Yohana angekua miongoni mwa watu, labda angezingatia tabia na kazi zao, ambao walikuwa wenye dhambi machoni pa Mungu, kama kawaida. Lakini kwa sababu Bwana alimfundisha katika ukimya wa majangwa, kutengwa na watu, alikuwa amejitoa kabisa kwa Mungu. Yohana alijifunza kila kitu kuhusu Ufalme wa Mungu, akakua na kupata nguvu rohoni.
Yohana alikuwa akitayarishwa jangwani, ili kuwatayarisha watu wa Mungu kwa ajili ya kuja kwa Masihi Yesu
Yohana Mbatizaji alihubiri ubatizo wa toba na ondoleo la dhambi
Wakati ulikuwa umefika, neno la Bwana lilimjia Yohana kule jangwani. Yohana Mbatizaji alitii neno la Bwana na akaenda katika nchi yote ya Yordani, kuhubiri Ubatizo ya toba na ondoleo la dhambi, kulingana na maneno, ambayo yalitabiriwa na nabii Isaya (Isaya 40:3-5). By preaching the baptism of repentance and confronting the people with their sins, so that they could remove their sins, he prepared God’s people for the Kuja kwa Yesu Kristo.
John was led by the Holy Spirit, instead of being led by his senses. Because he didn’t behold with his natural eyes, he confronted the people without making a distinction. John brought the works of darkness into the light.
John was bold and spoke with such authority, that they had to listen to him. The majority did listen to John, and asked him, Walichotakiwa kufanya, and John answered their questions (Luka 3:10-14)
John the Baptist didn’t preach a gentle, motivational man-pleasing gospel. He didn’t preach what the people wanted to hear, but John the Baptist preached the truth of God; the gospel of God, and therefore John the Baptist preached corrections and chastened the people of God.
The people wondered if John the Baptist was the Christ, but John answered them, that he wasn’t the Christ. Because he only baptized with water (kwa toba). Hata hivyo, ya Kristo, Who would come, would be stronger than him, and John wouldn’t be worthy of unloosing the latchets of his shoes. Although John baptized with water, the Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luka 3:15-7 (Soma pia: ‘Ubatizo ni nini na moto?‘))
John the Baptist didn’t bow to people and didn’t compromise
John was a bold man and spoke the words of God with authority. He wasn’t intimidated by the people and didn’t make any distinction between the people, but John the Baptist treated everyone equally. He made the will of God known to everyone and told them what they had to do and what they shouldn’t do. Ukweli, that John didn’t make any distinction between people became not only visible in the fact, that he confronted and addressed the evil works (the sins) of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but also the evil works of Herod.
John the Baptist didn’t bow to people and didn’t compromise and didn’t speak words that would please Herod the tetrarch. But John the Baptist stayed mtiifu kwa Mungu and showed his love for God by staying faithful to Him and by keeping His commandments, ambayo inawakilisha Mapenzi yake. Therefore John the Baptist reproved Herod for his adultery with Herodias; the wife of his brother, and for all the evil works which Herod had done. Herod wasn’t pleased with John the Baptist’s reprove and therefore Herod locked John the Baptist up in prison.
While John the Baptist was in prison, John the Baptist’s disciples came to John and told John all the things about Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist heard all the things, which they told him, John the Baptist called two of his disciples and send them to Jesus to inquire Him, if He was the one, who would come or that they had to look for another.
John the Baptist had testified of Jesus and while John had baptized Jesus he was a witness of the fact that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and that the voice of God came out of heaven and testified that Jesus Christ was His Son (Weka alama 1:9-13). Lakini licha ya mambo haya yote, John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus to inquire Him.
Jesus answered the disciples of John that they had to tell him, all the things, which they had seen. Kwa sababu Yesu alipona many of their infirmities, mapigo, and evil spirits, and unto many that were blind He gave them their sight (Luka 7:18-23)
Why was John the Baptist the greatest among all prophets?
Jesus witnessed about John the Baptist in front of the multitude and told the people that among those, who were born of women there was not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but that he, who would be the least in the Kingdom of God would be greater than John (Luka 7:28).
What did Jesus mean by John the Baptist being the greatest among all prophets? Yesu alimaanisha, that John was the greatest among all the prophets and of all man, who were born of women, and belonged to the generation of fallen man; uumbaji wa zamani and lived in the Old Covenant. Because although John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost, John still belonged to the old generation of fallen man. But anyone, who would be kuzaliwa mara ya pili in Jesus Christ and therefore would be born of God and transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God would, despite his or her position, be greater than John the Baptist.
John preached the gospel of God, which is the truth of God to the people and didn’t bow to the people. And because of the truth John the Baptist preached and because of the fact that John the Baptist didn’t bow to people, including Herod, and didn’t compromise, John the Baptist was taken captive and brought into prison.
How did John the Baptist die? Herodias hated John the Baptist, because John was responsible for not getting what she wanted, namely her brother-in-law Herod. And because of Herodias’ chuki, John the Baptist was beheaded.
John the Baptist’s loyalty and utii kwa Mungu cost him his life, like so many others.
John the Baptist didn’t love his own life and had given his life to God. He didn’t want to be loved and accepted by the world, but he wanted to be loved by God. Yohana alimpenda Mungu kuliko yote. John proved his love for God, by keeping His commandments and by preaching the call to repentance and the remission of sin.
God had separated John the Baptist and set him apart from the world, to prepare His people for the coming of His Son Jesus. And that’s why, John preached the baptism of repentance, the forgiveness of sin, and commanded everyone to remove their sins from their lives.
The world has become the valley of death
Tunaishi katika umri, where the world has become the valley of death, in which sin abounds. Most people do what they want to do, instead of doing what God tells them to do. They don’t listen to Amri zake, ambayo pia ni amri za Yesu, and don’t live according to His will. Many think that they have a relationship with God, but the fact that they reject His commandments proves the opposite. Because if someone really anapenda Mungu juu ya yote, then the person would do what pleases God, instead of pleasing ‘self’.
It is just like the time of Noah, when all the people ate, kunywa, and were feasting and had pleasures and only considered themselves.
While Noah obeyed the words of God and built the ark, in order to be prepared for the coming of the rain, the people didn’t have an eye for him. They didn’t listen to Noah, but they were too busy with their own lives and their own daily activities. Until fate struck, na mvua ikanyesha.
While Noah and his family and the animals were saved in the ark, the people and the rest of the animals drown in the water. No one wanted to listen to Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness, but they only had an eye and interest in themselves, and fulfilling the tamaa na tamaa of their flesh (Soma pia: ‘Ni sifa gani saba za siku za Nuhu?‘)
It won’t be long before Yesu anarudi. And although many believers sing about His coming and pray for His coming, many live as though Jesus will never return.
But God wants His people to be ready for the coming of Jesus. And that’s why God prepares His people, just like God did in the time of John the Baptist when John prepared the people of God for the coming of Jesus Christ.
Sasa, it all depends if the believers are bold enough to show their love to Jesus Christ and God the Father, by staying obedient to His Word, na kwa kuzishika amri zake, and confronting those, walio wa dunia, including those who go to church, but still belong to the world and keep living in sin, with their sins and waite watubu and the removing of sin. Kwahivyo, they won’t be lost but will be saved and receive eternal life. Don’t let the end be the same as in the time of Noah when only a few were saved by their obedience to God.
‘Kuweni chumvi ya dunia’
