Read: John 4
It is hard for me to know where to start this morning. John 4 will take quite a bit to work through and we will be looking at verses 1-42. I feel still yet slightly distracted. Yesterday was a hard day, homeschool days are tough. Behaviors and defiance get get under your skin; and the relentless cyclical cycle of cook, clean, teach, cook, clean, teach. I hard a hard time motivating myself; and was incredibly frustrated with a few of my kids yesterday. We ended up outside, turning over our garden and mucking out of chicken coop. ( we have a pic ax and pitch fork- so this is all manual) and it is grueling, stinky labor. However, the labor will bring harvest. We do see the fruit of our endeavors; whether yesterday, by collecting eggs; or what was once clay after a couple years of tilling and chicken poo and composting has now become rich worm filled dark soil. To watching the robins land in the garden and pluck out what they need; and counting all the strawberry plants that rooted from last fall that were given by a friend. The cyclical nature of the work has it blessings- sometimes its easy to get distracted by the oozing blisters and chicken poop smell; and the reminder with the rain last night that I left my muck boots out in said rain :( LOL
The work and the harvest and the questions remind me of our study today. John 4 is a intense, rich, beautiful picture of Jesus and his teachings. Starting in verse one...Jesus purposed to go through Samaria. He didn't have too; he chose to walk through a region considered lesser by the Jews. Yet; there he set out to travel. Being the Son of God; he knew what was to come. Jesus feeling the human limitations of his flesh, felt weary and sat by a well. I have heard and read that the factor of being noon was important as it would draw out different persons from the town, because it was the heat of the day. Not the best time to be fetching water, but the time when less persons would be there.
And out comes the Samaritan woman. Her exchange with the Messiah is beautiful. Jesus asks her for a drink; to which she says incredulously, are you a Jew to ask me a Samaritan woman for a drink. It was at the time unthinkable for a man, and for that matter a Rabbi to speak to a woman in the street, let along a Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman. The question asked is both serious and snarky. Are you talking to me?! Ha, little did she know her question was right but not in context. She should have been more bewildered that the Son of God was talking to a daughter of Adam. The sinless to the sinner. Yet, Jesus, in his tender mercies and love; asks give me a drink? Proceeding her response, he says if you knew who was asking- you would ask me for water instead. Jesus teaches about living water. A water that will never allow for thirst. The woman replies with inquisition and a poor understanding in ways. She wants to know more, but then also draws from her teachings on Jacob and the way they understood God. She perceives He is a prophet, but then likens in to what she heard; rather than realizing that the Christ had come. The Samaritans would have accepted the first 5 books of Moses; but rejected the rest of the Old Testament.
Jesus gently rebukes her, basically saying you do not understand. He says the hour in coming and is now here when true believers will worship in spirit and in truth. For the Father is seeking such a people to worship him. God is Spirit and those who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth. The study notes in my bible read: True worship takes place when the Holy Spirit engages the human Spirit with God's Word. The outward worship that largely characterized the temple of the old covenant was being replaced by the simplicity and privilege of access to the Father in the Spirit through faith in the Son.
We must worship in spirit and in truth. Do we in our hearts understand what that means? That Jesus came that we might have access to the Father through the Son? That once was a chasm set in place by Adam has now been redeemed by the blood of Christ? Do we lean on the Word to understand the truth of the message? Have we received a new life through Jesus Christ that we may now worship freely? Have we allowed the Spirit to do and continue to do its workings by convicting us of our sins that we might repent and come before the throne of God? Before Christ the law condemned us to death- after Christ we have the chance to receive eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord! He is the living water that will cause us to never thirst again. He alone fills our satisfactions and our longings. He alone is worthy of all praise. Do not get lost in religiosity. Do not get lost in laws and rituals that bind you to workings rather than grace in mercy. Ask God where you are lacking in Spirit and in truth. We serve a majestic and holy savior who is worthy of all praise and all glory. In the right way- and in the proper understanding of Jesus Christ. One pastor puts it- don't serve your leftovers to a Holy God.
The woman replies... I know a Messiah is coming. And Jesus responds " I am He."
This is a huge deal. I get goosebumps every time I read it. This woman who was living under sin and had now come under conviction of sin, says; there is one coming who will do as you say... and Jesus tells her I am He. Think on this, he will asks his disciples who do you think I am? Nicodemus has just asked how can these things be? Yet to this woman at the well, he reveals himself. And the woman, leaves her pot- and runs to tell the others. She has found the messiah. No longer concerned of her earthly water- she has found the living water and run to tell others.
This is a beautiful glimmer of what should occur when we seek out Jesus and when we find him. When we are convicted of sins and come and confess; He covers us with his righteousness. Do we respond by running to tell others? Do we put down out water pots and fleeting needs to pursue His Kingdom and His righteousness? Do we worship in Spirit and in Truth, the Son of God, who laid down His life for us, that we might have living water?
Attached today is a sermon by RC Sproul and a worship song. Have a glorious weekend.
Sermon: Righteousness revealed
Songs: whate're my God ordains is Right
Christ the sure and steady anchor
Hallowed be Your name
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