Daily Scripture Reading John 4:13-38
Anyone who is familiar with Christianity knows that Christians often use the word “worship”. Our church services are called worship. A time of singing outside a church service is often called worship. Many Christians think they are worshipping when they are out in nature gazing at God’s glorious creation. They also believe they are worshipping when they have a religious experience that gives them an emotional high.
Today, we are going to read from John chapter 4 and see that worship is something very different. The reality is most Christians are completely ignorant of the Biblical concept of worship.
Jesus and His disciples traveled through Samaria on their way to Galilee. While the disciples went into the city to buy food, Jesus sat down by the well. A Samaritan woman came out to draw water. The woman knew Jesus was a Jew. Jesus revealed His ability to give her living water, but she did not understand what He meant.
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;
John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst—ever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 4:15 ¶ The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come back here to draw.”
The woman still did not grasp that Jesus was not talking about physical thirst.
John 4:16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come back here.”
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’;
John 4:18 for you had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”
John 4:19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I see that You are a prophet.
The woman correctly deduced that the only way Jesus knew about her past was due to divine help.
John 4:20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”
This was one of the points of conflict between the Jews and Samaritans. The Jews believed the one and only true God lived in Jerusalem and that all sacrifices should be offered there. The Samaritans believed Samaria was the correct place to offer sacrifices.
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
Notice the words “an hour is coming” and “neither”.
During the Old Testament time period, worship took place when a person went to the temple and offered a sacrifice. The temple is where God lived. The sacrifice was a gift to God and a way to demonstrate subservience to God.
The sacrificial system was similar to a king’s subject bringing a gift to the king’s palace as a way of paying taxes and declaring allegiance to the king.
While talking to the woman, Jesus announced a change. He stated that in the future worship would happen differently.
In order to understand what Jesus was saying about worship, we need to be clear about their definition of worship. Just as subjects in a kingdom were required to declare loyalty and obedience to their king, so too worship was declaring allegiance and subservience to God.
John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
Note the words “now is”. Jesus said the new way of worship was already in effect.
Jesus used the word “spirit”. Today, true worship takes place inside a person. It is not something that is done via visible acts.
We also see the word “truth”. Worship is only worship if a person is truly subservient to God. Furthermore, the only way worship can take place, the only way a person can declare subservience to God, is if a person grasps the truth about God and the fact that Jesus is God and Lord.
Modern Christianity believes church services are worship. A time of singing outside a church service is often called worship. The interpretation of this verse is that Jesus said worship no longer had to happen in Jerusalem; instead, it can happen anywhere.
That misses the true point. What Jesus really taught is that true worship was no longer a physical act. Therefore going to church is not worship. Singing is not worship. Communion is not worship. True worship happens in our spirit. True worship is being a servant of Jesus, willing to obey God in all things.
John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when He comes, He will declare all things to us.”
This was one of the similarities between the Jews and Samaritans. Both were expecting a Messiah.
John 4:26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
John 4:27 ¶ And at this point His disciples came, and they were marveling that He was speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?”
John 4:28 So the woman left her water jar, and went into the city and said to the men,
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; is this not the Christ?”
The Samaritans were expecting a Messiah. Since Jesus demonstrated divine help in knowing the woman’s background, she believed Jesus when He said He was the Christ.
John 4:30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.
Don’t miss the fact that the men were going out to talk to Jesus. Keep that in mind as we read the next few verses.
John 4:31 ¶ Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
John 4:32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
John 4:33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
John 4:35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
Apparently, this conversation took place four months before harvest time. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that it was already time for the spiritual harvest. In fact, the men of the city were coming out to Jesus. Jesus was about to reap a harvest.
John 4:36 Even now he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
John 4:37 For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’
This is an important concept for all Christians to understand. Many people who become Christians do so as the result of many different inputs and influences. Very seldom does one person deserve all the credit for every factor that led to a person converting to Christianity. It is more likely that a person believes in Jesus due to the efforts of multiple people.
Therefore, anyone who shares the gospel without fruit should be hopeful that someday someone else may reap the harvest. Furthermore, anyone who leads people to Christ should be cognizant that many other people contributed to the conversion.
John 4:38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”
Tomorrow we will finish reading about Jesus’ interaction with this city.
Modern Christianity uses the word “worship” very often.
What are examples you have seen of Christians using the word worship in a way that is contrary to Jesus stating that true worship happens in spirit and in truth?
When is it Biblically correct for Christians to recognize something as worship?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”