In Spirit and Truth.

His arms stretched out wide – on a Cross – how does that look beautiful, how does that reveal His glory? It is because this is the greatest act of love imaginable – an act encompassing all his outstretched arms can signify.

”The cross becomes faint as you draw near to Me, yet it is the only way that makes it possible for you to communicate with Me, to have a real relationship with me. At the moment when the curtain in the temple tore the way was opened for us to see each other, at this stage by faith but later by sight – that torn curtain became the Way, the only Way, the Truth and the Spirit which join you to Me forever and fulfilled your full status as a son. That is why it is beautiful that is why it reveals My glory.“

Now to John 4:1-26. Having described Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus, who could be described as one of Israel’s religious aristocracy, John describes a meeting with someone who is at the opposite end of the social scale. Someone who is a bastard Jew, a woman whose name is not even given, who could be described in many ways but is an outcast in her society because of her loose morals. Jewish men were not supposed to speak to strange women and even less to a foreigner, yet Jesus seems to have set this meeting up for our education to get a much wider view of who He is exactly and what He has come to do.

The story is so beautifully told that you can actually picture the scene. The sun burning down at midday, Jesus exhausted, dusty and thirsty and this lone woman coming to draw water when there should be no-one else around. It is interesting to compare the differences and similarities in how Jesus deals with these two seekers, Nicodemus and her.

We have mentioned their completely different backgrounds and social status. although Nicodemus comes to Him with a question. He simply asks only who He is, Jesus steers the conversation towards his salvation. The woman has no expectations and even shies away from Jesus. However, Jesus speaks to her first and offers her something equally supernatural that He had offered Nicodemus. Only here He calls it “water that wells up to eternal life.“Just as Nicodemus had questions or objections, the woman also has a question. In her case it has to do with the place of worship which was a contentious point between the Samaritans and Jews.

John gives Jesus’ answer which fits nicely into the continuing revelation of Jesus We have already heard that Jesus was going to replace the temple in ch 2, John uses this interaction to raise that issue again. The place of worship under the New Covenant changes from a place to a person, the person of Jesus. Worship from now onward will be “in Spirit and Truth”.

What does that mean? Well, it is actually quite simple, Once Jesus had ascended to heaven, we would worship God through Him. In other words, He is “The Spirit and Truth” that we all worship through (4:22). Our worship is not bound to a place, as I said but to a person – Jesus.

The section ends with an open statement by Jesus of His real identity. He is the expected Messiah.

Just keep in mind all the time what the purpose of John’s gospel is, according to the author, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name”. John 20:30 The Samaritan woman did believe, and we will see how this affected her as she experienced springs of living water welling up in her, a parallel description to the instruction by Jesus to Nicodemus to be born again, in the next part of ch 4.

As we see these various encounters by Jesus, we can learn a lot about how we could interact with others, especially non-believers

May you all be truly blessed as you take these beautiful truths to heart. See you all next week.