John 4:16-26

John 4:16-26

He said to her, “Go away, call your husband, and come back here.”  The woman answered and said to Him, “I do not have a husband.”  Jesus says to her, “You spoke correctly that ‘I do not have a husband,’ for you had five husbands and the one whom you have now is not your husband.  You have spoken this truly.”  The woman said to Him, “Lord, I perceive that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshipped on this mountain.  And you say that the place is in Jerusalem where it is necessary to worship.”  Jesus says to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour comes that you will all worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You all worship what you have not known.  We worship what we have known, because salvation is out of the Jews.  But the hour comes and is now here that the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth – for even the Father seeks ones such as these who worship Him.  God is Spirit; and it is necessary for the ones who worship Him to worship in Spirit and truth.”  The woman says to Him, “I have known that the Messiah – the one who is called Christ – comes.  When that one comes, He will proclaim all things to us.”  Jesus says to her, “I am.  The one who speaks to you.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As we pick up from where we left off yesterday, we see Jesus lead her into another lesson that she must discover, not just learn.  Jesus knows all things.  The woman even confesses at the end of the passage that the coming Messiah will know all things.  Jesus could have told her, “I’m the Messiah, I know all things.”  But He doesn’t do that.  Instead, He leads her down a path so that she discovers for herself that He knows all things.  He asks her to go get her husband, and she confesses that she doesn’t have  a husband.  Jesus then tells her personal marital story, including the fact that she is currently with the person who is not her husband!  She discovers that Jesus does know everything!  The lesson becomes far more personal because she discovered it rather than simply learning it.

Why is discovering a lesson often more personal than being taught the lesson?  How can this be an important lesson to learn for those who look to disciple others?

Second Thought:

Notice that Jesus doesn’t exclude her even though she’s been married five times.  In fact, notice that Jesus doesn’t exclude her people, too!  The invitation is clear.  There is a time coming when the Jews and the Samaritans will have an opportunity to worship the Father in truth.  Jesus isn’t looking for people who can follow tradition.  Jesus is looking for people who will follow and pursue truth regardless of their background.  The pursuit of truth is far more important than obedience to anything else that we as human beings think possible.

What is more important to you: the pursuit of truth or the pursuit of human tradition?  How likely are you to say, “But we’ve always done it this way?”

Third Thought:

Most English translations miss the thrust of the Greek in the final verse of this passage.  In the Old Testament, God’s most predominate name is “I am.”  It is simply the first personal pronoun combined with the proper verb of being.  God’s name demonstrates His personal character: He is.  When Jesus replies to woman in the last verse, He says to her, “I am.”  Then He adds, “The one who speaks to you.”  Jesus is not merely saying that the one who is speaking to her is the Messiah, which is how most English translations read.  Rather, Jesus is declaring Himself to be God.  The Hebrew people looked for a Messiah, but they were looking for a human descendant of David.  Jesus is telling the woman that there is far more than that going on.  Jesus is the Messiah, but He is also God.

Do you believe that Jesus was fully God?  What evidence do you have of that?  How does that belief play out in your life?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 4:27-30