We left the previous message where the Samaritan woman was saying to Jesus that the Jews think that Jerusalem is the only place of worship while they as Samaritans think the mountain was the place of worship. Let’s look at how Jesus responds to this statement.
21 Jesus said to her, “ Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
Jesus says the time will come when it will no longer even matter wether you worship in Jerusalem or the mountain. So, there is no point in debating the location. Now, since the woman had already established that he is a prophet, she had to listen to what he says. This was the norm then.
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Jesus here acknowledges the Jewish position. Jesus acknowledges that the Jews have the correct version of salvation but not because he is a Jew but simply because it is true. We know that salvation came from the Jews.
Romans 3:2 (ESVST)
Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Romans 9:4 (ESVST)
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.
So, Jesus was not biased or taking sides at all but rather was telling the truth. Lesson no 4, do not lie.
If you lie to a person and they convert to Christianity based on your lie, they will have false conversion.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Jesus here is saying although salvation is from the Jews, the hour is coming where it will no longer matter from whom the salvation comes. The hour is coming where true worshipped will not be identified through a location but rather ini the manner of worship. Jesus says true worshippers will be identified by how they worship. They will worship in spirit and truth. Jesus goes further to give reasons why true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth. He says first because God seeks people like that and secondly God is spirit and those who worship him, must worship in spirit.
What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth? Before Jesus came, the Jews worshiped according to the law and what the law said. There were very strict guidelines that God gave the Jews through the law on how to worship. These we call ceremonial laws. There were two problems with this, not with the law but with they way the Jews complied with the law. First, they completely missed the point of the law and compliance was not from the heart but was an outward compliance. Secondly, the Jews interpreted the laws to such an extent that they were no longer required to comply with the actual letter of the law but their own laws that they added. As a result of this people did not necessarily know the real law but only the law as interpreted by scribes. Example, the law said love you neighbor as you love yourself. The Jews went on to say love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
Now with the Holy Spirit that now reveales all truth, everyone will now worship having the Holy Spirit and the truth to God who is also the spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 (ESVST)
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
1 Corinthians 2:10 (ESVST)
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “ I who speak to you am he.”
Then the woman remembered that they were promised a Messaih. The woman was probably thinking of this verse when she said that she knows that the Messiah is coming who will tell them all things.
Deuteronomy 18:18 (ESVST)
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
As Jesus was speaking, the woman became more and more convinced that this was not only a prophet but was the Messaih that Moses wrote about. Jesus than reveled himself to him by saying that. I am the Messaih that was to come and that was spoken of in the Old Testament.
Father, what a wonderful lesson in evangelism that you have just taught us. May your words find fertile hearts and grow to produce fruits. In Jesus name, amen.