His Word Today

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. [for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.” (John 5:1-9).

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the response was heartfelt belief. In John 5:1-9 it was apathetic superstition.

The setting is most likely the spring of Jesus’ second year of ministry. The feast is most likely Passover, although we cannot be sure. John’s Gospel consistently constructs his narrative to various Jewish feasts (2:13—Passover; 6:4—Passover; 7:2—Booths, or Tabernacles; 10:22—Hanukkah, or Feast of Dedication; and 11:55—Passover). However, this is the only time when he did not identify the particular feast.

The setting shifts from Galilee (John 4:46-54) to Jerusalem and particularly to the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was located at the northern wall of the city which surrounded the temple compound. Located outside the gate is a pool called Bethesda which means “house of grace” or “steadfast love.”

It should be noted that John 5:3b-4 is not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts. It is a textual variant. It contains a superstition regarding the Pool of Bethesda. A superstition is (1) a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of a cause leading to a concluding effect; and/or (2) an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition. Let us understand that the text in question is not a textual variant because it contains a superstition, but rather because the text (5:3b-4) is not found in the most reliable Greek manuscripts that we presently possess.

At this pool were a multitude of invalids including the blind, lame and paralyzed. John 5:3b-4 explains why they were there. It was a common held superstition that an “angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.”

The worldly culture is filled with superstitions. However, so too is the church. Sometimes our superstitions or traditions may take on more authority in our lives than the actual Word of God.  

We do not know if the superstition mentioned in John 5 was true. By definition a superstition is a non-truth. However, this did not dissuade many people from coming to the pool with the hopes of being healed.

One such person was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. The text does not tell us how old the man was, whether he had been afflicted with this ailment since birth or if it was the result of an injury. In fact, the text does not tell us exactly what kind of ailment the man actually had. The word for invalid (ἀσθένεια; astheneia) simply means incapacity, illness, disease or weakness. What we do know for certain was that he was one of the many who were hoping for a healing.

As with the woman at the well (John 4) and her life of immorality, Jesus omnisciently knew that the man in question had been at the pool for a long time. Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to be healed?” We should note that the man did not know who Jesus was and claimed no faith in Jesus to heal him. This is proven by the man’s response: “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” The man’s faith to be healed was placed in his superstition of the pool and not in the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to the man, ““Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Jesus gave the man three commands: (1) Get up; (2) Take up your bed; and (3) Walk. This the man immediately did. Wow! What a moment it must have been for one who had walked in 38 years.

Yet, in spite of this great miracle, the man does not thank Jesus for healing him. It seems that it was no big deal. Oh, by the way. John adds one more detail at the conclusion of John 5:9. “Now that day was the Sabbath.” This seemingly insignificant detail sets us up for the overall response by the religious leaders of the day to this miracle. It will also provide significant meaning for us to the man’s response to Jesus for healing him.

Have you ever prayed for something to happen and when it does your response is less than one filled with gratitude? Take the time today to thank God for all of your blessings and to reveal to you where and when you trust in superstitions. Perhaps the greatest superstition we have is that we are good enough to earn acceptance before God. What a superstition this truly is.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:10-18)

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the response was heartfelt belief. In John 5:1-9, and in 5:10-18 it was apathetic superstition.

What was the invalid man’s response to Jesus Christ who healed him? Was there any gratitude, any worship or even an expression of thanksgiving? There is none found in the text.

What we do see are the religious leaders of the day (more about them tomorrow) questioning the man as to why he was carrying his bed or sleeping mat. The man’s response is matter of fact. “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” John even adds the disclaimer that the healed man did not even know who Jesus was or even His name.

The text continues by saying that later on, perhaps even that very same day, Jesus found the man at the temple. Was the man there to give thanks to God for his healing? Was he there to be examined by the priests? Was he there to offer a sacrifice? We do not know.

What we do know is Jesus said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” Jesus’ words may indicate the man’s suffering was due to some sinful behavior in the past. Jesus cautions the man to pay careful attention when tempted to sin in the future. Something worse than being an invalid for close to four decades could happen. What could be worse? Total rejection by God due to a lack of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the healed man displays no such repentance or faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

One commentator says, “Note that Jesus selects the lame man out of a crowd of many people who were unwell. He exercised His sovereign prerogative to heal when and where He would choose, thus asking only the man if he wanted to be healed (John 5:6). It is also notable that there is almost no indication that the man had faith in Christ when Jesus healed him. Later verses state that he did not know who Jesus was at the time of his healing, and he later reported Jesus’ activities to the authorities who were out to accuse Him of sin (vv. 12–13, 15). That Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed may also imply a lack of faith on the man’s part or at least that he did not know who Jesus was. Anyone familiar with the pool and those gathered there, as Jesus no doubt was, would have known that an invalid such as the lame man came to the pool for healing. Some commentators suggest that Jesus was probing a little deeper, asking the man not about mere physical healing but for healing from his sin (see v. 14), though it is hard to be certain of this.”

God gives us daily blessings. Are we aware of these many blessings, including our eternal salvation? Do we take the time to thank God for not only what He has done, but also Who He is? Or, do we take Him for granted and only approach Him when we are in need and then forget Him when the need is met, or criticize Him when it is not. Let us not follow the example of the invalid who Jesus healed. May we not only place our faith in Jesus Christ to save us but also daily thank Him for that salvation.

Examine your heart today for any apathy or disinterest you may have towards God. Repent of it and ask God to increasingly give you a heart which is grateful to Him and not apathetic.

Soli deo Gloria!  

 

 

 

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. [for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.” (John 1:1-9).

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the response was heartfelt belief. In John 5:1-9 it was apathetic superstition.

The setting is most likely the spring of Jesus’ second year of ministry. The feast is most likely Passover, although we cannot be sure. John’s Gospel consistently constructs his narrative to various Jewish feasts (2:13—Passover; 6:4—Passover; 7:2—Booths, or Tabernacles; 10:22—Hanukkah, or Feast of Dedication; and 11:55—Passover). However, this is the only time when he did not identify the particular feast.

The setting shifts from Galilee (John 4:46-54) to Jerusalem and particularly to the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was located at the northern wall of the city which surrounded the temple compound. Located outside the gate is a pool called Bethesda which means “house of grace” or “steadfast love.”

It should be noted that John 5:3b-4 is not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts. It is a textual variant. It contains a superstition regarding the Pool of Bethesda. A superstition is (1) a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of a cause leading to a concluding effect; and/or (2) an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition. Let us understand that the text in question is not a textual variant because it contains a superstition, but rather because the text (5:3b-4) is not found in the most reliable Greek manuscripts that we presently possess.

At this pool were a multitude of invalids including the blind, lame and paralyzed. John 5:3b-4 explains why they were there. It was a common held superstition that an “angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.”

The worldly culture is filled with superstitions. However, so too is the church. Sometimes our superstitions or traditions may take on more authority in our lives than the actual Word of God.  

We do not know if the superstition mentioned in John 5 was true. By definition a superstition is a non-truth. However, this did not dissuade many people from coming to the pool with the hopes of being healed.

One such person was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. The text does not tell us how old the man was, whether he had been afflicted with this ailment since birth or if it was the result of an injury. In fact, the text does not tell us exactly what kind of ailment the man actually had. The word for invalid (ἀσθένεια; astheneia) simply means incapacity, illness, disease or weakness. What we do know for certain was that he was one of the many who were hoping for a healing.

As with the woman at the well (John 4) and her life of immorality, Jesus omnisciently knew that the man in question had been at the pool for a long time. Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to be healed?” We should note that the man did not know who Jesus was and claimed no faith in Jesus to heal him. This is proven by the man’s response: “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” The man’s faith to be healed was placed in his superstition of the pool and not in the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to the man, ““Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Jesus gave the man three commands: (1) Get up; (2) Take up your bed; and (3) Walk. This the man immediately did. Wow! What a moment it must have been for one who had not walked in 38 years.

Yet, in spite of this great miracle, the man does not thank Jesus for healing him. It seems that his healing was no big deal. Oh, by the way. John adds one more detail at the conclusion of John 5:9. “Now that day was the Sabbath.” This seemingly insignificant detail sets us up for the overall response by the religious leaders of the day to this miracle. It will also provide significant meaning for us to the man’s response to Jesus for healing him.

Have you ever prayed for something to happen and when it does your response is less than one filled with gratitude? Take the time today to thank God for all of your blessings and to reveal to you where and when you trust in superstitions. Perhaps the greatest superstition we have is that we are good enough to earn acceptance before God. What a superstitious lie this truly is.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” (John 4:46-54)

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the first response was heartfelt belief.

Jesus returned to Cana of Galilee where He had turned water into wine (John 2:1-12). Some 16 miles NE was the town of Capernaum. Stationed there was a royal official who was serving in the royal court of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee (Matthew 14:1-12; Luke 23:1-7). This official’s son was ill, resulting in him being weak and incapacitated.

The official sent for Jesus and asked him to come down to Capernaum and heal his son. John indicates that the official repeatedly asked Jesus to come. The text reveals the reason for the official’s continual pleading was that his son was near death. The man was desperate. What parent wouldn’t be.

Jesus’ response was not only directed to the nobleman but also to the entire Galilean region. “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The phrase “you see” is plural. Jesus was referring to the whole Jewish community. However, the nobleman becomes even more desperate and commands Jesus to come and heal his son. This becomes an indication that the faith of the nobleman was not simply superficial.

Jesus tells him that his son will live and the nobleman believes what Jesus says. Notice that Jesus did not actually go to where the son was. He simply told the nobleman that his son would live and recover from the illness which plagued him. The nobleman took Jesus at His word.

The son did recover at the very hour Jesus told the nobleman that he would. This event only strengthened the nobleman’s faith in Jesus Christ. It also displayed Jesus’ graciousness in healing.

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Of course, this is not to say that signs and miracles cannot be used of God to create and strengthen faith. Our Creator used signs for that purpose, as today’s passage reveals. In Galilee, Jesus met a royal official—probably an adviser to the local ruler Herod Antipas—who begged our Savior to heal his dying son (4:46–47). Jesus in His initial response seemed to be rebuking the man for requiring signs in order to believe (v. 48), which is in line with His later pronouncement of blessing upon those who have not seen Him in the flesh and yet believe (20:29). But the problem is not in desiring to see the Lord do a supernatural work, for God tells us to ask Him for healing (James 5:13–15). The problem is when we seek signs as ends in themselves or when miracles are the sole foundation of our faith and not the promises of God. This was not the case for the royal official in today’s passage. He took Jesus at His word that He would heal his son before he was actually healed; the miracle then confirmed faith that was already present (John 4:49–54)”

It is not wrong to ask God for a miracle. It is not wrong to ask God for the healing of a loved one, comfort during times of difficulty or even for a new job. However, we must not have our faith in the Lord rely upon such miracles. Rather, we must rely on the character of God who gives us precious promises in His Word.

Be comforted today by Gods’ graciousness whatever comes to pass.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.” (John 4:43-45).  

What does it mean when something is referred to as “superficial?” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines this adverb as (1) relating to or located near the surface; (2) lying on and not penetrating below the surface; (3) concerned with only the obvious or the apparent; (4) presenting only an appearance without substance or significance.

What does this word have to do with today’s particular text from the Gospel of John? Only that vs. 43-45 serve not only as a transition from vs. 1-42 but also as a contrast. John points out the contrast between the fervent and passionate faith in Jesus exhibited by the Samaritans with the superficial faith of the Jewish Galileans. While the Samaritans were culturally condemned because of their interracial heritage, they displayed a truer faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord than most pure bloodline Jews.

John describes Jesus as now venturing back to Galilee. Located there is His hometown of Nazareth. John inserts the comment that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. John is explaining that not only the people of Nazareth in particular (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:24) rejected Jesus but also the Galilean region in general. The Galileans’ welcoming of Jesus was more than likely superficial based upon their need to see signs and wonders (I Corinthians 1:22-25) in order to believe. Their reception of Jesus was mostly out of curiosity to see some miracle like those done in Judea and Jerusalem. See John 2:23-25.

One writer posed the following question: “What is the foundation of your faith? The signs and wonders recorded in Scripture can help confirm our faith, but they are by themselves no sure foundation for faith. We know, in fact, that many people saw Jesus do great signs and yet never believed. Our faith must be grounded in the promises of God. When we are convinced of His trustworthiness, our faith will persevere.”

Not only must our faith in Jesus Christ be grounded in the promises of God but also in the character of God who makes the promises. 2 Peter 1:2-4 says, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

May your faith in the Lord be rooted not in superficiality of style but rather in the substance of Scripture.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42)

In John 4:27-42, the Apostle John provides five proofs supporting his overall theme (John 20:30-31) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The first one is found in vs. 27. It is the proof that Jesus was in immediate control of His immediate circumstances. He did not allow circumstances to control Him.

The second is found in vs. 28-30. It is the impact Jesus had upon the Woman at the Well. Remember, the woman came to the well to draw physical water. Upon encountering Jesus, she received living water. Jesus made the astonishing claim that He is not only the source of spiritual life, but also that He is God. She left her water jar and went to share what had happened to her. She had to tell somebody. Everybody!

The third proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 31-34 and His intimacy with God the Father. He compared His relationship to the Father to food or nourishment. Paralleling the metaphor of salvation being like “living water,” Jesus told His disciples that much like physical food sustains the body, so the spiritual food of doing the will of the Father and accomplishing the work He had sent Jesus to accomplish was His food.

The fourth proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 35-38. He possessed insight into men’s souls. He knew those who were the elect and ready for salvation. He also knew that the method and means to reach these people with Gospel would be through the preaching and teaching of His disciples. The Holy Spirit would use such means as the way to accomplish the eternal goal of God: the salvation of sinners.

The fifth and final proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 39-42. Jesus made an efficient impact upon the Samaritans. These people were born again and received the living water of the gospel. He changed their thinking and their lives through the gospel. Jesus does the same work today.

The Samaritans asked Jesus to remain with them at Sychar and He remained two days. What began as a necessary journey through Samaria now became an opportunity to remain in Samaria. The result was that many people believed in Jesus. Jesus left the unbelief of the Judeans and came upon the harvest of the Samaritans before He would journey and minister to the Galileans (John 4:1-3).

The Samaritans did not regard Jesus as simply as prophet (vs. 19, 29, 39), but rather as the Savior of the world. I John 4:14 says, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

One pastor writes, “This phrase (Savior of the world) occurs also in 1 John 4:14. The verse constitutes the climax to the story of the woman of Samaria. The Samaritans themselves became another in a series of witnesses in John’s Gospel that demonstrated the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. This episode represents the first instance of cross-cultural evangelism (Acts 1:8).”

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “From Jesus the Samaritans learned that He is the “Savior of the world” (John 4:42). This title had a rich background in the first-century culture. The ancient Greeks referred to their gods as saviors, and the Romans applied the title to the emperors. Such claims—and others like them—are declared false when Jesus is proclaimed as Savior of the world. In proclaiming Jesus as Savior of the world, we are claiming that He is the only possible avenue of salvation for sinners and that He is the fulfillment of the promise of the God of Israel—the one true creator God—to save both Jews and Gentiles (Isaiah 45:22). To recognize Jesus as the Savior of the world is not to promote universalism—the teaching that all people will be saved regardless of whether they have faith in Christ—for John’s gospel recognizes that some, in fact, will be condemned, not saved (John 3:18). Instead, to recognize Jesus as the Savior of the world is to recognize that if anyone in the world is saved, it is only in and through Him.”

The Samaritans confessed that they believed in Jesus. They trusted in, committed to, began to depend upon and worshiped the Son of God. It was not upon the testimony of the woman in which they relied but rather upon the living Word of God.

John Calvin explains, “We believe.” This expresses more fully the nature of their faith, that it has been drawn from the word of God itself, so that they can boast of having the Son of God as their Teacher; as, indeed, it is on His authority alone that we can safely rely. True, indeed, He is not now visibly present, so as to speak to us mouth to mouth; but by whomsoever we happen to hear Him, our faith cannot rest on any other than on Himself. And from no other source proceeds that knowledge which is likewise mentioned; for the speech which comes from the mouth of a mortal man may indeed fill and satisfy the ears, but will never confirm the soul in calm confidence of salvation, so that he who has heard may be entitled to boast that he knows.”

Are you trusting in, committed to, depending upon and consequentially worship Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord alone? Remember, salvation from the penalty, power, and eventual presence of sin is by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. Repent of your sins and receive His righteousness today.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (John 4:35-38).

In John 4:27-42, the Apostle John provides five proofs supporting his overall theme (John 20:30-31) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The first one is found in vs. 27. It is the proof that Jesus was in immediate control of His immediate circumstances. He did not allow circumstances to control Him.

The second is found in vs. 28-30. It is the impact Jesus had upon the Woman at the Well. Remember, the woman came to the well to draw physical water. Upon encountering Jesus, she received living water. Jesus made the astonishing claim that He is not only the source of spiritual life, but also that He is God. She left her water jar and went to share what had happened to her. She had to tell somebody. Everybody!

The third proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 31-34 and His intimacy with God the Father. He compared His relationship to the Father to food or nourishment. Paralleling the metaphor of salvation being like “living water,” Jesus told His disciples that much like physical food sustains the body, so the spiritual food of doing the will of the Father and accomplishing the work He had sent Jesus to accomplish was His food.

The fourth proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 35-38. He possessed insight into men’s souls. He knew those who were the elect and ready for salvation. He also knew that the method and means to reach these people with the Gospel would be through the preaching and teaching of His disciples. The Holy Spirit would use such means as the way to accomplish the eternal goal of God: the salvation of sinners.

The setting of this narrative probably happened in December or January, which was four months before the normal spring harvest (mid-April). Crops were planted in November, and by December or January the grain would be sprouting up in a vibrant color of green. Jesus used this as an object lesson, much like the water in the well and the food the disciples brought to Him, to illustrate the fact that they were surrounded by crops growing in the field which were waiting to be harvested. The crops symbolized the harvest of souls the disciple were to reach with the gospel.

Dr. John MacArthur comments that, “Jesus points out the Samaritan woman and people of Sychar (“lift up your eyes”) who were at that moment coming upon the scene (v. 30) looking like a ripened “harvest” that urgently needed “gathering,” i.e., evangelizing. white for harvest. Their white clothing seen above the growing grain may have looked like white heads on the stalks, an indication of readiness for harvest. Jesus knew the hearts of all (2:24), so was able to state their readiness for salvation (cf. 4:39–41).

The Apostle Paul explains this methodology of evangelizing the lost in I Corinthians 3:5-8 in counteracting the sectarianism and pride of the Corinthian church. “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.”

Another commentator writes, “Of course, Jesus fully accomplished His work of atonement two thousand years ago, but His work of sowing and reaping continues. The disciples participated in this work during our Lord’s earthly ministry, and by extension, all of Jesus’ followers will participate in this mission until the end of the age (vv. 36–38; see Matt. 28:18–20). In fact, the church is the primary means through which Jesus plants the seed of the gospel—through preaching and teaching the Word—and harvests spiritual fruit—as people are called to repent and believe in Him alone for salvation. Within the array of callings and gifts represented by the church, some focus on sowing and some on reaping, but all faithful servants of Christ join in these kingdom labors in some capacity (John 4:37–38).

People ask me, who seek to harmonize the sovereignty of God of sinners with the responsibility of sharing the gospel, as to “who” we are to share the good news of salvation? The answer is “everyone.” They often reply, “How do we know which ones the Lord has chosen to save?” The answer is we don’t. Only God does. Our responsibility is to share. God’s responsibility is to save.

Puritan Matthew Henry explains, “Both they that sowed and they that reaped shall rejoice together; and the great Lord of the harvest shall have the glory of all.”

Another pastor puts it this way: “What is your place in the work of the kingdom? Even now, Christ is working through His church to plant spiritual seed and reap spiritual fruit, and all of us are called to participate in this work by exercising our gifts for the sake of the advance of the gospel. What can you do this day to encourage the proclamation of the gospel and the calling of people to faith in your local community?”

Soli deo Gloria!

“Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:31-34)

In John 4:27-42, the Apostle John provides five proofs supporting his overall theme (John 20:30-31) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The first one is found in vs. 27. It is the proof that Jesus was in immediate control of His immediate circumstances. He did not allow circumstances to control Him.

The second is found in vs. 28-30. It is the impact Jesus had upon the Woman at the Well. Remember, the woman came to the well to draw physical water. Upon encountering Jesus, she received living water. Jesus made the astonishing claim that He is not only the source of spiritual life, but also that He is God. She left her water jar and went to share what had happened to her. She had to tell somebody. Everybody!

The third proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 31-34 and His intimacy with God the Father. He compared His relationship to the Father to food or nourishment. Paralleling the metaphor of salvation being like “living water,” Jesus told His disciples that much like physical food sustains the body, so the spiritual food of doing the will of the Father and accomplishing the work He had sent Jesus to accomplish was His food.

Much like Nicodemas and the woman, the disciples thought in literal terms and wondered aloud to each other if Jesus had received some physical food from someone of whom they were unaware. They did not understand the implications of what Jesus was saying.

One commentator explains, “No doubt, Jesus was truly hungry and thirsty, according to His humanity, both when He spoke with the Samaritan woman and when His disciples later returned to Him and encouraged Him to eat. Yet on both occasions, Jesus did not take hunger and thirst as an opportunity merely to satisfy physical needs. He used physical needs to instruct others in spiritual realities. With the Samaritan woman, He spoke of her need for spiritual renewal by promising to give her living water if she would but ask (vv. 10–15). When the disciples of Jesus encouraged Him to eat, He took the opportunity to explain that true sustenance comes not by bread alone, as we see in verses 31–34.

All too often, I hear pastors and preachers place great emphasis on the physical comforts Jesus can provide those who follow Him. “Trust in Jesus,” they say, “And He will give you everything you want. Right here and right now.” They place importance on the physical and the temporary to the detriment of the spiritual and the eternal.

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Our Lord referred to food that He had to eat that His disciples did not know about, and this confused His disciples, for they thought He was talking about food that He had acquired from one of them (vv. 31–33). The food of which Jesus spoke, however, consisted of doing His Father’s will and accomplishing the mission His Father gave to Him, namely, obedience that secures the salvation of His people (v. 34). There is probably an echo of Deuteronomy 8:3 here, an important passage in which Moses tells the Israelites that they live not only by physical bread but by every word that proceeds from the Creator. Also, one cannot help but think of Jesus’ wilderness confrontation with Satan wherein He quoted Moses’ words in order to resist the temptation (Luke 4:1–4).”

What is the food which sustains you from day to day? Is it your job, your house, your bank account, or even your family? What truly sustains a believer in Christ from day to day, week to week, month to month and year to year is doing the Father’s will by obeying the Word of God. Everything else in life, the good and the bad, is then placed in its proper perspective. Even when life is difficult.

Have a blessed day today doing the Father’s will. Enjoy the meal!

Soli deo Gloria!

 

“So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.” (John 4:28-30)

In John 4:27-42, the Apostle John provides five proofs supporting his overall theme (John 20:30-31) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The first one is found in vs. 27. It is the proof that Jesus was in immediate control of His immediate circumstances. He did not allow circumstances to control Him.

The second is found in vs. 28-30. It is the impact Jesus had upon the Woman at the Well. Remember, the woman came to the well to draw physical water. Upon encountering Jesus, she received living water. Jesus made the astonishing claim that He is not only the source of spiritual life, but also that He is God. She left her water jar and went to share what had happened to her. She had to tell somebody. Everybody!

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “The woman was so eager to bear witness to Jesus that she even left her water jar behind (v. 28). Ordinarily, women in that culture would not leave such things at the well, but this woman could not wait to tell others about Christ and would not even pause for a second to retrieve her possession. This is understandable, Augustine of Hippo comments in his sermon on today’s passage, for “having received Christ the Lord into her heart, what could she do but now leave her water-pot, and run to preach the gospel?”

As another commentator explains, “As a result of His ministry the Spirit is given to all who come to the one true God—the God of Israel—through Him. In turn, the spiritual blessing we receive is so great that living water flows out from Christ through us to other people. In other words, the Savior’s work in and through us is one of the means by which God extends His kingdom. We minister the gospel to other people according to the Word of God and in the power of the Spirit, and our Father saves His elect and equips them for ministry. By the Spirit, our service to others imparts life.”

This is what the woman did. She went back to her town, presumably Sychar, and told everyone she met that she had encountered the Messiah. Remember, she had probably been ostracized by the town due to her lifestyle of immorality. However, she did not care what people would think. All she could think to do was tell them the exciting news that she was forgiven.

I remember when I was first converted and began to tell my friends what had happened to me. A few listened, even fewer were excited for me, but most dismissed what I had to say and did not want to hear anything about it. Sure, it hurt to be rejected but nothing could suppress the joy of knowing Jesus as my Savior.

One of the earliest gospel songs I remember identifying with was Andrae Crouch’s Tell Them.

Tell them
Even if they don’t believe you
Just tell them
Even if they don’t receive you
Oh, tell them for me
Tell them for me please
Please, tell them for me
Tell them that I love them
And I came to let them know

What about you? Do you know the joy of Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Have you told somebody about the living water only He provides?

Soli deo Gloria!

 

“Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” (John 4:27).

In John 4:27-42, the Apostle John provides five proofs supporting his overall theme (John 20:30-31) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The first one is found in vs. 27. It is the proof that Jesus was in complete control of His immediate circumstances. He did not allow circumstances to control Him.

Nothing took Jesus by surprise. No one caught Him unawares.  Instead, He looked beyond the social prejudices of His day and ministered the truth of the Gospel.

Contrast this attitude with the one held by the disciples. They were surprised. Shocked! They were continually astonished and surprised by Jesus’ behavior. He was talking with a woman. A Samaritan woman!

Dr. Don Carson explains, “As a result of the disciples’ return from their errand to buy food, the woman departed to the town (vs. 28). John comments on the disciples’ surprise that Jesus was talking with a woman, which reflects the general Jewish prejudice (vs. 27). Jewish rabbis were not permitted to speak to women in the street and considered any conversation with women to be a hindrance to the study of the Torah. The reluctance of the disciples to ask questions show how embarrassed they were over Jesus’ actions.”

Yet Jesus was not embarrassed. He was not uncomfortable sharing the Gospel to one who was in so desperate a need of the “living water” which only He could supply.

This evidence of Jesus’ Messianic identity by His sovereignty over the circumstances of life which He encountered would be further revealed in His death on the cross. In John 10:17-18 Jesus says, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

We may not be in control of our lives, but Jesus is. We can rest in this comforting truth.

Soli deo Gloria!