07: A Gospel for All Nations: The Time Has Come, to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:1 – 26)

The message of true worship was first proclaimed to the Samaritan woman, not to the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Jesus’ gospel will go beyond the Jewish boundary.

👉 Read John 4:1 - 26

Q1. Jesus came to a Samaritan town called (          ) and sat by (              ). The time was about (         ). He asked a Samaritan woman for water, but she refused because Jesus was a (         ).

Sychar, Jacob’s well, noon, Jew

“But he had to pass through Samaria.” (4) From Judea to Galilee, they used to detour through the Transjordan route to avoid Samaritan towns. Jesus’ visiting a Samaritan town and asking for water from a Samaritan woman was unusual in those days’ custom. Note how many times verses 4 – 9 address ‘Samaritan.’ Six times!

Why Jesus needed to visit the Samaritan village is not known. However, we can say that the message of true worship in Spirit and Truth was the gospel for them more than for any other towns, for they had been banned from the Jerusalem temple worship.

By the way, Jesus’ disciples were baptizing too. It shows that Jesus delegated the authority to baptize to His disciples, while John didn’t. 

Q2. (10 – 12) What is the gift of God? (see also John 7:38-39) How to get it?

Living water.

How could water be alive?  It refers to the Holy Spirit.

You ask for it. It will be given to you for it is a gift.

Q3. (13 – 18) Why is the gift of God better than the water from Jacob’s well? 

Never be thirsty, for it will become a fountain of water springing up to eternal life. 

Before Jesus went further, He asked her to bring her husband. In those days, religious teaching was not available for women. She needed to learn through her husband. 

Jesus released her from social discrimination by revealing the gospel of new and true worship and His Messianic identity to her. Jesus acknowledged her human dignity.

Q4. “But a (        ) is coming – and (       ) is here – when the (         ) worshippers will worship the Father in (       ) and (        ), for the Father (         ) such people to be his worshippers. God is (          ), and the people who worship him must worship in (         ) and (         ).”

“But a ( time ) is coming – and ( now ) is here – when the ( true ) worshippers will worship the Father in ( spirit  ) and ( truth ), for the Father ( seeks ) such people to be his worshippers. God is ( spirit  ), and the people who worship him must worship in ( spirit  ) and ( truth  ).”

Samaritans, as half-Gentiles, were not allowed to join the Jerusalem temple worship. Thus, they worshipped God on Mount Gerizim and claimed it was the place of worship, which was wrong. Therefore, Jesus said, ‘You people worship what you do not know.’ 

‘because salvation is from the Jews.’ God chose Abraham to bless all nations. God’s word was given to the Israelites. The Savior will come from the Jews. Samaritans should accept Jewish customs and become Jews in order to participate in temple worship.

'God is spirit'

God is invisible and not perceivable through our senses. That's why if we worship a God in our own imagination and thoughts, it is not the God in the Bible but an idol whose name is God.

‘In spirit’: They were banned because of their ethnicity. But now the time has come for them to worship God regardless of their ethnicity because they could worship in spirit. 

‘In truth’: They didn’t know the true God. In fact, He was hidden in some sense until the Messiah. Now, it is clearly revealed who God is through the Messiah.

The time of worship in spirit and truth has come. This was great news for those who were restricted because of their ethnicity and ignorance of God. Jesus has inaugurated a new era of true worship.

“I, the one speaking to you, am he.” Note that Jesus proclaimed He was the Messiah to this Samaritan woman, one of the marginalized and oppressed. 

Why don’t you be the true worshiper that the Father seeks? Worship Him not merely in forms but with your hearts filled with the Holy Spirit. Do your best to know about Him, through the Word, life, and the Spirit, to make your worship truthful.