Day 32 - John 4-5

Chapter 4 records the meeting between Jesus and the woman of Samaria. It is interesting to me how easily Jesus is misunderstood. When Jesus offered the woman "living water" she wanted it so that she wouldn't have to burden herself by coming continually to the well to get water (vs15). Jesus ignores her request in order to reveal His greatness to her. Soon she realizes that she is in the presence of a "prophet" (vs19). So, she asks a controversial question regarding the proper place of worship. Instead of answering her question about the place of worship, He teaches her (and us!) about the nature of true worship. It is in spirit and truth. The main point of this teaching is that worship is not relegated to a place, but should be encompassing all of life! Jesus also teaches the necessity of "seeker-sensitive" worship. Of course, in this case God is the seeker (vs23), and therefore we should be sensitive to the worship that pleases Him! The aftermath of this encounter is truly amazing. Here is this terribly sinful woman bearing witness about Jesus, the Messiah! What's even more amazing is that people believed her (vs39). Many more also believed because of the word of Jesus Himself (vs41).

This chapter also includes another miracle of Jesus--the healing of the official's son. What's interesting is that the Apostle John never calls these works of Jesus "miracles." He calls them "signs" (if your version uses the word "miracles," it is not the best translation of this Greek word). What is the significance of a "sign"? It points to something other than itself! Think about this. When you see a sign, you think of some other greater reality. When Jesus did these miraculous "signs" He did them not to call attention to the sign itself, but so that they would point to the greater reality--His power and glory! As we read about these signs, let us beware not to be more enthralled with what Jesus did than we are with who Jesus is!

In chapter 5, Jesus gets Himself "in trouble" with the religious leaders of the day. First, He heals someone on the Sabbath Day and tells that person to carry his bed (vs8), something that would have been prohibited on the Sabbath. Second, He claims that God is His "Father" making Himself equal with God (vs18). He doesn't do anything to get out of "trouble," but instead, He gets in deeper and deeper because what follows is just a clearer admission of "oneness" with the Father. He does the same things as the Father (vs19. He deserves the same honor as the Father (vs23). He has life in Himself (this is a claim of self-sufficient self-existence) just like the Father (vs26). What is amazing to me is that this teaching and these claims of Jesus got Him in so much trouble with the Pharisees because they knew that He was claiming to be God, but yet today, so many people of false religions preach that Jesus was not God and never claimed to be God!

I'll close with a few miscellaneous observations. 5:20 says that the Father "loves" the Son. This word "love" translates the Greek word "phileo" which so many preachers say is a lesser form of love than "agape," yet it is used of the love of the Father to the Son. These two words are different from one another, but we need to be careful not to put one over the other as being more valuable. 5:39 - The Scriptures are the place to go to find life. The reason this is so is that it is there that Jesus is revealed--the One who gives life. 5:45 is a powerful condemnation of the Pharisees. The thing that they had set their hope on was the very thing that was condemning them!