Episode 33 - We must worship in spirit and in truth

John 4:16-26

16   Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 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. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 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.” 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.”

In the last episode, Jesus began a conversation with a Samaritan woman by asking for a drink of water. Due to a widely held prejudice that many Jews had toward Samaritans, she is first and foremost interested in knowing why he would talk to her. In response, Jesus indicates that if she knew who he was, she would have asked him for living water and he would give it to her. In spite of the fact that she doesn’t know who he is, she soon arrives at the point where she does ask him for the living water. In spite of her ignorance about what he is really talking about, the offer is appealing to her and she asks him for it. Her response stands in sharp contrast to that of Nicodemus who, along with his peers, recognizes that he is from God, but does not appear to accept anything Jesus has told him.

Jesus’ response to the woman in verse 16 almost sounds like he’s changing the subject: “Go call your husband.” When she responds that she doesn’t have a husband, we quickly understand how Jesus is about to increase her understanding of who he is. In the latter part of verse 17, he says, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.” How can he possibly know that? She immediately has an answer: “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet... “ Earlier in the conversation, she seems cynical that he could be as great as their ancestor Jacob. Now, she recognizes that he is a prophet. At this point, all discussion and consideration about literal water in a well are set aside and she wants to discuss spiritual matters. Jesus has drawn her into the real conversation he wants to have with her. Her concern appears to be where is the proper location for worship (v20)? Jesus instructs her that worship is not about a physical location. True worship is spiritual and is based upon truth. People cannot truly worship the true God on their own terms and ideas. Notice that the woman remarks that the Jews say that worship must occur in Jerusalem and by implication at the temple. But, what have we seen in this book about the temple so far? We’ve seen that people have made it a marketplace and a den of thieves. They desecrated its purpose. But, when Jesus says, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” he was saying that he is the true temple of God. His body is where God dwells. This is consistent with John’s statement in the prologue that the Word became flesh and “tabernacled” among us. The tabernacle was the predecessor to the temple. It was the place where God dwelt with His people. Now, God is dwelling among people in the person of His Son Jesus. To worship God is for the Spirit to give us a spiritual birth from above in which we recognize the truth of Jesus as God’s Son. Notice the repetition and force of verse 24 “those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” 

At this, the woman now asserts something she “knows,” that Messiah is coming and will teach them all things. Jesus responds by claiming to be the Messiah. Effectively, he has just clearly and strongly answered her question, “You aren’t greater than our father Jacob are you” Answer: Yes. Had he given her this direct answer right away, it’s likely she may have scoffed and walked away. Instead, he graciously leads her to faith in him and then to a recognition that he is at least a messenger from God. But, he completes the lesson by demonstrating that he knows intimate details about her life and claims to be the Messiah prophesied in the Scriptures. How will she respond? We’ll see that in our next episode.

For right now, let us not miss the point that the Father is seeking those who will worship him in spirit and in truth. We must come to Jesus who is the true temple of God.