Day 13
Jesus leaves His best friend John at the River Aenon and heads back down into Judea where He had left His first followers to continue testifying about Him and baptizing the people (John 4:1-3).
Do you remember what baptism meant? Jesus’ early followers were helping the people to identify with the person and work of Jesus. This was why they were baptizing them. Jesus collects his followers and begins to head back up to Galilee, but first he must pass through Samaria. Look again at the map and get your bearings. Lets go north into Samaria to the town of Sychar.
Read John 4:1-42
What does this passage tell you about Jesus’ priorities?
What is Jesus modeling?
Where do you see Jesus’ humanity?
In Jesus’ day there was a tremendous hatred and prejudice against the Samaritan people. Did you catch the woman’s words in the passage? She said, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (Jews did not associate with Samaritans) (John 4:9).
Why did the Jews not like the Samaritans? The story goes all the way back to the book of Genesis, and the fact that Israel blessed the two sons of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh. These sons were half Egyptian and half Jewish and they were given the land that in Jesus’ time was called Samaria. In fact, Joseph should have received one plot of land like all of his other brothers, but his father obviously loved him more and chose to give him the two best plots of land. Thus, Ephraim and Manasseh got huge chucks of the best land.
These two tribes were hated from he beginning and always looked down on by the Jews. If you have some extra time today, go and read the history of Joseph. In fact, the place where Jesus is sitting is believed to be the place where Joseph’s bones were buried, the ones that had been carried all the way from Egypt (Josh. 24:32). Wow! Hopefully you can better understand the racial problem that began hundreds of years ago. These problems still exist in that part of the world today; there is a deep racism and hatred and infighting among people who all trace their roots back to Abraham.
In this story, we see Jesus is breaking two cultural taboos. First, He was speaking to a Samaritan and secondly, he was speaking to a woman. Another big problem in Jesus’ day was prejudice and mistreatment of women. Women were used more than appreciated. For those reasons this conversation catches both the Samaritan woman and Jesus’ followers by surprise (John 4:9,27). We see Jesus’ humanity in this story when he is both thirsty and hungry. He asks the woman for some water and sends His followers to get some food.
In this story Jesus all states clearly His purpose for coming to Earth: “My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’” (John 4:34). We learn later that Jesus in His humanity struggled with the will of the Father. But He finally yields and says, ‘“…yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The will of the father was for Jesus to die on a cross. But what is the work of the Father? Is it the same? In John 17:4, Jesus says, “‘I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.’” He says this before He dies, therefore the work must be something different from the will. If Jesus’ only purpose for coming to earth was to die on the cross, why then did He not die when He was 12, 18 or 25? Why wait until He was around 33 years old to die on the cross? The reason is because Jesus had to not only complete the will of God, but the work of God too. The father’s work for him was the prepare some people who would carry the message of His death and resurrection around the world. He was given the task of making disciples who could make disciples. That is the work of Jesus. This is what we are looking at in this study- how to make disciples. Why? Because before Jesus leaves this world, he said to his disciples, “‘As the father has sent me, I am sending you’” (John 20:21).
God has a will for you and a work! What is it?
You and I have a work to do- We must make disciples (Matthew 28:19). We also have to do the will of the Father. The will of the Father is the same as it was for Jesus- to die. We need to die to self and allow Jesus to live in and trough us. Our throughs should be like Paul’s when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal.2:20) Paul discovered the secret of the victorious Christian life is having Christ in us, living through us.
We can gain insight form this story into sharing Jesus with people of other religions. I don't want you to miss this. Notice that Jesus begins the conversation by placing Himself in a position of need. I am thirsty; give me something to drink. Before telling the woman who he is, Jesus first allows himself to be in a position of needing her help. This is a good model for sharing Jesus with people from other religions. Allow yourself to be in a position of need, asking them for help and then be willing to offer help for their souls.
Are you willing to be obedient to the will and work the Father has for you?
Do you remember what baptism meant? Jesus’ early followers were helping the people to identify with the person and work of Jesus. This was why they were baptizing them. Jesus collects his followers and begins to head back up to Galilee, but first he must pass through Samaria. Look again at the map and get your bearings. Lets go north into Samaria to the town of Sychar.
Read John 4:1-42
What does this passage tell you about Jesus’ priorities?
What is Jesus modeling?
Where do you see Jesus’ humanity?
In Jesus’ day there was a tremendous hatred and prejudice against the Samaritan people. Did you catch the woman’s words in the passage? She said, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (Jews did not associate with Samaritans) (John 4:9).
Why did the Jews not like the Samaritans? The story goes all the way back to the book of Genesis, and the fact that Israel blessed the two sons of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh. These sons were half Egyptian and half Jewish and they were given the land that in Jesus’ time was called Samaria. In fact, Joseph should have received one plot of land like all of his other brothers, but his father obviously loved him more and chose to give him the two best plots of land. Thus, Ephraim and Manasseh got huge chucks of the best land.
These two tribes were hated from he beginning and always looked down on by the Jews. If you have some extra time today, go and read the history of Joseph. In fact, the place where Jesus is sitting is believed to be the place where Joseph’s bones were buried, the ones that had been carried all the way from Egypt (Josh. 24:32). Wow! Hopefully you can better understand the racial problem that began hundreds of years ago. These problems still exist in that part of the world today; there is a deep racism and hatred and infighting among people who all trace their roots back to Abraham.
In this story, we see Jesus is breaking two cultural taboos. First, He was speaking to a Samaritan and secondly, he was speaking to a woman. Another big problem in Jesus’ day was prejudice and mistreatment of women. Women were used more than appreciated. For those reasons this conversation catches both the Samaritan woman and Jesus’ followers by surprise (John 4:9,27). We see Jesus’ humanity in this story when he is both thirsty and hungry. He asks the woman for some water and sends His followers to get some food.
In this story Jesus all states clearly His purpose for coming to Earth: “My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’” (John 4:34). We learn later that Jesus in His humanity struggled with the will of the Father. But He finally yields and says, ‘“…yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The will of the father was for Jesus to die on a cross. But what is the work of the Father? Is it the same? In John 17:4, Jesus says, “‘I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.’” He says this before He dies, therefore the work must be something different from the will. If Jesus’ only purpose for coming to earth was to die on the cross, why then did He not die when He was 12, 18 or 25? Why wait until He was around 33 years old to die on the cross? The reason is because Jesus had to not only complete the will of God, but the work of God too. The father’s work for him was the prepare some people who would carry the message of His death and resurrection around the world. He was given the task of making disciples who could make disciples. That is the work of Jesus. This is what we are looking at in this study- how to make disciples. Why? Because before Jesus leaves this world, he said to his disciples, “‘As the father has sent me, I am sending you’” (John 20:21).
God has a will for you and a work! What is it?
You and I have a work to do- We must make disciples (Matthew 28:19). We also have to do the will of the Father. The will of the Father is the same as it was for Jesus- to die. We need to die to self and allow Jesus to live in and trough us. Our throughs should be like Paul’s when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal.2:20) Paul discovered the secret of the victorious Christian life is having Christ in us, living through us.
We can gain insight form this story into sharing Jesus with people of other religions. I don't want you to miss this. Notice that Jesus begins the conversation by placing Himself in a position of need. I am thirsty; give me something to drink. Before telling the woman who he is, Jesus first allows himself to be in a position of needing her help. This is a good model for sharing Jesus with people from other religions. Allow yourself to be in a position of need, asking them for help and then be willing to offer help for their souls.
Are you willing to be obedient to the will and work the Father has for you?
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2 Comments
This is one of my favorite accounts of Jesus in the Bible. It shows how much His ways are not our ways! It allows us a glimpse into the nature of God. I love that he leaves satisfied by the ministry- not tired and hungry. This is how we should feel when we are actively doing God's will.
Great devo this morning!
The last question "Are you willing to be obedient to the will and the work the Father has for you?" makes a powerful morning statement. Today I am willing to be obedient to my Father's will and the work He has for me. Each day offers a new opportunity for that to play out. Yesterday, on my way back from the Stockyards, I saw a guy walking on the bypass, with a long way to go in any direction. So I offered him a ride, which he happily accepted. While chatting, he says he just got out of jail that morning. 😳 Words of my mother were ringing in my ears. I took him to the next town, and he repeatedly expressed his gratitude. He insisted on giving me a small property envelope, which I refused initially, but I could see how important it was to him, so I quietly accepted it. I could see it wasn't money. After he stepped out, I opened the envelope, and it was a cross on a chain. In the moment, I wasn't thinking about Jesus, but suddenly, there He was.