Salvation for the Samaritans

Main Points from our Text

Spiritual Blindness and the cataracts of religion (, , ,, John 4.31)

Spiritual food (John 4.31-34)

Sowing and Reaping (John 4.35-42)

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1. Spiritual Blindness and the cataracts of religion (, , ,, )

The lens of the human eye is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.

The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.

But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract, and over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.

No one knows for sure why the eye's lens changes as we age, forming cataracts. But researchers worldwide have identified factors that may cause cataracts or are associated with cataract development. Besides advancing age, cataract risk factors include:

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and other sources

Diabetes

Four Glimpses of Our Blindness

Hypertension

Obesity

Smoking

The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.

Prolonged use of steroid medications

Statin medicines used to reduce cholesterol

Previous eye injury or inflammation

Christ is revealing our spiritual blindness in these first few chapters of John. It seems that often are vision is blocked by religion. In other words are efforts to save ourselves through trying to do good or be good enough to earn our salvation. Because of the spiritual blindness the beauty and glory of God Himself could be standing in front of us and we like them would not recognize Him.

Look with me back at John’s examples.

Christ is revealing the need for spiritual sight and Cataract removal

First, in , Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And the Jews said to him, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” They had no spiritual sight for what Jesus was talking about, namely, his own death and resurrection. They were blind to the glory of what he was revealing—that he himself is the presence of God more than the temple is, and that when he rises from the dead, from then on, he will be the place where people meet God.

Second, in Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Nicodemus had no spiritual sight of what Jesus was talking about, namely, there is a second birth that is spiritual. It brings into being something that did not exist before in you—a living spirit and the ability to see the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Third, in , Jesus says to the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” And the woman says to Jesus, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.” She has no spiritual sight of what Jesus is talking about, namely, the supernatural spiritual life that that comes from receiving Christ himself—indeed, the supernatural life that he himself is.

And fourth, here in our text, , his disciples say to Jesus, “Rabbi, eat.” And Jesus says to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” And the disciples said to each other, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” They had no spiritual sight of what he was talking about. Verse 34: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

We Need the Holy-Spirits Help

Why does John keep showing us their spiritual blindness

1. Because we are blind! Not just them. We are blind as well. Before becoming a christian we are blind but even after it is like the world acts as the protein that covers the lens of our eyes and begins to cause blindness again.

Unable to see without the Holy Sprit intervening and causing us to see. We are blind and dead in our sins. How marvelous is the grace of God

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (). We need the mighty, sovereign, life-giving, eye-opening, heart-wakening work of the Holy Spirit. That’s why we need to pray.

2. We need the HS help to see that Jesus is indeed the Christ? We cannot see this on our own. We are blinded to the glory of God. Blinded to His Majesty, Unable to see that He is the creator and sustainer of the universe, until our eyes are open to the reality of Christ as savior we chase our tails in this life in desperate hope like the women a the well. We are numb to the things of God

Illustrate: Thailand and leper colony

sin is like a spiritual leprosy. It deadens your spiritual senses so that you rip your soul to shreds and don't even feel it. - John Piper

If we should/could see God more closely to what and who He is right now it would change us radically.

But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract, and over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.

No one knows for sure why the eye's lens changes as we age, forming cataracts. But researchers worldwide have identified factors that may cause cataracts or are associated with cataract development. Besides advancing age, cataract risk factors include:

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and other sources

Diabetes

Hypertension

Obesity

Smoking

Prolonged use of corticosteroid medications

Statin medicines used to reduce cholesterol

Previous eye injury or inflammation

Previous eye surgery

Spiritual Blindness and the cataracts of religion

Spiritual food

Sowing and Reaping

The fields are white for harvest.

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John 4:27–42 ESV

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?” 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. 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. 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.” 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.”

First, in , Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And the Jews said to him, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” They had no spiritual sight for what Jesus was talking about, namely, his own death and resurrection. They were blind to the glory of what he was revealing—that he himself is the presence of God more than the temple is, and that when he rises from the dead, from then on, he will be the place where people meet God.

Second, in Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Nicodemus had no spiritual sight of what Jesus was talking about, namely, there is a second birth that is spiritual. It brings into being something that did not exist before in you—a living spirit and the ability to see the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Third, in , Jesus says to the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” And the woman says to Jesus, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.” She has no spiritual sight of what Jesus is talking about, namely, the supernatural spiritual life that that comes from receiving Christ himself—indeed, the supernatural life that he himself is.

And fourth, here in our text, , his disciples say to Jesus, “Rabbi, eat.” And Jesus says to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” And the disciples said to each other, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” They had no spiritual sight of what he was talking about. Verse 34: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

I will raise this temple in three days. It took 46 years to build this temple.You must be born again. How can a man enter into his mother’s womb?I will give you living water. You don’t have a bucket.I have food to eat you do not know about. Who brought him something to eat?

(1) Jesus and religion. The leading message of the story is about Jesus and his relation to religion. On one level we can speak about Jesus and his impact on historic first-century Judaism. As we witnessed in all of the institutions of Judaism that Jesus confronts (ritual purity at Cana, the Jerusalem temple, Nicodemus), he overwhelms and replaces abundantly those things that the institutions offered. Jesus fills water vessels with wine, astonishing a party; he challenges the temple, suggesting that he himself will replace what it offers; he instructs a Jewish teacher in the deeper things of God. Now he comes to a traditional well associated with one of Israel’s greatest heroes, Jacob, and he offers what Jacob never could: living water (interpreted as the Holy Spirit) that turns people into life-giving wells (4:14). Jesus even challenges the sanctity and significance of Mount Gerizim and Jerusalem, holy places to Samaritans and Jews. “Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (4:21) are shocking words to anyone who has any investment in history and tradition.

Why does John keep showing us this pathetic response to the glory that Jesus reveals? He does it, first, to remind us over and over that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, so that we might see his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth . . . and from that fullness, that we might receive grace upon grace” (, ).

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (). We need the mighty, sovereign, life-giving, eye-opening, heart-wakening work of the Holy Spirit. That’s why we need to pray.

1. Spiritual Blindness and the cataracts of religion

(1) Jesus and religion. The leading message of the story is about Jesus and his relation to religion. On one level we can speak about Jesus and his impact on historic first-century Judaism. As we witnessed in all of the institutions of Judaism that Jesus confronts (ritual purity at Cana, the Jerusalem temple, Nicodemus), he overwhelms and replaces abundantly those things that the institutions offered. Jesus fills water vessels with wine, astonishing a party; he challenges the temple, suggesting that he himself will replace what it offers; he instructs a Jewish teacher in the deeper things of God. Now he comes to a traditional well associated with one of Israel’s greatest heroes, Jacob, and he offers what Jacob never could: living water (interpreted as the Holy Spirit) that turns people into life-giving wells (4:14). Jesus even challenges the sanctity and significance of Mount Gerizim and Jerusalem, holy places to Samaritans and Jews. “Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (4:21) are shocking words to anyone who has any investment in history and tradition.

Introduction:

Burge, G. M. (2000). John (pp. 154–155). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses

2. Spiritual Food

2. Spiritual food ()

John 4:31–34 ESV

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.

Introduction:

Jesus food = Do the will of the Father

The NIV Application Commentary: John The Food of Jesus (4:27–42)

Morris prefers a mild symbolism: “She abandoned the bringing of water for the bringing of men.”

This is the heart of John’s meaning. One sign of discipleship is the testimony given to others—words that eagerly spill out because of the preciousness of discovery. “Come, see”(4:29) is a Johannine phrase of invitation (1:39, 46). Potential converts do not need mere information about Jesus—note that the woman is even tentative about Jesus’ identity as the Christ (4:29); they need only to come and have their own experience with him.

Listen to , “The Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment . . . And I know that his commandment is eternal life.” Or : “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

By sharing with her the reality of who he is. Look at her progression

Now if we return as readers to the passage with this profile of confession and experience in mind, we see some amazing new things because John wants us as readers to have a relationship with Jesus just as it may have happened for the woman.

Note as the story unfolds how there is a remarkable display of titles for Jesus (exactly as we saw in 1:35–51). The woman and the story mature in their perception of Jesus:

The cataracts are coming off. Jesus is doing spiritual eye surgery here.

• Jesus (4:6)

So when Jesus says in , “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work,” he means, “My food is to give eternal life.” That is, my source of strength to give eternal life is to give eternal life. I give life because I am life. I am the way the truth and the life (). My food is to be what I am. And I am life. Living water. Bread from heaven. I don’t just eat food. I am food. I don’t get life. I give life.

Our Food = Living Water :john 4.10 and see john 7.38-39

• Jew (4:9)

• Sir (Lord) (4:11, 15, 19)

• Prophet (4:19)

• Messiah (4:25)

• Christ (4:25, 29)

• I am (4:26)

• Rabbi (4:31)

• Savior of the world (4:42)

Such a list is not accidental. As readers we cannot overlook how titles of respect evolve into titles of belief. In other words, the story’s language models for us the demand for intelligent belief, for identifying Jesus properly and fully.

Burge, G. M. (2000). John (pp. 156–157). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

This helps explain the strange direction his words take in verses 35–36: “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 [there’s the link!], so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” Jesus is reaping eternal life. That’s what he has been doing with this woman and, through her, is doing even now among the people of Sychar.

The sowers are Jesus, John the Baptist, the Prophets

The White is perhaps the people coming through the goldne grain fields in there white clothing

Our Food = Living Water :john 4.10 and see john 7.38-39

John 4:10 ESV

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

John 4.10

John 7:38–39 ESV

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 7:38 ESV

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

john 7.38

Remember how we need the Holy Spirit to remove the spiritual Blindness from our eyes. The Living water is the HS. Out of Him shall flow springs of living water.

So Jesus is revealing himself to be no mere mortal. Human, to be sure—but more than human. The Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (, ). He revealed his glory again and again. I am sustained to finish God’s work by finishing God’s work.

But there is something more specific implied here that is going to make the connection with verses 35 and 36 make sense. When Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me,” what is the will of him who sent him? God’s will for Jesus—the work he gave him to accomplish—is to give eternal life.

John 4:35–42 ESV

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.” 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.”

Listen to , “The Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment . . . And I know that his commandment is eternal life.” Or : “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

So when Jesus says in , “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work,” he means, “My food is to give eternal life.” That is, my source of strength to give eternal life is to give eternal life. I give life because I am life. I am the way the truth and the life (). My food is to be what I am. And I am life. Living water. Bread from heaven. I don’t just eat food. I am food. I don’t get life. I give life.

This helps explain the strange direction his words take in verses 35–36: “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 [there’s the link!], so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” Jesus is reaping eternal life. That’s what he has been doing with this woman and, through her, is doing even now among the people of Sychar.

Using the grain growing in the surrounding fields as an object lesson (cf. the use of similar illustrations in ; , ; ), Jesus impressed on the disciples the urgency of reaching the lost. There was no need to wait four months; the spiritual fields were already white for harvest. The disciples had only to lift up their eyes and look at the Samaritans coming toward them (v. 30), their white clothing forming a striking contrast against the brilliant green of the ripening grain and looking like white heads on the stalks that indicated the time for harvest.

Although the Samaritans had not yet reached the well, Jesus knew men’s hearts and whose was ready for salvation (cf. 1:47–49; 2:24–25; 6:64), just as He had known the unspoken life story of the woman (vv. 16–18). Such supernatural insight was a manifestation of His deity (cf. ; ). By telling the disciples that the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal the Lord highlighted their responsibility to participate in the harvest of souls. They would receive their wages, the rewarding joy of gathering fruit for eternity (cf. ).

Also, please don’t think that your role in sowing seed is small and insignificant. Remember, Jesus sowed a single seed into the heart of one person, yet that isolated, solitary event produced a harvest so huge that an entire village came to Jesus Christ. In the same way, the seed you sow into someone’s heart today may be the very seed that produces the next massive harvest for the Kingdom of God!

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). (pp. 158–159). Chicago: Moody Press.

Jesus came to the most unlikely person to reveal Himself and His kingdom this day.

Also, please don’t think that your role in sowing seed is small and insignificant. Remember, Jesus sowed a single seed into the heart of one person, yet that isolated, solitary event produced a harvest so huge that an entire village came to Jesus Christ. In the same way, the seed you sow into someone’s heart today may be the very seed that produces the next massive harvest for the Kingdom of God!

The NIV Application Commentary: John Bridging Contexts

Now if we return as readers to the passage with this profile of confession and experience in mind, we see some amazing new things because John wants us as readers to have a relationship with Jesus just as it may have happened for the woman. Note as the story unfolds how there is a remarkable display of titles for Jesus (exactly as we saw in 1:35–51). The woman and the story mature in their perception of Jesus:

• Jesus (4:6)

• Jew (4:9)

• Sir (Lord) (4:11, 15, 19)

• Prophet (4:19)

• Messiah (4:25)

• Christ (4:25, 29)

• I am (4:26)

• Rabbi (4:31)

• Savior of the world (4:42)

Such a list is not accidental. As readers we cannot overlook how titles of respect evolve into titles of belief. In other words, the story’s language models for us the demand for intelligent belief, for identifying Jesus properly and fully.

Why? It reveals His heart foe the all people not simply Jewish people.

God used her testimony to bring in a harvest. I may feel like God cannot use me if I try and share Christ with someone but this text stands in opposition to my feelings.

John 4:35–42 ESV

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.” 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.”

God uses the HS to open the eyes. To surgically cause the bling to see, but he also uses His people. How can they believe if they have not heard.

Application:

1. All our labor is important. God uses men and women (sinful, forgiven men and women) to sow and reap. And we are always entering into the labor of another, especially Jesus’. His labor is always decisive. Especially the labor of the cross. This was his main food. My food is to accomplish the work God gave me to do. And with the cross in view, where he died for our sins, he said, “Father, I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” ().

2. Perhaps the Greatest Labor we can do is to pray for the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to open the Eyes of the spiriually blind.

3. Don’t be confused. Some will say we should just show them with our lives and not speak. This is most often born out of ignorance or cowardice. Jesus modeled proclaiming the Good News. Namely, He was here and those who trusted Him would receive eternal life. Just as it cost Christ we are called to complete what is lacking in His sufferings.

If we share the Gospel everybody will love us......NO, like Christ we will be mocked by some. It comes with genuine faith.

Salvation for the Samaritans

Four Glimpses of Our Blindness

We Need Holy-Spirit Help

2. Spiritual food ()

We Need Holy-Spirit Help

But there is something more specific implied here that is going to make the connection with verses 35 and 36 make sense. When Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me,” what is the will of him who sent him?

God’s will for Jesus—the work he gave him to accomplish—is to give eternal life.

Jesus is telling his disciples

“I’ve been eating the whole time you went into Sychar. Filling my spiritual stomach.” Were about to have a spiritual feast!

3. Sowing and Reaping ()

“I Am Food, I Am Life”