John 4:31-43
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Jesus & Food
Jesus & Food
Have you ever been some wrapped up in something that you forgot to eat? Or perhaps you remembered you didn’t eat but it didn’t matter you were so set on what you were doing?
Sports, a game, a book, talking to your friend/boyfriend/girlfriend, a puzzle, etc.
Do you think all of a sudden your body just doesn’t need food anymore and your good? You’re so focused on that, your adrenaline is running so high you don’t need to stop and eat.
The Spirit uses us sometimes and gives us energy and substances when it seems we are weak and unable.
Does anyone know who William Wilberforce was? He was a member of the British Parliament and he fought for the abolishment of slavery. Wilberforce was described as a small and strange looking guy. He was mentored and friends with John Newton, the former slave ship captain and investor in slave trade; who is famous for what? Writing Amazing Grace.
Anyways, Wilberforce was small and strange, and when he would get up to speak in the House of Commons, people laughed at him or just stared because he was weird. Well went Wilberforce started talking about slavery, it was said that he was filled with fire from God. People listened, they go on the edge of their seats and were captivated, all of a sudden he was emboldened and spoke powerfully through the spirit on this important topic. He began to win people over and led the movement to abolish slavery.
Has anyone heard of John Knox? The great Scottish reformer and preacher. His life was as close to the life of Paul that I can think of. his entire life, he preached the gospel, people came to Christ and he was run out of town. Multiple times he fled to Switzerland and France and Germany. He fled Kings & Queens who sought to kill him, civil war, religious crusades, etc.
But John Knox was a very weak and feeble man, constantly struggling with back pain and poor eyesight. At the end of his life, John Knox was bed-ridden, unable to do anything. And yet he got up on Sunday, struggled to the pulpit, had to use the pulpit to balance himself, and passionately and fervently delivered the gospel. With weak voice and failing eyes and no bodily strength, the Lord empowered him to boldly proclaim the gospel. He went home, got into bed and never got out, he died a couple days later.
My point is this, there are times we do things that seem to be outside of our ability or strength.
In our passage today we are going to come across Jesus in a similar situation.
Turn to John 4.
Starting in verse 31, it starts…Meanwhile.
Well obviously this is pointing to whats been going on, what is the context to where we are at? What did Paul teach about last time?
The women at the well. And what was that interaction about? Seeking water.
So with that in mind someone read verses 31-34
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.
So with the context of the interaction with the women at the well in mind, the disciples are begging Jesus to eat. and how does Jesus respond? I have food you don’t know about.
We are beginning to see a theme in the book of John. I need some readers.
The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
What do we begin to see in Jesus interactions?
Verse 32 is now the fourth time that Jesus says something that doesn’t really mean what you think it means. in chapter 2, he wasn’t going to really rebuild the literal temple in 3 days. In chapter 3 he is not saying you are going to come out of your mother a second time. In chapter 4 v.11 he is not saying the water in that well will provided life. No, those are all reflections on the truths of the gospel. Jesus was the temple and his body was going to be destroyed but it will be rebuilt in three days.
You cannot come to saving faith without being born again, with true conversion.
You only will find satisfaction in the living water, drink of this well and never be thirsty.
Now, I have food that will satisfy far beyond what you can give me.
The Lord’s intent was that he was so consumed with this conversation with this women and the hope of the gospel he didn’t care about food. The priorities of Jesus life—serving God by doing his will and his work was what gave him sustenance in life.
1) is Jesus found sustenance in what he was doing.
Jesus job on earth was to do the will of the Father—not unlike our role by the way.
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
So we have the will of the Father, and to obey it and follow it will give us strength. Again remember the context. How did Jesus approach the well in the beginning of chapter 4? He was tired, weary from the long journey. You can picture him stumbling up to the well, seeking water from whoever could provide it, even a samaritan. And yet as the conversation got going, you can see it, Jesus springs to life, getting more and more excited as the doors begin to open to clear gospel presentations. He got this supernatural strength from doing what he was sent here to do.
Jesus is certainly not suggesting in v. 34 that we don’t need food or drink. We are not angels, we have to eat and sleep. However Jesus is suggesting that we should have such a passion for God’s work that we can put our needs on the backburner for a time to share the hope of the gospel.
How many times do we let our schedules control us? I’ll be transparent, there have been times when my wife and I are talking through an issue or having discussion about something important, and I will end it and say well I have to go back to work. Or to a friend, I would love to continue this conversation but it’s time for bed. Or perhaps I would love to get together with you but I have to get home and make dinner. All those things are good, they are not bad things, but we let our schedule control us. We are willing to close gospel doors in order to be somewhere on time or to not miss a meal.
How many of us on Sunday mornings, its a pet peeve of mine but we have all done, hey, great to see you, hope your doing well, I have to get to lunch, bye!
Jesus was consumed with His fathers will. “He says nothing about his own will. People think that if they could have their own way, they would be perfectly happy, and their dream of happiness consists in this—that their wishes will be gratified, their own longings fulfilled, and their desires granted to them. This is all a mistake. A person will never be happy in this way. Perfect happiness is to be found in exactly the opposite direction, namely, in the casting down of our own will entirely and asking that the will of God may be fulfilled in us…When we have conquered ourselves, we have conquered all. When we have won the victory over our own desires and dislikes and have subdued ourselves through sovereign grace to the will of God, then we will be perfectly happy.” Charles Spurgeon.
Do we have a desire to put aside personal comforts for gospel conversations.
2) Jesus had urgency for the time is now.
Do we have urgency in our witnessing.
John 4:35–38 (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.”
One of the reasons we give into our personal desires so often is we don’t have a sense of urgency.
Jesus is surrounded by crops when he is speaking here. It was probably December or January, so the crops would be vibrant green, but not ready for harvest. There was still four months until they needed to be picked. Again Jesus is not literally talking about going and picking wheat. But this was the disciples mindset. Yes, jesus we need to do those things, but we have plenty of time, well get to it later.
I came a cross of story of a little harbor town that had a very treacherous area where boasts frequently capsized during big storms. This town had a faithful group of men who when they hear the bell ring would get in the water and go out to save the sailors from the sinking ships. They were very good, a tremendous rescue team. They even got some publicity and money was given to build a rescue center. They developed some areas where they could train and better prepare this team for rescues. They had a well oiled machine and it led to the rescue of hundreds of people. But over time the rescue center got nicer and nicer. They put in couches and a state of the art ktichen and sleeping quarters and a gaming center, etc. And as each bell sounded, fewer and fewer guys went to go help. And soon there came a time when nobody came.
They got some comfortable in there temporal things they didn’t even bother to try and save anyone.
That is what the disciples were doing. We know why we do this “They won’t be interested” “I’m too busy” “I’ll do it later”
I can tell you from first hand expierence there may not be a later. I had a dear loved one who I had many good conversations with. But you know what I never go to the point of calling him to repentance. We talked all about the church and how it had wronged him and the broken relationships that were being mended and the hope that he was lacking but I never got to the point of calling him to repentance. And there was not a later. He died suddenly of a heart attack. And in God’s sovereignty, he did not save him. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still, 5-10 years later still think about those conversations and the direction I didn’t take it.
Do we have a sense of urgency?
3) Jesus is the Savior of the World
This is the climax of the story. We have seen Jesus get this super natural strength. We see the urgency to share the news. Well it has an ending.
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.
This is the beauty of the gospel. It is God’s good news. It brings change to the hearts of rebels. Word spread and they came to believe.
This is the first fulfillment of Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Obviously that hadn’t happened yet but Jesus was living out what he called us to do—spreading the good news to the ends of the earth.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
The samartians saw that this was Jesus, and the testified that he was sent of the Father.
But they also tesitifed to something else.
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
They thought he was a prophet.
“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
Maybe this is more than just a prophet?
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”
He has been fulfilling the things he said.
But it comes to a culmination:
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.”
What did they come to realize?
He is the savior of the world! This is the first time we have seen this proclaimed. He is the Savior! He has come to save a people for himself.
And John records all of this, why?
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
We have these things so that we can believe!