200209 To Jacob's Well

John, author of the gospel, made no effort to harmonize his writing with the other three Gospel writers. We can only assume that the events John recorded happened in sequence. Jesus was baptized and was recognized as the Messiah. He then began to gather up the disciples that would follow him for about three years. As he traveled from Galilee and along the way blessed their wedding feast with the best wine they had ever tasted. When he arrived in Jerusalem he went to the temple that he had earlier called “My Father’s House” and cleaned it up! He had found

merchants selling ox and sheep and pigeons in the temple courtyards. He saw the moneychangers sitting there. He overturned their tables and drove the animals out. Again he used the term “My Father’s House”.

These things happened during the first Passover that he attended with his disciples. While he was in Jerusalem a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to him at night. Most of the commentators that I have read attribute his coming at night to being an effort to hide the meeting from the public. I take an entirely different view. Both Jesus and Nicodemus were busy public figures. In order to have any kind of decent discussion they would need to meet at night.

Nicodemus would later defend Jesus before the Council. They were determined to condemn him to death. Nicodemus challenged, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:51). The next time we see Nicodemus he is assisting Joseph of Arimathea with the burial arrangements for Jesus.

After his discussion with Nicodemus Jesus left Jerusalem and traveled north to Galilee. John informs us that “he had to pass through Samaria” (John 4:4). This is a very significant statement. At that time Jews did not pass through Samaria! Let me set the scene. Jacob’s well was, and is, located between two hills. One named Ebal the other named Gerizim. When the Israelites invaded Canaan they paused in that valley to participate in an elaborate ritual.

They officially became the people of God that day in the valley. The event is recorded in Deuteronomy 27:9-26. Half of the tribes of Israel stood on Ebal to pronounce the curses found in the law. The other half stood on Gerizim and blessed the people. Cherlyn and I, in a tour group that included Bob and Beverly Hunt, stopped in that valley. Our tour guide announced “When God curses a place it remains cursed.” He then pointed out the tree covered hill lush and beautiful and said it is called Gerizim. Across the valley is a barren rocky hill called Ebal!

With that historic background why would Jews not travel through the region called Samaria? To answer that question we have to look at what happened to the region when Israel was taken into captivity. In the year 722 the northern kingdom of Israel was overrun by the armies of Assyria. At that time most of the Jews who live there were taken away and replaced by other conquered people. There were Jews who remained in the land and by order of the new rulers were mixed together with the foreigners. Then the government sent a priest to teach them the law of the god of the land. This resulted in a cult claiming to worship Yahweh as well as serving other gods. They used the five books of Moses and built a temple on Gerizim. Jews avoided the region occupied by these corrupted people. So, when Jesus announced that “he had to pass through Samaria” ( John 4:4) His disciples must have been very surprised. Jesus was tired and sat down by the well. While he was sitting there a Samaritan woman arrived.

Jesus was alone because he had sent his disciples into the nearby village to buy some food. Really, I believe, he sent them away by the direction of the Father because he had an appointment with this Samaritian woman. The time of Jesus’ appointment was noon.

The women of the village came there early in the morning to get water to do their daily chores. They also met at the well to discuss the day’s gossip. This lady was not very likely included in the gossip circle because of who she had become. She was likely the target of the gossip.

Jesus was sitting by the well and since he was a Jew she would not expect him to even recognize her existence. Instead, he asked her to give him water to drink!

John added a note for his non Jewish readers, “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” His request for a drink emboldened her to ask “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9). His reply to her was way beyond what she might have expected. 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)

Immediately she jumped to a conclusion. If he could give her living water that would have allowed her not to have to come there to draw water it would be a real relief. She would no longer have to be concerned about what others thought about her. She asked him where he would get this water.

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” ¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:13-15)

Jesus’ reply startled her!  Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” (John 4:16). Her answer was “I have no husband.” There, she got out of that discussion! 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.” (John 4:17-18).

Then, in an attempt to change the subject, she said I can see that you are a prophet. Often, when people are confronted with spiritual truth they will attempt to change the subject. She certainly didn’t want to talk about her marital state but she would be willing to talk about the differences between her religion and that of the Jews.

Jesus ignored her religious talk. By the way Jesus ignored her religious opinions. Instead,  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.” (John 4:21-24).

She made one last effort to change the subject when she said, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” (John 4:25). Now she had something she could debate him about! She would talk about the coming of the Messiah.  Jesus told her that he was the Messiah! She left her water jar and went to the town boldly announcing, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29). About that time his disciples arrived. Knowing about the hate filled attitudes of the average Jew towards the average Samaritan they were quite surprised to find Jesus engaged in conversation with the Samaritan woman. Not just Samaritan but a Samaritan WOMAN! I also can imagine what they were doing with the food they bought in the village. It was certainly not kosher! Since Jesus had requested it it must have been all right but it certainly would not have been acceptable in their household. They had gone to all this trouble! They had gone into a Samaritan village! They had shopped for food that would be acceptable to a Jew.

To add insult to injury Jesus did not eat it! Instead he said “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” (John 4:32).

There were many things they would probably who wanted to discuss with him at that time. They would have — had the courage — asked why he was speaking to a woman. Instead of questioning Jesus they turned to each other and said, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” (John 4:33).

Now they were really confused. Where on earth could he have gotten food? So he immediately took the opportunity to teach them. Jesus never missed an opportunity to teach those who would follow with him.

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. ³⁵ 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. ³⁶ Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷ For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (John 4:34-38).

His food was to obey the Father. And if it was the Father’s will for him to have a discussion with a disgraced woman — so be it! Then he illustrated his ministry — and our ministry — with agriculture. The farmer has to wait for the field crop to be ripe before they can harvest. I am sure his disciples did not consider the Samaritans as a crop to be gathered. After all, they were Samaritans!

The first place that I preached every Sunday at was a migrant worker camp. It happened that those who would be there on Sunday (their day off) would mostly be women and children. Also, this camp was in the segregated South and so the women and children would have been poor and black! There was a railroad track beside the camp. Over on the other side of the track was a small community with a church! Our associational director of missions wanted someone to share the gospel with these people who lived within eyesight of a church building! I had responsibility at our church several miles away on Sunday mornings and evenings so I went to the camp at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. After I had been coming there a few weeks a well-dressed African-American man came walking across the railroad track to ask me what I was doing. I explained the situation to him and he said, “I am one of the deacons at the church across the track.”

I asked him why his church did not have a ministry among these people? Even considering the black-white segregation that we had all grown up with, I was not prepared for his answer. He said, “you don’t understand. The people that go to our church own their own homes and have year-round jobs. These people” — he pointed at the women and children in the congregation — “are migrant workers. They just wouldn’t fit in with our congregation.” They did not lift up their eyes to the fields and see them ripe to harvest. Instead, they saw them as a problem to be dealt with. Prejudice often keeps people from hearing the gospel. And is not just black-white prejudice! My term as a field missionary ended when the migrants moved on. I never knew what resulted from my sharing the gospel with those people. I did make every effort to not show any prejudice.

Back to Jesus’ story. The people who were witnessed to by the woman at the well continued their prejudice towards her even though they believed the message that she brought. They were happy to say 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.” (John 4:42).

I wonder if their belief in the Messiah ever changed their attitudes towards their neighbor at the well? I also wonder if, some years later, Philip found believers who had been evangelized by Jesus himself when he traveled into Samaria to escape the sword of Saul of Tarsus. (Acts 8:4ff) That’s another sermon for another day.

The Bible tells us, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9-11)

Have you believed in him? This could be your day!

 All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.

200202 Beginning Jesus’ Ministry

Joseph, the adoptive father of the baby Jesus, had the responsibility of protecting the child and his mother. That protection had to begin as soon as he knew about her pregnancy! If he renounced responsibility for the unborn child the religious leaders of his community would have, in all likelihood, ordered her to be executed. Joseph obeyed God and made Mary his wife. In the eyes of the community that very likely meant Joseph allowed the community to believe he was the father.

Luke, in his gospel, tells us that Mary visited her relative Elizabeth who had conceived a child about three months before God in Mary conceived Jesus. Mary went to visit her and stayed with her until it was time to deliver Elizabeth’s son. That child was to become the prophet who prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry.

We do not know exactly how closely related Mary and Elizabeth were. I believe Mary’s mother was not alive. If she were, I believe, Luke would have given some explanation for Mary spending the time with Elizabeth rather than her own mother. We believe that Elizabeth and Zachariah lived near Jerusalem. The distance from Jerusalem to Nazareth is about 65 miles. We know that the adults in the family made the trip every year at the Feast of the Passover. At the age of 12 Jesus joined them. During that visit Jesus confirmed his identity by going into the temple that he called “my Father’s house”! We have no record of Jesus going to Jerusalem again until he was about 30 years old. That is not to say Jesus didn’t make the trip. Just that there is no reliable account of such visits. If Jesus made the trip either he never crossed paths with his relative John or else John was shielded from the knowledge of Jesus as the Messiah.

In the gospel record there were two men named John. The first one we are introduced to is John the Baptist. The second is John the brother of James who was one of Jesus’ disciples. John the brother of James is the author of the gospel identified by his name. He also authored the short books of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John as well as the book of Revelation. Side

It was this John whom we turn to for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

God introduced John the Baptist to Jesus at a place called Bethany on the banks of the Jordan River where John was baptizing. Let’s look at John’s record…

 John 1:29-34 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

I have often thought about this experience for John and his disciples. He had been baptizing people based on their repentance. John tells us that he did not know Jesus. I lean towards the idea that John knew who Jesus was but that day beside the Jordan his spiritual eyes were opened.

Luke tells us that “the word of God came to John the son of Zachariah in the wilderness” (Luke 3:2) and as a consequence “he went into all the region around the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3).

The synoptic Gospels all bear witness to Jesus being baptized by John. And immediately after Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit sent him, or drove him, out into the wilderness. He was there for 40 days during which time he was tempted by Satan. The 40 days of prayer and fasting during which time he was ministered to by angels remind us of the 40 years the people of Israel were tested in the wilderness. Also, Moses and Elijah both experienced 40 day fasts! If you recall, Moses and Elijah were the two Old Testament characters who met with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. That’s another sermon.

With the baptism of Jesus, John the Baptist’s ministry came to an end. He had confronted King Herod with the sin of adultery who then had him arrested. Later, John was beheaded at the insistence of the false Queen Herodias (Mark 6:14-29). That is also another sermon.

Jesus had the same message that John had proclaimed. John’s message recorded by Matthew was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2).

According to Mark’s record, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15).

I believe we have the stage set to officially begin Jesus’ ministry. Remember, John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching while he was baptizing near Bethany beside the Jordan. John had been told how he would identify the Messiah. He knew his job was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. I can just imagine John standing on a large boulder so that he could see the huge crowd gathered to hear him. Then out in the crowd he must’ve seen Jesus! Realizing who Jesus was he announced “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” It is interesting to me that John, the disciple, did not write that Jesus was baptized. The synoptic Gospels all record that fact.

The next day after the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah “John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:35-37). With that, Jesus began to gather his disciples. The two disciples of John the Baptist were the first. Andrew is the first named disciple. John, the disciple, does not mention his own name. Very likely he was the other one of the two mentioned here.

The very first thing that Andrew did was seek out Simon Peter his brother. When he did find his brother he immediately told him “We have found the Messiah” and he brought him to Jesus. Who said to him, “You are Simon son of John. You shall be called Cephas” which means “rock” in Aramaic. Peter means “rock” in Greek.

Two days into his ministry and Jesus has three disciples. The next day they went to Galilee. When they arrived there Jesus found a man named Philip and he said to him, “Follow me”. Philip immediately found a friend of his named Nathaniel. Philip assured Nathaniel that he had found the Messiah! Nathaniel was surprised that Jesus came from Nazareth. He asked his friend, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip had the answer “Come and See!” Let’s take up John’s account again… Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:47-51)

We should begin to see a pattern here. Jesus walks past John and Andrew. John the Baptist points out Jesus as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! With those words John and Andrew followed Jesus. Immediately Andrew found his brother Simon. They spent the night and went to Galilee the next day. In Galilee Jesus found Philip who found his friend Nathaniel. Notice how becoming a follower of Jesus immediately results in a desire to introduce other people to Jesus.

It seems that, on the way north, Jesus was invited to a wedding where he blessed the event by turning water into wine.

Very likely, James, John, Andrew and Peter took a couple of days to go to the lake of Galilee and continue their fishing because it was their profession.

We will take up Matthew’s account to see Jesus pull them back together.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22)

Now Jesus has assembled his itinerant seminary. For the next three years he would have large crowds following after him. Most of them would fall by the wayside every time there was serious persecution by the Jews or the Romans. It appears that healing, casting out demons and preaching the good news was what it was all about!

It appears that the first Passover after Jesus’ baptism was marked by his proclaiming authority over his father’s house. Only John records this event. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. ¹⁵ And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:13-17) About three years later he would do it again! At that time the Jews began to demand some kind of sign that he had the authority to do these things. The evidence Jesus promised was nothing less than his resurrection from the dead.

Only John tells us the story of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was one of the rulers of the Jews. He has received criticism because he came to Jesus at night. This is not established by the written account. I believe Nicodemus was a very busy man with many responsibilities. During the day he would have had his time taken up by his governing responsibilities. Jesus, in the same manner, was surrounded by crowds during the daytime hours. If anyone wanted to have a discussion with Jesus the best time would be at night. What he received was the first recorded gospel message.

Nicodemus recognized that Jesus came from God because no one can do the things that he did unless God was with him. Jesus ignored Nicodemus’s kind words and moved into the needed message. You must be born again! Causing Nicodemus to question — How! Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ 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.”(John 3:5-8).

It was in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus that he spoke what is very likely the best known Scripture reference, John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Have you believed in him? This could be your day!

 All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.