SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS
Thursday – November 1, 2018, Cheshvan 23, 5779
Greetings and welcome back to this wonderful Bible Study based on the Bible Book of John. The featured picture for today was also taken in Boothbay this summer. Beautiful area. Now let us turn our attention back to our primary text and read it aloud.
John 4:20-26 (KJV)
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
As we examine verse twenty-one Jesus is not saying that God can’t be worshipped on that mountain or in Jerusalem but worship will not be limited to a certain place. They, the Samaritans, were apparently worshipping pagan gods that they really knew nothing about but the Jews knew the God to whom they submitted (worship). Then Jesus makes a statement that I hope we all know and that is that salvation is come to all peoples of the Jews. Jesus is a Jew. His earthly human identity was as a Jew, a sinless man, who went to Calvary and was made sin that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him. An interesting point that perhaps warrants repeating at this juncture I discussed in an earlier edition. Joseph is of the tribe of Judah and Mary was of the tribe of Levi. Jewishness comes from the mother. Jesus is our High Priest today, and in that day, He was also our intercessor (a priestly function) in that He stood between man and God and paid the price of sin as a priest for all of mankind. The tribe of Judah is the kingly side of Jesus and following the Cross He is King of kings. This brings us to verse twenty-three which is a very important verse both for them then and us now.
John 4:23 (KJV)
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Jesus defines a true worshipper and tells us that the Father is actively seeking out these people. A true worshipper, worships the Father in spirit and in truth. No mention of a song service. To worship is to make oneself completely submitted to the other person, in this case, God. To look ahead for just a moment into verse twenty-four Jesus tells us that God is a Spirit and repeats that He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24 (KJV)
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Let’s think about the statement which Jesus makes that God is a Spirit. At this time, that moment in time, Jesus, the Word, who was with and was God had divested Himself of the powers that defined Him as God and became human with the same spirit but divested of the powers of God. God the Father in Heaven is a Spirit, and God the Holy Spirit is Spirit. Two persons of the Divine Trinity, the Father and Holy Spirit are Spirit however the third person, Jesus (the Word) is man and spirit however His spirit is devested of the things that define God so at that moment He is not God. Just as a reminder those features He divested are omnipresence, omnipotent, and omniscience. Now, today, not that day in Samaria, but today in Heaven the Father and Holy Spirit remain the same but Jesus is all man and all God so therefore not purely Spirit. However, the God part of Jesus is Spirit. So today God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and Truth.
So, the statement that we must worship God who is a Spirit in spirit should not be a blockbuster idea. We are to worship God, submit to God, spirit, soul, and body. At salvation our spirit man is perfect and alive but our soul (mind, will, and emotions) needs renewal by the Word of God. As we renew, reprogram, the mind, our words follow suit and our ways or actions. All become more and more like Jesus. Jesus will tell us later in our study that His words and therefore our words are spirit. As an aside, our thoughts which occupy real estate (space) in our physical brain also occupies space in our mind which is spirit. Words originate and emanate from our mind (spirit) and are expressed through the body (our mouth) as physical sound waves and spiritual sound waves. The problem with this analogy is that thoughts travel at a speed somewhere north of the speed of light however physical sound waves travel at 1125 ft/sec. Can you see the humongous filter and impediment this fallen physical body places on our spirit man? Lord willing tomorrow I will pick up with talking about worshipping the Father in spirit and truth.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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