True Worship | Sermon 12/18/2022

John 4:20-26

Now that the Samaritan woman recognizes this weary traveler as some kind of spiritual authority, a prophet, she is reminded of the most substantial point of contention between Jews and Samaritans. On Mount Gerizim is where the blessings were shouted to the covenant community and the first altar of God that Abraham built and that is where the Samaritans built their temple. But because they rejected God’s Word after Deuteronomy, they don’t know God spoke and requested His house be built by Solomon in Jerusalem. But Jesus tells her that in no great amount of time all of that won’t matter. God won’t be worshipped only on mountains or in buildings made by hands any more.

Jesus tells her that the Samaritans worship what they do not know and Jews worship what they know but both of them don’t worship “who” yet. The “who” is about to reveal Himself. The Jews have carried the oracles of God to the people of the entire world but a day is coming where salvation will go to every nation of the earth. And when it does true worshipers won’t make pilgrimage to Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim, they will worship God in spirit and truth. Jesus is the true temple and only through Him can this worship be offered to God. Worship is directed towards the Father, done in the Spirit, and the One, Jesus, who is called the Truth. Men are flesh and visible. God is spirit and invisible. The point is we need Jesus to mediate our true worship and to make us into true worshipers.

The woman is likely thinking, Jesus could be right but at least the Messiah will for certain be right. And Jesus, knowing she only knows the Pentateuch, hints at Exodus 3, the burning bush passage. She doesn’t need to wait anymore, the “I AM” Messiah is here and ironically, He is indeed explaining all things to her. She, like all of us, must observe God’s Word; what is written and Who has come as the Logos.