If we read John 4 where Jesus converts the woman at the well and saves a whole village as a result, we realize 3 realities of Jesus’ life that will bring in the Harvest. Reality # 1: To Go! John 4:4 “It was necessary for Him to go through Samaria. It was necessary… How many times to we go places that aren’t necessary? If we are led by the Spirit, our life’s journey follows a necessary path to fulfil God’s plan and save list humanity. Going to your work, your school, to buy groceries are all necessary on the level of personal need, but what if the reality is that God is making it necessary for you to go and connect with someone to bring them the reality of salvation and deliverance? If you don’t find it necessary to go, you will not arrive… Jesus arrived at a Samaritan town called Sychar, “near the tract of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. And Jacob’s well was there.” Think on the history of Israel and how the once prosperous and mighty kingdom of Solomon was divided into North and South and how Samaria, once the land of the patriarchs of faith – Jacob and Joseph, it later became an idolatrous region diffused with many false religions only to fall to Assyria, Babylonia and eventually Persia. But Jesus restored significance to the town that is on a route from Jerusalem to Nazareth, and fulfilled the patriarchal redemptive purpose of the well. “There is a good road connecting Na¯blus with Jaffa; and by a road not quite so good, it is now possible to drive a carriage from Jerusalem to Nazareth, passing through Samaria.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.) Reality # 2: The Gift of God is JESUS. Know and recognize God’s gift in Jesus. Living water that bubbles up inside and gives us eternal life is a gift only Jesus can give. He is the living water. Note about the well: It is fed by no spring, nor is the water conducted to it along the surface, as to a cistern. Its supplies depend entirely upon rainfall and percolation. Possibly, therefore, the water may never have approached the brim. The woman says “the well is deep.” Pe¯ge¯, “spring,” does not, therefore, strictly apply to it, but rather “tank” or “reservoir,” phre´ar, the word actually used in Gen_48:11 f. It usually lasts till about the end of May; then the well is dry till the return of the rain. Its contents, therefore, differ from the “living” water of the perennial spring. Trying to serve God by works is hard, but if we drink of His living water, the yoke is easy and we are fed by the spring, the living perennial waters of the Spirit of God! He also introduces food that his disciples did not know about – to do the will of God and to finish His work. “My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish the His work. In order to Go and arrive, you need to be sent with a clear knowledge of the Work God the Father has for you to do. From this flows the gift of God through Jesus’ food and water – the water of his word that not only cleanses us but nourishes us for eternal life. Reality #3: Reality of Truth The reality of truth only comes by the Spirit of truth. Joh 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— Joh 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Jesus had a true word of knowledge about the woman at the well because he was full of God’s Spirit following his baptism in water. The Spirit of God descended and remained on him. In the Old Covenant the Spirit of God came upon people and they did great exploits, in the New Covenant the Spirit of God dwells within us and what more aren’t we capable of achieving in the name of Jesus for our generation? The Gifts of the Spirit include the truth of the word of knowledge for the benefit of all who hear it. We can access those same gifts of the Spirit of God through the reality of knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior. John 4:16,19 Joh 4:16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." Joh 4:17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' Joh 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." Joh 4:19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. The Spirit of Truth uncovers the Truth in the woman’s life, but also the truth about Jesus’ Identity. As we operate in the Spirit of truth Christ will be revealed in our lives too! The truth about us as sons and daughters of God will also be revealed as we operate in Jesus’ realities. True Worship is also revealed by the reality of who Jesus is: “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality) God is a Spirit (A Spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality)” John 4:24, 25 Amplified Version of the Bible. The Resulting Harvest This area of Samaria was known as follows: Samaria is a country beautifully diversified with mountain and hill, valley and plain. The olive grows plentifully, and other fruit trees abound. There is much excellent soil, and fine crops of barley and wheat are reaped annually. The vine also is largely cultivated on the hill slopes. Remains of ancient forests are found in parts. As Josephus said, it is not naturally watered by many rivers, but derives its chief moisture from rain water, of which there is no lack (BJ, III, iii, 4). He speaks also of the excellent grass, by reason of which the cows yield more milk than those in any other place. (ISBE) So Jesus was using the natural surroundings to trigger a spiritual thought and awaken his disciples to the harvest of souls approaching: John 4:35 Joh 4:35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! Where was this harvest of souls coming from? Joh 4:28 The woman then left her water pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, Joh 4:29 "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Joh 4:30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. She testified to the reality of Jesus who came gave her the gift of eternal life and told her the truth. Joh 4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." Joh 4:40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Joh 4:41 And many more believed because of His own word. Joh 4:42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." Just be real as we go where God sends us during the week, sharing Jesus the gift of God led by His Spirit of Truth and the harvest will come to us!
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