Living Water

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

LIVING WATER

John 4:4-15

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"  8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."  11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" 13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I 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 won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

NIV

We begin with just a portion of the exchange between Jesus and the woman at the well. There is enough here to garner truth for our life. There is one truth about Jesus even being at this well, in Samaria. Most Jews would not even travel through this area, much less have anything to do at all with a Samaritan. They would have taken a more circuitous route avoiding Samaria, but it is the most direct route from Judea to Galilee. We wonder what his disciples through about it as he instructed them to but food in a Samaritan city. We can see Jesus had a plan, but the idea here is also demonstrating to us there is no difference in the sight of God regarding his creation. Jesus was there being the truth of God to a Samaritan woman, despised by others, but loved by God. Should we not see others in the same way God sees them? This would apply to race, gender, creed, as well as any social economic or education, as well as physical appearance or abilities, or even they mannerisms or the way they talk, or if they have nice or not so nice clothes, or are clean or dirty. God sees their hearts. The word speaks about this issue in 1 Samuel 16, telling us that we, for the most part, look at the outward appearance, but God sees the heart. Can we set aside all these outward appearances and see people as Jesus does, in need of the living water he has to offer. We have drunk from his well, and have this living water flowing through us. The question is what are the thirsts Jesus is referring to when he tells her that if we drink from the living water, we will never thirst again? Certainly, he is not referring any thirst for liquid. It is a thirsting within the soul that Jesus is talking about. There are two points we can see here. One is the idea that once we have drunk from the living water Jesus provides, we do not have to drink it again. In other words, once we sought after Jesus and found him, there is no need to seek after him again, as he is within us, the Spirit dwells within, so he is here. It would be like when we seek to find a place, or destination, once we found it, got there, we do not need to seek it anymore, we are there, we have experienced that place. Jesus is within, so we are here. Yes, we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus for needs, for direction, for provision, for healing, or whatever, but we need no longer seek Jesus. The second thought is about this thirsting and for what we thirst. If we have the living water, then would it make sense we would no longer thirst after the things of the world? The meaning of the Greek word translated thirst can mean thirsty for liquid, but the same word is used by Jesus when he taught, what we call the beatitudes,

Matt 5:6

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

NIV

Thirsting for something, as in either righteousness of unrighteousness. What in this world would be considered righteous? Position, power, success, money, fame, praise from men, material things, just to name a few. Anything this world has to offer which is only a temporal thing is not worthy of our thirst. We need to thirst for the things of God, for righteousness, goodness, gentleness, humility, kindness, patience, love, joy, peace, the fruit the Spirit brings to bear in our life. This is the water that becomes a spring of water welling up within us to eternal life. We are supposed to be a spring of living water, overflowing.

Speak up or Withdraw

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

SPEAK UP OR WITHDRAW

John 4:1-3

4:1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact, it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

NIV

Before we get into the narrative about Jesus and the Samaritan women at the well, it might serve us to reflect on what is going on at this time described briefly here for us. We should remember the Pharisees had sent people to ask John the Baptist by what authority he was baptizing. Why was he introducing this religious rite into the Jewish people, was at the core of their question? He was taking people away from their control. These Pharisees were most likely members of the ruling class, the Sanhedrin. John was upsetting their authority.  So now here comes Jesus and his disciples. His disciples were now baptizing even more people than John. The Pharisees heard about this and surely were already thinking about how they could rid themselves of this Jesus, who, again was performing a religious rite without their permission. The gospel writer makes sure we know that Jesus was not actually doing the baptizing, but his disciples. What we could glean from that is perhaps he did not want some people to think more highly of themselves because they had been baptized by Jesus, while others only by his disciples. That is a supposition, but we believe it makes sense. Now the idea about Jesus knowing of the Pharisees hearing about his disciples baptizing could be of two sources. First, it could have been someone who came to warn Jesus that the Pharisees were so upset with him, they were starting to talk about killing him. Second, the reason Jesus knew about them is that he is omniscient, knowing all things. So Jesus withdrew to the region of Galilee. We know Jesus was not afraid of them, but that is just was not his time yet, and he had work to do before he would allow them to kill him. So what do we learn from this? Can we learn anything we should apply to our lives? Maybe one of the truths is that we should not be so rigid in following the law we establish for ourselves. That is our rules and regulations, even our denominational rigidity, like the Pharisees, had become. Another truth we might learn is from Jesus. There is a time to pick a fight and there is a time to withdraw. Besides, there is a plan and we need to stick to the plan. Jesus had a plan, he came for this reason, and he was going to accomplish the plan of God, no matter what, but he needed to stay with the plan. People needed to be taught the truth, he needed to forewarn them of the plan of God. The people needed to hear of this new covenant. Is that not our mission as well, to tell people of the covenant of God? However, because of some extreme opposition at times, it might be best to withdraw. Although it is true some believers are killed because of their faith, but a dead man never speaks again. There might be some believers who think losing their job or being persecuted because they are always preaching to people about Jesus is a good thing. But then they have lost the opportunity to share the message, perhaps in a different way. Sometimes we might have to withdraw temporarily until the right time is at hand. Jesus knows the best time, so as we listen to the Spirit, we too will know when to speak, and when to withdraw.  

From Above

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

FROM ABOVE

John 3:31-36

31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."  

NIV

This is the rest of John the Baptists reply to the argument between his disciple and a certain Jew about ceremonial washing and as a result, they told John about how many more people were going to Jesus instead of John to be baptized. We just explored the first part of his response which includes the famous verse sixteen and that John said he must become lesser while Jesus becomes greater. Now he continues to speak as if he had been given all the truth about the whole message of the gospel. Certainly he has been given a revelation by the Spirit, in fact, we actually believe he is speaking in the Spirit, or from the Spirit. He knows that Jesus is divine, he comes from above. John knows Jesus is of heavenly origin, he is not simply a man, like John. John and as far as that goes all men, which includes us, can only speak as one from the earth. But Jesus, the words Jesus spoke are from heaven, from above. His words are the words of God, he is the Word. This is so important. We know all scripture is God-breathed and as such is important for us to pay attention to, however, the words of Jesus are actually the spoken word of God. What Jesus says, he says as one who is divine, who is one of the three persons of God. Jesus speaks from what he has seen, knows, and is, God. Yet there were people then and now who do not accept his words, his testimony about what he has seen and heard. When we accept his words, accept him as being God, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world, we testify that God is truthful. The reason we can know God is true is because of the Spirit who God gives unlimited. This means God does not put any limits on himself, the Spirit. Sometimes the way it sounds is that God gives something else, the Spirit, but the Spirit is God and God is the Spirit, of course, the Spirit is not the Father or the Son, but is God. Nevertheless, we can have the unlimited power of the Spirit in our lives. All we have to do is accept, just like we accept Jesus. Because we accept Jesus whom the Father has placed everything in his hands, which means Jesus is Lord, we have eternal life. Those who reject him will not see life, but instead the wrath of God. The question which seems to spring from that idea is what does accept and reject mean. It would seem in simple terms, if we acknowledge that Jesus is God, and accept what he did in the cross for the forgiveness of our sin, then we are saved and have eternal life. One would have to completely reject all of the scripture seeing Jesus as just a man, maybe a prophet, but just a man. That is rejecting the whole idea that Jesus is divine and was crucified for our sin, was buried and was resurrected and ascended back into heaven. Because we accept all that on faith, because we have not seen it, but have the testimony of the word, we have eternal life. Although we still fail, still sin, it does not mean by failing, by committing a sin, that we reject Jesus. It simply means we are but mere men, people, imperfect, weak and need a Savior. The difference between us and them is that when we sin, we feel remorse and the need to repent and seek forgiveness from God. They, rejecting Jesus, do no feeling remorse nor seek the forgiveness of God. Why someone would not want life and accept death is beyond our understanding. Nevertheless, we rejoice in our life, our life eternal, because we believe in the one from above.

More and Less

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

MORE AND LESS

John 3:22-30

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan — the one you testified about — well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." 27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

NIV

The scene is set, John was still baptizing people, but Jesus, after spending some time, which we are not told how long that time was, began baptizing people. There must have been a lot of people who wanted to be baptized and if it was in preparation of the coming Messiah, as John was being that voice in the wilderness, calling make straight the way for the Lord, then did those Jesus baptize still think the Messiah was still not here yet? Not sure why Jesus baptized people at all, as it does not tell us. However, the point of this narrative does not appear to be about the issue of both John and Jesus baptizing people, other than a lot more people were going to Jesus then John. This brought about the discussion about this ceremonial washing, or baptizing and their telling John how many more people were going to Jesus. The lesson for us is in the response of John. When he said that a man can receive only what is given to him from heaven carries a significate meaning. The Greek word translated receive is an alternative verb the one which means to seize. This word means to take, to get hold of, not in the violent sense of seize, but in a more passive sense. So receive is a good word as to put our hand out and receive something given to us. For John it meant his whole life, his ministry, his calling, what he was given to do from God. This was also applied to the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. All that Jesus did was given to him from heaven. This should then also apply to our lives. We should not try to seize the moment, so to speak, to violently take hold of a ministry or calling, or service to the Lord. We should not push forward to that which we desire to do, even in the name of the Lord. No, we merely should be doing that which we have received from heaven. We need to hear that calling to service, as John did, and we should see the attitude of John as a key as to how we should think toward what we have received from heaven. John freely admitted he was not the Christ, but rather the one who attends to the bridegroom and waits to listen for his voice and rejoices when he hears the voice of the bridegroom, who is Jesus, of course. So we rejoice when we hear the voice of Jesus telling us what he has for us to receive. But what we do as we receive, what our ministry, our calling, our service should be about is becoming less as we allow Jesus to become more. In other words, everything we do that we receive from heaven is or should be for the glory of God. If we receive any praise from men, we should immediately direct or reflect their praise toward heaven. We always have to remember he is more and we are less.

3:16

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

GOD SO LOVED

John 3:16-21

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.   19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."   

NIV

Well, here we are at the most famous verse in all the bible.  It is seen on a poster at just about every sporting event at some time or another. Of course just the chapter and verse are display, John 3:16. It must mean everyone knows it. Nevertheless, it is one of the most meaningful things Jesus says which changes everything for anyone who believes. This can be whoever, or as some translations say whosoever. Although there is discussion about other verses which speak of the elect, this verse indicates that the elect are whosoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have ever lasting life. It is a choice which ever person must make, to believe or not believe. It would seem it is not very smart to be among those who do not believe. At the risk of being an annihilationist that word perish has a horrible meaning. To perish according to the Greek word means to be fully destroyed. Whatever that means, we do not want to find out. We are counted among those who believe and thus we are among those who have eternal life. We will live forever in the presence of our Lord. It amazes us to see people who actually have decided to live in the darkness. Are their deeds that evil they cannot see ever being forgiving, or is it just they do not want to give up their dark deeds. We used to live in that city of darkness and sin. But the Light of Jesus penetrated our darkness, and we saw his Light. We were in deep despair because, although we did not want anything to do with God, we knew somehow deep within us, that to perish, to die forever was a scary thing. So when the beam of Light was shown into that dark city we lived in, we stepped out and crossed over into the city of Light and life. Our deeds were exposed and we repented and accepted the provision of God for our salvation.  He reconciled us to himself. He satisfied his need for justice, he fulfilled the law so we could have life, not death. Now we live in his Light and he shines his Light into our life, and we live at peace with God. We are his family, his children, his sons and daughters, his people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Praise God, we no longer have to be concerned about perishing, but we have eternal life because of Jesus. What is so amazing is that God loved us while we were still living in the darkness, in our sin, as a sinner, hating the light. He loved us so much he sent his Son to die the horrible death we condemned ourselves to, living in that darkness. He did that for us, and we are so grateful he got through our exterior shell and reached into our heart and opened it to his love. Thank you Jesus for all you have done for us. Thank you for loving us.

Believe

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BELIEVE

John 3:9-15

9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man.   14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  

NIV

We just went through the previous statement of Jesus about having to be born again in order to see the kingdom of God, and this is a rebirth of the spirit rather so than of the flesh. Nicodemus still does not get it, so Jesus continues to reveal truth to him, but first Jesus sort of slams him. How can someone who is supposed to be a teacher of the law not understand the truth? Now it gets personal. Having conversations with a certain pastor we know, we have been told there are pastors in the ministry, who really do not have the truth or understand the truth. That seems odd, but then we have to also know that we are all ministers, we are all a royal priesthood, a holy nation, who have the responsibility to be witnesses, to testify of the truth, of what we have seen. Now, it is truth that Jesus is fully and maybe the only true witness of the truth, as he is the truth, the way and the light. He tells that to Nicodemus in different words, but it is saying he is the one who came from and is going back into heaven. He has seen everything. What this all comes down to, as Jesus explains to Nicodemus, is in order to gain eternal life we have to believe in Jesus. The question is, what does it mean to believe in Jesus? There seems to be many letters written by the Apostles explaining what life is about for those who believe in Jesus. We have the instructions we need to live the life of faith required for eternal life. It boils down to this one word, believe. Sometimes we think we need more, we need our rules for life, our regulations to live by, our lists of the do’s and the don’ts in order we can check off all that we are doing right and what we are not doing wrong. We might have turned this word, believe, into more that Jesus intended it to be. We may well have created a form of the law for ourselves instead of simply believing in Jesus. How much more can we attain beyond eternal life? Once our spirit has been born again, are we going to trap it inside this flesh? Just exactly what does it mean to be a believer? Are there degrees of believing? Are their different levels of belief? It seems it comes down to either we believe or we don’t. It is black and white. There is no grey area, no middle ground, and no fence riding. But have we added to this simple word, believe? The dictionary defines this word as to accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of. This is how the Greek word which is translated believe means.  To think to be true; to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in. We cannot put any confidence in anything we do, other than having been born again, thus believing in Jesus. We are persuaded we are saved by the grace of God and of nothing else. But then what is life for us like? What then do we do? Must be work out our salvation with fear and trembling? Certainly we cannot attain perfection in order to get saved, or after we have been saved. Is there more reward for us because of all our works or good deeds? What did Jesus say? He said that he must be lifted up, that is hung on the cross, die for our sin, be the sacrifice once and for all for all our sin, past, present and future, so that if we believe in him, put our confidence in him, we will have eternal life. Believe.  

Born of the Spirit

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BORN OF THE SPIRIT

John 3:1-8

3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 

NIV

There is more to this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, but we need to stop here and unpack this idea of being born again, which Jesus insists is the only way a person is going to see the kingdom of God. The idea of being born brings to mind a distinct moment in time. It is our birthday and for the rest of our nature lives we celebrate this day of our birth. We are not sure if it is a legal matter or not but the hospital issues a birth certificate showing the exact time of the day, the names of our parents and other information, sometimes  even our footprints, so we are identified as who we are and establish that we are a living soul. This is the moment in time we became a child of our parents. This is what Jesus is speaking of when he says we have to be born again. This is a distinct moment in time when we became a child of God, when we are born of the Spirit. Just as we cannot gradually become a child of our parents, we cannot gradually become a child of God. It is not something we become over time, it is a moment when we are born again. This is a choice of our will to be born again. The Spirit first convicted us of our need to repent and accept Jesus. He made us aware of our condition and of the remedy. This is what Jesus is saying about the Spirit giving birth to the spirit. Nicodemus just could not wrap his mind around this idea. All he could think of was how someone could be born again as a human being, like crawling back into his mother’s womb. But no, Jesus makes it clear he is speaking about the birth or the rebirth of a person’s spirit. In the flesh we will always be the child of our parents. We carry their DNA within us, our genes are a combination of both our parents. For the most part we even resemble them in appearance. Many people can tell we are our parent’s child. Again, for the most part we resemble their tracts, we learn to think as they do, and act in the same manner as they do. There are exceptions, of course, but we usually are like are parents in many things. So it is when we are born of the Spirit, when our spirit is in such a condition it cannot see the kingdom of God, it has to be born again by the Spirit, that is being born as a child of God. Then God is now our parent and we have his DNA within us, we are now supposed to resemble him. We now have some of his traits and we now think as he thinks about things. It is a moment in time when we become his child. Every person must undergo this birth of the Spirit. No one issues us a birth certificate, but we have one just the same. It was a 3:45:13 PM on the 28^th of July, 1973 when we were born of the Spirit. That is how exact God keeps the record of our birth of the Spirit, when we became his child forever, when we were born again, when we were born of the Spirit.