Jan 10: I Am The Christ

Read John 4:19-26

Context: Jesus had been in Judea (where Jerusalem is), and he was heading back to Galilee to deal with the Pharisee's concerns about the number of baptisms that were taking place under His watch. This trip was about 60 miles, and he had to pass through Samaria or go way out of his way. This is where he met the Samaritan woman at the well. He's just had the conversation with her about not having a husband, but having had five husbands.

Text:
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." (NIV)

taken from http://www.biblegateway.com/


This is one of the few times Jesus refers directly to himself as the Messiah. If you are familiar with the story of the Samaritan woman, you know that this is an attempt on her part to change the subject and 'lower the heat' about her private life and true spiritual matters. Jesus expertly answers her question and makes it clear that where you worship is not important -- it's how you worship that makes the difference. The word interpreted as 'spirit' in v23 and 24 is the same word all three times, 'pneuma'. It actually means breath, breathe, spirit, and wind, and it is used to reference both the Holy Spirit and human spirit.

I guess it could be interpreted that we should worship with every breath!