JOHN 4:20-26

²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Smudge

A man once went to a dinner party and spent hours laughing, talking, and enjoying the company of his friends. After the meal, he went to the restroom and, to his horror, discovered a large smudge of sauce right on his cheek. It had been there the whole evening. He realized everyone he spoke to must have seen it.

Embarrassed, he asked himself, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

The truth is—some probably noticed, but they didn’t want to embarrass him. Maybe they thought, “It’s not a big deal,” or “He’ll figure it out eventually.” But had someone gently pulled him aside early on, he could’ve fixed it and saved himself the shame.

Sin is often like that smudge. It’s visible to others, but we don’t see it ourselves. And when fellow Christians avoid saying something—whether out of fear, politeness, or discomfort—we continue walking around unaware, while the issue becomes more entrenched.

The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

Not harshly. Not with judgment. But we should remind our brothers and sisters—like someone who cares enough to say, “Friend, I think you have something on your face.”

Being confronted for our sin is never comfortable. But when done in love, it’s a gift. God uses these moments not to shame us, but to refine us. Proverbs 27:17 Like iron sharpening iron, so one person sharpens another. Confrontation is part of the process that makes us more like Christ.

3.  Jesus seeks true worshippers

Remember… Jesus did not give the Living Water immediately to the Samaritan Woman but brought out her wrongdoings for her to admit them and confess—to repent.

In verse 19-20 the Samaritan woman says,

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.” ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Look at this Samaritan Woman. Aren’t we like her?

When we are confronted with our sin, do we change the topic? Do we openly accept corrections others have? Just like the people around the guy with a smudge on his face, most people avoid that confrontation in fear that their corrections might be taken as an insult. 

The Samaritan Woman knew that Jesus is a prophet.

A prophet speaks the Truth.

A prophet speaks of the Word of God.

The Samaritan Woman knew that Jesus knew her sin even when nobody informed Him about it.

Now to avoid her sin she touched a delicate issue about the Jews. She saw Jesus as a Jew.

The Jews boast that worship should be in Jerusalem because it is where the temple is situated.

The Temple Worship is a controversial issue because the Temple at the time was renovated by Herod the Great which became known as Herod’s Temple.

We can see this as if the Samaritan Woman is saying to Jesus, “Are you proud of your Temple which was built by a Gentile?”

To have a thirsty heart for the Living Water Jesus can give and have a repentant heart… these are requirements for us to experience true worship.

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 

²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 

²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 

²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Are you still wondering about Jesus’ teaching here?

Jesus started talking with the Samaritan Woman about the Living Water He will give which led to him saying worship in Spirit and in Truth.

4. Jesus reveals himself to us

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Let’s jump to John 7:37-39 ³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

To worship in the Spirit is to keep in step with the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.

If you have Jesus in your heart… you have the Spirit and that means we should also have a repentant heart.

To worship God in Truth is to know the Truth.

Jesus said in John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

It is then proper to have Jesus in our life and know Him well for us to be able to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

We can worship God accordingly.

Our knowledge about Jesus Christ is the gauge of intensity of worshipping God in truth.

The deeper we know about Jesus Christ, the deeper we can worship God in truth.

The abundance of the fruit of the Spirit in our life is the abundance of worshipping God in Spirit.

It is then, imperative to read and study our Bible and to be filled by the Holy Spirit to be able to worship God in Spirit and Truth.

The more we know about Jesus Christ … the more we know about the Truth… the more we can have a more meaningful worship.

If you know that Jesus is the source of every good thing, make sure to praise Him for that.

If you know that Jesus forgives you when you repent, make sure to praise Him for that.

If you know that Jesus is your Creator, make sure to praise Him for that.

It is more meaningful to give honor, to give worth, to worship God if we know so much more about Jesus our Lord.

Master

      The original word for worship gives the idea of prostrate, stretch out with the face on the ground in adoration or submission; also lying flat with face downward, bowed down.

It also means “to fawn” or “to crouch” to have bended knees. Some scholars describe “worship” like that of a dog licking the hands of its master.

When the master arrives home the dogs run toward its master, mouth open, circling the master, jumping, licking, yelping, yapping, barking with joy for its master has arrived. The dog knows that its master will provide everything it needs, from food, shelter, care and much more.

The dog’s loyalty remains with its master. The dog does not need its master’s help to express the joy it feels.

      That is a faint idea of worshipping God.

APPLICATION:

The point here is…

We should be rejoicing when we hear God’s word.

We should have a repentant heart when the Bible reminds us of our sinfulness.

When we thirst for the Word of God, there is repentance that results to worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth. 

In John 4, we find one of the most beautiful and unexpected moments in all of Scripture: Jesus, tired from His journey, sits at a well and strikes up a conversation with a Samaritan woman—a woman with a broken past and a thirst for something more. Their conversation begins with water but soon turns to worship, truth, and life. And then, in verse 26, Jesus makes an extraordinary declaration: “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

This is the first recorded moment in the Gospel of John where Jesus plainly reveals that He is the Messiah—not to a priest or scholar, not to a disciple or large crowd, but to a woman with five failed marriages and a life full of rejection and shame.

What do we learn from this?

Jesus seeks the thirsty

The Samaritan woman didn’t go looking for Jesus—He came to her. In the middle of her daily routine, carrying her water jar in the heat of the day to avoid others, she encountered the Savior of the world. This reminds us that no place is too ordinary, and no life too messy, for Jesus to step in.

Jesus seeks the repentant

Though this woman had sin in her life, she didn’t pretend to be someone she wasn’t. She asked questions. She engaged. She was spiritually curious, even though she was spiritually confused. And Jesus responded by giving her what many others had not received—a direct revelation of His identity.

This is a powerful lesson for us: God isn’t waiting for perfect people to draw near—He reveals Himself to the humble, honest, and hungry. When we come to Him in truth and with repentant hearts, even with all our doubts and struggles, He shows us who He truly is.

Jesus seeks true worshippers

It teaches us that Jesus is not distant or hidden from those who are seeking Him. He is near. He speaks. He reveals. And He does it not based on our religious standing but based on the posture of our heart.

Jesus reveals himself to us

If you are weary, ashamed, or unsure, take heart. Jesus sees you. He speaks to you. And just like with the woman at the well, He wants to reveal Himself to you—not with condemnation, but with love and truth.

May we be a people who keep seeking, keep asking, and keep responding to the One who says:

“I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

><((‘> .. ><((‘> … ><(((“> tmec\lmms <“)))>< … <‘))>< .. <‘))><