I am he

John 4:19-26 [1]

¹⁹ ‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshipped 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 worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshippers 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.’

I. True Worship (19-24)

The Samaritan woman recognised Jesus as a prophet (19). She raised the worship issue showing her religious and spiritual side (20). She appeared physical (John 4:18). We learn that a person who appears physical may be also interested in spiritual matters.
The Samaritan woman wanted to know where to worship (20). In the Old Testament, the one place of worship was commanded (Deuteronomy 12:1-32, esp., Deuteronomy 12:5). Let us study the true worship Jesus taught (21-24). [2]

1. True worship does not depend on the location (21) [2].

The physical location of worship does not matter whether it is this mountain, Jerusalem, or home.

2. True worship requires ‘to know God’ (22) [2].

Important is the knowledge of God, that is, knowing God, who is our object of worship.

How we can know God [2]:

3. True worship is in the Spirit and in truth (23-24).

See v23. God is spirit. He seeks the true worshippers (as opposed to ‘we go to the temple, we seek God.’). God will find you wherever you worship in the Spirit and in truth.

See v24.

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

In the Spirit (in spirit): in the human spirit moved by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14, 16, 26) as opposed to external, stiffened, and even carnally fanatical modes of worship [3].

In truth: real, actual (in life) as opposed to symbolic, formal, ritualistic worship [3]. Our day-to-day life as a living sacrifice to God is written in Romans 12:1-2. A relevant message is https://comnc.org/christian-pledge-of-allegiance-to-god [4].

II. I am he (25-26)

See v25.

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

The Samaritan woman was waiting for Messiah (=Christ). She couldn’t find Christ in her five ex-husbands. She gave up calling her 6^th man ‘husband’. She waited for the true husband (John 4:15, 25) and the object of worship (John 4:20).

What is the answer of Jesus? See v26.

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you—I am he.’

Jesus revealed He was Christ she was looking for. She was already speaking with Him. What a touching moment! Saving this woman was why Jesus had to go through Samaria (John 4:4). Jesus knew she was waiting for Christ (25) and ready (John 4:15, 20) and came in time. She finally met her true husband and the object of worship, who would give her living water (John 4:10) that would become in her a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14).

References

1. The Holy Bible: New International Version. Anglicised. Revised and updated. ed. 2011: London: Hodder & Stoughton.
2. Park, Y. The True Worship (John 4:19-24). 2021 29/01/2023]; Available from: https://comnc.org/the-true-worship/.
3. Lange, J.P.S., Philip, A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: John. Logos Research ed. 2008, Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
4. Park, Y. Christian Pledge of Allegiance. 2014 29/01/2023]; Available from: https://comnc.org/a-living-sacrifice-holy-and-acceptable-to-god/.