John 4:23

“In fact, the time is soon coming—even as we speak,” Jesus is emphatic, “when those who seek to truly worship God the Father will do so in spirit and in truth.  You see, these are two things God values highly in those who worship Him.” John 4:23 EFP

Let’s summarize: Jesus is compelled to pass through the town of Sychar in Samaria to meet a woman of ill-repute who will appear at the well around noon that day.  Upon her arrival he requests of her a cup of water.  She brings up social barriers and he responds by offering her Living water instead, to which she responds by dropping the name of Jacob, the patriarch.  He implies that his water is better than Jacob’s water.  She proceeds to request some of this mystery water from Him, to which he asks her to call her husband, to which she, after hinting that he might be some sort of prophet, asks him if it is best to worship in Samaria or Jerusalem.  After telling her that the Jews have the inside track to the truth he adds that it is because salvation is coming through the Jews, which brings us to this seminal statement. 

Jesus is going back to her original question implicit in her statement about Samaria and Jerusalem.  “Which is better?”  “Which one does God prefer?”  The answer is, “That is irrelevant now.”  Number one, it’s irrelevant because we are talking here.  It doesn’t get any better than this, woman!  God is here.  Secondly, if Jesus were not there, it is not the location, but the spirit in which worship is offered to God and the truth onto which it is anchored, that makes worship…well, worship.  The two go together—spirit and truth.

OK.  Spirit and Truth are at the core of worship.  What does that mean?  I understand the text addresses both.  First, the text refers to those who seek—seek to worship God.  That is the spirit in which we approach God—seeking.  What are we seeking?  Truth, of course.  But as we learned before (John 1:14, 17), Jesus is full of truth.  He later states (John 14:6) “I Am the Truth….”  We are the seekers.  We are the ones in need of salvation.  John 8:32 sums it up when Jesus says, “The Truth shall set you free.”  Truth is not a doctrine—but all doctrine flows from Truth—a person.  Worship is the seeker seeking after The Truth.  And by beholding the Lamb, we are changed.  Worship is a gift we offer to God that changes us in the end. Wow!