John 5

John 5:1

God So Loved the World

Once the Lord has mentioned the heavenly things, He gives additional teaching. In order to understand the heavenly things, the new birth is in fact not enough. The new birth is necessary, but it is connected to earthly things. The new birth enables to know things on earth in the way that God looks at and judges them. To know and enjoy the heavenly things more is needed. For this we need to know the meaning of the cross.

To illustrate His teaching about the cross the Lord Jesus refers to what Moses did with the serpent in the wilderness. This is an example of what will happen to Him as the Son of Man. Lifting up the serpent in the wilderness looked forward to lifting up the Son of Man on the cross.

Moses made the bronze serpent in the image of the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:9). These fiery serpents were the plague from which the people died. Moses lifted up the image of the serpent he made of bronze so that everyone could look at it wherever he was in the camp. Whoever did was healed. This required the acknowledgment of being bitten and being certain of dying, and the faith that only one look at the lifted-up serpent would give life. Nothing else would free them from the effects of the plague, however cleverly conceived. Moses thus made the plague a symbol of salvation, and that salvation was obtained only by simply looking at that symbol. Looking at it meant the acknowledgment of being bitten by the serpent, resulting in death.

This is an example of what God did to His Son, the Son of Man. In Him God has sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). When the Son of Man was lifted up on the cross, He was made sin by God. The Son of God was rejected by His people and lifted up on the cross (John 8:28).

God, in His unfathomable wisdom, used man’s greatest crime, the culmination of his sins, to fulfill His plans by making His Son sin. Sin could not be removed in any other way. Sin could only be removed through God’s judgment of Him Who alone was able to bear the judgment on sin. And it had to be a Man, the Son of Man, so that it could be satisfactory for men.

This work had to be done for or on behalf of us, for the purpose of the gift of eternal life, while the new birth, of which the Lord spoke to Nicodemus, is a work that is happening within us. Both for the work within us and for the work for us, He used the word “must” (John 3:7; 14), for both were necessary if we were to enter into a blessed connection with God.

The glorious result is for everyone who believes. It is about faith in Him. The believer looks away from himself and looks at the Lord Jesus. Just as the Israelite bitten by the fiery serpent only had to look at the lifted up serpent to be saved, now a person only has to look at the Christ lifted up on the cross in order not to perish. On the cross God made Christ to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Through faith in the Crucified we acknowledge the rightness and righteousness of God’s judgment for us, but also that this judgment has already been exercised. As a result, we no longer look at ourselves, but at Him Who bore the judgment on our behalf. We shall not perish because He, when made sin, bore the judgment. That is the parallel with the bronze serpent.

The Lord goes beyond this comparison with the bronze serpent. It is not only that we shall not perish and do not come into judgment, but there is also a tremendous positive result of Christ’s work on the cross. We see that positive result in what we have received as a result of that work which is “eternal life “.

Eternal life is not life that lasts forever, because then the unbelievers would have that too. Eternal life is life that is eternal in itself, it is life without beginning and without end. Eternal life has been revealed to us in the Lord Jesus. He Himself is eternal life (1 John 5:20). However, it is not only revealed in Him, but it is given to us.

It is a gift beyond our comprehension that comes from the love of God. The giving of eternal life is directly connected to the love of God through the word “for” in John 3:16. Christ’s work on the cross originated in the love of God. And when God reveals His love, He withholds nothing.

He gave His Son to save the lost who were in the power of sin (Romans 8:3). They were bitten by the serpent, which is the devil (Revelation 12:9). The Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son, was made sin and punished with God’s righteous judgment. As a result, the ruling power that worked in our old life has been condemned.

However, a believer may look at the lifted up Son of Man and be relieved as to the problem of sin, but may not be at peace with God. This is the case if he continues to see God as a Judge Whom he fears, but Who fortunately can no longer harm him because Christ stands between him and God. To take that fear away, the Lord Jesus now reveals that it all comes from the love of God. God is not Someone to be afraid of, but Someone Who has shown all His love for the world by surrendering the Dearest He had.

When it comes to the love of God, it cannot be limited to Israel, but goes out to the entire world. Everything in this Gospel crosses the borders of Israel. God’s love cannot be limited. The greatness of God’s love is seen in the giving of His “only begotten Son”. That Name indicates the highest and unique place the Son has in the love of God Who gave the Son.

Anyone who accepts this gift of God in faith knowing that he shall otherwise perish, receives eternal life as a special gift. This eternal life includes two great things: it is the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and it is knowing the Father and the Son of the Father, Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

Faith in the Lord Jesus opens a glory to everyone who believes that no believer in the Old Testament has ever heard of. This couldn’t be, because then the Son was not yet given by God. Now that He has given His only begotten Son and His Son has glorified Him in His way and work on earth, it is God’s joy to let all who believe in His only begotten Son share in all that is of the Son in the most glorious way imaginable.

When God has thus revealed His love, the objects of His grace through the work of His Son are no longer limited to the borders of Israel. If God reveals Himself in His Son as a Savior-God, it befits His love that the good news is sent to the world as a whole. He did not send His Son as a Judge, but as a Savior.

John 5:2

God So Loved the World

Once the Lord has mentioned the heavenly things, He gives additional teaching. In order to understand the heavenly things, the new birth is in fact not enough. The new birth is necessary, but it is connected to earthly things. The new birth enables to know things on earth in the way that God looks at and judges them. To know and enjoy the heavenly things more is needed. For this we need to know the meaning of the cross.

To illustrate His teaching about the cross the Lord Jesus refers to what Moses did with the serpent in the wilderness. This is an example of what will happen to Him as the Son of Man. Lifting up the serpent in the wilderness looked forward to lifting up the Son of Man on the cross.

Moses made the bronze serpent in the image of the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:9). These fiery serpents were the plague from which the people died. Moses lifted up the image of the serpent he made of bronze so that everyone could look at it wherever he was in the camp. Whoever did was healed. This required the acknowledgment of being bitten and being certain of dying, and the faith that only one look at the lifted-up serpent would give life. Nothing else would free them from the effects of the plague, however cleverly conceived. Moses thus made the plague a symbol of salvation, and that salvation was obtained only by simply looking at that symbol. Looking at it meant the acknowledgment of being bitten by the serpent, resulting in death.

This is an example of what God did to His Son, the Son of Man. In Him God has sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). When the Son of Man was lifted up on the cross, He was made sin by God. The Son of God was rejected by His people and lifted up on the cross (John 8:28).

God, in His unfathomable wisdom, used man’s greatest crime, the culmination of his sins, to fulfill His plans by making His Son sin. Sin could not be removed in any other way. Sin could only be removed through God’s judgment of Him Who alone was able to bear the judgment on sin. And it had to be a Man, the Son of Man, so that it could be satisfactory for men.

This work had to be done for or on behalf of us, for the purpose of the gift of eternal life, while the new birth, of which the Lord spoke to Nicodemus, is a work that is happening within us. Both for the work within us and for the work for us, He used the word “must” (John 3:7; 14), for both were necessary if we were to enter into a blessed connection with God.

The glorious result is for everyone who believes. It is about faith in Him. The believer looks away from himself and looks at the Lord Jesus. Just as the Israelite bitten by the fiery serpent only had to look at the lifted up serpent to be saved, now a person only has to look at the Christ lifted up on the cross in order not to perish. On the cross God made Christ to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Through faith in the Crucified we acknowledge the rightness and righteousness of God’s judgment for us, but also that this judgment has already been exercised. As a result, we no longer look at ourselves, but at Him Who bore the judgment on our behalf. We shall not perish because He, when made sin, bore the judgment. That is the parallel with the bronze serpent.

The Lord goes beyond this comparison with the bronze serpent. It is not only that we shall not perish and do not come into judgment, but there is also a tremendous positive result of Christ’s work on the cross. We see that positive result in what we have received as a result of that work which is “eternal life “.

Eternal life is not life that lasts forever, because then the unbelievers would have that too. Eternal life is life that is eternal in itself, it is life without beginning and without end. Eternal life has been revealed to us in the Lord Jesus. He Himself is eternal life (1 John 5:20). However, it is not only revealed in Him, but it is given to us.

It is a gift beyond our comprehension that comes from the love of God. The giving of eternal life is directly connected to the love of God through the word “for” in John 3:16. Christ’s work on the cross originated in the love of God. And when God reveals His love, He withholds nothing.

He gave His Son to save the lost who were in the power of sin (Romans 8:3). They were bitten by the serpent, which is the devil (Revelation 12:9). The Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son, was made sin and punished with God’s righteous judgment. As a result, the ruling power that worked in our old life has been condemned.

However, a believer may look at the lifted up Son of Man and be relieved as to the problem of sin, but may not be at peace with God. This is the case if he continues to see God as a Judge Whom he fears, but Who fortunately can no longer harm him because Christ stands between him and God. To take that fear away, the Lord Jesus now reveals that it all comes from the love of God. God is not Someone to be afraid of, but Someone Who has shown all His love for the world by surrendering the Dearest He had.

When it comes to the love of God, it cannot be limited to Israel, but goes out to the entire world. Everything in this Gospel crosses the borders of Israel. God’s love cannot be limited. The greatness of God’s love is seen in the giving of His “only begotten Son”. That Name indicates the highest and unique place the Son has in the love of God Who gave the Son.

Anyone who accepts this gift of God in faith knowing that he shall otherwise perish, receives eternal life as a special gift. This eternal life includes two great things: it is the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and it is knowing the Father and the Son of the Father, Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

Faith in the Lord Jesus opens a glory to everyone who believes that no believer in the Old Testament has ever heard of. This couldn’t be, because then the Son was not yet given by God. Now that He has given His only begotten Son and His Son has glorified Him in His way and work on earth, it is God’s joy to let all who believe in His only begotten Son share in all that is of the Son in the most glorious way imaginable.

When God has thus revealed His love, the objects of His grace through the work of His Son are no longer limited to the borders of Israel. If God reveals Himself in His Son as a Savior-God, it befits His love that the good news is sent to the world as a whole. He did not send His Son as a Judge, but as a Savior.

John 5:3

God So Loved the World

Once the Lord has mentioned the heavenly things, He gives additional teaching. In order to understand the heavenly things, the new birth is in fact not enough. The new birth is necessary, but it is connected to earthly things. The new birth enables to know things on earth in the way that God looks at and judges them. To know and enjoy the heavenly things more is needed. For this we need to know the meaning of the cross.

To illustrate His teaching about the cross the Lord Jesus refers to what Moses did with the serpent in the wilderness. This is an example of what will happen to Him as the Son of Man. Lifting up the serpent in the wilderness looked forward to lifting up the Son of Man on the cross.

Moses made the bronze serpent in the image of the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:9). These fiery serpents were the plague from which the people died. Moses lifted up the image of the serpent he made of bronze so that everyone could look at it wherever he was in the camp. Whoever did was healed. This required the acknowledgment of being bitten and being certain of dying, and the faith that only one look at the lifted-up serpent would give life. Nothing else would free them from the effects of the plague, however cleverly conceived. Moses thus made the plague a symbol of salvation, and that salvation was obtained only by simply looking at that symbol. Looking at it meant the acknowledgment of being bitten by the serpent, resulting in death.

This is an example of what God did to His Son, the Son of Man. In Him God has sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). When the Son of Man was lifted up on the cross, He was made sin by God. The Son of God was rejected by His people and lifted up on the cross (John 8:28).

God, in His unfathomable wisdom, used man’s greatest crime, the culmination of his sins, to fulfill His plans by making His Son sin. Sin could not be removed in any other way. Sin could only be removed through God’s judgment of Him Who alone was able to bear the judgment on sin. And it had to be a Man, the Son of Man, so that it could be satisfactory for men.

This work had to be done for or on behalf of us, for the purpose of the gift of eternal life, while the new birth, of which the Lord spoke to Nicodemus, is a work that is happening within us. Both for the work within us and for the work for us, He used the word “must” (John 3:7; 14), for both were necessary if we were to enter into a blessed connection with God.

The glorious result is for everyone who believes. It is about faith in Him. The believer looks away from himself and looks at the Lord Jesus. Just as the Israelite bitten by the fiery serpent only had to look at the lifted up serpent to be saved, now a person only has to look at the Christ lifted up on the cross in order not to perish. On the cross God made Christ to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Through faith in the Crucified we acknowledge the rightness and righteousness of God’s judgment for us, but also that this judgment has already been exercised. As a result, we no longer look at ourselves, but at Him Who bore the judgment on our behalf. We shall not perish because He, when made sin, bore the judgment. That is the parallel with the bronze serpent.

The Lord goes beyond this comparison with the bronze serpent. It is not only that we shall not perish and do not come into judgment, but there is also a tremendous positive result of Christ’s work on the cross. We see that positive result in what we have received as a result of that work which is “eternal life “.

Eternal life is not life that lasts forever, because then the unbelievers would have that too. Eternal life is life that is eternal in itself, it is life without beginning and without end. Eternal life has been revealed to us in the Lord Jesus. He Himself is eternal life (1 John 5:20). However, it is not only revealed in Him, but it is given to us.

It is a gift beyond our comprehension that comes from the love of God. The giving of eternal life is directly connected to the love of God through the word “for” in John 3:16. Christ’s work on the cross originated in the love of God. And when God reveals His love, He withholds nothing.

He gave His Son to save the lost who were in the power of sin (Romans 8:3). They were bitten by the serpent, which is the devil (Revelation 12:9). The Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son, was made sin and punished with God’s righteous judgment. As a result, the ruling power that worked in our old life has been condemned.

However, a believer may look at the lifted up Son of Man and be relieved as to the problem of sin, but may not be at peace with God. This is the case if he continues to see God as a Judge Whom he fears, but Who fortunately can no longer harm him because Christ stands between him and God. To take that fear away, the Lord Jesus now reveals that it all comes from the love of God. God is not Someone to be afraid of, but Someone Who has shown all His love for the world by surrendering the Dearest He had.

When it comes to the love of God, it cannot be limited to Israel, but goes out to the entire world. Everything in this Gospel crosses the borders of Israel. God’s love cannot be limited. The greatness of God’s love is seen in the giving of His “only begotten Son”. That Name indicates the highest and unique place the Son has in the love of God Who gave the Son.

Anyone who accepts this gift of God in faith knowing that he shall otherwise perish, receives eternal life as a special gift. This eternal life includes two great things: it is the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and it is knowing the Father and the Son of the Father, Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

Faith in the Lord Jesus opens a glory to everyone who believes that no believer in the Old Testament has ever heard of. This couldn’t be, because then the Son was not yet given by God. Now that He has given His only begotten Son and His Son has glorified Him in His way and work on earth, it is God’s joy to let all who believe in His only begotten Son share in all that is of the Son in the most glorious way imaginable.

When God has thus revealed His love, the objects of His grace through the work of His Son are no longer limited to the borders of Israel. If God reveals Himself in His Son as a Savior-God, it befits His love that the good news is sent to the world as a whole. He did not send His Son as a Judge, but as a Savior.

John 5:4

God So Loved the World

Once the Lord has mentioned the heavenly things, He gives additional teaching. In order to understand the heavenly things, the new birth is in fact not enough. The new birth is necessary, but it is connected to earthly things. The new birth enables to know things on earth in the way that God looks at and judges them. To know and enjoy the heavenly things more is needed. For this we need to know the meaning of the cross.

To illustrate His teaching about the cross the Lord Jesus refers to what Moses did with the serpent in the wilderness. This is an example of what will happen to Him as the Son of Man. Lifting up the serpent in the wilderness looked forward to lifting up the Son of Man on the cross.

Moses made the bronze serpent in the image of the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:9). These fiery serpents were the plague from which the people died. Moses lifted up the image of the serpent he made of bronze so that everyone could look at it wherever he was in the camp. Whoever did was healed. This required the acknowledgment of being bitten and being certain of dying, and the faith that only one look at the lifted-up serpent would give life. Nothing else would free them from the effects of the plague, however cleverly conceived. Moses thus made the plague a symbol of salvation, and that salvation was obtained only by simply looking at that symbol. Looking at it meant the acknowledgment of being bitten by the serpent, resulting in death.

This is an example of what God did to His Son, the Son of Man. In Him God has sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). When the Son of Man was lifted up on the cross, He was made sin by God. The Son of God was rejected by His people and lifted up on the cross (John 8:28).

God, in His unfathomable wisdom, used man’s greatest crime, the culmination of his sins, to fulfill His plans by making His Son sin. Sin could not be removed in any other way. Sin could only be removed through God’s judgment of Him Who alone was able to bear the judgment on sin. And it had to be a Man, the Son of Man, so that it could be satisfactory for men.

This work had to be done for or on behalf of us, for the purpose of the gift of eternal life, while the new birth, of which the Lord spoke to Nicodemus, is a work that is happening within us. Both for the work within us and for the work for us, He used the word “must” (John 3:7; 14), for both were necessary if we were to enter into a blessed connection with God.

The glorious result is for everyone who believes. It is about faith in Him. The believer looks away from himself and looks at the Lord Jesus. Just as the Israelite bitten by the fiery serpent only had to look at the lifted up serpent to be saved, now a person only has to look at the Christ lifted up on the cross in order not to perish. On the cross God made Christ to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Through faith in the Crucified we acknowledge the rightness and righteousness of God’s judgment for us, but also that this judgment has already been exercised. As a result, we no longer look at ourselves, but at Him Who bore the judgment on our behalf. We shall not perish because He, when made sin, bore the judgment. That is the parallel with the bronze serpent.

The Lord goes beyond this comparison with the bronze serpent. It is not only that we shall not perish and do not come into judgment, but there is also a tremendous positive result of Christ’s work on the cross. We see that positive result in what we have received as a result of that work which is “eternal life “.

Eternal life is not life that lasts forever, because then the unbelievers would have that too. Eternal life is life that is eternal in itself, it is life without beginning and without end. Eternal life has been revealed to us in the Lord Jesus. He Himself is eternal life (1 John 5:20). However, it is not only revealed in Him, but it is given to us.

It is a gift beyond our comprehension that comes from the love of God. The giving of eternal life is directly connected to the love of God through the word “for” in John 3:16. Christ’s work on the cross originated in the love of God. And when God reveals His love, He withholds nothing.

He gave His Son to save the lost who were in the power of sin (Romans 8:3). They were bitten by the serpent, which is the devil (Revelation 12:9). The Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son, was made sin and punished with God’s righteous judgment. As a result, the ruling power that worked in our old life has been condemned.

However, a believer may look at the lifted up Son of Man and be relieved as to the problem of sin, but may not be at peace with God. This is the case if he continues to see God as a Judge Whom he fears, but Who fortunately can no longer harm him because Christ stands between him and God. To take that fear away, the Lord Jesus now reveals that it all comes from the love of God. God is not Someone to be afraid of, but Someone Who has shown all His love for the world by surrendering the Dearest He had.

When it comes to the love of God, it cannot be limited to Israel, but goes out to the entire world. Everything in this Gospel crosses the borders of Israel. God’s love cannot be limited. The greatness of God’s love is seen in the giving of His “only begotten Son”. That Name indicates the highest and unique place the Son has in the love of God Who gave the Son.

Anyone who accepts this gift of God in faith knowing that he shall otherwise perish, receives eternal life as a special gift. This eternal life includes two great things: it is the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and it is knowing the Father and the Son of the Father, Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

Faith in the Lord Jesus opens a glory to everyone who believes that no believer in the Old Testament has ever heard of. This couldn’t be, because then the Son was not yet given by God. Now that He has given His only begotten Son and His Son has glorified Him in His way and work on earth, it is God’s joy to let all who believe in His only begotten Son share in all that is of the Son in the most glorious way imaginable.

When God has thus revealed His love, the objects of His grace through the work of His Son are no longer limited to the borders of Israel. If God reveals Himself in His Son as a Savior-God, it befits His love that the good news is sent to the world as a whole. He did not send His Son as a Judge, but as a Savior.

John 5:5

Believing or Not Believing in the Son

He who accepts the Lord Jesus in faith as Savior is not judged and is no longer an object of judgment. The Person of the Son of God is the great test for all. It is poignant that judgment is attached to not believing “in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. This emphasizes the rejection of the One Who is the unique Son of God to Whom all His pleasure is directed. He who despises that, sins against his life.

The law is not the great test for man. The law did make man acquainted with God’s holy demands. Thus man’s sin has become manifest because he has not fulfilled God’s holy demands. As a result, judgment must come, without there being a way out. The law has only judgment (Galatians 3:10). The Son offers that way out.

Man is no longer judged by the law that was given to Israel, but by the light that has come into the world. The light reveals everything, not only who man is, but also Who God is. It is no longer a question of keeping the law, but of seeing oneself in the light and believing in the Son of God.

The presence of light shows the utter depravity of man, who consciously rejects light in favor of darkness. This is because his deeds are evil and he does not want to give them up. It is therefore not only about unbelief. His deeds are the great blockade to believe. That is why the sinner is judged before the great white throne according to his deeds (Revelation 20:12), not because of his unbelief. People don’t want to believe because they do evil things and like to do them.

When the light comes that exposes these deeds, these people resist. They don’t want to stop doing evil at all. Their hatred of the light becomes public. They don’t want to come to the light, because that would mean that they would have to stop doing evil things and evil deeds. They choose to stay in the darkness in order to continue doing evil. That’s why they reject the light. How can such people be fit to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12)?

Doing the truth is the opposite of doing evil. He who does the truth comes to the light. Truth and light belong together. Nothing is hidden in the truth, everything takes place in the light. He who does the truth shows that he lives out of God. His life gives testimony that God is the source of his deeds. His life has nothing that is done secretly.

John 5:6

Believing or Not Believing in the Son

He who accepts the Lord Jesus in faith as Savior is not judged and is no longer an object of judgment. The Person of the Son of God is the great test for all. It is poignant that judgment is attached to not believing “in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. This emphasizes the rejection of the One Who is the unique Son of God to Whom all His pleasure is directed. He who despises that, sins against his life.

The law is not the great test for man. The law did make man acquainted with God’s holy demands. Thus man’s sin has become manifest because he has not fulfilled God’s holy demands. As a result, judgment must come, without there being a way out. The law has only judgment (Galatians 3:10). The Son offers that way out.

Man is no longer judged by the law that was given to Israel, but by the light that has come into the world. The light reveals everything, not only who man is, but also Who God is. It is no longer a question of keeping the law, but of seeing oneself in the light and believing in the Son of God.

The presence of light shows the utter depravity of man, who consciously rejects light in favor of darkness. This is because his deeds are evil and he does not want to give them up. It is therefore not only about unbelief. His deeds are the great blockade to believe. That is why the sinner is judged before the great white throne according to his deeds (Revelation 20:12), not because of his unbelief. People don’t want to believe because they do evil things and like to do them.

When the light comes that exposes these deeds, these people resist. They don’t want to stop doing evil at all. Their hatred of the light becomes public. They don’t want to come to the light, because that would mean that they would have to stop doing evil things and evil deeds. They choose to stay in the darkness in order to continue doing evil. That’s why they reject the light. How can such people be fit to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12)?

Doing the truth is the opposite of doing evil. He who does the truth comes to the light. Truth and light belong together. Nothing is hidden in the truth, everything takes place in the light. He who does the truth shows that he lives out of God. His life gives testimony that God is the source of his deeds. His life has nothing that is done secretly.

John 5:7

Believing or Not Believing in the Son

He who accepts the Lord Jesus in faith as Savior is not judged and is no longer an object of judgment. The Person of the Son of God is the great test for all. It is poignant that judgment is attached to not believing “in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. This emphasizes the rejection of the One Who is the unique Son of God to Whom all His pleasure is directed. He who despises that, sins against his life.

The law is not the great test for man. The law did make man acquainted with God’s holy demands. Thus man’s sin has become manifest because he has not fulfilled God’s holy demands. As a result, judgment must come, without there being a way out. The law has only judgment (Galatians 3:10). The Son offers that way out.

Man is no longer judged by the law that was given to Israel, but by the light that has come into the world. The light reveals everything, not only who man is, but also Who God is. It is no longer a question of keeping the law, but of seeing oneself in the light and believing in the Son of God.

The presence of light shows the utter depravity of man, who consciously rejects light in favor of darkness. This is because his deeds are evil and he does not want to give them up. It is therefore not only about unbelief. His deeds are the great blockade to believe. That is why the sinner is judged before the great white throne according to his deeds (Revelation 20:12), not because of his unbelief. People don’t want to believe because they do evil things and like to do them.

When the light comes that exposes these deeds, these people resist. They don’t want to stop doing evil at all. Their hatred of the light becomes public. They don’t want to come to the light, because that would mean that they would have to stop doing evil things and evil deeds. They choose to stay in the darkness in order to continue doing evil. That’s why they reject the light. How can such people be fit to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12)?

Doing the truth is the opposite of doing evil. He who does the truth comes to the light. Truth and light belong together. Nothing is hidden in the truth, everything takes place in the light. He who does the truth shows that he lives out of God. His life gives testimony that God is the source of his deeds. His life has nothing that is done secretly.

John 5:8

Believing or Not Believing in the Son

He who accepts the Lord Jesus in faith as Savior is not judged and is no longer an object of judgment. The Person of the Son of God is the great test for all. It is poignant that judgment is attached to not believing “in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. This emphasizes the rejection of the One Who is the unique Son of God to Whom all His pleasure is directed. He who despises that, sins against his life.

The law is not the great test for man. The law did make man acquainted with God’s holy demands. Thus man’s sin has become manifest because he has not fulfilled God’s holy demands. As a result, judgment must come, without there being a way out. The law has only judgment (Galatians 3:10). The Son offers that way out.

Man is no longer judged by the law that was given to Israel, but by the light that has come into the world. The light reveals everything, not only who man is, but also Who God is. It is no longer a question of keeping the law, but of seeing oneself in the light and believing in the Son of God.

The presence of light shows the utter depravity of man, who consciously rejects light in favor of darkness. This is because his deeds are evil and he does not want to give them up. It is therefore not only about unbelief. His deeds are the great blockade to believe. That is why the sinner is judged before the great white throne according to his deeds (Revelation 20:12), not because of his unbelief. People don’t want to believe because they do evil things and like to do them.

When the light comes that exposes these deeds, these people resist. They don’t want to stop doing evil at all. Their hatred of the light becomes public. They don’t want to come to the light, because that would mean that they would have to stop doing evil things and evil deeds. They choose to stay in the darkness in order to continue doing evil. That’s why they reject the light. How can such people be fit to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12)?

Doing the truth is the opposite of doing evil. He who does the truth comes to the light. Truth and light belong together. Nothing is hidden in the truth, everything takes place in the light. He who does the truth shows that he lives out of God. His life gives testimony that God is the source of his deeds. His life has nothing that is done secretly.

John 5:9

The Disciples of John

After the impressive teaching about the new birth and eternal life, we follow the Lord with His disciples to the land of Judea. He stops there with His disciples, while people come to Him to be baptized. He does not baptize Himself, but has His disciples do so (John 4:1-2).

While He receives people who want to be baptized, John is also busy baptizing people. John does this in a place where there is a lot of water, an indication that baptism was not by sprinkling, but by immersion, because a lot of water is needed for that. John the evangelist mentions in between that John the baptist had not yet been thrown into prison. This statement shows that the above happened before the Lord Jesus began His public service work. The Lord began it when John was thrown into prison (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:20).

While John is busy baptizing people, some of his disciples have a discussion with a Jew about purification. Both the disciples of John and the Jews were still bound by the religious statutes belonging to the life of the people under the law. Then there are always disputes about the correct interpretation of certain acts. Here it is about a purification ritual.

No details are given, but we know how attached the Pharisees were to their traditions in this matter (Matthew 15:2-3; Mark 7:3-4; Luke 11:38-39). Later, the Pharisees will want to entice the Lord into such disputes again and again. People who attach great importance to traditions and rituals always defend these things with a battle of words. Because the disciples of John are not free from this either, they let themselves be tempted to do so. The Lord has never had a battle of words. He spoke the truth.

After the discussion about the difference of opinion about purification, there are disciples of John who observe another difference. They see the Lord at work and how all people are coming to Him. They address John as their “rabbi” and tell him what they have seen.

They refer to the Lord Jesus as “He who was with you” and “to whom you have testified”. They have no enmity against Him, but are ignorant of Him. They do not see Him as the Lamb of God and the Son of God, even though John clearly spoke about Him that way (John 1:29; 34). It seems as if they see the Lord as a competitor of their master. In any case, they do not know what to think of Him and His actions. In their thinking John still occupies too great a place, so that they have no eye for the glory of the Son of God.

John 5:10

The Disciples of John

After the impressive teaching about the new birth and eternal life, we follow the Lord with His disciples to the land of Judea. He stops there with His disciples, while people come to Him to be baptized. He does not baptize Himself, but has His disciples do so (John 4:1-2).

While He receives people who want to be baptized, John is also busy baptizing people. John does this in a place where there is a lot of water, an indication that baptism was not by sprinkling, but by immersion, because a lot of water is needed for that. John the evangelist mentions in between that John the baptist had not yet been thrown into prison. This statement shows that the above happened before the Lord Jesus began His public service work. The Lord began it when John was thrown into prison (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:20).

While John is busy baptizing people, some of his disciples have a discussion with a Jew about purification. Both the disciples of John and the Jews were still bound by the religious statutes belonging to the life of the people under the law. Then there are always disputes about the correct interpretation of certain acts. Here it is about a purification ritual.

No details are given, but we know how attached the Pharisees were to their traditions in this matter (Matthew 15:2-3; Mark 7:3-4; Luke 11:38-39). Later, the Pharisees will want to entice the Lord into such disputes again and again. People who attach great importance to traditions and rituals always defend these things with a battle of words. Because the disciples of John are not free from this either, they let themselves be tempted to do so. The Lord has never had a battle of words. He spoke the truth.

After the discussion about the difference of opinion about purification, there are disciples of John who observe another difference. They see the Lord at work and how all people are coming to Him. They address John as their “rabbi” and tell him what they have seen.

They refer to the Lord Jesus as “He who was with you” and “to whom you have testified”. They have no enmity against Him, but are ignorant of Him. They do not see Him as the Lamb of God and the Son of God, even though John clearly spoke about Him that way (John 1:29; 34). It seems as if they see the Lord as a competitor of their master. In any case, they do not know what to think of Him and His actions. In their thinking John still occupies too great a place, so that they have no eye for the glory of the Son of God.

John 5:11

The Disciples of John

After the impressive teaching about the new birth and eternal life, we follow the Lord with His disciples to the land of Judea. He stops there with His disciples, while people come to Him to be baptized. He does not baptize Himself, but has His disciples do so (John 4:1-2).

While He receives people who want to be baptized, John is also busy baptizing people. John does this in a place where there is a lot of water, an indication that baptism was not by sprinkling, but by immersion, because a lot of water is needed for that. John the evangelist mentions in between that John the baptist had not yet been thrown into prison. This statement shows that the above happened before the Lord Jesus began His public service work. The Lord began it when John was thrown into prison (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:20).

While John is busy baptizing people, some of his disciples have a discussion with a Jew about purification. Both the disciples of John and the Jews were still bound by the religious statutes belonging to the life of the people under the law. Then there are always disputes about the correct interpretation of certain acts. Here it is about a purification ritual.

No details are given, but we know how attached the Pharisees were to their traditions in this matter (Matthew 15:2-3; Mark 7:3-4; Luke 11:38-39). Later, the Pharisees will want to entice the Lord into such disputes again and again. People who attach great importance to traditions and rituals always defend these things with a battle of words. Because the disciples of John are not free from this either, they let themselves be tempted to do so. The Lord has never had a battle of words. He spoke the truth.

After the discussion about the difference of opinion about purification, there are disciples of John who observe another difference. They see the Lord at work and how all people are coming to Him. They address John as their “rabbi” and tell him what they have seen.

They refer to the Lord Jesus as “He who was with you” and “to whom you have testified”. They have no enmity against Him, but are ignorant of Him. They do not see Him as the Lamb of God and the Son of God, even though John clearly spoke about Him that way (John 1:29; 34). It seems as if they see the Lord as a competitor of their master. In any case, they do not know what to think of Him and His actions. In their thinking John still occupies too great a place, so that they have no eye for the glory of the Son of God.

John 5:12

The Disciples of John

After the impressive teaching about the new birth and eternal life, we follow the Lord with His disciples to the land of Judea. He stops there with His disciples, while people come to Him to be baptized. He does not baptize Himself, but has His disciples do so (John 4:1-2).

While He receives people who want to be baptized, John is also busy baptizing people. John does this in a place where there is a lot of water, an indication that baptism was not by sprinkling, but by immersion, because a lot of water is needed for that. John the evangelist mentions in between that John the baptist had not yet been thrown into prison. This statement shows that the above happened before the Lord Jesus began His public service work. The Lord began it when John was thrown into prison (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:20).

While John is busy baptizing people, some of his disciples have a discussion with a Jew about purification. Both the disciples of John and the Jews were still bound by the religious statutes belonging to the life of the people under the law. Then there are always disputes about the correct interpretation of certain acts. Here it is about a purification ritual.

No details are given, but we know how attached the Pharisees were to their traditions in this matter (Matthew 15:2-3; Mark 7:3-4; Luke 11:38-39). Later, the Pharisees will want to entice the Lord into such disputes again and again. People who attach great importance to traditions and rituals always defend these things with a battle of words. Because the disciples of John are not free from this either, they let themselves be tempted to do so. The Lord has never had a battle of words. He spoke the truth.

After the discussion about the difference of opinion about purification, there are disciples of John who observe another difference. They see the Lord at work and how all people are coming to Him. They address John as their “rabbi” and tell him what they have seen.

They refer to the Lord Jesus as “He who was with you” and “to whom you have testified”. They have no enmity against Him, but are ignorant of Him. They do not see Him as the Lamb of God and the Son of God, even though John clearly spoke about Him that way (John 1:29; 34). It seems as if they see the Lord as a competitor of their master. In any case, they do not know what to think of Him and His actions. In their thinking John still occupies too great a place, so that they have no eye for the glory of the Son of God.

John 5:13

The Disciples of John

After the impressive teaching about the new birth and eternal life, we follow the Lord with His disciples to the land of Judea. He stops there with His disciples, while people come to Him to be baptized. He does not baptize Himself, but has His disciples do so (John 4:1-2).

While He receives people who want to be baptized, John is also busy baptizing people. John does this in a place where there is a lot of water, an indication that baptism was not by sprinkling, but by immersion, because a lot of water is needed for that. John the evangelist mentions in between that John the baptist had not yet been thrown into prison. This statement shows that the above happened before the Lord Jesus began His public service work. The Lord began it when John was thrown into prison (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:20).

While John is busy baptizing people, some of his disciples have a discussion with a Jew about purification. Both the disciples of John and the Jews were still bound by the religious statutes belonging to the life of the people under the law. Then there are always disputes about the correct interpretation of certain acts. Here it is about a purification ritual.

No details are given, but we know how attached the Pharisees were to their traditions in this matter (Matthew 15:2-3; Mark 7:3-4; Luke 11:38-39). Later, the Pharisees will want to entice the Lord into such disputes again and again. People who attach great importance to traditions and rituals always defend these things with a battle of words. Because the disciples of John are not free from this either, they let themselves be tempted to do so. The Lord has never had a battle of words. He spoke the truth.

After the discussion about the difference of opinion about purification, there are disciples of John who observe another difference. They see the Lord at work and how all people are coming to Him. They address John as their “rabbi” and tell him what they have seen.

They refer to the Lord Jesus as “He who was with you” and “to whom you have testified”. They have no enmity against Him, but are ignorant of Him. They do not see Him as the Lamb of God and the Son of God, even though John clearly spoke about Him that way (John 1:29; 34). It seems as if they see the Lord as a competitor of their master. In any case, they do not know what to think of Him and His actions. In their thinking John still occupies too great a place, so that they have no eye for the glory of the Son of God.

John 5:14

Difference Between Christ and John

John gives testimony of the impossibility of receiving the truth about Christ from themselves. In order to gain insight into Who the Lord Jesus is, the eyes must be opened from heaven, which is by God. It is impossible for a man to accept this without a revelation from God. After all, there is no one who seeks God (Romans 3:11). John points out to his disciples that they themselves have heard what he has said that he is not the Christ and that they, in turn, bear witness to what John has said about himself.

His disciples also know that he was sent out ahead of the Christ. John did not claim anything of Christ for himself in any way. He knows his place in relation to Him. Every true servant will know that he is only a messenger and that the purpose of his mission is to point to the Lord Jesus (Acts 26:16-17). No one can preach without being sent (Romans 10:15).

After testifying about himself in connection with Christ, John then speaks about his personal relationship to Him and the joy he finds in it. He speaks of Him as “the bridegroom”. He also mentions the bride, without saying who that is. Here too John the baptist takes the right place. He knows that he is not in that intimate relationship with Christ as the bride.

Although he does not count himself as belonging to the bride, he also has a special relationship with the Bridegroom: that of a friend. He is the friend of the Bridegroom who rejoices in everything the Bridegroom says (Revelation 19:7). When Simeon had the Lord Jesus in his arms, he could say that he could go in peace because his eyes had seen the salvation in Him Whom he had in his arms (Luke 2:28-32). In the same way, John can say that his joy is fulfilled now that he has heard the voice of the Bridegroom.

With that full joy in his heart, John expresses the desire that the Lord Jesus should increase, but that he should decrease. He speaks these words about himself and at the same time says this to his disciples. Also for them the Lord Jesus must increase and he, John, decrease. This is the answer to the question about the difference between the Lord and him with which they came to him (John 3:26). Thus every servant must step down so that in the hearts of those he serves all place and glory will be given to Christ.

John 5:15

Difference Between Christ and John

John gives testimony of the impossibility of receiving the truth about Christ from themselves. In order to gain insight into Who the Lord Jesus is, the eyes must be opened from heaven, which is by God. It is impossible for a man to accept this without a revelation from God. After all, there is no one who seeks God (Romans 3:11). John points out to his disciples that they themselves have heard what he has said that he is not the Christ and that they, in turn, bear witness to what John has said about himself.

His disciples also know that he was sent out ahead of the Christ. John did not claim anything of Christ for himself in any way. He knows his place in relation to Him. Every true servant will know that he is only a messenger and that the purpose of his mission is to point to the Lord Jesus (Acts 26:16-17). No one can preach without being sent (Romans 10:15).

After testifying about himself in connection with Christ, John then speaks about his personal relationship to Him and the joy he finds in it. He speaks of Him as “the bridegroom”. He also mentions the bride, without saying who that is. Here too John the baptist takes the right place. He knows that he is not in that intimate relationship with Christ as the bride.

Although he does not count himself as belonging to the bride, he also has a special relationship with the Bridegroom: that of a friend. He is the friend of the Bridegroom who rejoices in everything the Bridegroom says (Revelation 19:7). When Simeon had the Lord Jesus in his arms, he could say that he could go in peace because his eyes had seen the salvation in Him Whom he had in his arms (Luke 2:28-32). In the same way, John can say that his joy is fulfilled now that he has heard the voice of the Bridegroom.

With that full joy in his heart, John expresses the desire that the Lord Jesus should increase, but that he should decrease. He speaks these words about himself and at the same time says this to his disciples. Also for them the Lord Jesus must increase and he, John, decrease. This is the answer to the question about the difference between the Lord and him with which they came to him (John 3:26). Thus every servant must step down so that in the hearts of those he serves all place and glory will be given to Christ.

John 5:16

Difference Between Christ and John

John gives testimony of the impossibility of receiving the truth about Christ from themselves. In order to gain insight into Who the Lord Jesus is, the eyes must be opened from heaven, which is by God. It is impossible for a man to accept this without a revelation from God. After all, there is no one who seeks God (Romans 3:11). John points out to his disciples that they themselves have heard what he has said that he is not the Christ and that they, in turn, bear witness to what John has said about himself.

His disciples also know that he was sent out ahead of the Christ. John did not claim anything of Christ for himself in any way. He knows his place in relation to Him. Every true servant will know that he is only a messenger and that the purpose of his mission is to point to the Lord Jesus (Acts 26:16-17). No one can preach without being sent (Romans 10:15).

After testifying about himself in connection with Christ, John then speaks about his personal relationship to Him and the joy he finds in it. He speaks of Him as “the bridegroom”. He also mentions the bride, without saying who that is. Here too John the baptist takes the right place. He knows that he is not in that intimate relationship with Christ as the bride.

Although he does not count himself as belonging to the bride, he also has a special relationship with the Bridegroom: that of a friend. He is the friend of the Bridegroom who rejoices in everything the Bridegroom says (Revelation 19:7). When Simeon had the Lord Jesus in his arms, he could say that he could go in peace because his eyes had seen the salvation in Him Whom he had in his arms (Luke 2:28-32). In the same way, John can say that his joy is fulfilled now that he has heard the voice of the Bridegroom.

With that full joy in his heart, John expresses the desire that the Lord Jesus should increase, but that he should decrease. He speaks these words about himself and at the same time says this to his disciples. Also for them the Lord Jesus must increase and he, John, decrease. This is the answer to the question about the difference between the Lord and him with which they came to him (John 3:26). Thus every servant must step down so that in the hearts of those he serves all place and glory will be given to Christ.

John 5:17

Difference Between Christ and John

John gives testimony of the impossibility of receiving the truth about Christ from themselves. In order to gain insight into Who the Lord Jesus is, the eyes must be opened from heaven, which is by God. It is impossible for a man to accept this without a revelation from God. After all, there is no one who seeks God (Romans 3:11). John points out to his disciples that they themselves have heard what he has said that he is not the Christ and that they, in turn, bear witness to what John has said about himself.

His disciples also know that he was sent out ahead of the Christ. John did not claim anything of Christ for himself in any way. He knows his place in relation to Him. Every true servant will know that he is only a messenger and that the purpose of his mission is to point to the Lord Jesus (Acts 26:16-17). No one can preach without being sent (Romans 10:15).

After testifying about himself in connection with Christ, John then speaks about his personal relationship to Him and the joy he finds in it. He speaks of Him as “the bridegroom”. He also mentions the bride, without saying who that is. Here too John the baptist takes the right place. He knows that he is not in that intimate relationship with Christ as the bride.

Although he does not count himself as belonging to the bride, he also has a special relationship with the Bridegroom: that of a friend. He is the friend of the Bridegroom who rejoices in everything the Bridegroom says (Revelation 19:7). When Simeon had the Lord Jesus in his arms, he could say that he could go in peace because his eyes had seen the salvation in Him Whom he had in his arms (Luke 2:28-32). In the same way, John can say that his joy is fulfilled now that he has heard the voice of the Bridegroom.

With that full joy in his heart, John expresses the desire that the Lord Jesus should increase, but that he should decrease. He speaks these words about himself and at the same time says this to his disciples. Also for them the Lord Jesus must increase and he, John, decrease. This is the answer to the question about the difference between the Lord and him with which they came to him (John 3:26). Thus every servant must step down so that in the hearts of those he serves all place and glory will be given to Christ.

John 5:18

From Above and Above All

In John 3:30 it is about practice, in John 3:31 it is about position. Only of the Lord Jesus it can be said that He comes from above. He comes from above and is above all. Even though He humbled Himself so much, He always takes the first place in all things (Colossians 1:18).

For John and for every person applies that he is from the earth and speaks of the earth. Every human being is a creature and as such originates from the earth and therefore cannot but speak about things from an earthly point of view. A revelation from God to his heart is needed to get an eye for what is from above and for Him Who is from above and above all. He who comes from above comes from heaven.

John says twice that the Lord Jesus is above all. He is far above all what is on earth. On earth He testifies what He has seen and heard in heaven. Heaven is the dwelling place of God. The Lord Jesus testifies of God as His Father, but His testimony is not accepted by anyone. It becomes clear that man can have nothing to do with heaven. There is nothing of God and the Father in heaven that the Son has not seen and heard. He can testify of heavenly, eternal, Divine things, but because of the sin in which man is, man cannot receive this testimony.

If anyone has received His testimony, he has put the seal on the fact that God is true. For God has revealed it to him, and he has believed it. This is the essential character of living faith. This faith is not based on reason (John 2:23), but on a conviction worked in heart and conscience by God’s Spirit. The Son is sent by God and He speaks the words of God. Whoever receives the spoken testimony of the Son also receives the words of God.

In all that Christ has spoken, the full power of the Holy Spirit is present without restriction. With Him there is no impediment to the Spirit making all things known from God. Also, in order to accept what He has spoken, God does not give His Spirit in a limited way, but in His fullness. We as believers have not received a little of the Spirit, but the Person of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). The fact that we often still only understand a little of the words of the Lord Jesus is due to the fact that we still expect so much from our flesh.

John 5:19

From Above and Above All

In John 3:30 it is about practice, in John 3:31 it is about position. Only of the Lord Jesus it can be said that He comes from above. He comes from above and is above all. Even though He humbled Himself so much, He always takes the first place in all things (Colossians 1:18).

For John and for every person applies that he is from the earth and speaks of the earth. Every human being is a creature and as such originates from the earth and therefore cannot but speak about things from an earthly point of view. A revelation from God to his heart is needed to get an eye for what is from above and for Him Who is from above and above all. He who comes from above comes from heaven.

John says twice that the Lord Jesus is above all. He is far above all what is on earth. On earth He testifies what He has seen and heard in heaven. Heaven is the dwelling place of God. The Lord Jesus testifies of God as His Father, but His testimony is not accepted by anyone. It becomes clear that man can have nothing to do with heaven. There is nothing of God and the Father in heaven that the Son has not seen and heard. He can testify of heavenly, eternal, Divine things, but because of the sin in which man is, man cannot receive this testimony.

If anyone has received His testimony, he has put the seal on the fact that God is true. For God has revealed it to him, and he has believed it. This is the essential character of living faith. This faith is not based on reason (John 2:23), but on a conviction worked in heart and conscience by God’s Spirit. The Son is sent by God and He speaks the words of God. Whoever receives the spoken testimony of the Son also receives the words of God.

In all that Christ has spoken, the full power of the Holy Spirit is present without restriction. With Him there is no impediment to the Spirit making all things known from God. Also, in order to accept what He has spoken, God does not give His Spirit in a limited way, but in His fullness. We as believers have not received a little of the Spirit, but the Person of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). The fact that we often still only understand a little of the words of the Lord Jesus is due to the fact that we still expect so much from our flesh.

John 5:20

From Above and Above All

In John 3:30 it is about practice, in John 3:31 it is about position. Only of the Lord Jesus it can be said that He comes from above. He comes from above and is above all. Even though He humbled Himself so much, He always takes the first place in all things (Colossians 1:18).

For John and for every person applies that he is from the earth and speaks of the earth. Every human being is a creature and as such originates from the earth and therefore cannot but speak about things from an earthly point of view. A revelation from God to his heart is needed to get an eye for what is from above and for Him Who is from above and above all. He who comes from above comes from heaven.

John says twice that the Lord Jesus is above all. He is far above all what is on earth. On earth He testifies what He has seen and heard in heaven. Heaven is the dwelling place of God. The Lord Jesus testifies of God as His Father, but His testimony is not accepted by anyone. It becomes clear that man can have nothing to do with heaven. There is nothing of God and the Father in heaven that the Son has not seen and heard. He can testify of heavenly, eternal, Divine things, but because of the sin in which man is, man cannot receive this testimony.

If anyone has received His testimony, he has put the seal on the fact that God is true. For God has revealed it to him, and he has believed it. This is the essential character of living faith. This faith is not based on reason (John 2:23), but on a conviction worked in heart and conscience by God’s Spirit. The Son is sent by God and He speaks the words of God. Whoever receives the spoken testimony of the Son also receives the words of God.

In all that Christ has spoken, the full power of the Holy Spirit is present without restriction. With Him there is no impediment to the Spirit making all things known from God. Also, in order to accept what He has spoken, God does not give His Spirit in a limited way, but in His fullness. We as believers have not received a little of the Spirit, but the Person of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). The fact that we often still only understand a little of the words of the Lord Jesus is due to the fact that we still expect so much from our flesh.

John 5:21

From Above and Above All

In John 3:30 it is about practice, in John 3:31 it is about position. Only of the Lord Jesus it can be said that He comes from above. He comes from above and is above all. Even though He humbled Himself so much, He always takes the first place in all things (Colossians 1:18).

For John and for every person applies that he is from the earth and speaks of the earth. Every human being is a creature and as such originates from the earth and therefore cannot but speak about things from an earthly point of view. A revelation from God to his heart is needed to get an eye for what is from above and for Him Who is from above and above all. He who comes from above comes from heaven.

John says twice that the Lord Jesus is above all. He is far above all what is on earth. On earth He testifies what He has seen and heard in heaven. Heaven is the dwelling place of God. The Lord Jesus testifies of God as His Father, but His testimony is not accepted by anyone. It becomes clear that man can have nothing to do with heaven. There is nothing of God and the Father in heaven that the Son has not seen and heard. He can testify of heavenly, eternal, Divine things, but because of the sin in which man is, man cannot receive this testimony.

If anyone has received His testimony, he has put the seal on the fact that God is true. For God has revealed it to him, and he has believed it. This is the essential character of living faith. This faith is not based on reason (John 2:23), but on a conviction worked in heart and conscience by God’s Spirit. The Son is sent by God and He speaks the words of God. Whoever receives the spoken testimony of the Son also receives the words of God.

In all that Christ has spoken, the full power of the Holy Spirit is present without restriction. With Him there is no impediment to the Spirit making all things known from God. Also, in order to accept what He has spoken, God does not give His Spirit in a limited way, but in His fullness. We as believers have not received a little of the Spirit, but the Person of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). The fact that we often still only understand a little of the words of the Lord Jesus is due to the fact that we still expect so much from our flesh.

John 5:22

The Father Loves the Son

With all the glory already witnessed of the Son, He is, above all, the object of the Father’s love. The Father has made the Son, because of His love for Him, the Possessor of all things. In His love for His Son, the Father has given Him all things into His hand to bless and control all these things with His hand. As the Son of the Father, He is the Heir of all things. This goes far beyond what He is as the Messiah and has in connection with Israel.

After the relationship of love between the Father and the Son, the relationship of each person to the Son is presented. The relationship to the Son determines everything and forever. Whoever believes in the Son already now receives the blessing of eternal life and shares in everything that belongs to the Son. But he who rejects Him has no part in anything except the wrath of God.

The cause through which one will not see life and through which the wrath of God remains upon him, is not obeying the Son. Not obeying the Son means that someone has not listened to the Word that the Son has spoken and has not bowed down in reverence to Him.

Not obeying the Son has two consequences. The one consequence is missing out on the life that such a person will never partake of until eternity. The other consequence is the eternal partaking of God’s wrath, which abides on him without ever ending.

The fact that someone will not see life precludes by definition universal reconciliation. This fixed fact leaves no room for the false teaching that all who are lost in one way or another will eventually see life at some point. That the wrath of God abides on someone means that he who is lost continues to exist as a person. It means the impossibility of annihilation of the soul of the unbeliever.

John 5:23

The Father Loves the Son

With all the glory already witnessed of the Son, He is, above all, the object of the Father’s love. The Father has made the Son, because of His love for Him, the Possessor of all things. In His love for His Son, the Father has given Him all things into His hand to bless and control all these things with His hand. As the Son of the Father, He is the Heir of all things. This goes far beyond what He is as the Messiah and has in connection with Israel.

After the relationship of love between the Father and the Son, the relationship of each person to the Son is presented. The relationship to the Son determines everything and forever. Whoever believes in the Son already now receives the blessing of eternal life and shares in everything that belongs to the Son. But he who rejects Him has no part in anything except the wrath of God.

The cause through which one will not see life and through which the wrath of God remains upon him, is not obeying the Son. Not obeying the Son means that someone has not listened to the Word that the Son has spoken and has not bowed down in reverence to Him.

Not obeying the Son has two consequences. The one consequence is missing out on the life that such a person will never partake of until eternity. The other consequence is the eternal partaking of God’s wrath, which abides on him without ever ending.

The fact that someone will not see life precludes by definition universal reconciliation. This fixed fact leaves no room for the false teaching that all who are lost in one way or another will eventually see life at some point. That the wrath of God abides on someone means that he who is lost continues to exist as a person. It means the impossibility of annihilation of the soul of the unbeliever.

John 5:25

From Judea via Samaria to Galilee

It says so humanly that “the Lord”, Who is the Omniscient, “knew”, in the sense of came to know. It is as if it is told to Him or that He hears it being told somewhere. In this we see His truly being Man in the foreground, yet He is the eternal God Who knows everything. This is the wonder of His Person that we cannot fathom. He learns that the Pharisees have heard that He makes and baptizes more disciples than John. ‘Making disciples’ is done by baptizing (Matthew 28:19). The Pharisees also came to John’s baptism. They were not baptized by him, but denounced by him (Matthew 3:7).

John was already a threat to their position, but now they hear that the Lord is attracting even more people. As a result, they feel even more threatened. Their hatred of Him becomes manifest because they practice evil things that He brings to light. They do not want to be exposed by Him (John 3:20). In order to withdraw Himself from their hatred for the moment, the Lord leaves Judea, where the Pharisees are strongly represented.

John the evangelist mentions in an interlude that the Lord Himself does not baptize, but that His disciples do. His disciples cannot but baptize into a living Messiah. He Himself knows that He must first suffer and die as the Son of Man and therefore He does not baptize.

He leaves Judea and returns to Galilee. His coming to Galilee is the moment when in the other Gospels His public service begins, through which in Galilee “a great light” is seen (Matthew 4:12-17). His way to Galilee leads through Samaria. He had to go through there. It is a Divine ‘had to’, for this is how His Father determines His way. As true Man He opened His ear to the Father that morning (Isaiah 50:4), by which He knows that in Samaria He will meet a weary woman. God wants to use that encounter to have a testimony among the nations that His Son is the Savior of the world (John 4:42).

John 5:26

From Judea via Samaria to Galilee

It says so humanly that “the Lord”, Who is the Omniscient, “knew”, in the sense of came to know. It is as if it is told to Him or that He hears it being told somewhere. In this we see His truly being Man in the foreground, yet He is the eternal God Who knows everything. This is the wonder of His Person that we cannot fathom. He learns that the Pharisees have heard that He makes and baptizes more disciples than John. ‘Making disciples’ is done by baptizing (Matthew 28:19). The Pharisees also came to John’s baptism. They were not baptized by him, but denounced by him (Matthew 3:7).

John was already a threat to their position, but now they hear that the Lord is attracting even more people. As a result, they feel even more threatened. Their hatred of Him becomes manifest because they practice evil things that He brings to light. They do not want to be exposed by Him (John 3:20). In order to withdraw Himself from their hatred for the moment, the Lord leaves Judea, where the Pharisees are strongly represented.

John the evangelist mentions in an interlude that the Lord Himself does not baptize, but that His disciples do. His disciples cannot but baptize into a living Messiah. He Himself knows that He must first suffer and die as the Son of Man and therefore He does not baptize.

He leaves Judea and returns to Galilee. His coming to Galilee is the moment when in the other Gospels His public service begins, through which in Galilee “a great light” is seen (Matthew 4:12-17). His way to Galilee leads through Samaria. He had to go through there. It is a Divine ‘had to’, for this is how His Father determines His way. As true Man He opened His ear to the Father that morning (Isaiah 50:4), by which He knows that in Samaria He will meet a weary woman. God wants to use that encounter to have a testimony among the nations that His Son is the Savior of the world (John 4:42).

John 5:27

From Judea via Samaria to Galilee

It says so humanly that “the Lord”, Who is the Omniscient, “knew”, in the sense of came to know. It is as if it is told to Him or that He hears it being told somewhere. In this we see His truly being Man in the foreground, yet He is the eternal God Who knows everything. This is the wonder of His Person that we cannot fathom. He learns that the Pharisees have heard that He makes and baptizes more disciples than John. ‘Making disciples’ is done by baptizing (Matthew 28:19). The Pharisees also came to John’s baptism. They were not baptized by him, but denounced by him (Matthew 3:7).

John was already a threat to their position, but now they hear that the Lord is attracting even more people. As a result, they feel even more threatened. Their hatred of Him becomes manifest because they practice evil things that He brings to light. They do not want to be exposed by Him (John 3:20). In order to withdraw Himself from their hatred for the moment, the Lord leaves Judea, where the Pharisees are strongly represented.

John the evangelist mentions in an interlude that the Lord Himself does not baptize, but that His disciples do. His disciples cannot but baptize into a living Messiah. He Himself knows that He must first suffer and die as the Son of Man and therefore He does not baptize.

He leaves Judea and returns to Galilee. His coming to Galilee is the moment when in the other Gospels His public service begins, through which in Galilee “a great light” is seen (Matthew 4:12-17). His way to Galilee leads through Samaria. He had to go through there. It is a Divine ‘had to’, for this is how His Father determines His way. As true Man He opened His ear to the Father that morning (Isaiah 50:4), by which He knows that in Samaria He will meet a weary woman. God wants to use that encounter to have a testimony among the nations that His Son is the Savior of the world (John 4:42).

John 5:28

From Judea via Samaria to Galilee

It says so humanly that “the Lord”, Who is the Omniscient, “knew”, in the sense of came to know. It is as if it is told to Him or that He hears it being told somewhere. In this we see His truly being Man in the foreground, yet He is the eternal God Who knows everything. This is the wonder of His Person that we cannot fathom. He learns that the Pharisees have heard that He makes and baptizes more disciples than John. ‘Making disciples’ is done by baptizing (Matthew 28:19). The Pharisees also came to John’s baptism. They were not baptized by him, but denounced by him (Matthew 3:7).

John was already a threat to their position, but now they hear that the Lord is attracting even more people. As a result, they feel even more threatened. Their hatred of Him becomes manifest because they practice evil things that He brings to light. They do not want to be exposed by Him (John 3:20). In order to withdraw Himself from their hatred for the moment, the Lord leaves Judea, where the Pharisees are strongly represented.

John the evangelist mentions in an interlude that the Lord Himself does not baptize, but that His disciples do. His disciples cannot but baptize into a living Messiah. He Himself knows that He must first suffer and die as the Son of Man and therefore He does not baptize.

He leaves Judea and returns to Galilee. His coming to Galilee is the moment when in the other Gospels His public service begins, through which in Galilee “a great light” is seen (Matthew 4:12-17). His way to Galilee leads through Samaria. He had to go through there. It is a Divine ‘had to’, for this is how His Father determines His way. As true Man He opened His ear to the Father that morning (Isaiah 50:4), by which He knows that in Samaria He will meet a weary woman. God wants to use that encounter to have a testimony among the nations that His Son is the Savior of the world (John 4:42).

John 5:29

By Jacob’s Well

The Lord comes to Sychar. John reminds us that this city is near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. This tells us about the relationship between Jacob and his son Joseph. We know that Joseph was the son of his father Jacob’s love. Jacob had already given Joseph on one occasion a varicolored tunic as an expression of his love for him (Genesis 37:3). He had also given Joseph a piece of land that he had bought from the sons of Hamor (Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32). In the relationship of love between Jacob and Joseph and its manifestations, we have a wonderful picture of the Father’s love for the Son. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand (John 3:35).

Near Sychar is the well of Jacob. It is the well for the weary and thirsty pilgrim. The Lord Jesus is weary from His journey and sits down by the well as a weary Traveler. John again has an eye for detail and mentions that it is about the sixth hour.

We see how the Son of God shares in the general suffering of mankind when He sits there, tired from the journey, by the well to rest. He is content with that. He seeks nothing but to do the will of His Father, Who has led Him there. In what follows, we have a beautiful sequence of features or attributes of the Savior that all become visible in their full glory and splendor. Everything He says reveals His perfect Godhead. We see in Him that God is light and that God is love. From what He needs, it is clear that He is perfectly Man.

John 5:30

By Jacob’s Well

The Lord comes to Sychar. John reminds us that this city is near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. This tells us about the relationship between Jacob and his son Joseph. We know that Joseph was the son of his father Jacob’s love. Jacob had already given Joseph on one occasion a varicolored tunic as an expression of his love for him (Genesis 37:3). He had also given Joseph a piece of land that he had bought from the sons of Hamor (Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32). In the relationship of love between Jacob and Joseph and its manifestations, we have a wonderful picture of the Father’s love for the Son. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand (John 3:35).

Near Sychar is the well of Jacob. It is the well for the weary and thirsty pilgrim. The Lord Jesus is weary from His journey and sits down by the well as a weary Traveler. John again has an eye for detail and mentions that it is about the sixth hour.

We see how the Son of God shares in the general suffering of mankind when He sits there, tired from the journey, by the well to rest. He is content with that. He seeks nothing but to do the will of His Father, Who has led Him there. In what follows, we have a beautiful sequence of features or attributes of the Savior that all become visible in their full glory and splendor. Everything He says reveals His perfect Godhead. We see in Him that God is light and that God is love. From what He needs, it is clear that He is perfectly Man.

John 5:31

An Encounter at the Well

While the Lord is sitting there, resting, a woman of Samaria comes to draw water from the well. We become witnesses to an extraordinarily meaningful encounter of a lonely, poor, sinful woman with the Judge of the Living and the Dead.

He opens the conversation with the question whether she wants to give Him, the eternal God, the Creator of heaven and earth, a drink. As Man, He depends on this woman for a sip of water. He Who has provided food and drink for an entire nation in a wilderness for forty years, He Who has turned water into wine and feeds a hungry crowd, asks someone else for a drink. He utters no command, but He takes the place of a humble Questioner toward a woman who lives in sin. Thus the Lord begins the conversation with this woman He knows through and through. He knows how to approach her in order to finally give her the full blessing He has for her.

This encounter has been meticulously prepared by God. When the Son of God and the woman meet, no one is present. The disciples had to leave and make room for her. They know nothing of this grace. The woman too comes to the well alone. She is not with the other women. In her solitude, she meets the Savior of the world through the wonderful guidance of God Who brought her there. What a meeting! Two lonely people meet each other. But Who was lonelier than He? The conversation is between Him and her personally, without possible interference or distraction from others.

The Samaritan woman is most astonished by the Lord’s question. She sees that He is a Jew. She knows that in the eyes of the Jews she is ‘only’ a Samaritan woman and therefore has no significance. The contempt of Jews for Samaritans is great, so great, in fact, that Jews completely ignore the Samaritans. Jews are acting as if they don’t exist. There is no relationship whatsoever with them. That is why she is amazed at how it is possible that He, Who is for her at the moment no more than “a Jew”, is asking her for a drink.

John 5:32

An Encounter at the Well

While the Lord is sitting there, resting, a woman of Samaria comes to draw water from the well. We become witnesses to an extraordinarily meaningful encounter of a lonely, poor, sinful woman with the Judge of the Living and the Dead.

He opens the conversation with the question whether she wants to give Him, the eternal God, the Creator of heaven and earth, a drink. As Man, He depends on this woman for a sip of water. He Who has provided food and drink for an entire nation in a wilderness for forty years, He Who has turned water into wine and feeds a hungry crowd, asks someone else for a drink. He utters no command, but He takes the place of a humble Questioner toward a woman who lives in sin. Thus the Lord begins the conversation with this woman He knows through and through. He knows how to approach her in order to finally give her the full blessing He has for her.

This encounter has been meticulously prepared by God. When the Son of God and the woman meet, no one is present. The disciples had to leave and make room for her. They know nothing of this grace. The woman too comes to the well alone. She is not with the other women. In her solitude, she meets the Savior of the world through the wonderful guidance of God Who brought her there. What a meeting! Two lonely people meet each other. But Who was lonelier than He? The conversation is between Him and her personally, without possible interference or distraction from others.

The Samaritan woman is most astonished by the Lord’s question. She sees that He is a Jew. She knows that in the eyes of the Jews she is ‘only’ a Samaritan woman and therefore has no significance. The contempt of Jews for Samaritans is great, so great, in fact, that Jews completely ignore the Samaritans. Jews are acting as if they don’t exist. There is no relationship whatsoever with them. That is why she is amazed at how it is possible that He, Who is for her at the moment no more than “a Jew”, is asking her for a drink.

John 5:33

An Encounter at the Well

While the Lord is sitting there, resting, a woman of Samaria comes to draw water from the well. We become witnesses to an extraordinarily meaningful encounter of a lonely, poor, sinful woman with the Judge of the Living and the Dead.

He opens the conversation with the question whether she wants to give Him, the eternal God, the Creator of heaven and earth, a drink. As Man, He depends on this woman for a sip of water. He Who has provided food and drink for an entire nation in a wilderness for forty years, He Who has turned water into wine and feeds a hungry crowd, asks someone else for a drink. He utters no command, but He takes the place of a humble Questioner toward a woman who lives in sin. Thus the Lord begins the conversation with this woman He knows through and through. He knows how to approach her in order to finally give her the full blessing He has for her.

This encounter has been meticulously prepared by God. When the Son of God and the woman meet, no one is present. The disciples had to leave and make room for her. They know nothing of this grace. The woman too comes to the well alone. She is not with the other women. In her solitude, she meets the Savior of the world through the wonderful guidance of God Who brought her there. What a meeting! Two lonely people meet each other. But Who was lonelier than He? The conversation is between Him and her personally, without possible interference or distraction from others.

The Samaritan woman is most astonished by the Lord’s question. She sees that He is a Jew. She knows that in the eyes of the Jews she is ‘only’ a Samaritan woman and therefore has no significance. The contempt of Jews for Samaritans is great, so great, in fact, that Jews completely ignore the Samaritans. Jews are acting as if they don’t exist. There is no relationship whatsoever with them. That is why she is amazed at how it is possible that He, Who is for her at the moment no more than “a Jew”, is asking her for a drink.

John 5:34

The Gift of God

In His respond, the Lord tells the woman about God Who has a gift. He says it in a way that awakens in her a longing for that gift. The Son does not present God as One Who demands, but as a Giver. If she knew the gift of God, which is eternal life in Him Who now speaks to her, she would reverse the roles. She would have asked Him a drink and He would have given her living water. God is the source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8) and as God the Son He now offers that living water to men.

With this offer He wants to provide for her spiritual need, her spiritual thirst. He is able to quench that thirst. To this end He points to Himself as the Humble One Who is also the Son of the Father, yet Who has bowed down so deeply that He can ask a sinful woman for water. This is how close God has come to man in His Son, in Him Who is the true God and eternal life. With the words “who it is who says to you” He points to Himself as the weary and thirsty Man Who asks her for a sip of water and Who at the same time is the eternal Son of God. He is truly the gift of God to men.

Can God reveal more clearly that He is a Giver? The fact that she has no idea at this time doesn’t change the fact of that great gift of God. If she had any notion of it, she would have asked living water from Him. It is the question of the life-giving Word of God that presents God to the hearts of those who long for this living water. If we have that desire, it becomes active in our heart and connects us to the Lord Jesus and all that is to be found in Him.

The woman, like Nicodemus in the previous chapter, can only think on a natural level. Consequently, she limits the Lord’s words to the human resources on which she would depend to receive that living water. She asks Him where He can get the living water from. And is He perhaps greater than that which is of old, that has always met the needs, previously met the needs of Jacob and his family and possessions, and now meets her needs as well?

When there is no awareness of the glory of Christ, tradition is always an obstacle to accepting what comes from God. A great name and great gifts and a long tradition, blind us to God’s work in Christ. As a result, the true Great is not recognized in His greatness.

The Lord is in the process of breaking through her traditions. He first points her to the water of the well. That water refreshes for a certain period of time, but after that there is thirst and the need to drink again. Water from a natural well quenches thirst for a while, but not forever. This is how God has ordained it for the creature. This is different for those who are given to drink from the Holy Spirit. That is what Christ then speaks about with regard to the water He offers. The water He gives not only delivers from restless search for peace, but gives so much more. That water is a source of joy that someone receives in his innermost being and that he will never lose.

There is even more connected to it. That well in a person is connected to eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives in the believer to become a fresh well of Divine joy in his innermost being (John 7:39). In John 3, the gift is the only begotten Son Whom God has given to the world (John 3:16). Here the gift is the Holy Spirit Whom God gives us through His Son enabling us to enjoy all that has been given to us in the Son.

All that God has given us can be summed up in: “Eternal life.” Eternal life has two aspects. It is both the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and knowing the Father and the Son, which is also called eternal life (John 17:3). Possessing such a well that enables us to enjoy eternal life leads to lasting fulfillment. Where that well is present, there will be no need for anything else forever. These are the wonderful things associated with the gift of God.

The woman has already understood so many of the Lord’s words that she yearns to possess what He speaks of. Yet she still connects it with the natural well, where she will no longer have to go in order to quench her natural thirst.

John 5:35

The Gift of God

In His respond, the Lord tells the woman about God Who has a gift. He says it in a way that awakens in her a longing for that gift. The Son does not present God as One Who demands, but as a Giver. If she knew the gift of God, which is eternal life in Him Who now speaks to her, she would reverse the roles. She would have asked Him a drink and He would have given her living water. God is the source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8) and as God the Son He now offers that living water to men.

With this offer He wants to provide for her spiritual need, her spiritual thirst. He is able to quench that thirst. To this end He points to Himself as the Humble One Who is also the Son of the Father, yet Who has bowed down so deeply that He can ask a sinful woman for water. This is how close God has come to man in His Son, in Him Who is the true God and eternal life. With the words “who it is who says to you” He points to Himself as the weary and thirsty Man Who asks her for a sip of water and Who at the same time is the eternal Son of God. He is truly the gift of God to men.

Can God reveal more clearly that He is a Giver? The fact that she has no idea at this time doesn’t change the fact of that great gift of God. If she had any notion of it, she would have asked living water from Him. It is the question of the life-giving Word of God that presents God to the hearts of those who long for this living water. If we have that desire, it becomes active in our heart and connects us to the Lord Jesus and all that is to be found in Him.

The woman, like Nicodemus in the previous chapter, can only think on a natural level. Consequently, she limits the Lord’s words to the human resources on which she would depend to receive that living water. She asks Him where He can get the living water from. And is He perhaps greater than that which is of old, that has always met the needs, previously met the needs of Jacob and his family and possessions, and now meets her needs as well?

When there is no awareness of the glory of Christ, tradition is always an obstacle to accepting what comes from God. A great name and great gifts and a long tradition, blind us to God’s work in Christ. As a result, the true Great is not recognized in His greatness.

The Lord is in the process of breaking through her traditions. He first points her to the water of the well. That water refreshes for a certain period of time, but after that there is thirst and the need to drink again. Water from a natural well quenches thirst for a while, but not forever. This is how God has ordained it for the creature. This is different for those who are given to drink from the Holy Spirit. That is what Christ then speaks about with regard to the water He offers. The water He gives not only delivers from restless search for peace, but gives so much more. That water is a source of joy that someone receives in his innermost being and that he will never lose.

There is even more connected to it. That well in a person is connected to eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives in the believer to become a fresh well of Divine joy in his innermost being (John 7:39). In John 3, the gift is the only begotten Son Whom God has given to the world (John 3:16). Here the gift is the Holy Spirit Whom God gives us through His Son enabling us to enjoy all that has been given to us in the Son.

All that God has given us can be summed up in: “Eternal life.” Eternal life has two aspects. It is both the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and knowing the Father and the Son, which is also called eternal life (John 17:3). Possessing such a well that enables us to enjoy eternal life leads to lasting fulfillment. Where that well is present, there will be no need for anything else forever. These are the wonderful things associated with the gift of God.

The woman has already understood so many of the Lord’s words that she yearns to possess what He speaks of. Yet she still connects it with the natural well, where she will no longer have to go in order to quench her natural thirst.

John 5:36

The Gift of God

In His respond, the Lord tells the woman about God Who has a gift. He says it in a way that awakens in her a longing for that gift. The Son does not present God as One Who demands, but as a Giver. If she knew the gift of God, which is eternal life in Him Who now speaks to her, she would reverse the roles. She would have asked Him a drink and He would have given her living water. God is the source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8) and as God the Son He now offers that living water to men.

With this offer He wants to provide for her spiritual need, her spiritual thirst. He is able to quench that thirst. To this end He points to Himself as the Humble One Who is also the Son of the Father, yet Who has bowed down so deeply that He can ask a sinful woman for water. This is how close God has come to man in His Son, in Him Who is the true God and eternal life. With the words “who it is who says to you” He points to Himself as the weary and thirsty Man Who asks her for a sip of water and Who at the same time is the eternal Son of God. He is truly the gift of God to men.

Can God reveal more clearly that He is a Giver? The fact that she has no idea at this time doesn’t change the fact of that great gift of God. If she had any notion of it, she would have asked living water from Him. It is the question of the life-giving Word of God that presents God to the hearts of those who long for this living water. If we have that desire, it becomes active in our heart and connects us to the Lord Jesus and all that is to be found in Him.

The woman, like Nicodemus in the previous chapter, can only think on a natural level. Consequently, she limits the Lord’s words to the human resources on which she would depend to receive that living water. She asks Him where He can get the living water from. And is He perhaps greater than that which is of old, that has always met the needs, previously met the needs of Jacob and his family and possessions, and now meets her needs as well?

When there is no awareness of the glory of Christ, tradition is always an obstacle to accepting what comes from God. A great name and great gifts and a long tradition, blind us to God’s work in Christ. As a result, the true Great is not recognized in His greatness.

The Lord is in the process of breaking through her traditions. He first points her to the water of the well. That water refreshes for a certain period of time, but after that there is thirst and the need to drink again. Water from a natural well quenches thirst for a while, but not forever. This is how God has ordained it for the creature. This is different for those who are given to drink from the Holy Spirit. That is what Christ then speaks about with regard to the water He offers. The water He gives not only delivers from restless search for peace, but gives so much more. That water is a source of joy that someone receives in his innermost being and that he will never lose.

There is even more connected to it. That well in a person is connected to eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives in the believer to become a fresh well of Divine joy in his innermost being (John 7:39). In John 3, the gift is the only begotten Son Whom God has given to the world (John 3:16). Here the gift is the Holy Spirit Whom God gives us through His Son enabling us to enjoy all that has been given to us in the Son.

All that God has given us can be summed up in: “Eternal life.” Eternal life has two aspects. It is both the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and knowing the Father and the Son, which is also called eternal life (John 17:3). Possessing such a well that enables us to enjoy eternal life leads to lasting fulfillment. Where that well is present, there will be no need for anything else forever. These are the wonderful things associated with the gift of God.

The woman has already understood so many of the Lord’s words that she yearns to possess what He speaks of. Yet she still connects it with the natural well, where she will no longer have to go in order to quench her natural thirst.

John 5:37

The Gift of God

In His respond, the Lord tells the woman about God Who has a gift. He says it in a way that awakens in her a longing for that gift. The Son does not present God as One Who demands, but as a Giver. If she knew the gift of God, which is eternal life in Him Who now speaks to her, she would reverse the roles. She would have asked Him a drink and He would have given her living water. God is the source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8) and as God the Son He now offers that living water to men.

With this offer He wants to provide for her spiritual need, her spiritual thirst. He is able to quench that thirst. To this end He points to Himself as the Humble One Who is also the Son of the Father, yet Who has bowed down so deeply that He can ask a sinful woman for water. This is how close God has come to man in His Son, in Him Who is the true God and eternal life. With the words “who it is who says to you” He points to Himself as the weary and thirsty Man Who asks her for a sip of water and Who at the same time is the eternal Son of God. He is truly the gift of God to men.

Can God reveal more clearly that He is a Giver? The fact that she has no idea at this time doesn’t change the fact of that great gift of God. If she had any notion of it, she would have asked living water from Him. It is the question of the life-giving Word of God that presents God to the hearts of those who long for this living water. If we have that desire, it becomes active in our heart and connects us to the Lord Jesus and all that is to be found in Him.

The woman, like Nicodemus in the previous chapter, can only think on a natural level. Consequently, she limits the Lord’s words to the human resources on which she would depend to receive that living water. She asks Him where He can get the living water from. And is He perhaps greater than that which is of old, that has always met the needs, previously met the needs of Jacob and his family and possessions, and now meets her needs as well?

When there is no awareness of the glory of Christ, tradition is always an obstacle to accepting what comes from God. A great name and great gifts and a long tradition, blind us to God’s work in Christ. As a result, the true Great is not recognized in His greatness.

The Lord is in the process of breaking through her traditions. He first points her to the water of the well. That water refreshes for a certain period of time, but after that there is thirst and the need to drink again. Water from a natural well quenches thirst for a while, but not forever. This is how God has ordained it for the creature. This is different for those who are given to drink from the Holy Spirit. That is what Christ then speaks about with regard to the water He offers. The water He gives not only delivers from restless search for peace, but gives so much more. That water is a source of joy that someone receives in his innermost being and that he will never lose.

There is even more connected to it. That well in a person is connected to eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives in the believer to become a fresh well of Divine joy in his innermost being (John 7:39). In John 3, the gift is the only begotten Son Whom God has given to the world (John 3:16). Here the gift is the Holy Spirit Whom God gives us through His Son enabling us to enjoy all that has been given to us in the Son.

All that God has given us can be summed up in: “Eternal life.” Eternal life has two aspects. It is both the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and knowing the Father and the Son, which is also called eternal life (John 17:3). Possessing such a well that enables us to enjoy eternal life leads to lasting fulfillment. Where that well is present, there will be no need for anything else forever. These are the wonderful things associated with the gift of God.

The woman has already understood so many of the Lord’s words that she yearns to possess what He speaks of. Yet she still connects it with the natural well, where she will no longer have to go in order to quench her natural thirst.

John 5:38

The Gift of God

In His respond, the Lord tells the woman about God Who has a gift. He says it in a way that awakens in her a longing for that gift. The Son does not present God as One Who demands, but as a Giver. If she knew the gift of God, which is eternal life in Him Who now speaks to her, she would reverse the roles. She would have asked Him a drink and He would have given her living water. God is the source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8) and as God the Son He now offers that living water to men.

With this offer He wants to provide for her spiritual need, her spiritual thirst. He is able to quench that thirst. To this end He points to Himself as the Humble One Who is also the Son of the Father, yet Who has bowed down so deeply that He can ask a sinful woman for water. This is how close God has come to man in His Son, in Him Who is the true God and eternal life. With the words “who it is who says to you” He points to Himself as the weary and thirsty Man Who asks her for a sip of water and Who at the same time is the eternal Son of God. He is truly the gift of God to men.

Can God reveal more clearly that He is a Giver? The fact that she has no idea at this time doesn’t change the fact of that great gift of God. If she had any notion of it, she would have asked living water from Him. It is the question of the life-giving Word of God that presents God to the hearts of those who long for this living water. If we have that desire, it becomes active in our heart and connects us to the Lord Jesus and all that is to be found in Him.

The woman, like Nicodemus in the previous chapter, can only think on a natural level. Consequently, she limits the Lord’s words to the human resources on which she would depend to receive that living water. She asks Him where He can get the living water from. And is He perhaps greater than that which is of old, that has always met the needs, previously met the needs of Jacob and his family and possessions, and now meets her needs as well?

When there is no awareness of the glory of Christ, tradition is always an obstacle to accepting what comes from God. A great name and great gifts and a long tradition, blind us to God’s work in Christ. As a result, the true Great is not recognized in His greatness.

The Lord is in the process of breaking through her traditions. He first points her to the water of the well. That water refreshes for a certain period of time, but after that there is thirst and the need to drink again. Water from a natural well quenches thirst for a while, but not forever. This is how God has ordained it for the creature. This is different for those who are given to drink from the Holy Spirit. That is what Christ then speaks about with regard to the water He offers. The water He gives not only delivers from restless search for peace, but gives so much more. That water is a source of joy that someone receives in his innermost being and that he will never lose.

There is even more connected to it. That well in a person is connected to eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives in the believer to become a fresh well of Divine joy in his innermost being (John 7:39). In John 3, the gift is the only begotten Son Whom God has given to the world (John 3:16). Here the gift is the Holy Spirit Whom God gives us through His Son enabling us to enjoy all that has been given to us in the Son.

All that God has given us can be summed up in: “Eternal life.” Eternal life has two aspects. It is both the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and knowing the Father and the Son, which is also called eternal life (John 17:3). Possessing such a well that enables us to enjoy eternal life leads to lasting fulfillment. Where that well is present, there will be no need for anything else forever. These are the wonderful things associated with the gift of God.

The woman has already understood so many of the Lord’s words that she yearns to possess what He speaks of. Yet she still connects it with the natural well, where she will no longer have to go in order to quench her natural thirst.

John 5:39

The Gift of God

In His respond, the Lord tells the woman about God Who has a gift. He says it in a way that awakens in her a longing for that gift. The Son does not present God as One Who demands, but as a Giver. If she knew the gift of God, which is eternal life in Him Who now speaks to her, she would reverse the roles. She would have asked Him a drink and He would have given her living water. God is the source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8) and as God the Son He now offers that living water to men.

With this offer He wants to provide for her spiritual need, her spiritual thirst. He is able to quench that thirst. To this end He points to Himself as the Humble One Who is also the Son of the Father, yet Who has bowed down so deeply that He can ask a sinful woman for water. This is how close God has come to man in His Son, in Him Who is the true God and eternal life. With the words “who it is who says to you” He points to Himself as the weary and thirsty Man Who asks her for a sip of water and Who at the same time is the eternal Son of God. He is truly the gift of God to men.

Can God reveal more clearly that He is a Giver? The fact that she has no idea at this time doesn’t change the fact of that great gift of God. If she had any notion of it, she would have asked living water from Him. It is the question of the life-giving Word of God that presents God to the hearts of those who long for this living water. If we have that desire, it becomes active in our heart and connects us to the Lord Jesus and all that is to be found in Him.

The woman, like Nicodemus in the previous chapter, can only think on a natural level. Consequently, she limits the Lord’s words to the human resources on which she would depend to receive that living water. She asks Him where He can get the living water from. And is He perhaps greater than that which is of old, that has always met the needs, previously met the needs of Jacob and his family and possessions, and now meets her needs as well?

When there is no awareness of the glory of Christ, tradition is always an obstacle to accepting what comes from God. A great name and great gifts and a long tradition, blind us to God’s work in Christ. As a result, the true Great is not recognized in His greatness.

The Lord is in the process of breaking through her traditions. He first points her to the water of the well. That water refreshes for a certain period of time, but after that there is thirst and the need to drink again. Water from a natural well quenches thirst for a while, but not forever. This is how God has ordained it for the creature. This is different for those who are given to drink from the Holy Spirit. That is what Christ then speaks about with regard to the water He offers. The water He gives not only delivers from restless search for peace, but gives so much more. That water is a source of joy that someone receives in his innermost being and that he will never lose.

There is even more connected to it. That well in a person is connected to eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives in the believer to become a fresh well of Divine joy in his innermost being (John 7:39). In John 3, the gift is the only begotten Son Whom God has given to the world (John 3:16). Here the gift is the Holy Spirit Whom God gives us through His Son enabling us to enjoy all that has been given to us in the Son.

All that God has given us can be summed up in: “Eternal life.” Eternal life has two aspects. It is both the Lord Jesus Himself (1 John 5:20) and knowing the Father and the Son, which is also called eternal life (John 17:3). Possessing such a well that enables us to enjoy eternal life leads to lasting fulfillment. Where that well is present, there will be no need for anything else forever. These are the wonderful things associated with the gift of God.

The woman has already understood so many of the Lord’s words that she yearns to possess what He speaks of. Yet she still connects it with the natural well, where she will no longer have to go in order to quench her natural thirst.

John 5:40

Conscience in the light

Before the Lord can give her the water which will become a well of water in her, her conscience must first be brought into God’s light. She must first be convinced of her sins. In view of this, He says that she must go and call her husband. However, He says not only “go”, but also “and come here”. His goodness is not limited by her sinful life. On the contrary, His goodness is proven by it.

By His question, the woman is discovered to herself. When she says “I have no husband”, it is not an excuse, but an acknowledgment that she lives in sin by living together unmarried. The Lord confirms that her answer is correct. In the remainder of His response He speaks just a few words, but these words bring her into God’s light. However, she is not consumed by that light, but introduced into grace.

He demonstrates to her that to Him her history is an open book. The truth does not spare her and opens her sin to God and to her own conscience. She acknowledges this as the light of God. The woman acknowledges that the Lord’s words are not of human wisdom, but of God’s power. That is what a prophet does and what Christ as Prophet does here. A prophet speaks the words of God whereby the listener enters the presence of God and is discovered to himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

To the woman, the Lord was first only “a Jew” (John 4:9), now He is already “a prophet” and soon she will confess Him as “the Christ” (John 4:29). Thus we see how her faith rapidly progresses through the gracious work of Christ in her soul. It is grace that does not hide her sin from her and makes her realize that God knows everything. And yet, He Who knows everything is there without disturbing her. Her sin is before God, but God does not judge her. What a wonderful encounter is this between a heart burdened by sins and God, an encounter brought about by Christ. Grace inspires confidence.

John 5:41

Conscience in the light

Before the Lord can give her the water which will become a well of water in her, her conscience must first be brought into God’s light. She must first be convinced of her sins. In view of this, He says that she must go and call her husband. However, He says not only “go”, but also “and come here”. His goodness is not limited by her sinful life. On the contrary, His goodness is proven by it.

By His question, the woman is discovered to herself. When she says “I have no husband”, it is not an excuse, but an acknowledgment that she lives in sin by living together unmarried. The Lord confirms that her answer is correct. In the remainder of His response He speaks just a few words, but these words bring her into God’s light. However, she is not consumed by that light, but introduced into grace.

He demonstrates to her that to Him her history is an open book. The truth does not spare her and opens her sin to God and to her own conscience. She acknowledges this as the light of God. The woman acknowledges that the Lord’s words are not of human wisdom, but of God’s power. That is what a prophet does and what Christ as Prophet does here. A prophet speaks the words of God whereby the listener enters the presence of God and is discovered to himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

To the woman, the Lord was first only “a Jew” (John 4:9), now He is already “a prophet” and soon she will confess Him as “the Christ” (John 4:29). Thus we see how her faith rapidly progresses through the gracious work of Christ in her soul. It is grace that does not hide her sin from her and makes her realize that God knows everything. And yet, He Who knows everything is there without disturbing her. Her sin is before God, but God does not judge her. What a wonderful encounter is this between a heart burdened by sins and God, an encounter brought about by Christ. Grace inspires confidence.

John 5:42

Conscience in the light

Before the Lord can give her the water which will become a well of water in her, her conscience must first be brought into God’s light. She must first be convinced of her sins. In view of this, He says that she must go and call her husband. However, He says not only “go”, but also “and come here”. His goodness is not limited by her sinful life. On the contrary, His goodness is proven by it.

By His question, the woman is discovered to herself. When she says “I have no husband”, it is not an excuse, but an acknowledgment that she lives in sin by living together unmarried. The Lord confirms that her answer is correct. In the remainder of His response He speaks just a few words, but these words bring her into God’s light. However, she is not consumed by that light, but introduced into grace.

He demonstrates to her that to Him her history is an open book. The truth does not spare her and opens her sin to God and to her own conscience. She acknowledges this as the light of God. The woman acknowledges that the Lord’s words are not of human wisdom, but of God’s power. That is what a prophet does and what Christ as Prophet does here. A prophet speaks the words of God whereby the listener enters the presence of God and is discovered to himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

To the woman, the Lord was first only “a Jew” (John 4:9), now He is already “a prophet” and soon she will confess Him as “the Christ” (John 4:29). Thus we see how her faith rapidly progresses through the gracious work of Christ in her soul. It is grace that does not hide her sin from her and makes her realize that God knows everything. And yet, He Who knows everything is there without disturbing her. Her sin is before God, but God does not judge her. What a wonderful encounter is this between a heart burdened by sins and God, an encounter brought about by Christ. Grace inspires confidence.

John 5:43

Conscience in the light

Before the Lord can give her the water which will become a well of water in her, her conscience must first be brought into God’s light. She must first be convinced of her sins. In view of this, He says that she must go and call her husband. However, He says not only “go”, but also “and come here”. His goodness is not limited by her sinful life. On the contrary, His goodness is proven by it.

By His question, the woman is discovered to herself. When she says “I have no husband”, it is not an excuse, but an acknowledgment that she lives in sin by living together unmarried. The Lord confirms that her answer is correct. In the remainder of His response He speaks just a few words, but these words bring her into God’s light. However, she is not consumed by that light, but introduced into grace.

He demonstrates to her that to Him her history is an open book. The truth does not spare her and opens her sin to God and to her own conscience. She acknowledges this as the light of God. The woman acknowledges that the Lord’s words are not of human wisdom, but of God’s power. That is what a prophet does and what Christ as Prophet does here. A prophet speaks the words of God whereby the listener enters the presence of God and is discovered to himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

To the woman, the Lord was first only “a Jew” (John 4:9), now He is already “a prophet” and soon she will confess Him as “the Christ” (John 4:29). Thus we see how her faith rapidly progresses through the gracious work of Christ in her soul. It is grace that does not hide her sin from her and makes her realize that God knows everything. And yet, He Who knows everything is there without disturbing her. Her sin is before God, but God does not judge her. What a wonderful encounter is this between a heart burdened by sins and God, an encounter brought about by Christ. Grace inspires confidence.

John 5:44

The Place of Worship

Now the woman is aware that she is in God’s light, she speaks about worship, about honoring God. A heart that is convinced of its sins and convinced of God’s grace for sinners, starts to desire to worship God. This is what we witness in the woman. She expresses her longing for worship and at the same time her difficulty how and where to do it by indicating two places of worship.

The woman speaks about “our fathers” who “worshiped in this mountain”. For her, worship has always been connected to a long tradition. It is the same for countless Christians today. They come together in a church or a building because their parents and grandparents did the same. They have never wondered what the woman begins to wonder: What is the true place of worship?

The woman also knows that for “you”, that is the Jews, Jerusalem is the place of worship. Now she wants to know from the Lord Jesus which of the two is the true place of worship. He answers her question, putting faith in Him first. This is shown by the fact that He begins His teaching about worship by saying “woman, believe Me”. He makes it clear to her, that for faith, Jerusalem and Samaria as places of worship will both disappear entirely. Now that the Father is revealed in and by the Son, worship is no longer connected with any particular place on earth.

Although both Jerusalem and Samaria will disappear, they are not equal places of worship. The woman and all Samaritans have a worship that is not focused on the true God. They do not know what they worship. God has not committed Himself to them and has not revealed Himself to them as Yahweh. Their worship is directed to an unknown god, a product of their own religious imagination. For the Jews, “we”, it is true that they do know what they worship. To them God has revealed Himself and also said where and how He wants to be worshiped.

To the Samaritan woman the Lord therefore maintains Jewish worship. At that time this is still God’s chosen service because out of them is the salvation that is in the Christ (Romans 9:4-5). The Samaritans are imitators and hostile to God, otherwise they would have submitted to God’s ways and Word.

The Lord speaks of “what”, not ‘who’ is worshiped. Although God has revealed Himself in Judaism, this announcement is still only partial. The whole service is arranged in such a manner that someone who has no faith in God can also participate in it. In addition, God lived in darkness, behind the veil, and the common people were not allowed to approach Him. That is why worship is a ‘what’, meeting a precept, without necessarily having an inner relationship with God. When Christ died, that changed. Then God came out and revealed Himself through the Spirit as Father in the Son. Christians therefore know ‘Who’ they worship and not just ‘what’.

John 5:45

The Place of Worship

Now the woman is aware that she is in God’s light, she speaks about worship, about honoring God. A heart that is convinced of its sins and convinced of God’s grace for sinners, starts to desire to worship God. This is what we witness in the woman. She expresses her longing for worship and at the same time her difficulty how and where to do it by indicating two places of worship.

The woman speaks about “our fathers” who “worshiped in this mountain”. For her, worship has always been connected to a long tradition. It is the same for countless Christians today. They come together in a church or a building because their parents and grandparents did the same. They have never wondered what the woman begins to wonder: What is the true place of worship?

The woman also knows that for “you”, that is the Jews, Jerusalem is the place of worship. Now she wants to know from the Lord Jesus which of the two is the true place of worship. He answers her question, putting faith in Him first. This is shown by the fact that He begins His teaching about worship by saying “woman, believe Me”. He makes it clear to her, that for faith, Jerusalem and Samaria as places of worship will both disappear entirely. Now that the Father is revealed in and by the Son, worship is no longer connected with any particular place on earth.

Although both Jerusalem and Samaria will disappear, they are not equal places of worship. The woman and all Samaritans have a worship that is not focused on the true God. They do not know what they worship. God has not committed Himself to them and has not revealed Himself to them as Yahweh. Their worship is directed to an unknown god, a product of their own religious imagination. For the Jews, “we”, it is true that they do know what they worship. To them God has revealed Himself and also said where and how He wants to be worshiped.

To the Samaritan woman the Lord therefore maintains Jewish worship. At that time this is still God’s chosen service because out of them is the salvation that is in the Christ (Romans 9:4-5). The Samaritans are imitators and hostile to God, otherwise they would have submitted to God’s ways and Word.

The Lord speaks of “what”, not ‘who’ is worshiped. Although God has revealed Himself in Judaism, this announcement is still only partial. The whole service is arranged in such a manner that someone who has no faith in God can also participate in it. In addition, God lived in darkness, behind the veil, and the common people were not allowed to approach Him. That is why worship is a ‘what’, meeting a precept, without necessarily having an inner relationship with God. When Christ died, that changed. Then God came out and revealed Himself through the Spirit as Father in the Son. Christians therefore know ‘Who’ they worship and not just ‘what’.

John 5:46

The Place of Worship

Now the woman is aware that she is in God’s light, she speaks about worship, about honoring God. A heart that is convinced of its sins and convinced of God’s grace for sinners, starts to desire to worship God. This is what we witness in the woman. She expresses her longing for worship and at the same time her difficulty how and where to do it by indicating two places of worship.

The woman speaks about “our fathers” who “worshiped in this mountain”. For her, worship has always been connected to a long tradition. It is the same for countless Christians today. They come together in a church or a building because their parents and grandparents did the same. They have never wondered what the woman begins to wonder: What is the true place of worship?

The woman also knows that for “you”, that is the Jews, Jerusalem is the place of worship. Now she wants to know from the Lord Jesus which of the two is the true place of worship. He answers her question, putting faith in Him first. This is shown by the fact that He begins His teaching about worship by saying “woman, believe Me”. He makes it clear to her, that for faith, Jerusalem and Samaria as places of worship will both disappear entirely. Now that the Father is revealed in and by the Son, worship is no longer connected with any particular place on earth.

Although both Jerusalem and Samaria will disappear, they are not equal places of worship. The woman and all Samaritans have a worship that is not focused on the true God. They do not know what they worship. God has not committed Himself to them and has not revealed Himself to them as Yahweh. Their worship is directed to an unknown god, a product of their own religious imagination. For the Jews, “we”, it is true that they do know what they worship. To them God has revealed Himself and also said where and how He wants to be worshiped.

To the Samaritan woman the Lord therefore maintains Jewish worship. At that time this is still God’s chosen service because out of them is the salvation that is in the Christ (Romans 9:4-5). The Samaritans are imitators and hostile to God, otherwise they would have submitted to God’s ways and Word.

The Lord speaks of “what”, not ‘who’ is worshiped. Although God has revealed Himself in Judaism, this announcement is still only partial. The whole service is arranged in such a manner that someone who has no faith in God can also participate in it. In addition, God lived in darkness, behind the veil, and the common people were not allowed to approach Him. That is why worship is a ‘what’, meeting a precept, without necessarily having an inner relationship with God. When Christ died, that changed. Then God came out and revealed Himself through the Spirit as Father in the Son. Christians therefore know ‘Who’ they worship and not just ‘what’.

John 5:47

The Father Seeks Worshipers

Here we have the first unfolding of Christian worship ever given by God to a human being. This worship goes beyond both Samaritan and Jewish worship. In Christian worship, the Father is worshiped, and it is no longer the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel, or the Almighty, as the patriarchs knew Him. It is also no longer about mandatory worship as a demand of God (Deuteronomy 6:13). God is entitled to the worship of every human being on earth, and He has demanded that worship of man at all times. Even when the church is raptured and there will be a great tribulation on earth, the command sounds: “Worship Him” (Revelation 14:7).

God does not demand worship of the church, because when the Son came to earth, God revealed Himself as a Giver. Thus, the Son of God comes to sinful people whom we see represented in this Samaritan woman. The Lord Jesus has revealed God, as He, the Son, knows Him. He has revealed the Father in the fullness of love and fellowship. The Son will also bring His own who are in the world into a conscious relationship with His Father as children of that Father (John 20:17) because they are born of God (John 1:12-13).

In this light both Mount Gerizim and Jerusalem disappear. The worship on Mount Gerizim was nothing but a self-willed religion; the worship in Jerusalem was merely the test and proof of man’s incompetence under the law to meet God. Christian worship is based on the possession of eternal life in the Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit as the power to worship (cf. Philippians 3:3).

From now on, national religion is a deception, it is merely an attempt to bring to life what has disappeared when it comes to acknowledgment from God’s side. From now on the Father is seeking persons who worship Him as Father. For that purpose, those persons have to know Him as Father, which is only possible if they have accepted the Son.

We see here the great desire of the Father that is revealed by the Son. The entire work of the Son is aimed at bringing about that worship. Nowhere in Scripture do we read that the Father seeks anything else, although it is also important, for example, that we bear witness to the Lord Jesus. However, we may consider whether we give this desire of the Father the highest priority in our life.

The Lord adds another thing. The Father is seeking worshipers, but then it is also important to know how He wants us to worship Him. That is why the Son says that we must remember that God is spirit. He speaks about the ‘Father’ when it comes to blessings and about ‘God’ when it comes to responsibility. Therefore, when it comes to the way of worship, it is about responsibility and that is why He speaks about ‘God’ and ‘must’.

Worship of the Father must be done “in spirit”, that is in a spiritual way, guided by the Holy Spirit and not in an Old Testament, earthly, tangible way. The worship to which the Lord Jesus refers here is not an appearance that requires special clothing or sacred buildings or certain visible actions. It is about the heart and not about the eyes or the hands. Everything that is external only has the effect of diverting attention from Him, Who is represented to faith by the Holy Spirit.

It is also important that the worship of the Father is done in “truth”, i.e., in accordance with the truth which the Lord Jesus has revealed about the Father. Christian worship is focused on the Father and the Son of the Father. Only true believers can “worship in spirit and truth”.