Podcast
In this passage, Jesus famously offers the believer "streams of living water", flowing from her inmost being. But before we get there, John leads us through an exposition of what Jesus' life was like, including some little-noticed but important "I AM" statements. The meaning of the great headline phrase comes into focus only as we consider this, and especially the religious, contexts in which it was made.
Jesus explains what it means for him to be the bread of life. It messes with his followers' world-view and some of them turn back and no longer follow him. But to those who believe that he has been sent by the Father, he offers eternal life, his life in the Spirit.
This Bible passage introduces the first of seven great I AM statements in John's Gospel: "I am the Bread of Life". But on the way there, John teaches us three essential truths about the Christian life:
Bring to Jesus the little you have, and He will do something amazing with it; Go where you know He may be found, and He'll meet you on the way; Seek Him not for what you want Him to do for you, but for what He's actually offering you.
In KV we normally take Communion in Home Groups, but when we gather to receive it as a larger gathering it's good to remember what happened at the Last Supper, how the tradition of the Lord's Supper was first interpreted and how quickly it was corrupted. This gives us a framework for understanding what we are doing in Communion, and what our frame of mind should be.
Most Christians believe that Jesus "died to take away our sins". Many believe that sickness was also defeated at the Cross. Yet in addition, we frequently sing words like "You took all my guilt AND SHAME, When you died and rose again". Do we really believe it? If we did, it might revolutionise the way we view our place in Christ, and in the world.
What does this passage tell us about the coming of Jesus, and what does this mean for us in response?
Jesus, moved by compassion, heals on the sabbath.
The second half of John 4 is all about sharing our faith and coming to faith. It speaks of our witness to others in terms of Reality, Rewards, Results and Repercussions: our part in the power-encounter between a human being and Christ.
The woman at the well is a story of encounter, about the gift of eternal life offered to the woman by Jesus that immediately transforms her life and the life of her community.
