FOOD TO EAT
(2007 West Coast UBF Summer Bible Conference – Lesson II)
John 4:27-42
Key Verse 4:34
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”
In the last passage, Jesus revealed who he is in identity and person and satisfied a thirsty woman’s soul. This passage shows us what happens when one is satisfied with Jesus’ living water: He lives to do the will (work) of God. Through one Samaritan woman’s change, the whole Samaritan town came to believe in Jesus as the Savior of the World—in just two days. Through the passage we want to learn of Jesus’ vision to reap a large harvest for eternal life—that the whole world may know its Savior. This vision comes even through the change of one person.
Read verses 27-30. Why were the disciples surprised when they returned from buying food? How can we tell that living was flowing from within this woman? What is the practical change in a person who drinks Jesus' living water?
** They were surprised, to say the least, to find Jesus alone with a woman—and a Samaritan woman at that!
** 1) She left her water jar. She was thirsty, physically and spiritually. She had come to the well that afternoon to get some water. But after speaking with Jesus she left her water jar there at the well, signifying that she was no longer for the water from Jacob’s well, but had drunk the living water from Jesus her Messiah. 2) She went back to town and began to tell all the people about Jesus. She was changed into a source of blessing. She overcame her sin-stained past and invited the town to come and know Jesus personally who gives living water. At first, in verse 7, she was unwilling to give to others—she didn’t have anything to give—she was only concerned about herself. But after drinking Jesus’ living water, she was willing and able to give to others.
** Thirsty people are selfish. They look only to satisfy their own thirst. But when Jesus' living water is flowing from within us, we can go out and be a source of blessing to others.
Read verses 31-34. Why did Jesus refuse their food? What is Jesus’ food? What was the will of God and the work of God that Jesus was doing? Why do you think Jesus compared doing the will of God and finishing his work to food? How might this be applicable to your life?
** He said, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” He had other food to satisfy him. In verse 6 we find out that Jesus was hungry. But now he was fine. What did he do with the woman that changed him?
** Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” Jesus finished the will of God on the cross when he said, “It is finished”.
** Here Jesus teaches about the will of God. Jesus had been speaking with a Samaritan woman at the well. He wanted to save her and give her living water and eternal life. The will of God is to save people and give them eternal life.
** Jesus teaches that doing the will of God is spiritual food. It means that Jesus found sustenance, growth and joy in doing the will of God. Just as we need to eat physical food, so we also need to eat spiritual food, that is, do the will of God. God has given spiritual food through Jesus; by uniting with Jesus and doing the will of God for him we eat spiritually.
** God’s will and work is the same today: To save people. Doing the will of God and finishing his work is also our spiritual food. As Jesus did, we receive spiritual sustenance, joy, and growth through doing God’s will. Many people, especially Christians, seem confused about God’s will. What is it? Today’s passage gives us a simple and clear answer: To save people by revealing Jesus and helping them to believe in him. Doing this is also our food.
Read verses 35-36. What two harvests was Jesus referring to? What did he mean by “fields” when he said, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest”? What harvest was being reaped at that moment? (28-30) How is this harvest related to Jesus’ food and doing the will of God?
** A harvest of vegetation crops and a crop of eternal life.
** “Fields” refers to people whom Jesus reveals were ripe for a harvest for eternal life.
** A harvest for eternal life was beginning to be reaped through this one Samaritan woman whom Jesus spoke with.
** Harvesting a crop for eternal life is the same as saving people and doing the work of God. This is his work. The relation to food is that once a person believes in Jesus, he must feed on the spiritual food from God, that is, finishing his work of harvesting souls for eternal life. Meeting Jesus is just the beginning; harvesting follows.
Read verses 36-38. Who are the sowers and the reapers that Jesus is talking about? What hard work have the sowers done that Jesus says the fields are already “ripe” for harvest? Jesus said, “Open your eyes.” What vision did Jesus want his disciples to have? In what sense are all parties blessed?
** The sowers are those who have done the hard work to plant the seed and make it grow so that a harvest can be ready. The reapers are those who go in and harvest the crops. The sowers may refer to the prophets all the way up to John the Baptist who proclaimed the word of God and repentance in preparation of Jesus’ coming. Now that Jesus has come and revealed the truth and meaning of God’s word and salvation plan, the harvest is ready, and the disciples were called to reap people for Jesus’ harvest.
** John the Baptist is a good example of one who sowed. He said of himself that he is the one preparing the way for the Lord. He prepared people and made them ripe for harvest through giving the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Many, if not most, of the prophets who proclaimed God’s words to people died for this sake—most without seeing the fruit of their labors. John the Baptist was beheaded. From prison, right before his beheading, he once sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he really was the Messiah to come. Jesus said of the prophets’ hard work and labor for this harvest, “47"Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. 48So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' 50Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all” (Luke 11:47-51).
->Elijah said in his most difficult time, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too” (1 Kings 19:10).
->Jesus said he was like a kernel of wheat that falls to the ground and dies. He did this for the sake of this harvest to save all people and give them eternal life.
** He wanted them to have the vision to reap the harvest of all people! He challenged them to open their eyes to see beyond themselves to great potential of the work of God they are called to finish. Jesus planted the vision and faith in their hearts that though they were small and unskilled, the hard work had already been done in sowing the seed and raising the crops, they just had to go out and reap the great, great harvest of souls! So we must see our work as easy work of reaping instead of toiling!
** Jesus said that they will all be glad together. The harvest is a very joyful and blessed time. All the workers can see the fruit of their labor and enjoy the harvest. Jesus said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” Abraham and the prophets probably rejoice in heaven over those who are reaped for eternal life. Luke 15:7 expresses this joy in this way: “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” The Psalmist said, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.”
Read verses 39-42. How did the Samaritans first come to believe in Jesus? Why did many more become believers? What was the people’s confession about Jesus to the woman? How can we know for ourselves who Jesus really is? What does their confession show about the true meaning of harvesting? Read verse 4 again and think about why Jesus “had to go through Samaria.” How can you reap a harvest for God?
** Verse 39. Through the woman from the well’s testimony about Jesus. She was thirsty and self-centered. She avoided people at all cost. But now a harvest of a whole town was being reaped through her. She became a sower in God’s harvest. She worked hard to overcome herself and the stain of her sin-filled past to testify about Jesus to all the people in the town. This shows the importance of one changed, satisfied person in Jesus. When someone is satisfied in Jesus, they are transformed into a well spring of blessings and can go out and serve others and give rather than take. If one person believes in Jesus, they can change their town, their nation, and their world with the testimony about Jesus Christ.
** Many more believed upon hearing Jesus’ words for themselves.
** They believed in Jesus not just because of her testimony, but through hearing Jesus’ words for themselves.
** Through hearing Jesus’ words for ourselves. We need to make the effort to come to Jesus and hear his words. This is why faithful testimony writing is so good to the soul.
** Jesus used the word “harvest.” But the people did not think that it was like a harvest. They confessed Jesus as the “Savior of the World.” It meant that they felt they needed to be saved from something—in fact, the whole world needs to be saved from something. They found their life’s problem of salvation solved in Jesus the Savior. Jesus’ harvest is about saving people and giving them eternal life. It has the most meaning for our daily lives and the eternal life to come for one person and for the whole world.
** Jesus had to go through Samaria to meet a woman at the well and reap a large harvest for eternal life and save many people.
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