30 Days with Jesus (day 6) - Jesus speaks to a Pharisee and a Samaritan

Good morning everyone!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED, OH YES - BLESSED!!!

   Yesterday was the Christians Sabbath and I do hope you enjoyed your time with God.  It was a great day at church, great Sunday School, sermon, and fellowship.

   Now John 3:1 to John 4:42 - there is a lot of information in these 78 verses that I will try to whittle down, yet lose no meaning.

  First, a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council came to Jesus at night.  Several thoughts go through my mind at this time.  First, one of the vipers as John called them came to see Jesus when?  Yes, at night.  Why?  Afraid of ridicule from the others?  Possibly!  As you read the conversation it is very interesting. Read John 3:1-21 here.  Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again. Nicodemus is thinking physical birth and there is no way one can return to the mothers womb.    Jesus nicely chastises Nicodemus when he says: " ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man."Jesus continues on to explain and the verse that is always quoted, John 3:16 is here, but we must also remember John 3:17 - " ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. " 

  Next comes John the Baptist, his is still baptizing, when an argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.   John's response is what we all need to remember:   “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. ³⁰ He must become greater; I must become less.”

  God, Jesus must become more and us less like the bumper sticker HE>I.

The next part surprises many as all Jews would walk around Samaria, even though it made their journey longer, they avoided the Samaritans at all costs.

  Jesus did not, he and his disciples travel through Samaria.  Jesus stops at the well and sends the disciples on to gather food.  A Samaritan woman comes to the well at the sixth hour, which most likely is noon.  Jesus speaks to her and she is surprised - a Jew speaking to a Samaritan, most shockingly a woman.

  Jesus tells her what she has done in her life, 5 husbands and the man she is with now is now her husband.  She tells Jesus he must surely be a prophet.  Jesus continues with her and she says when the Messiah comes he will know everything.  Jesus says to her in verse 26:

“I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
  The people were amazed and then:

³⁹ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

⁴¹ And many more believed because of his own word;

At this point they a declared that he must be the Christ, the saviour of the world.  Hope you enjoyed reading day 6.  A lot of information. Tomorrow Jesus' sermon on the mount.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny