John Chapter 4 Verses 31-38
While Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, the disciples had gone to buy food. When they returned the woman left to go into town and tell everyone to come and meet Jesus. The disciples wanted Jesus to eat but He insisted on staying where he was and waiting for the woman and the townspeople to come so He could continue teaching. He wanted them all to know the gift of Salvation. Verses 31-34 read,
“Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
Jesus was probably hungry. He knew postponing or even missing a meal was not going to kill Him. It was more important to do God’s will. Doing the will of the Father gave Him satisfaction and pleasure because it gave The Father satisfaction and pleasure.
What is the will of the Father? It is that all people will come to be saved, know Him and have eternal life. Remember John 3:16? It is a description of God’s heart and desire.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
His love for us is so great that He gave Jesus to us and whoever believes in Him will have eternal life with God in a relationship that one must experience to understand. That is the will of God. And Jesus saves anyone who believes and calls on Him for salvation. He partners with us as His representatives to see the lost, not as eternally lost but as souls desperate for Jesus who only need to experience His love. He compares the lost to a crop and believers to workers. There is always some work to do for the crop whether it is harvest time or not. There is tilling the soil, enriching the soil, planting the seeds, watering, weeding, feeding, and pruning before the harvest. Jesus will bring in the ultimate harvest, but He allows us to partake of the work before that. There is sowing and reaping to do now. Verses 35-38 say,
“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
He tells us to look. Open your eyes there are dying people all around you in need of Jesus love. The Samaritans of Sychar were ready to hear the truth. When Jesus demonstrated His love toward the Samaritan woman and the people of Sychar, many believed. They were ready. But looking through human eyes we wouldn’t have noticed it. Human eyes would have seen a woman living an immoral life. God eyes saw a woman who needed Him, a woman who was tired of living in condemnation and shame. God’s eyes saw her through love and He shone the light of truth into her life. We can follow in His steps and do the same for the people around us.
It will not always be us personally who leads the person to Jesus. But it isn’t any less important to demonstrate love to all people by feeding the hungry, showing kindness to the hurting, and meeting the various needs of those in need.
We are a team. It is all of us working together toward the same goal. We aren’t competing to see who can get the most “saves.” All the saves belong to God. It is He who loves the world and made a way. It is He who carried out the plan and lived, died, and lives for the world. It is He who guides, gives faith, opens eyes, and heals. We are for Him. We rejoice together and we rejoice with Heaven for all who come to Jesus.
Every encounter you have with a person has an impact. You can glorify your Lord and contribute to the work of the harvest, or you can reveal your flesh and be a bystander to the work, or worse cause damage.
While Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, the disciples had gone to buy food. When they returned the woman left to go into town and tell everyone to come and meet Jesus. The disciples wanted Jesus to eat but He insisted on staying where he was and waiting for the woman and the townspeople to come so He could continue teaching. He wanted them all to know the gift of Salvation. Verses 31-34 read,
“Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
Jesus was probably hungry. He knew postponing or even missing a meal was not going to kill Him. It was more important to do God’s will. Doing the will of the Father gave Him satisfaction and pleasure because it gave The Father satisfaction and pleasure.
What is the will of the Father? It is that all people will come to be saved, know Him and have eternal life. Remember John 3:16? It is a description of God’s heart and desire.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
His love for us is so great that He gave Jesus to us and whoever believes in Him will have eternal life with God in a relationship that one must experience to understand. That is the will of God. And Jesus saves anyone who believes and calls on Him for salvation. He partners with us as His representatives to see the lost, not as eternally lost but as souls desperate for Jesus who only need to experience His love. He compares the lost to a crop and believers to workers. There is always some work to do for the crop whether it is harvest time or not. There is tilling the soil, enriching the soil, planting the seeds, watering, weeding, feeding, and pruning before the harvest. Jesus will bring in the ultimate harvest, but He allows us to partake of the work before that. There is sowing and reaping to do now. Verses 35-38 say,
“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
He tells us to look. Open your eyes there are dying people all around you in need of Jesus love. The Samaritans of Sychar were ready to hear the truth. When Jesus demonstrated His love toward the Samaritan woman and the people of Sychar, many believed. They were ready. But looking through human eyes we wouldn’t have noticed it. Human eyes would have seen a woman living an immoral life. God eyes saw a woman who needed Him, a woman who was tired of living in condemnation and shame. God’s eyes saw her through love and He shone the light of truth into her life. We can follow in His steps and do the same for the people around us.
It will not always be us personally who leads the person to Jesus. But it isn’t any less important to demonstrate love to all people by feeding the hungry, showing kindness to the hurting, and meeting the various needs of those in need.
We are a team. It is all of us working together toward the same goal. We aren’t competing to see who can get the most “saves.” All the saves belong to God. It is He who loves the world and made a way. It is He who carried out the plan and lived, died, and lives for the world. It is He who guides, gives faith, opens eyes, and heals. We are for Him. We rejoice together and we rejoice with Heaven for all who come to Jesus.
Every encounter you have with a person has an impact. You can glorify your Lord and contribute to the work of the harvest, or you can reveal your flesh and be a bystander to the work, or worse cause damage.
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