John 4:10 -- Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
It was really on me this morning about just how different Jesus' approach has been to everyone he's encountered so far. I felt led to go back over and look at these as we're commanded to walk as He walked, act as He acted. (1 John 2:6). So, it's good to look closely at just what He's done so far.
1) We see Jesus confront Andrew and it's presumed to be John himself. He confronts their heart/motive for following Him. Makes them think first about why they're coming after Him.
John 1:38 -- 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
2) We see Jesus simply command Philip to "Follow me.". No long discussion, just come on let's go.
John 1:43 -- 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
3) Jesus flips things around and addresses Nathaniel's identity first thing. As Nathaniel was approaching with the critical mindset of 'Who is this Jesus guy from Nazareth, nothing good comes from there.'. So, Jesus uses who Nathaniel is to catch him off guard and redirect the entire interaction.
John 1:47-48 -- 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
4) Jesus doesn't respond to His mother how anyone would've expected. He instead redefines their relationship by addressing her in an honorable way, but not in a way a son would.
John 2:4-5 -- 4 Jesus said to her, “[Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? My time has not yet come.”
5) Jesus confronts the greedy and disrespectful people trading/selling in the temple, with action and zeal. He drives them out of a place everyone knew they shouldn't have been, but everyone had just accepted it. He made clear what His Father's house should not be.
John 2:15-17 --- 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.”
6) Jesus confronts people who come to Him after cleansing the temple. They don't want to know Jesus; they want to see Him do a sign or miracle. He instead gives them a hard truth to swallow. Thus, pushing away those who only wished to be entertained. Leaving behind only the ones who genuinely wanted to know Jesus.
John 2:18-19 -- 18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
7) Jesus confronts Nicodemus in multiple ways, but He mainly speaks to him as if he should already understand these things, being a ruler/teacher of the people. He doesn't pull any punches with Nicodemus, and he really presses into him to connect scriptures (Old Testament) to who He is and what his purpose is. He confronts Nicodemus' traditional, cultural, and religious beliefs. He lovingly does not let up at all in this interaction.
John 3:3 -- 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5-6 -- 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:10-11 -- 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you[a] do not receive our testimony.
John 3:16-18 -- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
8) Jesus confronts the woman at the well by turning tradition, religious belief, and cultural framework upside down just by talking with her and asking her a drink. He goes on to redirect her to think beyond the surface and see who He really is.
John 4:10 -- Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
So, we find Jesus using many different approaches to confront people. Even for those who come after Him, He slows them down to think about their motives for why they want to follow. Those seeking only miracles, He gives hard truth to make them decide, 'Do I really want to hear this and know this Jesus if He's not doing signs and wonders?'. He redefines relationships. He turns tradition and culture on its head. He confronts rigid religion and the beliefs of the high religious rulers.
He does it all so that others will truly, genuinely, with eyes wide open, come to Him, hear Him, follow Him, as He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father apart from Him!
That's all for today. Just was really on me to look at all these different interactions so far in just four chapters of John. I hope you have a great weekend! Also don't take my word on anything, be the Berean and read for yourself. See what God has to say to you about all of it!
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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