My Food

Gospel of John 4:27-40

July 9, 2017

Title: Unknown Food - Our Savior Does His Father’s Will(Atonement) AND

        You Believe in Christ Because of the Word(Justification)

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”  Jesus sought a drink of water.  Jesus talked with her about the Savior; I AM.

28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this (perhaps) be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.  Jesus never did get His drink of water.  The Samaritan woman doesn’t even take her waterpot with her.  She rushes to the city.  This is similar to 1:39 “He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour)” and 1:46 “And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”  While this is taking place….

31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

First, Jesus asks for a drink.  Now, the disciples ask Jesus to eat and He refuses.

33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

The disciple don’t know what this food is because they were not present when Jesus saved the soul of the Samaritan woman.  It brought Jesus great joy to do His Father’s will.  Jesus is determined to finish His work.  This means eventually going to the cross.  This is the first time Jesus mentions His Sender.  They are of the same will.  Also, Jesus is saying it is as necessary for Him to finish this work as it is for us to eat.  If Jesus had not been given this work, He would not have become flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).  Jesus explains more about what He is talking about...

35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. Jesus changes the imagery from food to the harvest.  The normal time for their harvest would be our month of April.  Jesus is speaking this in the month of December.  Jesus first asks a question [The harvest is in four months, correct?] with the normal answer expected [yes, four months to the harvest].  Jesus then tells them that the harvest has already arrived.  So which answer is correct?  Four months or now?  Both are true.  The farmed fields in four months.  The city Samaritans are still coming towards them.  These Samaritans that are coming to Jesus are the ones the disciples are to “Behold” in verse 39.  “They (the Samaritans coming to Jesus) are already white/ripe for the harvest.”  So the two kinds of food is now the two kinds of harvest.  Back to verse 36, he who reaps receives wages.  What are these wages?  They are souls who now believe and have eternal life in Christ.  Here the sower and reaper rejoice together.  Materially,  it is possible to sow but not reap its rewards.  The rewards could go to an heir.  Spiritually, this does not happen.  What is sown will be reaped.  The harvest never escapes the sower.  It belongs to him as well as to the reaper.

37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” Only sin separates the one who sows from what he reaps.  Materially and spiritually, the Lord wants you to enjoy the fruit of your labor.  Others have labored even Jesus has someone prepare His way, John the Baptist.  Also, all the prophets before Him.  Jesus sent the disciples to reap the rewards of others.  This is the general sending.  Jesus called the disciples.  They reap faith in Jesus.  They reap eternal life from Jesus.  They witness others brought to faith in Jesus.  Jesus is The Sower.  If there is a barren field He will sow so that you reap.  There is a special sending that is coming later in the book of John.  That sending is to join the Sower in His ongoing labor.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.”  This took place in the city.  But as Jesus is speaking verses 35 to 38 verse 40 is also happening.

40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”