City Life Church Bible Study 2024-02-06

Worship in the Spirit and in truth

Sharing:

1. Please share a memorable/meaningful/true experience in worship?

John 4:19-26

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our people have always

worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is

in Jerusalem.”

21 Jesus said, “Woman, believe me. A time is coming when you will not worship the

Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not

know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews. 23 But a new time is

coming. In fact, it is already here. True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and

in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father is looking for. 24 God is spirit. His

worshipers must worship him in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming.” Messiah means Christ. “When he

comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus said, “The one you’re talking about is the one speaking to you. I am he.”

Background about Samaritans:

Who Were the Samaritan People?

In 721 B.C., the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians. Many of the people of Israel were led off to

Assyria as captives, but some remained in the land and intermarried with foreigners planted there by the

Assyrians. These half-Jewish, half-Gentile people became known as the Samaritans.

Samaritans are first mentioned in the Bible in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the 5th century B.C. At

this point, Babylon had given way to the Persian Empire. Nehemiah, a Jew, curried favor with the king and

was able to return to Jerusalem to rebuild. However, the Samaritans remaining in the land opposed the

rebuilding efforts and caused problems for Nehemiah and his fellow workers (Nehemiah 6:1-14). This was

the beginning of a long-lasting hatred between Jews and Samaritans.

Why Were the Samaritans Disliked So Much in Jesus' Time?

The Samaritans, being a mix of already spiritually corrupt Israelites and pagan foreigners, created a religion

for themselves that the Jews considered heresy.

They established as their center of worship a temple on Mount Gerizim, claiming it was where Moses had

originally intended for the Israelites to worship. They had their own unique version of the five books written

by Moses, the Pentateuch, but rejected the writings of the prophets and Jewish traditions. The Samaritans

saw themselves as the true descendants of Israel and preservers of the true religion, while considering the

Jerusalem temple and Levitical priesthood illegitimate.

When Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem, they were opposed by Samaritans. This led to further ill-will as

the two sects were established in the land in opposition to one another.

To the Jews, a Samaritan was more revolting than a Gentile (pagan); Samaritans were half-breeds who

defiled the true religion.

Discussion:

2. What are the differences between the religion and practices of worship of the

Samaritans and that of the Jews?

3. When Jesus said “A time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this

mountain or in Jerusalem. ...True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in

truth.”, what was the point he was making in relation to the concept of worship of the

Samaritans and the Jews?

4. What is worship in truth? (What is “Truth” in the gospel of John?)

5. Who is Jesus?

Reflection and Application:

6. What is the Father looking for in a worshipper? Are you one in the kind of worshipers

the Father is looking for?


7. How then should we renew our views and practices in worship? What is the most

important in our worship?