Jn 4:19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.20 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
In the Old Testament economy of God, the place where God chose to put his name was in Jerusalem; in the temple, in the Holy of Holies.
Ex 25:21 “You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.22 “And there I will meet with you, and
I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
Now, we discover in John 4 another major change coming; as Jesus reveals to the woman at the well, that the place will no longer be Jerusalem, but in the human spirit of the true worshiper, being joined to the Lord. 1 Cor 6:17
Joh 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.
1Co 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Here, Jesus reveals the major change, in moving away from the physical temple in Jerusalem, to indwell the believer as a temple; and be joined in spirit, as the unique place to worship, as a true worshiper.
This is in fulfillment of the scripture; Eze 36:27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
This became a reality to His people in Christ’s resurrection and glorification; Joh 20:22 And when
He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
In Jn 7: 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart (innermost being) will flow rivers of living water.”39 But this He spoke concerning (the Spirit,) whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The word given in this passage was a supplied word by the translators of the KJV, AND unfortunately COVERED a major truth as to the matter of THE SPIRIT. This being another title regarding the Spirit indicating a further step in the preparation of the God Man to be not singularly our redeemer, but our all inclusive Seed Gal 3:16, containing everything required to reproduce Himself in the repentant person.
On the morning of Christ’s Resurrection and subsequent glorification, He now as the risen and Glorified Christ, became the life giving Spirit. 1Co 15:45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life- giving spirit. We as the church have essentially missed this profound truth.
Jn 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Here we see the risen and glorified Jesus breathing on them and saying to them; receive the Holy Spirit. He is not gone but is right there; breathing (the Spirit) into the men.
Then in the letters to the churches in the book of Revelation, please notice the title used in addressing the churches.
Re 2:29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
Re 3:6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
Re 3:13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
Re 3:22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
Re 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
Re 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
Re 17:3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Christ went through many phases to become the Life giving Spirit. Lets list them. Incarnation, God became a man, lived a perfect sinless human life, was crucified, buried, resurrected, and glorified to be the full preparation as the anointed one, not singularly to be our redeemer, but to become our everything.
This development of the divine Seed is pictured in Ex 30.23 “Also take for yourself quality spices — five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet- smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane,
24 “five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil.25 “And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.26 “With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony;27 “the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense;28 “the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base.
In this preparation, there are three sections of spices of five hundred shekels, however we discover that the middle of the three sections is divided in half giving two sections of 250 each. Our Christ was pierced; opening His side, from which blood and water poured out.
The blood, to satisfy the righteous and required payment for our sin debt, and the water to be our life. This is signified by the middle section being divided. The middle of the three; FATHER (SON) HOLY SPIRIT.
Then, we see on the last day, the great day of the feast; Jesus stood and cried: Jn 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, ( strongs1a) of the cry of a raven) saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
This has now been established as the unique place which God has chosen, for the true worshipers to come and worship in spirit, and truth. He is seeking such! which for the most part the church has missed. Thus, are still going other places (the mind, a building, reason, determination, all manner of self selected high places, rather than hearing and heeding the announcement of Jesus; to the woman at the well. Let us come to Him and drink; that out of our innermost being there shall flow rivers of living water.
Dave