²³ But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. ²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

1) Who is speaking in these verses and to whom are they speaking?
In this passage, Jesus and a woman of Samaria are exchanging conversation at the water well outside of the town of Sychar. This would have been very odd for a man to speak to a woman, but even more so since Jesus was Jewish and the woman he was speaking to at the well was a Samaritan. This would have been completely unheard of in the 1^st Century, the male female exchange as well as the cultural exchange between Jew and Samaritan.

2) What is the greater context of this passage?
In looking at these few verses it is hard to see the context of what Jesus is talking about in this short passage. Yes, he is saying God desires true worshipers – those who worship in spirit and in truth. The greater context of the conversation is dealing with a couple of different things, one of which is how Samaritans worship and how Jews worship. The Samaritan woman points out that she is considered not as holy or wrong in her worship because of where she worships God. Jesus is saying the time has come for all worshippers of God to be authentic and it will come through Him and by Him.

3) What hour is being referred to in v. 23?
All throughout John, Jesus refers to “an hour that is coming” and He is foreshadowing His crucifixion. In this passage He says, “the hour is coming and now is here” which refers to His presence as the God-man. Once Jesus’ ministry began, the way in which people worshipped would radically change.

1) Who is speaking in these verses and to whom are they speaking?
The amazing part about this exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman is that it should have never happened. She was going to the well, the social hub of the city, in the hottest part of the day because she was ashamed of her life and didn’t want to be around the other ladies of the town. Jesus sought her out, spoke to her, and then shared how she could worship with authenticity and truth. It didn’t matter that He was Jew and she was Samaritan, what mattered was she was willing and He was able! Just as He still is today….if we are willing, He is able! Authentic worship comes only after a transformative encounter with Christ.

2) What is the greater context of this passage?
Dealing with lies you have been told or misconceptions of the truth slap you in the face at times. For the Samaritan woman, Jesus confronted her sin, her life in the past, present, and future, and her worship. In His pursuit of her, He showed the person she would come to truly worship. The where of her worship was earthly and futile but the Who of her worship is what mattered most. He showed her and taught her the truth of who He was, and it radically changed her life. She worshipped differently, authentically for the first time. We have that same opportunity; that same pursuit and confrontation happens when we encounter Christ. We have to ask ourselves, are we transformed? Are we being real before the one true God?

3) What hour is being referred to in v. 23?
Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection permanently and eternally transformed our lives. Once He walked on this Earth, a King stepping out of Heaven, and the stage was set for what had been inevitable from the beginning of time. We can worship in spirit and truth because of Who we worship and the relationship we have with Him. His hour came so ours would not!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Worship!