Worship; God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth / Worship

What did Jesus mean

Connect with Jesus inside your heart.

Where did Jesus say this

John 4:20–26 — “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain: and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said unto her: woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the father. Ye worship ye wot not what: we know what we worship. For salvation cometh of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth. For verily such the father requireth to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. The woman said unto him: I wot well Messias shall come, which is called Christ. When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her: I that speak unto thee am he.”

Words Behind the Words

Worship: The Greek word for worship is proskuneō, which means to bow down or prostrate yourself. Prostrate is a physical posture. You would be kneeling with your head pointed downward. When Jesus says, “True worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth,” he is moving from the physical to the spiritual posture.

Prophet: The Greek word for prophet is prophētēs, which boils down to pro (forth) and phēmi (speak). Prophet does not always mean someone who can tell the future, but also someone who speaks on behalf of God. Jesus is considered a “prophet” to this woman because he knows about her husbands. It almost sounds as if she’s deflecting. Jesus calls her out, and she suddenly wants to change the subject.

Salvation: The Greek word for salvation is sōtēria. This word translates to rescue or deliverance. For this exercise, you can consider Jesus a knight in shining armor, coming down from the mountaintop to rescue everyone from themselves and each other.

Spirit: The Greek word for spirit is pneuma, which translates to breath or wind (invisible force). Jesus is insinuating that God can’t be tethered to one place (not a mountain, not a building).

Messias: The Greek word for Messias is Messias. That’s because it actually stems from the Hebrew word, mashiach, which translates to “anointed one.” The woman in the story already translates this for you: Christ.

What Jesus did not mean

Jesus did not mean that Jewish people are the only way to salvation.

Jesus was trying to make a point, and he did so by speaking to a person who belonged to a group far outside the “friend zone.” It would be like two enemies who’ve hated each other for generations suddenly sitting at the same table.

“You are Samaritan. I am Jewish. But I am Christ, and it doesn’t matter where you come from or who you are (a Jew or a Samaritan). The time has come where the true followers (believers, worshippers) will worship God no matter where you are from.”

Jesus also did not mean that any one side wins over the other. No “location” is better than the other.

Instead, he is clearly stating, “Worship is not tethered to any location (mountain, structure, or place). It is in your heart.”

Jesus also did not mean that worship requires you to bow down and kiss the hands of some middleman. This is why Jesus used the phrase, “in spirit and in truth.” He’s once again flipping the script and disavowing performance and ritual. True worship happens in your heart, and it is given to the invisible force (God) that is all around you (the Kingdom).

Where to start

In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said: “Love the lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

True worship comes from within, and it is the only form of worship that counts.

It doesn’t require a middleman. It doesn’t require a ritual. And it certainly doesn’t require a specific place.

Go in your room, shut the door, and talk (pray) to Jesus in private. That is how you start.

Benefits

When you understand how worship works (and, subsequently, how it doesn’t work), then you can finally start to connect with Jesus.

You will see that “Jesus inside you” is not a metaphor. It’s a real thing that’s been pushed down by the “kosmos” for thousands of years.

Break down the barriers religion has installed between you and Jesus, and the connection will surface. And when that connection surfaces, you will be shown true love.

And there is no greater thing in this world than to feel loved by Jesus.