Who can enter the kingdom of God? Reflections from John 4:1-18

John 4:1-18 answers an important question: who can enter the kingdom of God, and the answer can be rather shocking, especially when we read it back to back with chapter 3.

Back in John chapter 3, Jesus had just told Nicodemus, a leading Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council, one of Israel's foremost religious teacher, that he cannot enter the kingdom of God, but he must be born again of the Spirit. But here in chapter 4, we see Jesus offering eternal life to someone whose religious pedigree was at the opposite end of the scale - a Samaritan, despised by the Jews because they were of impure heritage, having intermarried with Gentiles. Not only that, this woman was despised even by her fellow Samaritans because of adultery, having been in and out of 5 marriages, and at that time living with someone else who was not her husband. Which is why she had to go to the well to draw water at noon, the hottest time of the day, a time when no one else would go. She was a religious and social outcast.

But it was no coincidence that this woman is featured back to back with Nicodemus in John's Gospel. For, by putting them side by side, John is higlighting to us the heart of his gospel:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that WHOEVER believes  in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

WHOEVER really means WHOEVER - whatever the level of your religious performance, whether Jew or Samaritan, Western, African or Asian, male and female, whatever your moral performance.

Who can enter the kingdom of God? "WHOEVER believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." 

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)

This is the first thing we need to take note of from Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman, the heart of the gospel, the fullness of his grace.

Another thing to take note of is this. Come with me again to 4:15. How did the woman respond to Jesus' offer? Did you notice the main reason why she wanted living water from Jesus? 

"Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (John 4:15)

Why was that so important to her? Is it because she's lazy? "Too troublesome to have to keep coming here"?

I don't think so! I think it's got something to do with her being an outcast, of her not wanting to face people in public. That's her most immediate need at that moment.

Like the woman, it's very natural for us to focus on what Jesus can do to solve our most immediate felt need. I suspect what features most in our prayers these days are related to Covid-19, prayers for safety and protection, or for help with financial or personal well-being.

And yet, while Jesus is certainly concerned about our physical well-being, even teaching us to ask our heavenly Father for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), we need to remember that this is not the primary reason why Jesus had to come. He is not here to offer us water that won't quench our thirst (John 4:13)!

Rather, the living water he offers is eternal life in the kingdom of God, the righteousness of God that is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (cf. Romans 3:22). "God's kingdom and his righteousness" (Matthew 6:33) - that is Jesus' primary concern for his people!

That's why Jesus wasn't quite done with the woman. The rest of the chapter continues to show there's much more she needed to know about Jesus, what it means to witness the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah.

As for us, perhaps this chapter serves as a timely reminder to peel our attention away from Covid-19 , and turn our eyes to Jesus, especially to the cross of Jesus, to revisit afresh what it means to know Him, his death, his resurrection, what it means to seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and what is the good news we have to offer to many many people around us who continue to live in darkness, who continue in ignorance about Jesus. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)