In the beginning of John, chapter five, we will see that Jesus uses the Sabbath to show that the Jewish leaders did not love God or his Law, but their own self-imposed standards by which they sought to justify themselves.
We will see that God attests to his word by signs and wonders, culminating in the resurrection, but these are not to be the basis of our faith nor are they sufficient to bring us to faith, but stand as vindicating signs to the validity of what has been said.
Jesus follows up the betrothal episode with a discussion of spiritual food, doing the will of the Father, particularly in the work of evangelism – and that of the whole world.
The Samaritan woman represents the church, the bride of Christ, who not only comes to him, but calls others to come as well.
With the pouring out of the Holy Spirit there is a change in the character of our worship (its participants, its location, its splendor) leading us into true heavenly worship.
In this passage we see a prophecy of what will happen at the Messiah’s coming. He will be struck on behalf of his true sheep and bring judgment on the earthly kingdom of Israel and its false leaders or shepherds and inaugurate a new and better order.
Jesus comes and offers this woman of Samaria the water of life, which signifies the Holy Spirit and eternal life he brings, given through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Old Covenant and its administration have come to a close with the ending of the ministry of the last of the Old Covenant prophets, and is now displaced by the ministry of the Prophet of the New Covenant.
Jesus Christ is shown to be the Messianic bringer of peace in that he is given the heavenly bride, and in doing so brings the ministry of John to a close.
Jesus came in his first coming to reverse the curse of destruction, for those who believe, and bring eternal life in the place of eternal destruction.
God displayed his love for all the nations, by sending his Son to bear their curse.
Jesus, the Messianic, Son of Man has descended from heaven in order to suffer on the cross, raise from the dead, and ascend into heaven, that he might redeem his people and give them entrance into heaven, through faith in him.
Christ brings the Spirit of God as proof that a new age has come and as testimony that salvation comes only through sovereign regeneration of those God chooses.
Jesus displaces the Old Covenant Temple and its worship by bringing the greater reality of the heavenly Temple and its worship in his life, death and resurrection.
Jesus displaces the cermonialism of the Old Covenant (a ministry of death), by bringing the life, joy and abundance of the New Covenant though wine (representing his blood).
Baptism, the Sign of consecration of the New Covenant, fulfills Baptism, and as such is to be given to our covenant children, that they might be brought into the church and placed under the authority of Jesus Christ.
As Jesus builds his New Israel, he gives them a new and better land, heaven itself, over which he is the King.
The life of the sacrificial animals was not enough to give life to the spiritually dead, a better blood was needed and so God's children were forbidden to partake of the blood, until the better sacrifice came in Jesus Christ.
The gathering of the New Disciples is the gathering of a new community, a New Israel, built upon Christ – the true and final Prophet, Priest and King – and it displaces the Old (national) Israel.
Christ is the better lamb of God as the fulfillment of Isaiah 52, 53 who takes away the sin, not only of Jews, but of the nations - showing himself to be the better Son of God - displacing Israel.
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