Awe
Has there ever been a time when you were flat out amazed by something?
A time I was amazed was when Sierra and I got to go to Disneyland Paris. I was fairly against going at first, but it was a can-not-miss item for Sierra. I thought it would feel kiddy and didn’t really think I’d enjoy it much. However, when we arrived, I immediately had a “foot in mouth” moment as I found myself amazed at every little thing at Disneyland Paris. Everything about it was spectacular! But the thing that set it over the edge was Hyperspace Mountain.
Something to know about Disneyland Paris is that they have rides similar to ours, but the rides are a little wilder as they have increased speeds and added elements such as loops or rolls. So, instead of Space Mountain, they have Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain! It was, and is, the single greatest rollercoaster I’ve ever been on. It left me totally baffled. The ride begins with the usual Star Wars scroll, the intro theme playing, and then you’re launched at extreme speeds into the bulk of the ride where you’re surrounded by TIE fighters and X-wings battling throughout the ride. It was the cherry on top that left me totally amazed by Disneyland Paris.
Over and over in the gospel accounts, we see Jesus perform miracles that leave people amazed. The Bible uses language such as amazed, marveled, or even astounded as people respond to seeing what Jesus would do. In Mark 6 Jesus feeds the 5,000 and walks on water, and then Mark 6:51-52 tell us of the disciples, “And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” Notice how their hearts were hardened though. They were amazed, but it didn’t result in worship.
When we find ourselves amazed or in awe of Jesus, it should stir our affections to worship Him. At The Mount, we define worship as our response to who God is and what He has done for us in Christ. When we know who He is, we can’t help but worship. When we understand what He has done for us, there’s nothing we can do but worship. So, what is it that leaves you amazed about Jesus?
In John 4, Jesus is interacting with a Samaritan woman. Remember that Jews and Samaritans don’t interact so there’s a major cultural norm that’s being broken here when He does this. Due to some ministry circumstances, Jesus finds Himself in Sychar, a town of Samaria, where He’s sitting beside a well. A woman from Samaria approaches, and Jesus, ignoring cultural norms, begins a conversation with her by requesting a drink. Startled by the breaking of cultural norms, she brings up the fact that He’s talking to her. He then explains further about living water which seems to really confuse her. So, Jesus provides clarity. “Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 4:13-14
In the following verses we learn four things about Jesus; Jesus knows, Jesus corrects, Jesus teaches, and Jesus declares.
Jesus Knows (v.16-18): Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
This part always used to confuse me a bit. I used to wonder why Jesus would seemingly roast this woman in this way, but v.13-14 help us to understand why. Jesus brings up her husbands to show that she’s longing for something, but these men, which Jesus refers to as “water,” will never be able to satisfy that longing. She’ll always “be thirsty again.”
Here’s where I think this really connects to us though. Jesus shares information from this woman’s life that she likely would have preferred to keep quiet. He openly shares about her past and while this seems super shameful, I want to focus on Jesus. He knows this woman. He knows every single detail about her, and He knows us in the same manner. While we may be able to get away with putting on a mask for a Sunday to hide what’s really going on, Jesus sees straight through that. The same way He knows this woman, He knows each of us. He knows our sins, our struggles, what we delight in, what we cling to, the idols we’re tempted by, and every detail in between. He knows this woman, yet He’s still there interacting with her. He’s still breaking cultural norms to have this conversation with her. Why? Because He still cares for her despite what she has done. Jesus knows you yet loves you. He knows you yet desires a relationship with you. He knows you yet sacrificed Himself for you. That alone should move us to be amazed by Him, but the passage continues.
Jesus Corrects (v.19-22): “The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”
This section requires a little Old Testament context to understand. When Judah and Israel were divided, Jeroboam established shrines in the north (at Bethel and Dan) to discourage his subjects from traveling to Jerusalem for the three annual feasts (see 1 Kings 12:25-33). After the northern kingdom fell to Assyria (721 BC), the split widened between the Jews in Jerusalem and the Israelites living in Samaria. The Israelites built a temple on Mount Gerizim, the location of this interaction, which was destroyed around 130 BC. Samaritans have continued to worship on Mount Gerizim even to this day. So, when the Samaritan woman is stating that “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain…” this is what she means by it. However, Jesus is going to correct this to help her understand what true worship is.
See, the Samaritan woman was thinking of worship as a place. Worship to her was something that only happened “on this mountain” (v.20) or “in Jerusalem” (v.20). However, Jesus is subtly telling her that He’s about to change worship from being something we only do in certain places to making it about a lifestyle. This isn’t the only time that Jesus corrects false thoughts on worship either.
“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” - Matthew 15:8-9
Jesus isn’t after supplemental worship or lip service, but after hearts that are surrendered to Him. How might our lives be different if our awe of Jesus didn’t just lead us to worship in church on Sunday mornings, but live lives of worship in reverence of Him?
Jesus Teaches (v.23-24): “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. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
After correcting, He goes on to teach the Samaritan woman, as well as us, what actual worship is. We are to “worship the Father in spirit and truth.” Commentaries go back and forth on what exactly is meant here, but both are mentioned. The Holy Spirit shapes us through sanctification and the Bible stands as our objective truth. Do you desire the Spirit, as painful as it may be, to be shaping and molding you to be more like Jesus? Are you willing to surrender in holy obedience to the truth that is found in Scripture? We don’t do these things from a place of legalism, but from a place of awe. This is what Jesus desires in our worship.
Jesus Declares (v.25-26): “The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
This is the one occasion before His trial when Jesus declares Himself as the Messiah. Of all the situations He could have revealed Himself as the Messiah, Jesus reveals Himself to this Samaritan woman. He culturally shouldn’t be talking to her, knows everything about her yet interacted with her anyways, had to reteach her the heart behind worship, and is now confirming to her that He is indeed the coming Messiah she has heard about. When you consider everything happening in this interaction, this is such a sweet moment. Everything she has sought after to find satisfaction has yet been left empty. Everything she has been through, yet she’s face to face with Jesus because He is choosing to reveal Himself to her. Now, remember when you came to know Jesus. How does that stir your affections for Him? He chose to reveal Himself to you and now you get to live in a relationship with Him. Praise God!
The section closes by showing us a few responses that take place.
(v.27-30): Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or “Why are you talking with her?” So, the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.”
Disciples’ Response: “marveled that He was talking with a woman.” They miss out on the point of this interaction. Her response: “left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”” She actually leaves the whole reason she went to the well sitting there on the ground to go tell others about this interaction. Her awe of Jesus results in others coming to Him as well. Don’t miss that part! Your awe of Jesus could do the same. The Peoples’ Response: “They went out of the town and were coming to Him.” The people respond to the woman’s excitement by coming to see themselves.
Big question: What is your response to who Jesus is and what He has done for you?
As much as I love the Hyperspace Mountain ride, I intentionally left out the best part. There’s a particular barrel roll in the middle of the ride where you travel through the laser shots of the X-wings and TIE fighters shooting at each other in battle so as the shots come across, you actually barrel roll right through the middle of them to narrowly avoid the shots. Absolutely insane. That’s what set it over the top. I rode it multiple times, and every single ride, that was the thing that blew my mind.
When it comes to worship, the thing that will leave us in awe is not the setting, who is leading worship, the day we’ve had, or anything else. It’s who Jesus is and what He has done for us. When we find ourselves in awe of Jesus, we can’t help but to worship Him the way we are designed to, in full awestruck surrender to the Lord and Savior of the world.
What about Him and what He has done for you leaves you amazed or in awe? What about Him stirs your affections and gives you the desire to live a life of worship? What’s your response?
Written by: Joseph Hefner