Later, Jesus went to Jerusalem and cleared the merchants out of the Temple. He told the people they would tear down this Temple and He would build it back in three days. They thought He was talking about the building, but He was talking about the temple of His body. As Jesus performed miracles there, He knew what was in the people's hearts. Jesus was talking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus who didn't understand what Jesus was really saying. Jesus told him that people needed to be born of the Spirit, through baptism. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on the pole in the wilderness and gave people life (Feb.18 Num 21), so the Son of Man would be lifted up on the cross. Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life, this is how much God loved the world; He gave His only Son. After that, Jesus and the 12 went to Judea and were baptizing people. People kept coming to be baptized and John was also baptizing. The disciples of John were concerned about Jesus performing baptisms, and everyone was going to Him. John told them that everything we have comes from God. He reminded them that He wasn't the Messiah, but he was happy to serve Him. John told them he must become less and Jesus must become more. God loves His son and has given Him power over everything. Whoever believes and obeys the Son will have eternal life.
When Jesus heard that the Pharisees were watching Jesus and his disciples as if they were in competition with John and his disciples, Jesus went back to Galilee. On the way, He had to go through Samaria. Jesus came to Jacob's well (in Samaria) and sat down to rest. A Samaritan woman came for some water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. (The feud between the Jews and Samaritans had even gone so far that they wouldn't share eating utensils!) Jesus and the woman talked for a while about life-giving water and eternal life. Jesus told her she had been married to 5 men, and that the man she lived with was not her husband. She recognized Him as a prophet. He told her that the time had come that people would worship by the power of God's Spirit, and give Him the true worship that He wants. The woman told Him she believed the Messiah would come and Jesus said, "I am He" (4:26) The disciples came back, and said nothing. The woman left her water jar and went back to town to tell everyone to come and see the man by the well, that He could be the Messiah. The disciples begged Jesus to eat, but He told them that He had all he needed. They thought He was talking about food, but He was talking about obeying God and finishing the work God gave Him to do. Jesus told them they would harvest crops they hadn't planted.
Tomorrow read John 4:39-6:51
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