Talk
BRO. JOHN BEN RODRIGUEZ:
We’re still on our series, Come and See. This series is about breaking down the Gospel of John, verse by verse.
Today, we’re doing something different. I’m excited to share this with you. We will multitask in studying The Book of John. We’re doing two chapters:
John 3 and John Chapter 4.
These two stories from Chapters 3 and 4 are parallel. The author, John, intended for us to do it this way to see and compare the difference of these two persons encountering Jesus. We meet two persons with different backgrounds here. One person has power and authority. The other person was treated with shame in society. One person was a teacher of the law, and the other person was a violator of the law.
Here they are with Jesus: Nicodemus, the Pharisee (right) and the Samaritan Woman (extreme right).
Sounds familiar? It’s like a drama series. There is the rich and the poor. There is the protagonist and the antagonist.
That’s why John wrote it as a reflective literature (a critical analysis of an experience on how it impacted the reader and what one plans to do with the new knowledge).
Let’s Start with the Introductions
Notice that aside from differences in their backgrounds, there is a glaring difference in their encounter with the Lord.
Nicodemus went to Jesus. But as for the Samaritan Woman,
Jesus was the one who went to her.
Nicodemus went to Jesus at night.
Jesus met the Samaritan Woman at noon.
Although there were many differences, there was something common between the two: They both needed Jesus.
That’s why they met Jesus. They encountered Jesus.I believe that we all need Jesus. I believe this because it was said that Jesus met the Samaritan
Woman at noon, and He met Nicodemus at night. This means that in different seasons of our lives, we need Jesus.
I don’t know about you. It may be nighttime in your life right now. Everything seems dark. You’re losing hope. Bills are piling up. You don’t know what to do with the problems…
Go to Jesus! He will meet you.
The Message
Maybe, it’s noon time in your life.
The scorching heat of the challenges are wearing you down, causing you to sweat blood already…
Jesus will meet you where you are. That’s the big message of our talk today:
Jesus Meets You Where You Are.
We will discover why.
Jesus will meet us today as we break open His Word. With that, I invite you to pray.
Put your hands over your heart:
“Thank You, Jesus, for this good news that You are here. Thank You for setting time to be in this place right now to reveal Your Presence and Your Love.
Lord, I want to receive what You want to give me today. Make me open to receive everything You want to pour out in my life. This I ask in Your Name. Amen.
Let’s raise our hands to the Word of God and sing:
Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path.
Three Truths about Jesus
Today, we will unpack three truths about Jesus by reading this Gospel in parallel.
Jesus looks beyond your labels.
Nicodemus and the Samaritan Woman are very different persons.
But look: Have you noticed, in what we read, it seems that they’re hiding.
Nicodemus, the Pharisee, was hiding. He went to Jesus at night.
Just to give you a bit of context, the Pharisees were like the group of clerics in our modern-day
Archdiocese of Manila. Nicodemus was not only a Pharisee. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin is like the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Manila.
At that time the Sanhedrin was composed of Pharisees and other elders.
Nicodemus was afraid to be associated with Jesus– because Jesus was causing controversies around because of His miracles.
So, Nicodemus went to see Jesus at night.
If you look closer, the context of nighttime back then was very different from our modern-day nighttime. Here, at night, we have bright lights all over, there are establishments and stores open 24/7.
But during the time of Nicodemus, when it was nighttime, it was dark because there were no streetlights. You might be bringing a small lamp– but that’s it.
One interesting point: When Pharisees were mentioned in the Bible, they were just mentioned as Pharisees. But in John’s story, for the first time, a Pharisee was named– and his name was Nicodemus.
I think John is pointing out to us that we cannot do this: judging people by their labels so we will realize that they are individuals.
No to Labels
During election, we tend to dislike people who voted for the candidate that we do not like. Sometimes,
it limits you from seeing the person for who he is.
That’s why it saddens me that when you look at social media nowadays, after you see the post, you look at the comment section. It’s entertaining to see the comment section. But sadly, instead of the social media platform being a venue and tool for people to communicate, to exchange ideas, and to converse well, it has become a breeding ground for haters and bashers.
It’s like that when you are judging people by their label.
So, when we look at the Samaritan Woman, we notice she was also hiding. How could she hide in broad daylight? It was noon. Would you get water from a well at noontime? Most probably not.
Spoiler alert: She was ashamed because of her background.
She was a mistress, so she went to the well at noon.
Here’s the reality: Our labels can either limit us or leverage us.
There is this story. One time, there is this new Vice President hired by a new company.
So, this new VP wanted to make an impression to the people that he has authority and that he can make things happen.
One day, in his office, the VP noticed that an employee was about to come in.
He picked the phone and pretended to be talking to someone, “Yes Sir, we’ll get it done. We’ll deliver it by next week.”
When the employee was already in his office, the VP put down the phone and told the employee, “I just spoke with the CEO.”
Then, the employee said, “I just came here to fix the phone because it was reported that it was broken.”
Sometimes, our labels affect us so much that we want to put up an image. My question to you is this: Are you hiding from something? Is your social media designed to create a front to project this image that you can go to these places, that you could wear these things. If you can, then that’s fine. But try to examine your heart. I want to remind you that Jesus looks beyond the labels and you do not need to put on any face or any label to be accepted by Him.
Can you hold the hand of the person beside you and tell that person: “No more hiding.”
If that’s your husband, tell him, “No more hiding. Tell me how much your salary is?”
No to Labels
During election, we tend to dislike people who voted for the candidate that we do not like. Sometimes,
it limits you from seeing the person for who he is.
That’s why it saddens me that when you look at social media nowadays, after you see the post, you look at the comment section. It’s entertaining to see the comment section. But sadly, instead of the social media platform being a venue and tool
for people to communicate, to exchange ideas, and to converse well, it has become a breeding ground for haters and bashers.
It’s like that when you are judging people by their label.
So, when we look at the Samaritan Woman, we notice she was also hiding. How could she hide in broad daylight? It was noon. Would you get water from a well at noontime? Most probably not.
Spoiler alert: She was ashamed because of her background.
She was a mistress, so she went to the well at noon.
Here’s the reality: Our labels can either limit us or leverage us.
There is this story. One time,
there is this new Vice President hired by a new company.
So, this new VP wanted to make an impression to the people that he has authority and that he can make things happen.
One day, in his office, the VP noticed that an employee was about to come in.
He picked the phone and pretended to be talking to someone, “Yes Sir, we’ll get it done. We’ll deliver it by next week.”
When the employee was already in his office, the VP put down the phone and told the employee, “I just spoke with the CEO.”
Then, the employee said, “I just came here to fix the phone because it was reported that it was broken.”
Sometimes, our labels affect us so much that we want to put up an image. My question to you is this: Are you hiding from something? Is your social media designed to create a front to project this image that you can go to these places, that you could wear these things. If you can, then that’s fine. But try to examine your heart. I want to remind you that Jesus looks beyond the labels and you do not need to put on any face or any label to be accepted by Him.
Can you hold the hand of the person beside you and tell that person: “No more hiding.”
If that’s your husband, tell him, “No more hiding. Tell me how much your salary is?”J
Jesus tells you the truth.
The truth sometimes can be painful. But Jesus will always confront you with the truth. Let’s read how He confronted the Samaritan Woman:
What an issue!
This could be a telenovela. Notice that Jesus knew her exact needs. She had five husbands and the sixth not even a husband.
What does the Samaritan woman really need?
It’s true, lasting love.
Now, let’s go to Chapter 3. Jesus talks with Nicodemus.
Listen…
Instead of “born from above,” some other translations say, “born again”.
So, Nicodemus’ reply to the Lord in John 3:4 was this:
Or they just do not get what Jesus is saying?
What is this verse telling us?
Are Nicodemus and the Samaritan Woman just being sarcastic?
Here’s the reality, Brothers and Sisters: Sometimes, we might be hearing Jesus but we’re not getting what He is saying.
In Feast Binondo, I usually ask our attendees to come forward if they want to be prayed over for their specific concerns. I love doing that. It gives me so much meaning in life. I believe God blessed me to do it. I also know that silver and gold I do not have but what I have, by the power of Jesus, I give to these people.
One day a woman came to me after the Feast Binondo. She said, “Brother, can you pray for my hearing?”
So, I asked her name and I said, “Okay Sis, let’s bow down. Let’s pray:
“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, by Your grace and by Your power, I claim that she be healed in every cell of her body. That her hearing be restored so that she may experience the sound and the beauty of Your World. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
After my prayer, I found the woman a bit confused and dumbfounded. I was wondering what happened.
I asked her, “Sis, how is your hearing now?”
The woman told me, “Bro, my hearing is scheduled on Wednesday.”
Oh, my God, I thought it was physical hearing. I did not know that it was a court hearing. I prayed the wrong prayer.
Oh, my God. What would she think of me?
Sometimes it’s like that. When God gives you a message, you take it literally or you don’t understand it all together.
Reflect… Again and Again…
Husbands and boyfriends, are you hearing your wife or your partner’s message clearly? Because sometimes, you don’t. You take it literally.
That’s why the book of John is designed to be a reflective, meditative literature. You will not get it after reading just one time. You must read it, reflect, read it again, and reflect again.
It’s the same with our wives. Husbands, when you ask your wife if you can go somewhere else and she tells you, “Okay…” So, you went. But when you get back home, you find out she’s suddenly angry at you. You wonder what you did.
Then you must reflect and meditate. You forgot that that her saying “okay” could mean a thousand things– depending on her facial expression and body language.
Nicodemus and the Samaritan Woman also misinterpreted what Jesus was saying. But the amazing thing was Jesus patiently journeyed with them.
Here’s what He told them
If you got a message from the Lord and you feel that it doesn’t align with what you think, come to God again and say, “Lord, bless me with clarity.”
Jesus will patiently journey with you until you learn and understand what He is saying.
Between the two, are you Nicodemus or are you the Samaritan Woman? Who can relate you relate with? Are you like Nicodemus who has all that he needs.
The challenge for people like Nicodemus is to see their need and purpose for Jesus. The Nicodemus story was there for us to realize that everybody needs Jesus.
When You’re In Charge…
Who are managers and parents here? You have heavy responsibilities. Sometimes, we have this authority and power, and we feel that everything rests, rises, and falls within our capability and decision. We who are in charge are expected to make things happen and it’s painful when we have given everything and nothing happened.
When you’re in charge and you’re tempted, the danger is when you take matters into your own hands.
Who are parents here? It’s difficult raising kids. The temptation of our power and authority over our kids is to force our way into them.
I have a three-year-old toddler. I cannot understand why simple things such as wearing a pajama takes her two minutes to finish. It infuriates me.
One time, we were brushing her teeth. I had to put one finger on her cheek to make sure that her mouth was open– and she bit me so hard that flashback of my past came rushing in my mind.
I was so angry, I wanted to smack her on the face. But I suddenly remembered that I was preaching this message. It happened this week.
I must use this power responsibly. I cannot just beat her for her not to do it. I properly explained to her that what she did was painful.
We people with power are asked by God, like He asked Nicodemus, to take matters responsibly in our hands.
Like the breadwinners. You have heavy responsibility– especially, if you’re a breadwinner for your current family and a breadwinner for your parents or even extended family. Let’s clap for our breadwinners.
I’m a financial planner and sometimes it breaks my heart when I see people who cannot handle matters about their finances well.
I was guiding a single lady who had a good paying job. We started with listing her expenses in the cash flow and I noticed that her grocery was P25,000.
Every month, she consumes one sack of rice. She does not splurge on shopping.
I told her, “You must love groceries more than shopping. Your groceries are too high for a single person.”
Then she told me, “Bro, I’m the breadwinner of the entire compound.
My brothers and their children are there. That’s why we consume one sack of rice per month.”
This lady is buried in credit-card debts. Her three credit cards are all maxed out. I told her that she cannot take all the family responsibility in her hands because it is beyond her capacity.
‘Funny’ Story
If we can do something, we always tend to overdo it.
For those like Nicodemus, you can delegate upwards to Jesus. That is what God is telling you in this manner. You can delegate upwards. You may delegate the things that only rest upon you to the God above who has a bigger resource, who has a bigger perspective, and who is more powerful than you are.
Last story about this:
Recently, I received a proposal for a brand deal in my TikTok account. It was good. It was from a company that sells dashcam.
The proposal stated that they would give me a dashcam. They
would create a “yellow basket” in my TikTok account. They would spend for my ads. Lastly, they would share profits with me. It looked like a six-figure deal.
Then they asked, “Are you okay with the timeline?”
It was sent last August. The timeline was for September. I told them, “I’m not good with the timeline.”
I remembered that I must use this influence and power in the right way. I told them that I try to make my brand deals as authentic as possible. I told them that if it’s possible, I want to use the product first for a good one month. I’m willing to buy their product so that when I give a review, it will be authentic from my experience.
They said, “We’ll ask management.”
That offer was given last August. It’s now October. Ask me the magic question: “Did you get the brand deal?”
I did not get the brand deal. It’s painful because I know I cannot sell and just promote their product without having a hold and feel of it. That’s using my power and influence in a wrong way.
That is the invitation for people like Nicodemus.
But don’t worry because God is telling you: “I am here for you. It’s okay if you cannot do all things and be all things. Even if it seems that way, God is with you. God is telling you to believe in His promise.”
One time, there was a brokenhearted woman. She got a random text message that said, “I am here for you.”
So, she was happy. She thought: “Lord, this is it! You are encouraging me.”
She replied to that message: “Thank you so much. Your message came in a good time. I’m going through something. By the way, I lost all my contacts. Who is this?
The person replied, “I am your Grab driver. I am here for you.” It’s funny…
But God is here for you.
Can You Let Go?
God is there for you. You can put your burdens upon him. You do not have to carry it alone.
Are you more like the Samaritan Woman?
You are used to being alone because you are afraid of what others might say about you. You are filled with so much shame because of your own sins.
The challenge for people like the Samaritan Woman is to see that they can be saved.
Please take note that when you are filled with shame, it can happen to both extroverts and introverts. Extroverts express it in another way. They always like to be with people because when they drown themselves in the presence of people, they forget their own thoughts and their own situation.
For introverts, they always like to stay alone. But God is telling you in John 8:31-32 >
Remember that Jesus gave two truths to the Samaritan Woman about her situation.
First, He confronted her about her physical situation with five husbands and everything.
Second truth is when the woman was asking, “Where can I get the Living Water?” Jesus said to her in John 4:25-26: “I am He. The one who is speaking with you.”
If you notice the pattern, it’s interesting how John wrote it. Five husbands. The sixth man is not even a husband. She was a mistress. The seventh Man who approached her with true love was Jesus.
In the Bible, seven is a number of perfection. Jesus is telling you that His love is greater than your circumstances or biggest mistake. Have you failed because of your sin? God is telling you that perfection can happen in your life. Jesus can turn your imperfect past to a perfect future.
For those like the Samaritan Woman, God is asking you now: “Can you let go?
Can you surrender?”
You Can Be the Light of God
So, what happened to the Nicodemus and to the Samaritan Woman after they encountered Jesus?
She left. This connotes that she left everything –her burdens.
Finally, everything feels light because she has met the source of the Living Water.
When God resurrects you from your sin and brings you from your rock bottom to rise to victory, it will not just end with you. He will even use you to bless others.
That is God’s promise for you.
Whatever you’re going through right now, God is telling you: “When you rise from this, this will reveal My glory to bless other people.”
Do you notice the situation?
Nicodemus was already there helping when Jesus died.
I can relate to this because some people might have a difficult time saying,
“Lord, I cannot abandon all. I am responsible for so many people.”
But God is telling you that you can be like Nicodemus. Stay there even if the organization has a different culture and it’s not godly. God is asking you stay there. Be a Nicodemus there. Renew and try to do little things that you can.
If you have met God and you’re in government, and you know the red tape that’s been happening in government, God is asking you stay in your position.
Try to influence doing good– little by little. Because it’s a big thing. You cannot handle it alone.
Jesus said: “Follow me in whatever way you can because you can be the light of God wherever you are.
Jesus brings you to where you must be.
An encounter with God will change your life.
Do you want that encounter with Jesus today?
Do you want Him to be with you today in your needs and in your troubles?
In my younger days in faith, whenever I would read this, I always thought about how Heaven would happen– if I would do good here on Earth and that when I die, I would go to Heaven.
But in what we have read today, God is telling you that you need not die to experience Heaven. Heaven can happen now amidst the situation, labels, challenges, and shame that you have in your life.
This is what salvation means: experiencing Jesus here and now wherever you may be.
God is asking you today: “Will you come to me regardless of your background, capability, and burdens? Because I’m here and ready.”
Let’s pray:
“Almighty Father, we Thank You because you have spoken your Word here.
We want to delight in Your Presence Lord. Embrace us. Fill us. Empower us. Make Your Presence known in our lives as we worship You.”
