Jesus told the woman at the well that she would have to come daily for that water. Jesus was not speaking of the water in that well. He was referring to her religion, which she relied upon to help, but which obviously was not working. She adhered to the rituals each day, but it did not change her life. She kept having the same problems.
She understood His point and so asked in response, “Should we worship on this mountain or that?” (John 4:20). Jesus said He came to give living water so that she would not have to draw dead water again through the law. Then He said to the disciples, “I have meat to eat that you do not know of.” (John 42). This is the same point. “I have life that is sustained by Me and My Father, not by human effort.”
Some people think that we need some daily experience to have life. This is modern charismatic religion, just like the woman had. It does not change our life. Then we need another experience the next day. We become junkies. They call this “the river”. This is not the river. You can tell because the same issues repeat themselves in their lives. They do not overcome sin. Jesus is the river. Jesus is the living water.
Then Jesus said to the multitude: Labour not for that which perishes, but for the meat which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give you. (John 6:27).
We used to think that Jesus was speaking here about physical food. This is not what He meant. The food that perishes He was referring to was their Jewish religion. He was not speaking of physical bread or meat. He told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, meaning their religion. The essence of it was hypocrisy, doing the same things when it is evident that we have not changed.
Jesus had just performed the miracle of the loaves. Now He is making His point about their religion, their spiritual sustenance. In response they asked, “Ok, if we do not need all this religious paraphernalia, what are the works of God?”. Jesus answered, “This is God’s work. That you believe on Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:28-29) There is not much work in that. Who would understand that?
This is offensive to self. The first lesson in truth is showing that we have no part in God’s gift to us. It is only when God brings down the foundation of self, that He can lay the foundation of Christ. Then He builds on that foundation, through grace and faith. This process can hurt. It is against everything we naturally think. This is the trouble they had in Jesus’ day.
There is so much labour in religion. We think “we have to do something”. We labour for fresh anointing, but it does not stay fresh for long. The experience soon gets worms like the manna, or leaks out with the pressures of the day. So we have to observe our religious exercises again. The New Covenant came to change this. We still pray, but our prayer is with joy and power. The difference is faith verses unbelief.
This message of Jesus turned the tide against Him. They saw what He said about their whole system of religion. They wanted their religion and not Him. He said all they did in their religious observances was vanity and flesh. He said the religion was supposed to point to Him so they could come to Him and receive the fullness. But they would not. They would rather trust in what they knew.
It is the same today. Many men would prefer to trust in their animistic mindset, or evangelical traditions and work for their faith or sanctification, which are gifts. We are not saying that we should not pray, worship and petition God with thanksgiving. We are speaking about working to gain acceptance with Him, faith, sanctification, life, power or spiritual protection. These are all His gifts to us. Our call is to walk in them, by walking in Him.
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