John 4:35-39
Harvest is Plenty
Context: Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman and preached the Gospel. The woman went and brought many.
1. PREPARATION
John 4: 35. “open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest”
The eyes of Jesus saw the harvest of the souls, communities. His heart, mind soul was filled with the will of God. He learned day by day moment by moment the will of God and wanted to fulfil it. We need to prepare in prayer, fasting, waiting upon the Lord. Look to God for his directions, leading and guidance. The prayerful life makes our hearts, hands, eyes and mind as that of Jesus. We just crucify our self and exhibit the character of Jesus. God’s values are entirely different from our values. Gods’ thinking is not like our thinking. He thinks, acts, communicates differently.
John 4:35. Four months.—This gives us probably a note on time. The legal beginning of harvest was fixed (Leviticus 23:10; Deuteronomy 16:9) for the 16th of Nisan (April). January as the date of this conversation.
2. PROCLAMATION
John 4:36-38 The sower and the reaper may be glad together.
We are constantly reminded that we exist to proclaim the Gospel, through our words, through our actions, through our services, worships and works. Our ministry is sowing and reaping. Every day we meet people, we go to duty, go to the office. Our bus, train, living area, everywhere we are consciously called to sow the seeds of KOG.
The reapers are the disciples. In this harvest day, they would learn, from sympathy with the souls of others, the joy of the reaper, and in that joy, it was ordained that sewer and reaper should rejoice together. Whatever is our part the joy is shared with all.
Any team sports – reminds us that there are substitutes who never some time playing in the field. But they too receive the honours, rewards like the one who toiled.
v.38. I sent you - I, the Lord of the whole harvest: "sent you," points to their past appointment to the apostleship. I sent you to reap,... To preach the Gospel, and gather in souls by your ministry; referring to the mission of them in Matthew 10:6. ye bestowed no labour—meaning that much of their future success would arise from the preparation already made for them. "Christ represents Himself as the Husbandman [rather the Lord of the labourers], who has the direction both of the sowing and of the harvest, who commissions all the agents—those of the Old Testament as well as of the New"
3. PRESENTATION
v.39-42 Samaritans came to him.
Our ministry must be vouched with Baptisms, new additions, new believers. Along with our harvest festival offertories, we also need to present souls to Christ at least each one should bring one person to Christ in a year.
