John 4:31-42 Meeting Jesus, Harvesting Eternal Life

John 4:31-42

31 In the meantime, His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’

38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.”

40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.

41 And many more believed because of His own word.

42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

In this passage, we see the interaction between Jesus and His disciples after His conversation with the Samaritan woman. When the disciples bring food to Jesus, He says, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” On the surface, this statement seems simple, but it profoundly reveals Jesus’ complete dependence on and satisfaction in doing God’s will.

The “food” Jesus speaks of is not earthly food but refers to fulfilling God’s will and completing the mission He was entrusted with. For Jesus, the physical needs of the body were not the primary focus of life; instead, living out God’s will and accomplishing His work was the greatest source of satisfaction. For each of us, Jesus reminds us that God’s will and our spiritual pursuit should be the driving force of our lives, far surpassing the everyday material needs.

My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Next, Jesus says to His disciples, “The fields are already ripe for harvest.” This is an important reminder for believers regarding their mission. Jesus tells us that it’s not just about waiting for the right time, but about taking proactive action, being keenly aware of the needs and opportunities around us. He calls us to work with Him to gather the fruits that are stored up for eternal life, fruits that bring not just temporary satisfaction but eternal joy.

In the latter part of this passage, we see the Samaritans believe in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. The woman’s transformation was not only her personal experience but also her becoming a messenger of God’s word. She shared the living water Jesus gave her with everyone in the town, not only receiving new life herself but leading the entire town to know Jesus.

What is most moving is the Samaritans’ response to Jesus: “Now we believe, not because of what you said, but because we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” This genuine testimony reveals the essence of faith: it does not come from someone else’s persuasion or storytelling, but from each person’s personal encounter with Jesus and the deep experience and understanding that follows. Faith should not be imposed, but truly understood and embraced through a direct relationship and experience with Jesus.