# Be Ready - Saturday, 2025.12.27 ## What does "worship in spirit and truth" mean? ### Part 1 - Worship in Spirit The Magi traveled from the east to Jerusalem seeking Jesus saying they came to worship Him. {Matthew 2.2 (BSB)} Herod lied saying he wanted to worship Jesus, but was plotting to kill Him. {Matthew 2.8 (BSB)} When the Magi arrived at the house in Bethlehem where Jesus and His parents were staying, they fell down and worshiped Him. {Matthew 2.11 (BSB)} About 30 years later, Jesus said to the woman at the well: "Believe Me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” {John 4.21-24 (BSB)} --- What did Jesus mean when He told the woman at the well, "God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth?” Today's post will look at the spirit side of this statement and tomorrow's (Lord willing) will look at the truth side. There maybe a third part the next day. --- What is the significance of Jesus' statement, "Father is Spirit?" John had a thought on this "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known." John 1.18 (MSB) Worship in the Old Testament was mostly focused on the physical, location (Mount Gerizim, Jerusalem) and physical position (bowing down, kneeling, kissing the ground, kissing the hand.) Jesus told the woman that a time is coming when we won't worship God at at physical place. Father is not an entity that we can see and touch. So, worshiping God as defined by OT words doesn't even make sense. On the other hand, worship in the New Testament is more focused on the "position" of our hearts. Jesus made it clear in the Sermon on the Mount, that God is evaluating our attitudes (heart position) as much or more than the actual actions. So, we can and should worship Him by approaching Him with a humble heart, a humble spirit. Words from the beatitudes come to my mind {Matthew 5.3-10} - poor in spirit - mourn - meek - hunger and thirst - merciful - pure - peacemaker --- Since I am lacking in the characteristics listed above, I regularly remind myself: ---> He IS God and I am NOT! <--- --- How about you, are you a true worshiper of Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit?