With one sentence, Jesus changed a woman’s life. The woman’s perspective naturally came from her semi-Jewish heritage when she spoke of religious practices and where she believed God was properly worshiped. But Jesus corrected her, teaching her that God (whom He, the Messiah, declared Himself to be) is more than a physical being to be worshiped only on a special mountain or in a temple. He told her, “God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Jesus was introducing a new, radical idea. The Messiah—He Himself!—had come, and He was establishing a new covenant with people who would be reborn spiritually by faith in Him and consequently able to worship God in a new way.

God is Spirit, so He asks us to believe in Him and receive new spiritual life through Him so that we can interact with and worship Him freely. Services, buildings, holy days, and religious practices aren’t bad things, but they aren’t the real means to knowing and worshiping God. We are saved by faith in Jesus, and we get to know and worship God through the Holy Spirit He has sent to live inside of us. Do you have a desire to worship God? What are the motivations that cause you to give praise to Him? Is Jesus the center of truth in your worship? Does God’s Spirit cause you to worship Him out of thankfulness to Him for saving you through His Son?