TOPIC:‌“The Time is Ripe For Reaping”

                  by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌John 4:27-39

 

‌‌“I sent you to reap” (John 4:38)

 

‌We must know something of the background in which these words were written in order to both understand and appreciate this saying of Jesus. He had left Jerusalem and traveled north toward Galilee directly through Samaria. Now in Samaria, we find Jesus carrying on a lengthy conversation with a Samaritan woman who had a very sinful past. She had a bad reputation because of her immoral way of living.

 

‌But it was to this immoral woman that Jesus revealed His identity as the Messiah and Savior of the world. In His conversation with her Jesus revealed to her some of the great truths about sin, salvation, forgiveness, God, the Holy Spirit, and Christian worship. She not only received His transforming word, but she responded to it by sharing her conversion experience with those in a nearby village.

 

‌The thinking of the disciples as to who needed this transforming message of forgiveness and grace was blinded by their shortsighted view that it was only available for the Jews, but certainly not for this mixed race of people called Samaritans. But in reality according to Jesus, these Samaritans not only needed the message, but they were ready to receive it. Then pointing toward the green fields of the countryside with the Samaritans in their white garments coming from the village, Jesus declared in the words of verse 35: “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

 

‌It is a matter of fact that farmers must wait for a period of time between sowing and reaping. But Jesus wanted His disciples to realize that this is not true in the realm of the spiritual. They didn't have to wait! If they would use their spiritual vision and perception they would see that it was already reaping time. It was harvest time. These spiritually hungry Samaritans needed to be reaped into the Kingdom of God. The time is ripe for reaping.

 

I.

 

‌Consider, first of all, we find here in these verses the SOVEREIGN PERSON who COMMISSIONS us. Notice the words in verse 38: “I sent you.” It is the Lord of the Harvest who sends us forth into His vineyard to reap precious souls into His Kingdom.

 

‌So it is under the authority of Jesus that we go out to gather souls. We are sent ones commissioned by the Lord of the Harvest. He has put us under obligation to fulfill the great commission. We have not been put on this planet for the purpose of doing as we please. . . .