23. But the time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. In fact, that time is now here. And these are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers.
24. God is spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25. The woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming.” (He is the one called Christ.) “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26. Then Jesus said, “He is talking to you now—I am the Messiah.”
27. Just then Jesus’ followers came back from town. They were surprised because they saw Jesus talking with a woman. But none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28. Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She told the people there,
29. “A man told me everything I have ever done. Come see him. Maybe he is the Messiah.”
30. So the people left the town and went to see Jesus.
31. While the woman was in town, Jesus’ followers were begging him, “Teacher, eat something!”
32. But Jesus answered, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33. So the followers asked themselves, “Did someone already bring him some food?”
34. Jesus said, “My food is to do what the one who sent me wants me to do. My food is to finish the work that he gave me to do.
35. When you plant, you always say, ‘Four more months to wait before we gather the grain.’ But I tell you, open your eyes, and look at the fields. They are ready for harvesting now.
36. Even now, the people who harvest the crop are being paid. They are gathering crops for eternal life. So now the people who plant can be happy together with those who harvest.
37. It is true when we say, ‘One person plants, but another person harvests the crop.’
38. I sent you to harvest a crop that you did not work for. Others did the work, and you get the profit from their work.”
39. Many of the Samaritan people in that town believed in Jesus. They believed because of what the woman had told them about him. She had told them, “He told me everything I have ever done.”
40. The Samaritans went to Jesus. They begged him to stay with them. So he stayed there two days.
41. Many more people became believers because of the things he said.