John 4:1-30
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Introduction: The vital importance of water (the body is made up of 60% water, average human can survive 3 days without water)
As the body needs physical water to survive, the soul needs the Living Water to be satisfied.
In the passage that we will be studying this morning, we will look at the GRACE of God in full-display in reaching out the broken and weary Samaritan woman who is seeking for meaningful relationship, security, and stability but is dissatisfied. She is like you and I. Her story is our story.
I pray that today, we will be able to see and appreciate, truly, the reach of God’s grace has no limit and has no condition. The grace of God in overflowing and is available for sinners like you and me.
The Mission to Seek Worshippers
The Mission to Seek Worshippers
The Divine appointment (vv.1-6)
The Divine appointment (vv.1-6)
Scene 1: Jesus came to a city of Samaria called Sychar and rested near Jacob’s well (vv.1-6)
Scene 1: Jesus came to a city of Samaria called Sychar and rested near Jacob’s well (vv.1-6)
Jesus continued his mission and went to a place in Israel where non-jews lived.
a place were most jews would not pass by as they consider the Samaritans as half-breed Jews. The 10 tribes of Israel were conquered by the Assyrians and they were relocated. (mixing of Israelites and other nations). Syncretism of beliefs as they inter-marry.
Jesus extends His reached - to save those that are not Jews ( For God so loved the world -John 3:16). He passed through Samaria not to save time and steps, but because he had a divine appointment there. It was intentional and it was to fulfill the mission given to him by the Father - John 10:16
John 10:16 (NASB95)
16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
The Living Water (vv.7-18)
The Living Water (vv.7-18)
Scene 2: Jesus intentionally shared the Gospel with a Samaritan woman (vv.7-18)
Scene 2: Jesus intentionally shared the Gospel with a Samaritan woman (vv.7-18)
We are introduced to a new character in the story. A Samaritan woman.
vv.7-9 - The women customarily gather water in the morning or afternoon. It was noon, perhaps to avoid public shame and hostility for having many husbands and for being in an immoral relationship.
“Give me a drink” - Jesus talking to a woman in public, let alone a Samaritan woman was not usual and a breach of social custom. It was a tradition-breaking moment for they were traditionally not allowed. Jews refused to associate with Samaritans.
“Jesus came to break the barriers between man and God so that man can be restored to God”
Jesus used water as an entry point to share the gospel to the woman who was about to gather water. Jesus was intentional. and he initiates the conversation, despite knowing the hostility. Jesus ignored her hostile response and continued to share the Gospel. Something we must emulate. Reminder for us: “The mission is more important than the feelings.”
vv.10-14 - Jesus gives the living water.
In the Old Testament God is described as the source of ‘living water’
Jeremiah 2:13 “13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”
Jeremiah 17:13 “13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord.”
The Living water as the Holy Spirit:
3 ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;
The living water of which he spoke is the gift of the Holy Spirit. He spoke to Nicodemus about being born of the Spirit; to the woman of Samaria he spoke of drinking the living water of the Spirit.
vv.11-14.But the woman could not understand and responded NEGATIVELY. So, Jesus goes on to compare that what he offers is far superior than the water that Jacob gave them.
Jacob gave them water to temporarily live in this world. Jesus offers a living water so they could live forevermore.
The gift of the Spirit will be something experienced continually within the very being of those who receive it—like a spring of water welling up within them.
the activity of the Spirit in the believers life.
John: An Introduction and Commentary (2nd Ed.) ii. Jesus’ Conversation with the Samaritan Woman (4:7–30)
The Spirit mediates Christ’s presence to the disciples, creating a sense of intimacy with the Father and the Son. It is this relationship that lasts to eternal life, and it is the human thirst for a relationship with God that the coming of the Spirit satisfies even in the here and now.
v.15 - we see here the woman’s desire - - she is tired and weary, she wanted something to address her concerns in life - thirst. What is this thirst?
vv.16-18 - Call your husband - Jesus knew the woman’s situation (all knowing) but she wanted the woman to understand that the offer for eternal life is also for sinners and undeserving people like her. Jesus exposes her heart and wanted her to repent and turn away from sin. Salvation always involves repentance. So Jesus offered the woman the opportunity to confess her sins and receive forgiveness to be purified and delivered from sin.
“No TRUE Conversion without CONVICTION”
Having had 5 husbands and 1 lived-in parter - speaks of her THIRST for Meaningful RELATIONSHIP, Discontent in life (why many? divorced? adultery?) , Desire for security and stability for which these men can provide for her. Even if she knows it was a sin.
“As with any lost sinner, this woman needed to understand two crucial issues before she could receive the living water of eternal life— 1) the reality of her sin; 2) the identity of Jesus as her Savior (which Jesus will reveal later). Jesus Gives the Living water (Spirit) that could quench our thirst forever.
Reflection:
Jesus comes to us where we are and reveals to us who He is - the Messiah…even when we are living in sin like the Samaritan woman.
Like the Samaritan woman, we need meaningful relationship were we find security and stability, but only Jesus can truly provide us real meaningful relationship, security and stability not just in this world but even after we depart from this world.
In Christ we find all that we need:
Bread has one quality, water another, clothing another, medicine another; but none has all in itself as Christ has. He is bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, a garment to the naked, healing to the wounded; and whatever a soul can desire is found in him. - John Flavel
The Right Worship Worship (vv.19-26)
The Right Worship Worship (vv.19-26)
vv.19-22 - Jesus reveals how God is to be worshipped.
Having been convicted of her sin and need for forgiveness, and having repented and agreed with Jesus’ indictment, the woman wondered where she should go to meet God and seek His grace and salvation.
v.v.23-24. God SEEKS worshippers who worships Him in Spirit and Truth.
Spirit and Truth - This reinforces Jesus’ words to Nicodemus—that to see/enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of the Spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Only as people are born of the Spirit, only as they receive the gift of the Spirit, can they worship God who is Spirit.
Worship is not a matter of the WHERE but of the HOW. For God, the worship that matters is the worship that is motivated by the Spirit.
Both jews and Samaritans focused on external factor - rituals and regulations.
Reflection:
As Christians today, we can worship God wherever we are because the Holy Spirit now lives in every believer. Not in the Temple in Jerusalem.
We can worship God now in Spirit and in Truth because we now have the Holy Spirit residing in us and we have the Word of Truth (Bible) that we can use to know God how to worship God the right way. So I need to read the Bible and I need to listen to the Spirit.
Jesus came to turn sinners into worshippers. To transform people who lives in the “flesh and lies” to become people who lives in “Spirit and truth”. For this is what the Father desires.
vv.25-26 - The Right Worship begins with faith in the Messiah - Jesus.
As with any lost sinner, this woman needed to understand two crucial issues before she could receive the living water of eternal life— 1) the reality of her sin; 2) the identity of Jesus as her Savior.
The Samaritan woman was waiting for the Samaritan Messiah. She had her own beliefs about the Messiah, Jesus clarified that He is the TRUE Messiah. (I am he) (Salvation is from the Jews).
She would only be able to offer true worship to God by putting her trust in Jesus the Jewish Messiah. For there is no other Messiah!
The Right Response (vv.27-29)
The Right Response (vv.27-29)
Scene 3: The disciples came from buying food in the City (v.27)
Scene 3: The disciples came from buying food in the City (v.27)
They are not sharing the Gospel to the non-Jews. A lesson they will learn moving forward.
Scene 4: The woman left Jesus and went to the city to tell others about the Messiah. (vv.28-29)
Scene 4: The woman left Jesus and went to the city to tell others about the Messiah. (vv.28-29)
She left her most important possession - the Jar. She went to tell people about Jesus. Faith in Action. She believed in Jesus and now she wants people to experience what she experienced.
I want to be like the Samaritan woman who left her very important belonging (priority)so that others will know Jesus and by faith believe in Jesus so they can receive the gift of eternal life.
Scene 5: The people of the city came to see Jesus (v.30)
Scene 5: The people of the city came to see Jesus (v.30)
the people believed the woman’s report and so they want to see Jesus with their own eyes and hear from Him.
In Summary: Jesus intentionally approached and evangelized the Samaritan woman and offered to her the living water (eternal life) which she needed more than anything.
God wants us to see that Jesus is the Messiah who came to give eternal life to sinners so they may become worshippers of the Living God. Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
Proper Response: God-glorifying Worshippers
W - Worship God in spirit and truth (Be filled with the Spirit - Word, Worship, Prayer)
A - Align your desires with the Spirit, abandon the old life led by fleshly desires.
T - Trust your life in Jesus. Trusting your life in Jesus, the giver of eternal life is a sure way to live a life of satisfaction.
E - Evangelize the sinners and the lost.
R - Rejoice in Christ for the eternal life you have received through faith in Christ.
Conclusion:
This is our story!
Jesus comes to us where we are and reveals to us who He is - the Messiah…even when we are living in sin like the Samaritan woman.
Like the Samaritan woman, we need meaningful relationship that provides security and stability, but only Jesus can truly provide us meaningful real relationship, security and stability not just in this world but even after we depart from this world - forevermore.
