Sent to Our Community
Notes
Transcript
1 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”
21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”
28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” 40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
The Purpose of the Gospel of John
The Purpose of the Gospel of John
30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
Written so WE may CONTINUE to believe that Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God
I believe that this book was written later than the other Gospels - though this is only my OPINION. I believe the same person who wrote this Gospel also wrote 1, 2, 3 John and the Letter of Revelation to the Seven Churches of Asia.
Written later to counter Gnosticism and Docetism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Salvation by special knowledge
You must be a part of the select few people who have acquired this special knowledge.
Everything Created is bad
The goal of life is to strip off the prison of our body and allow our soul to escape - that is NOT the message of true Christianity.
If the created order is bad, including the body, then Jesus could not have been fully God, or he could not have been fully human.
Docetism
Docetism
This is the belief that Jesus only APPEARED to be human, or only APPEARED to be God.
A branch of this that still exists today is Jehovah Witness - for them Jesus is not fully God...
Avatars in Hinduism...
Writing to counter these false beliefs
Writing to counter these false beliefs
I believe that John is writing this account to counter these false beliefs
This account is, therefore, not so much an evangelistic approach to Jesus’ life - but it is using snapshots of Jesus’ life (namely signs/miracles) to prove to the church that Jesus is God the Son made flesh. He is fully God and Fully Human!
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Word = Reason for Greeks and Wisdom for Jews
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (YLT)
14 And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.
LITERALLY TABERNACLED AMONG US - Pitched His Tent!
The tabernacle was the place where God was known in the Old Testament. Eventually it became the temple.
God’s presence came to be with US!
The Message - “The word moved into the neighborhood!
18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
When you look at Jesus YOU SEE GOD!
Not an appearance of God
Not an avatar of God
Not one acting LIKE God
YOU SEE GOD
This message is NOT for the select few...
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
Eternal Life is NOT simply what happens to me when I die. It is NOT about escaping the body and becoming a disembodied spirit that flies off to heaven.
Eternal Life is a QUALITY of life - not just quantity. It is a type of life that can begin NOW. It is the QUALITY of life where we experience the type of life God intended for us to have and if that life lasted for eternity (which in Christ it can) there would be NO COMPLAINTS!
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Now, to deal with the Samaritan Woman at the Well...
Now, to deal with the Samaritan Woman at the Well...
4 He had to go through Samaria on the way.
Jesus did NOT have to go through Samaria. He could have, like most Jews, gone around Samaria. Yes, the quickest, most direct route is through Samaria - but he didn’t HAVE to go through there.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
The way the story unfolds we realize that Jesus, although he didn’t HAVE to go through Samaria, He was COMPELLED to go through (or led to go etc…). In that way, he HAD to go so he could encounter this woman!
This Woman is a PERSON OF PEACE
This Woman is a PERSON OF PEACE
That is, she is someone who is interested in the Good News of Jesus Christ, and shares this interest with others.
But, she did not have peace within herself
She came to the well in the heat of the day
5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
There is reason she came to the well at this time. Most women would come either in the early morning hours, or in the evening hours, when it was cool to do this chore. For some reason, this woman came during this time. At this point, we can only speculate as to why, but later in the conversation we understand.
This woman has a past and a few skeletons in her closet.
After a conversation about abundant life that is offered for all and before a conversation about worship Jesus invites the woman to call her husband. Here we realize what the woman’s past is
16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
The woman has trouble with men...
It is possible that she has been divorced 5 times
It is also possible that she has been widowed 5 times
In either case, men aren’t eager to marry her. They might be willing to do other things with her, but marriage is off the table. But, it also seems that this woman, in her eagerness to be married multiple times, is searching for someone to offer her better than what the other men have offered. She has a real thirst, but it is a thirst that cannot be quenched by the flesh!
She desires, and possibly needs, the companionship, financial stability, and maybe even protection that a man in that society could offer. But, repeatedly, they fall short.
Either way, we understand why she comes to the well in the hottest part of the day - there’s talk about this woman and she doesn’t want to hear what the other women in the village have to say about her (or to her) because of her past.
Jesus admits that He is the Messiah
Jesus admits that He is the Messiah
26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”
This is a difference between John and the other Gospels. In John, Jesus admits early that he is the Messiah. He does not try to hide this (and he encourages others to share this message).
The Woman becomes and EVANGELIST to HER Community
The Woman becomes and EVANGELIST to HER Community
39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” 40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Now we understand why Jesus HAD to go through Samaria - He was COMPELLED to meet this person, change her life, and SEND her back into her world.
As a Person of Peace, she went and told ALL her contacts about this Jesus
She wasn’t concerned about her past, about what others might say, or even do. Jesus had changed her life and she was going to tell others.
We are told “Many people believed because of her testimony.”
Not only that, they invited Jesus to stay
when Jesus cast out a legion of demons from a man, that community pled with Jesus to leave - but this village invites Jesus to stay a couple of days.
Many others heard the message and they too believed!
All this because a woman was transformed by Jesus and went to her neighborhood!
All this because a woman was transformed by Jesus and went to her neighborhood!
Jesus didn’t just move into his neighborhood in Nazareth and then in Galilee. He wants to come to YOUR neighborhood too!
Jesus encountered this woman and sent her to her neighborhood and he desires to do the same with us.
Separate by ZIP CODES
59855 - Pablo
59860 - Polson
59864 - Ronan
59824 - Charlo, 59865 - St Ignatius
Are YOU allowing Jesus to use YOU in YOUR neighborhood?
A valley - wide focus with target specific ministries
A valley - wide focus with target specific ministries
Pastor’s vision of The Mission Valley Church of the Nazarene
We have people from ALL over our valley. What are YOU doing to be a person of peace, like this woman, in YOUR neighborhood?
Yet, there are areas of our valley that we are missing. What can YOU do to meet people like this woman who will be a person of peace and be used in their neighborhoods to spread the message of Jesus Christ?
Are you willing to GO - not necessarily across the oceans, but across the street?
What can our church do to help you?
Can you have a Bible study in your living room, or a prayer group in the coffee shop? What about at the place you work?
Are you willing to be sent into your world?
For God to fulfill this vision, we all must be willing to do our part!
Let’s GO!