The Book of John - 23

Text: John 4:1-26

Introduction: We have been looking at the fourth chapter John.

It is here that we are presented with another witness - the woman of Sychar.

As we have already noted the Bible gives us:

The explanation of the Lord’s departure out of Judea toward Galilee through Samaria in verses 1-3.

Then in verses 3-6 we see the location.

The location is given to us a city of Samaria called Sychar and more specifically at Jacob’s well. (vs 5-6)

In verses 7-26, we discover the conversation that takes place between the Lord Jesus Christ and this woman.

As we think about what transpires in this conversation, we are reminded that this woman could not ask for what she did not know.

We also realize that John gives us specifically the time in which this took place. (“…and it was about the sixth hour.”)

It is high noon, and the Lord is wearied from His journey.

The significance of this statement is shown both in the labor of the Lord, but also in this woman’s actions.

She is shown to be a woman of questionable character.

Later in the text that she was a woman involved in sexual immorality and therefore would have been an outcast.

The fact that she came to draw water in the heat of the day was unusual.

Illustration: The other night, at around 8pm I chose to mow the front yard because the temperatures had dropped below 100.

Ralph Gower made this observation in his book on Manner and Customs of the Bible, “The Samaritan Woman came at the sixth hour of the day (midday), despite the heat, because she knew there would be no other women at the well. Furthermore, because of the lifestyle she was following, she did not want to talk with them…”

In this we are reminded of the shame and guilt of sin.

Sin causes man to do irrational things.

Sin causes man to separate from others.

Sin certainly separates us from God.

And the long-term consequences of sin are unknown to man and are discovered in time.

The Bible tells us the end result James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

We think of this very situation, and the plight of the Samaritans.

The schism that existed between them and the Jews.

I am challenged to think about how it is that Adam and Eve did not have a full understanding of the ramifications of their sin.

How precious is the Gospel!

In spite of our sin, Jesus came for to seek and to save that which was lost.

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

We see this conversation begins with the Lord engaging this woman.

Later we will see that Jesus engaging this woman at all was an unusual thing.

The Bible tells us in verse 27 “And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?”

“The disciples astonishment was not only because of the non-intercourse of the Jews and Samaritans, but also because it was unusual for a Jewish teacher to converse with a woman in a public place. Women were not to be saluted or spoken to in the street, and they were not to be instructed in the law.”

What a tremendous display of our Lord’s love for us---he does seek us out.

Isaiah 65:1 “1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, Unto a nation that was not called by my name.”

Conversation began with this woman in a normal words, but the Lord turns the conversation to spiritual things.

He begins by asking the woman for a drink:

John 4:7 “7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.”

This reminds us that even though we are doing the will of God, we must stop and be replenished.

It also shows us that this woman was moving through the motions of life, consumed with self.

There was no thought of anything else other than to draw water, for that is why she came to the well.

And so it was with us, who are saved, that the Lord Jesus Christ found us, while we were yet sinners.

We were moving through life, separated from God because of our sin.

Some were in a church house when them met the Lord. Some were in their homes when they met the Lord. Some were out in the world somewhere when they met the Lord.

But the story is always the same, He found us.

Romans 3:11 “11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

She thought perhaps “No one will be at the well, for that is why I am going at this hour...”

Think once again of the irony and contrast of these two encounters from John 3 and 4.

The religious man encountered the Lord at night. The woman of questionable character in the broad daylight.

Both met the Lord alone—personally.

AW Pink in His commentary stated this, The Lord Jesus Christ “shows her herself, and reveals Himself.”

Read with me verse 8.

John 4:8 “8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)”

You will notice that the Lord states “Give me to drink”, while the disciples go to “buy” meat.

There is a subtle contrast between giving and buying.

It reminds us that the gift of God cannot be bought with silver or gold.

Later on the Lord would tell the disciples how He was spiritually refreshed because He had “...meat to eat the ye know not of.”

The spiritual sustenance of doing the will of God is explained in verse 34 of this chapter.

This woman replies by stating that this is unusual that a Jew would speak to her.

So she makes clear that she does know to whom she is speaking.

She saw in him just as a Jew, nothing more in the beginning.

It reminds us of the verse that states in Isaiah 53:2 “2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”

In verse 10 we saw that the Lord replied, “If thou knewest the gift of God...”

And therein lies the problem.

“Man neither knows his need, nor the One who can minister to it. This woman is ignorant of the “the gift of God...” (AW Pink)

The Lord gives this woman the figure of water to tell her of the gift of God.

He states, I “…would have given thee living water.”

As with the example of being born again in John chapter 4 this example of living water was exactly what this woman needed to hear.

Water is a wonderful thing if you think about it:

Water is a gift from God.

Water is something which is indispensable to man.

Water is that which meets universal needs.

Water rains down from heaven.

Water cools the brow, quenches the thirst, refreshes and satisfies.

Water is something we always need.

Her response in verse 11 speaks to our condition before Christ.

Notice what she says in verses 11.

John 4:11 “11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?”

Her thoughts are on earthly matters: wells and buckets.

And as it is again with you and me, we were concerned only with the earthly things of this life.

In addition, she states, “thou hast nothing to draw with...”

This is the statement of impossibility.

I am amazed as I come this record, because of the utter blindness of this woman and yet her eyes are enlightened.

It reminds me that all who are lost are in darkness and cannot see the truth.

The Lord then helps this woman to understand the difference in what He was stating and what she was thinking.

When I wrote on personal evangelism a number of years ago, it became evident to me, looking at the accounts we find in the Bible that we need to be a preacher, teacher and investigator.

We are commanded to preach the gospel.

We see the Lord both preached and taught.

We must investigate by asking questions to see if what we have spoken is being understood.

John 4:13-14 states, “13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

And this tells us what we need to know does it not?

And that is this, that the wells of this world are unsatisfying.

They wells of this world leave you to yet thirst again.

This is something we all need to be reminded with.

I just read recently how it is that the Christian is preparing for an eternity with God, while it is that those who know not Christ are attempting to hold onto a corrupting world.

An eloquent puritan stated this, “Here we labour, but receive no benefit; we sow many times, and reap not; we reap, and we do not enjoy; or if we enjoy, we are still unsatisfied: it is with anguish of spirit and circumstances of vexation. A great heap of riches makes neither our clothes more warm, our meat more nutritive, nor our beverages more palatable. It feeds the eye but ever fills it.”

Upon hearing this she states, “Give me this water...”

Her faith begins by evidenced in the follow on statement , “…that I thirst not....”

Upon this, the Lord turns to her conscience and conviction.

He does so with this statement of omniscience.

John 4:16 “16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.”

My friend it is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God that bring conviction.

And it is godly sorrow which worketh repentance to salvation. (II Corinthians 7:10)

This is none other than the work of the Holy Spirit who is to this day (John 16:8-10):

Reproving the world of sin.

The plight of all humanity—sin.

Reproving the world of righteousness.

The center of all of this our Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous.

Reproving the world of judgement.

The coming final judgment of all.

There is no true deceiving God.

God has never been fooled. He has never been deceived.

There are some that think to lie to the Holy Ghost---lie to God, to lie to the God-man the Lord Jesus Christ but it is like beating against the wind.

Acts chapter 5 shows us such a narrative.

Acts 5:3 “3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”

Upon the prompting of God’s question which brings conviction, this woman attempts to side-step the issue of her sinfulness.

She states, “I have no husband...”

This was a flat denial of the exposure that just took place.

This is the common reaction of man.

We see that the Lord as the Light exposes.

He states, “...Thou hast well said, I have no husband.”

And then He continues in verse 18, “For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.”

There is no explanation of exactly what transpired with these other five husbands, but there is the indication of immorality.

For the Lord says, “and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband...”

This was no game. The Lord was not just using clever speech, but was demonstrating His deity.

The Lord—God brought light to her soul and exposed her sin and need of a Savior.

It is remarkable that not only did the Lord tell her to go, but He told her to come again.

In other words, the Lord was not bringing exposure to her sinfulness for condemnation, but rather as an invitation for salvation.

She must come this way to receive the gift of God.

We all come to God in the same manner.

The Bible says in Acts 20 in verse 21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

She then exclaims, “... Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.” (John 4:19)

Here this woman is beginning to see more clearly.

I want you to recognize that there is a realtime warfare shown to us in this biblical record.

There is still a struggle going on, a wrestling.

Notice what is mentioned next in our text,

John 4:20 “20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

Might I say, evidence of a struggle is not necessarily a bad sign, but rather a good sign.

She fell back to her previous prejudice… once again drawing the line in the sand.

The flesh does not surrender easily.

The devil does not give up and the world is still fallen.

Not only did her conscience need to be wakened, but her understanding needed to be corrected.

She had much confusion that needed to be dealt with.

Could I say this, there is much confusion today that must be dealt with.

How are we to handle this confusion?

With the Word of God.

The Lord was kind to deal with her misunderstanding by giving her truth and revealing to her the wonderful mystery of God’s salvation.

There are many that have been distracted from salvation because they were looking to denominations and churches rather than looking to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The question was this who is right the Jews or the Samaritans?

Can I find salvation in Gerizim?

Can I find salvation in Jerusalem?

The Lord faithfully answers her question.

We will turn back to this next week and finish out this dialogue.

Let’s pray.