Living Water pt. 2 (John 4:16-26)

Introduction

Last week, we began a study of a conversation Jesus had in Samaria.

If you remember with me:

Jesus talked to someone He “shouldn’t” have.

She was a Samaritan—He was a Jew.

She was a woman—He was a man.

She was an adulterer—He was the perfect Messiah.

Jesus started sharing the Gospel with her.

He uses the water in the well they were near as a beautiful illustration.

The water in the well would bring thirst again, but the water from jesus would never bring thirst, but bubbles up to eternal life.

She didn’t get it.

She took it that she wouldn’t have to face the shame of walking alone to the well again.

That’s where we ended last week if you want to return with me to John 4.

We’ll be studying John 4:16-26.

We’ll split this up into 3 points:

1. Conviction of Sin (vv. 16-18).

2. A question of worship (vv. 19-24).

3. Unmasking the Messiah (vv. 25-26).

1. Conviction of Sin (vv. 16-18).

After Jesus saw that his reference to Living Water giving eternal life went over her head, he switches the conversation.

He points out her sin (v. 16).

Jesus exercises his omniscience. She didn’t tell him about it, he told her about it.

John 2:23-25.

John 4:19.

He does so in order that she may repent of her sin..

Scripture knows nothing of salvation without repentance of sin.

Isaiah 55:7.

It is a turning away from sin and turning towards God in faith.

two sides of the same coin.

The person will fully admit that God is just and that what he has been doing is unjust.

In so doing, the person admits their need for salvation.

She tells Jesus a “half-truth: (vv. 17-19).

She was hiding the fact that she was living with a man who wasn’t her husband.

In fact, she had 5.

Jesus commends her for the truth she has told, but opens up her past to her in order that she may be confronted with her sin.

This is why when we share the Gospel, people have to be confronted with their sinfulness.

A Question of Worship (vv. 20-24).

Here, she explains one of the main differences between the Jews and Samaritans.

Jews would tell you, and rightly so, that true worship was to be done at the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Samaritans would worship at Mt. Gerizim.

Abraham built his first altar to God: Genesis 12:7.

Jacob built his altar here: Genesis 33:18-20.

Truthfully, the Samaritans rewrote the OT to change all the things that God did through the Jewish People and turned it towards the Samaritans.

Jesus response would’ve been shocking even to the Jews.

He said there would be a time where worship wouldn’t happen at either place.

We see this take place in two ways:

In 70 A.D. the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed.

Jesus prophesied this in Matthew 24:1, 2.

The temple on Mt. Gerizim was destroyed in 109 B.C.

Soon after the Jerusalem temple was destroyed, Samaritans were massacred on this Mount.

Worship will be done in Spirit and Truth.

We’ll talk about this in in alittle bit.

Jesus first says, “You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews (v. 22).”

Jesus is saying that they are attempting to worship the One True God, yet they don’t know how to do that fully. This is because they scriptures are following are corrupted.

This is why Jesus says “We worship what we know.”

Jesus lumps himself with them.

John 5:37-40.

Jesus says the Jews worship what they know because salvation is from the Jews.

This is because the Jews, through the Abrahamic Covenant, were supposed to be a “blessing to the nations” because they were those who had a direct line to God, direct access.

It is through the Jews that the Messiah was promised.

Isaiah 49:3-7.

Jesus in essence was telling her that the Samaritans were wrong, however, soon it wouldn’t matter where worship would take place.

We worship the Father in Spirit and Truth.

In spirit.

This isn’t the Holy Spirit, rather the inner person or human spirit.

This points that true worship, is now unhindered to location.

When we worship, we don’t need to make yearly trips to Jerusalem to worship.

This also points that the way of Salvation is opened up to all people, rather than just Gentile coverts.

Ephesians 2:11-22.

In truth.

This signifies that it must be done according to what God has said in His word.

We can’t make up ways that were are to worship God.

Ephesians 5:18-21.

Colossians 3:16, 17.

Those who worship god will worship Him by having intimate interaction with Him through the truth revealed by both His written word and the divine word, the Logos, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 138:1, 2.

2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Unmasking the Messiah (vv. 25, 26)

The Samaritans were even looking for the Messiah.

Genesis 3:15.

Deuteronomy 18:16.

Jesus says, “I who speak to you am he.”

In our translations they have added the word “He”. It isn’t there in the Greek language.

This is an “I Am” statement.

Exodus 3:15.

John 8:24.

Jesus claimed to be God with that statement.

The Samaritan woman gets it!

She originally thought that Jesus was just a prophet, but here she finally sees that he is the Messiah!

As she should, she leaves the interaction with Jesus at the well, and goes and evangelizes her whole village!