The Wonder at The Well

What do

The Great Wall of China

Taj Mahal, India

The Colosseum, Italy

Machu Pichu, Peru

all have in common? They are all considered to be a wonder of the world. These are 4 of the 7 modern wonders. To see them in person, in the words of some is simply a “breath taking experience” Most Americans alive have never seen any of the wonders in person let alone all 7. A en even greater wonder is that the most recent of the wonders was built in 1931 and the oldest structure dated its construction over 2000 years ago, calling into Actor David Garrick’s words “Wonders will never cease”. Yet what is a wonder? Is it merely an enormous structure that stands the test of time? What makes something wondrous? It’s size, it’s beauty or it’s meaning, what about it’s impact or the memoirs it left on those who experienced it first hand? Can a wonder exceed the 5 natural senses, or can it truly only be measured by the tangible? The oxford dictionary defines a wonder as a “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.”

John 4:6–14 CSB

Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.” “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.” Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

It would seem that by the Oxford dictionary what we are experiencing here, in the text, would surely fulfill the requirements. Jesus was on his way to Galilee from Judea and instead if going around Samaria, he decides to go through it.

(Show the Standard Route)

On his way the bible says Jesus was tired, because of this Jesus and his disciples stopped in the city of Sychar. There he meets a Samaritan woman and he instructs her to give him a drink. (God will use whomever he sees available, if you do not feel used by God, check your availability.)

Availability is not dependent on

Gender-Jesus was requesting service of a woman

Status- Jesus did not at the time ask what her position was

Ethnicity- This was a Samaritan woman

Samaritans and Jews were divided by faith and by ethnicity,

She points out there obvious differences, in her response to the which Jesus answers “John 4:10 “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”

This is the beginning of a mental shift that Jesus was inserting into the conversation, that there was a gift of God in her presence, and that this gift was not idle but active to the point of making a request of her, that she would not be so concerned with menial thoughts such as gender and race.

What is the Gift of God? Salvation! she misses (initially) the saving Gift of God right in front of her own eyes, because she is concerned about this Jewish man talking to her she cannot even perceive that she has been blessed right where she is!

Why can’t we see the gift of God right where we are - Exodus 14:13 “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.”

Who is speaking to her? The messiah, but this is understandable, because Jesus was not yet publicly revealing himself (we’ll discuss later in the text)

What is living water?

Something the people seem to lack understanding in, is Jesus’ place in the God head. We forget even though we may hear it, that Jesus is the word of God in the flesh. We also forget that God is the same God and that he is consistent, Jesus in his Godliness was getting ready to do a new thing on the Earth and make a new kind of impact but he used a consistent concept. The Living water was not a concept new in the Earth! It was already prophesied that he would offer and be available in this way.

Isaiah 12:3 “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Isaiah 44:3 “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, And floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, And my blessing upon thine offspring:”

Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water;,

Is there anybody here today that is thirsty!? (Praise moment)

Look at her response! She leads off with “SIR” don’t you respectfully check me with your doubt! Yet that’s how we do God right before we’re getting ready to let him down, Oh God, oh father, Elohim YAWEH, Abba, as if the term of endearment is going to lessen the blow.

She then says “ you don’t even have a bucket and the well is deep”

Why do we spend so much time explaining to God why

Not what we can’t do but why what he is offering us can’t be done! (elaborate)

John 4:12 CSB

You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”

Now this is just getting insulting!

We have to be careful, when it comes to receiving the things of God, why? Because we are naturally creatures or habit and tradition. The Samaritan woman has now in my opinion, crossed a line. She says to Jesus that he’s not greater than Jacob who built the well and drank from it. It’s important to note that she is speaking factually concerning the well’s history. In Genesis 33 we see Jacob buy the land formerly named Shechem, where they currently are, and living there, so no doubt he did build the well that this conversation is taking place. Thing is the woman and us today keep making the mistake of using the tools of our history to reject the progression of today. Often times when we are facing the revolution in the face, because it is new, it cannot equate to what was already in place because this has lasted for generations.

Cannot put new wine in old wineskins

Cannot sow new garment into old garments

We rely

old wives tales

old traumas

old interactions (some of which we have never experienced)

The 2 Waters

John 4:13–14 CSB

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

Well water-Tall Glass of ice cubes and water

The well of Jacob, that had lasted for Generations, was a wonder, it was wonder for it’s longevity, it was a wonder because it was built in a time without, plans, schematics and certain properties in place that it could have even been a detriment to public health. Wells are said to need

Insert Ice Cubes for everything needed

Casings to prevent leakage- Yet there was no leak

Grout to seal spaces on the outside of the well to prevent contamination

Screen that keeps sand and gravel out of the water

A gravel pack to keep sand from entering and clogging

Traveling to and from the well

The Living Waters-Large water bottle from Trader Joe’s

Poke a hole for the water to “spring out”

Jesus said that who drank of the water that he gave would

no longer be thirsty

the water he gave will become a well of water springing up

When water springs that means it finds an exit and it begins to

Overflow Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Covers dry areas

Keeps flowing to avoid growing stale and holding bacteria