John: Jesus and the Woman at the Well (part 2)
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsJesus and the woman at the well, and the people of Sychar
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And the story continues
And the story continues
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
Messiah was a term used by the Jewish people, but not usually used by the Samaritans.
The Samaritans and had another term: Prophet, Teacher, or Taheb
It meant “he who returns,” or “he who restores”.
The way John explains things indicates he is aware of the tradition of the Samaritans.
The reader isn’t surprised when Jesus says, “I who speak to you am he.”
The reader knows this from .
He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
What is most surprising is that Jesus makes this announcement, “I am he,” on Samaritan soil, and not Jewish soil.
Six chapters later, the Jewish people are still asking Jesus to tell them if he is the Messiah or not:
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
The understanding that the Messiah will “tell us all things” is consistent with other parts of the Gospel of John, and what it tells us about the Messiah and what the Messiah will do.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
joh 3:11-12
Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
This is the first time Jesus uses the phrase “I am”, which He will use many times in the Gospel of John.
But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
joh 8:24
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
joh 8
So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,
They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”
Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”
Joh 4:27
Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”
Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”
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Before the woman can respond to Jesus claim to be the Messiah they are interrupted.
The disciples return from the trip into the village to get food (they left Jesus alone in verse 8).
For some reason they don’t respond to Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, which the probably would have overheard, but instead what is of most concern to them is that Jesus is talking to a woman.
They seem to be too afraid of Jesus’ authority to ask him questions about why he was talking to a woman.
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
The woman leaves her water jar.
Why?
For Jesus to use? He had asked for a drink.
More likely, she’s in a hurry to tell other people and doesn’t want to take the time. The jar would slow her down getting back to town.
When the disciples first heard about Jesus they left their fishing nets to follow him.
Mark
And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
What does she want to tell everyone?
What she says is: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
She must have been concerned about how the men she told would respond to her message.
Bad reputation.
Probably not known for her honesty or purity.
Her words are similar to Philip’s words:
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
They went out of the town and were coming to him.
Despite what the woman might have expected, the men come out to see Jesus.
They come to him much like people had come to him to be baptized:
And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
Back at the well: The disciples have abrupt words, “Rabbi, eat.”
Remember, Jesus never got his drink of water that he had asked for.
We will see him also abstain from the food that is offered to him.
His words mirror his words to the woman: “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
Just like the Samaritan woman, they take the metaphor literally. They ask each other, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
Jesus explains that his food the harvest.
Joh 4:34-338
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
His food is the product of a harvest.
Point one: patience is needed to reap a harvest. You have to wait for the crops to grow to maturity.
Point two: the time of harvest has arrived, and patience is no longer in order, action is what is needed.
The time for waiting is over: Jesus has arrived. The Messiah is here now.
The harvest is the harvest of souls of those who were coming out to him from the village (verse 30).
White unto harvest
An unusual expression and probably refers to the white hair of old age, fully mature.
White also is a symbol of purity and redemption.
Harvester and sower
Both are rejoicing. There is joy in the harvest being complete.
He is telling his disciples that they are reapers, not sowers.
The great harvest is underway, Jesus is saying.
For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Who is the harvester and who is the sower? (revisited)
Disciples are the harvesters, they have the joy of reaping the harvest.
Others have come before them to sow the seed.
Just before this the disciples had been baptizing.
This was reaping the harvest.
It is quite possible that they baptized the Samaritans who came out to follow Jesus. (It is not mentioned but it fits)
Joh 4:39
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”
Many believed.
They believed because of the woman’s testimony.
Only the disciples have followed Christ, up to this point.
Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
At the time of the Passover there were some who believed, but Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them:
John
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people
So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.
These “believers” ask Jesus to stay.
Jesus did stay for two days.
And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
What happened during the two days Jesus stayed?
Jesus teaches them, and they believe because Jesus’ own words.
They emphasize what they have heard - not so much what they have seen. Not so much the signs, that they saw, but the words they heard.
We don’t know Jesus’ exact words to them, but they conclude that Jesus is “indeed the Savior of the world.”
Not just the savior of the Jews or the Samaritans, but the world.
Jesus is the Savior of Gentiles.
Jesus is the savior of all and any who will come to Him, to believe in Him.
Who can receive eternal life? What qualifies a person to inherit eternal life?
Believing in Jesus.
Who can believe?
Anyone in the world.
What keeps you from believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior each and every moment of every day?
He invites you to come to him.
Come.