A Time is Coming

I often sit in wonder of the God that we serve. Many weeks ago when I sat in my office with my Bible open and began seeking God to the direction of the sermons as we prepare for Easter, this theme came forward. As is my practice, I search for direction, come up with passages, themes and potential titles.

Today’s title for the sermon is a Time is coming

The meaning of this title could be viewed upon differently today as when I first decided on the message.

Folks it has been a rough week. I have been overwhelmed with the amount of information booth good and bad, true and false that has come across my desk as the world deals with the Covid-19

Heather remarked in her Worship practice on Friday night how the songs she choose a couple of weeks ago, seemed to have a message of calm and peace.

This isn’t by chance, we serve a God who is all knowing and puts things in motion for us to know He is in control. No matter what direction these events take us, we serve a living God who will meet all our fears, concerns and needs.

Amen,

Introduction

In today’s passage as we look at how Christ prepared for the Cross we begin with the preparation of the people.

A time is coming......

A time like no others that they had ever experienced.

Let’s look at today’s Scripture

John 4:7–26 ESV

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 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.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 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.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 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.”

Let’s Pray

A Time is coming

a time is coming and God knows when. Have you struggled with that statement. I mean you are sitting in a situation and asking God for direction and you know in your mind that he has a plan, but what is it? I wonder if the disciples ever thought that about Jesus.

As we enter this story we find Jesus making his way from one area of Israel to another. The common path for a Jew, in which Jesus was a devote Jew, would be to avoid this area of Samaria all together. Before we even get to the story of Jesus interaction with the women at the well, what could have possibly been going through the minds of his followers.

Jesus: Ok folks, we need to leave Judea and head back to Galilee.

Disciples: Right,

They were leaving this area because of the events surrounding John the Baptist and his troubles with Herod.

They pack up all their backs and begin to walk on the road traveled by most Jews around Samaria.

Disciples: Head on down the road, but notice Jesus heading into the Samarian Area,.... wait what?

Let’s look at the Gospels response to this story

Mark 1:14 ESV

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,

Matthew 4:12 ESV

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

Luke 4:14 ESV

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.

All three of this accounts do not focus on what happened between the trip to Galilee.

John sates in his account,

John 4:4 ESV

And he had to pass through Samaria.

He had to pass through.....

The Boy and my dad

As you have heard me state before, I often say, I look forward to the time when I can look back and see what God has done.

This is one of those times in the lives of the disciples.

John realized the importance of this interaction, the disciples, quite possible wanted to forget this interaction.

Jesus was about to cross, political, social and religious boundaries.

His words,

“Will you give me a drink?”

I wonder what the women, and for reasons unknown to us, he is unnamed. The future bearer of truth to the people in Samaria was unnamed.

She came to that well expecting the ordinary, but walked away changed forever more.

repeat

A quick question for us.

When we come to Jesus, God’s Son, through the reading of scripture are we expecting the ordinary or to be changed forever more?

As disciples seeking to know God..... are we coming with great expectations as to encountering a life changing experience?

If not, we would miss the point of this interaction.

So as we look into this passage, let’s open our eyes and see the wonder Christ has for us.

A time is coming

Give me a drink. Jesus begins the conversation and the women’s response was a typical response.

We can only image the self view of this women. As last week we celebrated international women’s day, the women of her day didn’t have much to celebrate.

We can only image that her self image was low.

As we find out later being married 5 times would be in desperation to feel loved and supported. In those days it was the man who decided to end marriages and the multiple marriages would have quite possible only added to her low self esteem.

She was also a Samaritan who, in the eyes of the Jewish people, were lower class.

A time is coming when all people will be viewed equal.

A time is coming no matter your gender, or family background, Christ will be ushering in a time that will all bring us on equal ground.

We need to begin to realize God has created each of us equal and celebrate the differences because a time will come....

For this women, this time hadn’t come and she was about to learn the greatest news of her life that would be life changing for her.

Jesus approached this women with a request and an obligation on her part.

Her obligation was to give, yet she questioned.

she questioned the social awkwardness of this request and her obligation.

She questioned the religious tension that this would ensue.

She even questioned the mental awareness of Jesus.

If she would be here today, she may have said,

Really, your asking me, don’t you know who I am, who you are. If you really knew this you wouldn’t even be standing at this well. Move along stranger.

Jesus knew exactly what was running through her mind.

If you really knew me.

You know I am the messiah....

If you really knew me...

A time is coming.....

If you really knew me.... you would have asked for living water.

If you really knew me.... it’s God standing if front of you… you would have asked rather than making a statement.

I wonder.....

How often, when God asks us to probe our heart, do we respond with a statement or do we come asking for his Grace?

The sustenance of this early life is water.

We use water to quench our thirst

Sadly, in Canada, do we really understand thirsty. I don’t. I say that I am thirsty, but what is the longest I have every been without a drink? Days or hours, maybe minutes.

We are told to live a healthy lifestyle we should consume 8 glasses of water.

I can even track this on my fitbit. It not only tracks my steps but how I am doing at a thirst quenching exercise.

Our life here on earth is dependent on water, but Jesus turned the conversation to life in a Time that is coming.

Living water....... Life eternal.....

In preparation for the hill, the cross, Jesus was beginning to let people know that there is coming a day where sin will be forgiven. Victory will be present.

A time is coming

Like many of us, we can identify with the women at the well. We are focused on the earthly things. The thirst for things of the world and we miss the point Jesus was bringing to this women.

A time is coming where we will no longer thirst for the things of this world but God’s kingdom.

But like many of us, this women missed it.

How can you get water, you don’t have a bucket.

Kingdom Focused

When we begin to focus on the various parts of this world we lose the Kingdom focus.

Let me ask you a question of yourself and of me. Are we living our lives like this women at the well.

Are we looking for the things of the world that draw our attention away from the Kingdom of God?

She was not catching what Jesus was saying.

Take a look at her responses:

The well is deep

- struggles of life seem to be hard. She was struggling. Even making her way to the well to draw forth a daily need was a struggle.

We come to rely on those things that are of this world and we are always looking for something that will help us get to the water’s of this world

Where is the living water?

Jesus is about to tell her about the time coming, but she is still focused on the world’s thoughts, worries and trials.

She was living in a world of

If only statements

if only I could find this job.....then

If only I could work out the relationship..... then

If only I could find peace......then

Folks we have people come in our lives that are at the same place as this women at the well was at as she met Jesus.

They are asking, Where is this living water?

A time is coming for them, we need to be ready to give an answer to the faith that is in us to show others to the living water of Jesus Christ.

You see the women had built her life on tradition. The traditions that she and her family had known.

The well was the source of life. It was given from Jacob and it has been faithful for them throughout the ages.

There was nothing wrong with holding onto the well for our physical nourishment, but when we come to rely on the things of this world to supply our spiritual nourishment, then we are in the same position as the women at the well.

Living Water

It is at this point in the narrative that Jesus transitions from comparison to truth.

Earthly living requires a continual returning to earthly waters.

Living water is that which will quench the spiritual thirst.

Once accepted it is like an ever flowing spring, that is no longer contaminated by the world.

Living water is eternal. Jesus was preparing the people for the coming event.

He was about to proclaim that his is the living water and trusting in Him will bring eternal life.

Still the women missed the point. But there began a movement of defense and questioning to seeking.

When we begin the road of seeking to know God and transformed into the image of Christ our focus begins to change. We desire the living water for our spiritual lives.

There was movement in this women’s life, but she is hasn’t grasped the spiritual aspect of the conversation.

John 4:15 ESV

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

Go Get

Jesus has to draw her spiritual eyes open. He states

Go Get.... your husband.

he moves from the spiritual to the practical. He distracts the women into another line of conversation.

He comes to the place where she is at.

So many times when we attempt to witness to the people in our lives. We want to share the good news, the gospel, yet they are not ready to hear it. We need to come to where they are.

Jesus asked the question about her relationships to show that he knows who she was. Notice there wasn’t a spirit of condemnation; rather, a spirit of Love.

The women at this point was beginning to grasp the that Jesus was different. Not quite fully God, but a good prophet.

What is the first thing you would do if you came face to face with a prophet from God.

I thought about this and to be honest, I wouldn’t be asking worshiping debates.

Now the time had come

God is Spirit

God is spirit.

do you realize that

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts a. The Woman at the Well (4:1–26)

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” carries one of the four descriptions of God found in the New Testament. The other three are “God is light” (1 John 1:5), “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), and “God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). Jesus was endeavoring to convey to the woman that God cannot be confined to one place nor conceived of as a material being. He cannot be represented adequately by an abstract concept, which is intrinsically impersonal, nor can any idol depict his likeness since he is not material. Only “the Word become flesh” could represent him adequately.

Image the God incarnate is standing right in front of you.

The Hour is coming

The next statement is a prophet statement.

True worshipers will be worshiping not in a place, but worshiping the spirit.

John 4:23 ESV

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

The father is seeking people who will be called true worshipers.

We worship in spirit and in truth.

We need to come to him, and worship him. We can do this corporately and privately. The father is seeking those people who will come an worship him.

The Time of the Messiah

The last interactions with the women and Jesus begins to show us that she is catching on to the truth.

It’s discussion moves from practice to belief.

John 4:25 ESV

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.”

Both the Samaritians and the Jews were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah.

The messiah was the promised one who would tell all things.

The messiah would bring about peace and restoration to God’s Kingdom.

She knew in her head these truths, yet she still wasn’t fully convinced that it was the messiah standing right in front of her.

Jesus did something here that was contrary to all the other events before.

He spoke to this women and proclaimed that He was the messiah.

He was the very Son of God coming to redeem the world.

He was in preparation for the hill.

The hill of Easter, the painful realization of what he must do for you and me.

Jesus was not only preparing himself, he was preparing the people that the long awaited time was upon them.

The Time is coming… The time is now, here stands before you the messiah.

Although it wasn’t mentioned directly, his coming will usher in a new way to worship.

As you begin to prepare for the Hill this 40 Days of Prayer looking towards Easter.

Remember,

Jesus wants us to come to Him

The Father is Spirit and we worship him in Spirit and in truth.

The good news is that this outcast of a women.

Despised by so many

shunned by the Jews

was the first Sarmaritan evangelist.

She brought the people to see Jesus.

Her belief and testimony brought people to Jesus

May we be like this women.

May we be the testimony to others that they seek God and come to know Jesus as their saviour

The Time has come

Conclusion

As the worship team comes forward and leads us in a response to the word,

May we worship in spirit and in truth of the saviour that reconciled us to his own.

During this last song, may I encourage you to come and pray. Pray for our country, the world, the lost, the quilt. We will make room for those who want to come.