SF015 - A Surprising Encounter Part 2 of 2 (John 4 15-42)
A Surprising Encounter – Part 2 of 2
November 25, 2001
John 4:15-42
Introduction
We continue this week in our examination of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. What a wonderful illustration of the Lord’s power to convert a sinner.
1A. The Woman and Her Conversion (4:15-27)
1B. The Lord reveals her sin. (4:15-18)
The woman is blind to spiritual things. (4:15)
Ø She completely misunderstood the Lord’s words.
1 Corinthians 2:14 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
Jesus confronts her with truth and grace. (4:16)
Ø The truth is that she has no husband and is involved in an immoral relationship.
Ø The grace is that He tells her to “come.” These are indeed sweet words to the sinner.
Isaiah 1:18 “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.’”
Jesus exposes her sin and reveals His deity. (4:17-18)
Ø Jesus exposes her sinful lifestyle.
Ø Jesus reveals His deity by telling exposing her secret sin.
Ø Jesus knows your secret sin; nothing is hidden from Him.
Luke 8:17 “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
2B. The Lord reveals Himself to her. (4:19-26)
The woman tries to change the subject. (4:19-20)
Ø She tries to compliment Christ. (4:19)
Ø She tries to engage the Lord in a debate over religion. (4:20)
Jesus refuses to get sidetracked. (4:21-22)
Ø He tells her that the place of worship is not what is important. (4:21)
Ø He reveals that it is the person who is worshipped that is important. (4:22)
“Salvation” in this verse is a reference to the Savior. (Luke 2:29, 30; 3:6)
Jesus reveals the nature and importance of true worship. (4:23-24)
Ø True worship is to worship in the spirit and truth. (4:23)
“True worship occurs only when that part of man, his spirit, which is akin to the divine nature (for God is spirit), actually meets with God and finds itself praising him for his love, wisdom, beauty, truth, holiness, compassion, mercy, grace, power, and all his other attributes.”[1]
Ø True worship is an essential mark of a believer. (4:24)
Ø True worship proceeds from the heart.
“Worship is the occupation of the heart with the known God; and everything which attracts the flesh and its senses, detracts from real worship.”[2]
Ø Three “musts” in John…
You “must” be born again. (3:7)
Christ “must” be lifted up. (3:14)
True worshippers “must” worship in spirit and in truth. (4:24)
The Lord opens the woman’s heart. (4:25-26)
Ø She confesses her desire and need for the Messiah. (4:25)
Ø Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah. (4:26)
In essence, the Lord says “I am,” identifying Himself as Jehovah God.
Ø It is at this point that the woman is converted.
2A. The Woman and Her Confession (4:28-30; 39-42)
1B. She confessed her faith in Christ publicly. (4:28)
Matthew 10:32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”
Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Ø Public confession does not produce salvation; rather, it is a product of the Lord’s salvation.
2B. She had a change of values. (4:28)
Ø She “left her waterpot,” the woman was not longer primarily interested in physical things.
3B. She was concerned for the lost.
Ø She went to others with the good news of the gospel.
Ø Notice that she did not have to be forced to witness.
4B. She encouraged others to “come” to Christ. (4:29-30; 39-42)
Ø She brought them to Jesus; so should we.
Ø She entrusted them to Jesus; she did not try to convert them.
Ø Their faith was ultimately based on Jesus, not the woman.
3A. The Disciples and Their Commission (4:27, 31-38)
In these verses the Lord teaches His disciples about serving Him.
1B. The essential requirement for service.
Ø A personal relationship with Christ.
Ø This truth is demonstrated in the life of the woman.
2B. The proper spirit in service. (4:34)
Ø A willingness to serve, not motivated not by results but motivated by love for the Father.
3B. The urgency of service. (4:35)
Ø The “white fields” compel us to share the gospel.
4B. The encouragement for service. (4:36)
Ø We are gathering fruit for “eternal life.” It is eternal fruit.
5B. The interdependence of the servants. (4:37-38)
1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”
Ø We do nothing in isolation.
Application
1. Are you surprised to discover that Christ is here for you?
2. Have you been skeptical about religion?
3. What has Jesus revealed about you today?
4. What has Jesus revealed about Himself to you?
5. Will you, like this woman, trust in Jesus and confess Him, today?
Preparing for Next Week
1. Why are we told that Christ was in Cana when He healed the nobleman’s son?
2. In what way does verse 48 apply to us today?
3. What does the word “yesterday” in verse 52 tell us about the nobleman?
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[1] Boice, James M., The Gospel of John, Volume 1, The Coming of the Light, John 1-4, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1985), 297.
[2] Pink, Arthur W., Exposition of the Gospel of John, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975), 208.