Almighty God In the Midst of Helpless Humanity

God is anything but helpless. He is the One Who spoke creation into being, and according to Colossians 1, He continues to sustain it.

Throughout the Bible, we have numerous examples of just how God is totally in control of and in charge of this physical world. Right now, as well as throughout the centuries, all over the world, it seems as if God has no say or no idea what is going on, as evil seems to flourish.

However, God is very much in control. And this Almighty God actually knows quite well what has happened in the past and right now in our world and in each of our individual lives. This Almighty God, stepped out of the splendors of heaven, as the songwriter penned. He became a part of helpless humanity in the form of a baby boy. He is completely able to identify with everything that you and I are going through or may ever go through. He is Almighty God. In fact, listen to what Isaiah 9:6 says about Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6 NASB95

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Not only is Jesus Almighty God, He is Immanuel, God with us. A little earlier, Isaiah stated:

Isaiah 7:14 NASB95

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23 gives further understanding.

Matthew 1:23 NASB95

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

Herein lies the last Advent message in the series Upside down Christmas of 2020.

Because of God’s great love for a helpless humanity, Jesus came as the Almighty God in our midst.

Today, I’ll be looking at a unique incident that was seen as very upside down from all appearances. Yet, by God’s design, this encounter was intended to turn a woman and her community upside down for the glory of God. You’ll find this story in John 4.

The Back Story

From what we can assume, the community hadn’t even heard about Jesus; much less consider the possibility that He was God in their midst. The reason is possibly because of the cultural barriers that were in place, probably without the disciples even considering it. You see, this community was in Samaria. The disciples were merely going to town to buy groceries.

Let’s go back a bit. Jesus and his followers take this hot, dusty trail because it was the shortest route between Judea in Southern Israel and Galilee in Northern Israel. (Or some might think that was the reason.) The traditional route would have been to completely bypass this area because it was Samaritan country. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans as if they were less than human. Thus, the Jews would avoid anything that involved the Samaritans.

My friends, we need to realize that Jesus knew what He was doing in choosing this route. As Immanuel, He was about to show His unconditional love to a people who would be least expecting that. This was also a great opportunity to give His disciples a life lesson. Remember, Jesus was born, being fully God and fully man, for the purpose of providing the opportunity for salvation for all mankind. This Samaritan community was about to see God among them in the flesh.

The Plot Points

We now come to an ancient well, with the city of Sychar in the background. There was a need for food, but Jesus knew that He had to do something there at the well. So, He sent the disciples into town to buy food. Jesus then goes to the well and waits, while the disciples leave for the city.

Along comes a woman, making one of her journeys to the town well, probably carrying a clay water pot. Upon seeing Jesus, she is quiet, for that was the proper cultural thing for her to do. As she begins to draw water up from the well, she is startled by a man’s voice requesting a drink of water from her.

Obviously, this woman would have known this man was a Jew, realizing she was a Samaritan. Listen to what she says.

John 4:9 NASB95

Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

She was obviously taken aback, because a Jew would not even be polite to a Samaritan, much less have a polite request. What she would never have imagined is that Jesus is about to reveal to her that He came as Immanuel to provide salvation to all, not just to the Jews. You see, nobody is able to get into heaven on their own, much less their ethnic background. Heaven is not for the wealthy or the poor, the socially acceptable or the dregs of life. Jesus came in the flesh to dwell among mankind to provide salvation, the gift of eternal life, to all who would believe on His Name.

If Jesus, Who is Almighty God, chose to dwell on this earth among helpless humanity, then He certainly would not care that the religious or pious would have instead avoided that route, that community, and that woman. In fact, Samaritans had been spiritually and culturally rejected by those who were supposed to be representatives of God.

Mankind had arrogantly been rejecting God for centuries. Yet, the Almighty God chose to come into the midst of helpless humanity. Jesus, God with us, was completely different. He wanted to interact with the Samaritans; He needed to interact with this woman.

Let’s step back and listen in on the discussion Jesus was having while the disciples are still in town shopping. You can readily see that Jesus wasn’t going to spend time talking about the refreshing water from that well. A history lesson on Jacob’s well wasn’t part of the plan. The weather was not on the list of topics. Jesus was ready to engage this woman in many ways. First of all, He showed acceptance of her as a Samaritan by visiting with her. Then, He was showing acceptance of her as a woman, as He continued to interact with her. Plus, Jesus was about to make it clear, that it didn’t matter what a person’s past was, if she would believe on Him, she would have eternal life. This is true for everyone.

Here, I want to look at a major plot point; I almost need the dramatic music to come on after we see what Jesus dared to say. After unashamedly requesting a drink from the well, then hearing the puzzled response from the woman, listen to what Jesus says.

John 4:10 NASB95

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman just had the spiritual gauntlet laid down before her. You can imagine the questions that must have bombarded her mind. How can this traveling teacher give me water without a bucket or ladle? How can He be right by Jacob’s well and have the nerve to tell me He has living water? Is this guy crazy? We’re not even supposed to have anything to do with each other.

Listen to what Jesus says next:

John 4:14 NASB95

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

What is this Samaritan woman going to do with this information? She would not have been told about Jesus, the Son of God, being born in Bethlehem. She would not have heard that Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. She probably was unaware that Almighty God had come to rescue helpless humanity, which included her.

Her response was very human and very real for her situation, as we look at verse 15.

John 4:15 NASB95

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.”

But Jesus wasn’t all about the weather, the well, the work. He was all about her salvation. So Jesus goes on to show her His concern, not only for her salvation, but for that of all the people who mattered to this woman. Jesus revealed to her His knowledge and understanding of her previous lifestyle, as well as what was currently going on in her life. Jesus revealed to her that He knew about her helplessness and loneliness. This woman had possibly been rejected by various men, while the current man was not even willing to commit himself to her in marriage. She was basically on her own.

Now, she meets a stranger, a Jew no less. This unique man genuinely cared for her. Somewhere, in her mind, she was realizing that this was not just a man, but God Himself. This person was Almighty God right there in the midst of her helpless, lonely situation. Her logic told her that if this were the case, then surely He would be sent for the salvation of the Jews. As she processes all of this, she realizes how helpless she really felt—lonely, a Samaritan, a woman. So she tries to sidestep the issue by having a religious discussion.

The Jews and Samaritans felt that true worship was to take place in different locations. The Samaritans felt that this mountain was where they ought to worship. The Jews felt that was inferior and wrong. They felt that Jerusalem was the only place where true worship could take place. And if that were true, this woman and her friends were left high and dry.

Again Jesus takes her back to the heart of the matter. Rituals and location do not cause genuine worship. Style, schedule, program, procedures are not what worship is about for anybody. Worship comes from within us as we have a transformed heart.

Now listen to the final plot point in verses 25-26.

John 4:25–26 NASB95

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

That brings us to the resolution of the main story line, the last act of this drama, if you will.

The Resolution

Jesus, listening to His Father’s commands, knew that He had to go on this unique and somewhat forbidden route. The reason was to bring someone into the kingdom of God. That would lead to a community of individuals who would believe in Him for eternal life. Look at all of the upside down aspects of this. Jesus chose to associate outside the acceptable social circles, educational circles, religious circles, gender circles, and ethnic circles. After all, good Jewish rabbis would never do this sort of thing.

Almighty God with us; Jesus in the midst of helpless humanity. In fact, this simple, or not so simple, conversation began what may have been the first recorded citywide spiritual awakening. For the people of the community stated that they believed because of this woman’s personal testimony. Interestingly, it was not because of the disciples. It was not because the Jewish religious leaders were doing what God had expected them to do. It was because one woman, one individual, had been impacted by Jesus Christ. Then she chose to let Christ be known to all. Then they pursued the matter for themselves. This woman had become so transformed that she convinced the townspeople and they also became transformed.

Audience Response

Church, if the world is observing us, are they seeing Jesus? We need to be willing to go outside of our comfort zone in order to reach others for Jesus Christ. As Henry Blackaby often says, Look to see where God is at work and then join Him.

My friends, do you notice that it was Jesus who initiated the conversation? What a challenge and encouragement to each of us. We need to look for any opportunity that God places in our path, take the lead in opening up a conversation, looking for the opportunity to see Jesus transform a life.

Again, in our society that seems to thrive by creating imaginary divisions, Jesus broke that down, showing us that we ought to be open and even intentional in letting our life paths cross with those who may be different than us.

This Christmas, would you resolve to allow others to see Christ in you? Are we willing to turn everyday contacts into opportunities to see what the Christ of Christmas, Immanuel has done in our lives?

Maybe some of you will actually take the initiative and go out of your normal way to individuals that God has laid on your heart to tell them the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

You can begin by walking around, driving around, looking around whatever your area of influence might be and pray specifically for the people that are there. No special formula, just pray that God would show you the opportunities He has for you. Then prepare to be amazed, like the child opening that special Christmas package. Be amazed by what God will do in your life and in the lives of those whom He’ll place in your journey.

Because of God’s great love for a helpless humanity, Jesus came as the Almighty God in our midst.