Woman at the well - Power of a testimony
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[ Introduction ]
Today is a great day, not only because we get to gather again in worship to the Lord and fellowship, but as we all know we are also celebrating Independence Day. We celebrate many freedoms in the United States, and these freedoms over the last 245 years now, have been defended by brave men and women. So as we celebrate, let’s also give thanks to those who have served this country.
[ Prayer ]
Thinking about about our independence as a nation and how it has been defended reminds me of our freedom in Christ, but how that also must be guarded and defended everyday so we don’t fall in bondage to sin and the world. We can’t win the fight alone, only with Christ can we persevere.
It’s interesting to look back on life and think about seasons we’ve gone through, life before Christ or times when we may have been in a tough season and drifted away from Him on our own and then what brought us to/back to Him. There’s usually an encounter. Not that we hear the audible voice of God, or see the Him physically, but we experience him. We experience his love, grace, and guidance as we read His word, as we interact with others who God can use to impact us, or as we go through situations where there seems to be no hope and somehow things works out. The God who created the world certainly has the power to align the events of the world for those he loves and for those that need punishment. His divine hand is in play everyday, but we need to be aware of what’s going on around us and look for Him. What many call coincidences sometimes is really just a God thing.
Body
Today we’re going to focus on a well known passage, John 4 where we learn about “The Samaritan Woman at the Well”.
Before we dive in, let’s get a small glimpse of history between Jews and Samaritans. At this time, they were not in good standings. When Israel was a united nation under King David, he established Jerusalem as the capital. Then there’s King Solomon and he had the Temple built in Jerusalem. When King Solomon died, the nation fractured into two kingdoms. You had the larger “Northern Israel” and then “Judah” in the south. Northern Israel was composed of ten of the twelve tribes and Judah was composed of the other two tribes called Benjamin and Judah, in this new kingdom of Judah, they were called the Jews. In Northern Israel, Samaria was declared the capital, In Judah, Jerusalem remained the capital. So two separate kingdoms, Northern Israel and Judah, people begin to do things a little differently, they have different places of worship, which of course the Jews feel they have the upper hand because they have the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, you throw some gossip in all this and over time they really started to hate each other. They had times of conflict and times of momentary cooperation, there were times when some leaders really tried to unify the two kingdoms, without success. So as we begin reading through this encounter and what transpires, know that the Samaritans and Jews did not get along with each other.
As we open up in John chapter 4, Jesus and his disciples are leaving Judea and returning to Galilee.
Right between Judea and Galilee was Samaria. Now going through Samaria was not the only way to Galilee, they could have gone through an area east of the Jordan River. And many commentators believe that although it would have been a little longer route, it would have been a customary route for Jewish travellers because of the difficulties that come along with travelling through a land full of people that despise you. But as we read here in verse 4
He had to go through Samaria on the way.
Here, “had to”, is translated from a Greek word that means “must”. Jesus knew he had someone to meet. And he had to, go through Samaria. Let’s read verses 5-10
Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
A few things to pick up here:
On top of Jesus having a meeting with Samaritan woman, so someone who typically considered an enemy and a woman, someone of lower social status at the time
There is also something interesting about when this woman is gathering the water, it’s around noontime, a very hot time of the day. Most people probably wouldn’t be gathering their water then and women were more likely to come in groups. So coming at one of the hottest times of the day and alone indicates an even lower social status than the norm. She was likely publicly shamed, which we’ll get a better picture of shortly
Jesus talks about the gift of God has for her and that he can give “Living Water”.
The gift he is referring to is likely eternal life and that can be found through Him, which of course at this time she doesn’t realize he is the Messiah
Saying “living water” would sounds strange in our culture but back then living water would be referring to running fresh rivers and springs. Water that was stored up was considered “dead water”. This area had no rivers, also Jesus had no rope or a bucket with him for the well. I read Jacob’s well is anywhere from 100-120 feet deep. So she’s confused and frustrated how he can offer “living water” that is also better than what she has.
However, we know Jesus is talking symbolically. He was referring to the Holy Spirit. He refers to “Living Water” in John 7:37-39
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
Jesus then gives a description of this “Living Water” aka the Holy Spirit within a person
But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
Fresh and bubbling stream is strong imagery for someone who lives in a dry climate like Israel. She has a strong desire for this water, but she still is blinded by what it actually is. Jesus must confront her sin. He knows perfectly how to segway into this conversation.
“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
Sin in our lives is something we need to confront daily, if we put the blinders on, the hole will get deeper and our vision of Christ gets more blurry. These are just a couple sins listed here in this verse that she was struggling with, but we all struggle with sin. No matter what the sin is, it does the same thing in our lives, and it all needs to be confronted and brought before Christ as we ask for forgiveness. Christ is the only one that can bring true change. Otherwise we’ll remain with the same struggles in life and struggle to ever get closer to God. Just like brother Larry talked about last week, all the disciples were with Jesus, but yet some disciples were closer to Jesus than others.
Now at this time, the woman starts to realize Jesus is someone great, she assumes a prophet, but not the Messiah. They begin discussing worship and why Jews and Samaritans both claim they have the true place of worship. Jesus begins to explain what is coming, how there is no more need for a special location to worship. Only two requirements for true worship, worship in spirit and in truth.
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Spirit and in truth, mentioned in both verses. What does this mean? What many believe is we can only worship God by the Holy Spirit which is received by trusting in Christ.
For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,
Another reference is in John 3:5-6 when Jesus is talking to Nicodemus,
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
One Greek preposition is used for both words in spirit and truth, meaning it is a single concept.
So we can only worship in spirit and in truth by being a follower of Christ and receiving spiritual life. The Holy Spirit is what drives us closer to Christ and brings us to true genuine worship. By worshipping in spirit and in truth we are putting our faith in Christ and walking in close communion with Him. Not carelessly going through the motions or giving “praise” to God that we’ve morphed into a slightly different god in our head because the one in scripture is just a little too harsh or not my style. We worship the living God who is Jesus Christ, who we learn about in the scriptures, by and through the Holy Spirit.
Back in John, Jesus now proclaims to the woman he is the Messiah.
Now here we are this woman who is living a rough life realizes she’s talking to the Messiah, the savior of the world, I can only imagine what her facial expression must have been like and then at the same time the disciples are arriving back from town and they’re all confused at what they’re witnessing. "What is Jesus doing talking to a woman”? “What does he want from her”? “Why would he be talking to her” And then the woman sprints off, leaving her water jug she was just working to fill that she brought to the well during the hottest time of the day. I’m sure that caused even more confusion for the disciples. But it was because she was so excited that Jesus the Messiah had come and she probably felt hope for the first time in awhile.
Let’s read verse 29, after she ran back to town she said:
That was her message. The story goes up to verse 42. Near the end it says many came to believe because she told them “He told me everything I ever did!” She told them about her encounter. And many who were a little skeptical, believed later when they met and heard Jesus for themselves since Jesus and the disciples stayed in that nearby town for a couple of days.
Heather and I were just talking yesterday about how sometimes you feel like you should talk to someone about God, but it can be so terrifying thinking what if they ask something I don’t know, or do I know enough about the Word of God, can I really be qualified? I find myself thinking that far too many times. And although we do need to continue to study the word, reading through this story shows the power of a testimony. And a testimony doesn’t have to dive into a deep theological discussion. A testimony about how you encountered and experienced God’s goodness can’t be debated. And it doesn’t matter who you are. Jesus didn’t find the right time and spot to meet with the most righteous Samaritan man. He chose the broken woman. And she was used to bring so many to Christ through her testimony.
Let’s jump back a little bit and discuss verses 34-38, the woman is now running to the village and Jesus talks to his disciples about planting and harvesting. Which is about us bringing the Good News to the world. If we bring the Good News to those who haven’t heard and they don’t accept it, the seed is still planted. And then there are those who are ready to accept and just need another messenger of Christ. Many seeds need to be planted, but just like what happened in Samaria, as Jesus says in verse 35 “Wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest!” And the reward for planting and harvesting is greater than anything you can receive from this world. Verse 36:
The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!
We are planters and harvesters for Christ. Jesus encountered us and entered our lives and now we get the inheritance of eternal life and we get to present that gift to others. Share the Word, share your testimony, and tell people to “come and see.”