The Living Water

In today’s passage we find Jesus crossing social boundaries to speak not only to Samaritans, whom Jews thought of as good for nought half-breeds, even calling them dogs, but then it is also a woman. Now keep in mind even today in the middle eastern culture women are considered to be little more than property and to speak to them was considered a waste of time. Yet Jesus not only speaks to her but leads her down a spiritual conversation. Who might this be for us today, the drunk/meth addict, or maybe the Hispanics or Arabs with poor English skills. I submit to you that were Jesus here these are the very kinds of people he would leave the church to go find and speak to. Indeed he came to seek and save the lost, to reveal God the Father to a world who knew him not. Turn with me to John 4:1-26 as we look at how Jesus interacted with the Samaritan woman and seek to learn how to be better witnesses for him.

John 4:1–26 ESV

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. 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.”

Conversation with Samaritan Woman!!!

John 4:3–9 ESV

he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. 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 had to go through Samaria - Samaritans were the descendants of the Israelites left behind from the Babylonian captivity that had intermarried with the foreign colonists the Babylonians had brought in to settle Israel. In Dueteronomy 7 God commanded Israel to not intermarry lest they be led astray in Idol worship. Thus the Jews despised the Samaritans for their ancestral disobedience to the law. Most Jews would travel around Samaria going miles out of the way just to avoid being “contaminated” by their half-breed cousins. Yet Jesus is tired after having traveled all day, asks Samaritan woman for a drink.

In those days a man would not engage in conversation with a woman outside his own wife, thus Jesus crosses not only racial but gender boundaries as well to strike up this conversation. In fact this story would be a slap in the face to many devout Jews.

It begs the question why? why did he have to go to Samaria and why did he talk to this woman?

I propose it was because God had sheep in Samaria that needed living water.

Peoples need for God and the Gospel supersedes all of these culture stigmas. Jesus concern is the spiritual state of the lost. I submit to you the primary reason churches do not grow is they do not have a broken heart for the lost. We are saved and comfortable and though we would not say it we believe if a person wants salvation they will come to us. Yet the Bible teaches that they do not even know they need it, and in fact it is our job to go to them.

Living Water Satisfies

John 4:10–15 ESV

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.”

Notice that the Samaritan woman much like Nicodemus is focused purely on the physical - race, well is deep you have no bucket, ancestry, physical thirst, and social embarrassment.

Just like Nicodemus she needs the new birth by the Spirit, or the living water as Jesus explains to her.

Notice he uses the immediately available context to explain God.

She has been coming to this well daily all her life to draw water for drinking, cleaning, bathing etc. Jesus says if you knew who I was you would ask me for living water so you would never thirst again.

living water - describes a bubbling spring its moving full of life its cold and refreshing and in a desert culture it represented life itself. contrasted with dead water that of the dead sea so full of salt that nothing lives in it. Dead water is disgusting and makes you sick instead of quenching thirst it makes you thirstier.

She wants to not have to come tot the well to avoid work and social embarrassment due to her life choices. Jesus is talking about spiritual restoration and eternal life. The living water is likely a reference to the Holy Spirit the seal of our salvation. God living inside us revealing himself to us. Oh how satisfying that relationship is and how sweet it is to trust in Jesus. He truly is the living water in our lives.

Could it be that we should take a lesson from Jesus and use the things of this world to illustrate and explain the truths of the Bible rather than just repeating the Bible says to the lost of this world. Could it be that while our message is true our methods are ineffective because we are not applying the lessons of the Bible to our witnessing efforts.

Or worse is that we have diluted the living water of Christ with the dead water of the world and thus are quenching the Holy Spirit in our own lives? Is the spring of water - the fountain of everlasting life in your soul flowing freely or have you allowed it become but a weak spurt of water due to neglect and inattention. Why would the lost want to become saved if we have nothing diffrent to offer. Let them see a changed life a life that reflects Christ even in times of difficulty, even in times of pain and sadness, but also in times of joy and great success. Then the Lost will cry if only I had what they have, what is it that I may aquire it for I too want that peace, that joy. What must I do to be saved?

Worship in Spirit and in Truth

John 4:16–26 ESV

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.”

Jesus then goes to the key issue in her life, she has had 5 husbands and is now living with a man who is not her husband. We are not told whether she was a widow, or divorcee but clearly she is living in adultery now. One can infer that she had some fault in her failed marriages because of her shame. For later we see this is her identity she tells the town that Jesus told me all I ever did, he must be the Christ.

Notice she immediately deflects the conversation to the social issue of the day where to worship.

The lost will always try to change subject when their sin is brought up. Expect it and do not allow the subject to be derailed.

Notice Jesus quickly addresses her issue with the truth you worship what you do not know, we worship what we know, salvation is from the Jews - effectively saying the Jews were right yet it matters not cause the time is coming and now is when true worshipers will worhsip in spirit and truth.

Ultimately its not about where but about your authentic soulfilled worship.

Matthew 22:37 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Its every part of your being all of who you are giving yourself to worship of God with all authenticity

You want to see people saved, you want to see people baptized and this church grow and thrive let the people of this community see a church that is first authentic, not just playing church not just coming cause they always have or its what grandma would have wanted or i was raised in church but coming to church cause we want to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the one who saved our souls let us not sing Amazing grace with apathetic face but let the joy our salvation show as we sing of the grace shown to us who deserved death but recieved life. Praise God for he is worthy to be praised. Great is his love for us and may our love be great in return. It is this authentic worship that will draw the lost to Trinity Baptist. Will you join me in sharing our love for God to this community, regardless of who they are, race, wealth, or even morality? Will you church? Yet maybe there is one sitting here now who knows not the love of God and you ask how can I experience this love this joy for myself? It is easy, you must turn away from your sin and decide to follow God, place your trust in Jesus death on the cross as payment of your sins, and submit to him as Lord, Master, Ruler of your life. Will you do that today, salvation can be yours if you so choose? Will you choose him? If so will you come as we sing this song of invitation. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus