He accepted her even though her religious views were in need of correction. a. Its really the story of the man she meets there at the well: Jesus, the one who does all things well. Read John 4:7-8 A. He spoke to a woman. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. He gives you what he gave that woman at the well: living water. So we must wait. What was living water? a spring of water welling up to eternal life.). This story is often called The Woman at the Well. But it could also be called The Man at the Well. Because thats who this story really is about: this man, Jesus, who meets the woman at the well. Like the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7, this Samaritan woman pushes Jesus to the point that he declares that God will welcome all who worship God in spirit and truth. Her final rejoinder, When he [Messiah] comes, he will proclaim all things to us, opens up the space for He never has only one purpose in what he does. The reason the Bible tells us woeful news about ourselves is to make the greatness of grace and the greatness of salvation feel as wonderful as it really is. Yet Jesus accepted her. First, it may be a matter of timing. So that area around Samaria was off, even from the outset. It just wasnt done. He traveled across Samaria because he was led by the Spirit into that village. So lets begin with the transition between chapters 3 and 4. Do you know your need? They are ripe for harvest. Do we believe or reject him when He says He unconditionally loves us and will meet our every need? He makes us confront our sins not to condemn but to deliver us. But Jesus did not lose patience with her. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Jesus gives you what you need. Where do you get that living water? She doesnt see yet. Jesus himself would remove her guilt from her. C. The fact that encounters can get very uncomfortable sometimes because they convict us of our own sinfulness and our need for a savior. This is not just happening. The story in John 4 about Jesuss meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well reveals woeful truth about ourselves and wonderful truth about Jesus. This same Jesus would go to Calvarys holy mountain, where he would make the atoning sacrifice for her sinsand not for her sins only, but also for your sins and mine, for the sins of the whole world. Yes, Maam, I am superior to Jacob. Far from it. And they also set up a couple of rival shrines, which God had not authorized. This man welcomes sinners. And he does something far better than just tolerating your sin or excusing it. Thats what this well scene means. He knows my inner thoughts and my secret sins. If this is the case, then Ive got good news for you today. This was a deliberate choice other Jews never made. You are my friends if you do what I command you. It was so exciting that she left her water jar there at the well and went back to the town and started telling people about what had happened. But He is also our heavenly Father. God sent Jesus. ), B. They hated the Samaritans, they considered them to be racial and religious half breeds. But, the way John tells us this raises some questions. Theyve been on the road for some hours now, its midday, and theyre tired and hungry. God gives him the Spirit immeasurably and always has. Can you imagine what her self image was. Verse 15: 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. Id like that water because this bucket is heavy. Yes, the Pharisees may have stirred up trouble to get rid of Jesus. (NIV). But no one asked, What do you want? or Why are you talking with her?. Third, he sat on the well to be fully conspicuous and unavoidable. ) Why is that? 52When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.. (Omniscience) He accepted her just as she was. Others have gone to help those who lost everything in Katrina and other disasters. And in so doing, we see how God will accept us and give us, likewise, the same living water. Our Father loves us and proved it by sending his Son to be the Savior of the world. 2. That means we are to be involved in evangelism. Many of you know the unparalleled joy it is to see a person trust the Savior because of your efforts. And he had to pass through Samaria. All rights reserved worldwide. And whats more, Jesus accepted her even though she had led a sinful, immoral life. The Samaritan Woman at the Well (An Expository Sermon) 2. You Will Never Be Thirsty Again | Desiring God A Boring Sermon The Samaritan Woman in John 4 Yet I think most of us feel guilty because we hardly ever tell anyone about the greatest gift in the world (salvation through Jesus Christ). She passed into eternity in Sept 2015 and is with our dear Jesus. Actually, there are thousands. John 4 But his hour was not yet come. Do we believe or reject Him when He promises to guide us concerning our future? Zion in Jerusalem, where the temple wasthat was the place to go to get your guilt taken care of. Were on a mission to change that. We named four possible purposes for why Jesus left Judea and headed for Galilee. B. In the O.T. The story of the nameless Samaritan woman at the well, recorded only in the Gospel of John, is a revealing one, full of many truths and powerful lessons for us today. The story of the woman at the well follows on the heels of the account of Jesus interaction with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and prominent member of the Jewish Sanhedrin ( John 3:121 ). Not that he approved of their sin. You have thirst. . (R) 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know;(S) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). It is wise to reveal ourselves gradually depending on the persons response, just as Jesus did. A. She was literal. Access 50+ premium resources. If sharing your faith is difficult for you, tell your heavenly Father that you want to be obedient, but you need His help. In her joy and excitement, she went out and told others. Do you bring your own load of guilt before God? Who was He? That is why we will not be thirsty for God again. Jesus spoke of the complete satisfaction that comes from doing what God wants us to do. WebJOHN 4:7-9 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water. You are right when you say you have no husband. Web(John 4:21-24) The woman didnt get it. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.). She was either widowed or divorced 5 times. I think we often give priority to activities, schedules and programs. This will save us from unrealistic expectations and constant disappointment. This water becomes a spring a well of water (verse 14: The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water). You obviously are a prophet sent from God, so you must know. But Jesus doesnt send her to either place. Like you didnt belong? Their conclusion is revealing. She had a wrong understanding and wrong motives. In John 4 Jesus is seated at Jacobs well and a Samaritan woman comes along to draw water. It was just another But Jesus did. Lutheran Liturgical Congregations Listing, Return/Turn to the Lord: Ruth, Luke 17, Psalm 111, and The Fear of the Lord, GiveawayPleasantly Crafted Lutheran Coloring Sheets, Giveaway! As our text says: Just then his disciples came back. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. 4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John 2 although in fact it was He, a Jewish teacher, struck up a conversation with this womana Samaritan woman, no less. (AG) 36Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests(AH) a crop for eternal life,(AI) so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. That well was right there next to them, so it was a handy way to move from physical thirst to spiritual thirst, and to move from H2O to the living water that Jesus provides. Required fields are marked *. So we have ethnic, racial, and religious issues here that made Jews feel disdain for Samaritans. He did not have to go through Samaria. E.g. The Samaritans were a mixed bag, both racially and religiously. B. So, are you thirsty? Jesus never expressed approval of the faulty teachings of the Samaritans. WebJesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman. There on the cross, Jesus will say, I thirst. He, the sinless Son of God, the only wholly innocent manJesus would endure the physical agony of the crucifixion, plus the burden of bearing the punishment that we sinners all deserve. Jesus was. Sexual promiscuity, multiple divorces, cohabitation outside of marriagethese have become almost the norm in our society. You see, Jesus not only accepted the Samaritan woman, he did something much more. Editors Note: This article is the lightly edited manuscript for the accompanying audio message that Vickie delivered. And maybe you feel some guilt before God. . Just as we cannot live physically without H2O, we cannot live spiritually without God, who is the Source of living water. Many of us, even believers spend our lives expecting another human being to satisfy that thirst a husband, either present or future, a parent, a child, a friend. Not just the provincial idea that the Jews had that the Messiah would deliver Israel from Roman rule. To feel the force of what Jesus did in verses 68, it might help to compare it to the racial situation in my hometown fifty years ago. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) Second, he may have left because the Pharisees may have used this popularity of Jesus to discredit John. In Nothing material or earthly can satisfy the thirst of our spirits. WebJesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman 4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John ( A ) 2 although in fact it B. We must learn how to make friends, and be a true friend to them just as Jesus was. Your email address will not be published. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Encounters arent Seasonal or Geological. Jesus claims to give one drink that will satisfy our hearts thirst forever. I seek to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Unable to see the glory of the only Son of God. to refer to God. And so you and I can say, with those Samaritans who came to faith in Christwe can say joyfully about Jesus: We know that this is indeed the Savior of the world., Your email address will not be published. What did he teach them in those 2 days? And yet Jesus engages her in conversation. Perhaps thats why she brought up which mountain to go to. Where do you look? What can we learn from the woman at the well? We must show that we are interested in them, accepting them without demanding that they change first. John 4 This living water Jesus gives, he gives free of charge. He asked a favor of her, put himself in a position of need. He is infinitely wise, and everything he does relates to everything else that he does, sooner or later. And the woman knows it. WebJohn 4:7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. And people have to trust us before they will trust the Savior we say we believe in. 41And because of his words many more became believers. . And he accepted her in spite of some rather significant obstacles. John 4 And the Assyrians then brought in other peoplesGentiles, non-Jewsto live in that area they had conquered. The disciples were as literal in their understanding as the woman was. 4 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. Jesus in His humanity was descended from Abraham, the father of the Jews. John had embarrassed the Pharisees because he called even them to repent and be baptized. A Samaritan Woman at the Well Meets Her Messiah Work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to transform your life. Only men could initiate divorce. We must be authentic and vulnerable. It would be a great encouragement to me and a contribution to the edification of the Church. Sermon on True Worship from John 4 | Samaritan We cannot make true friendships when we always wear a mask to protect ourselves and hide our real self. C. Mere religion cant empower us for service. And its for you, you who are thirsty and know your need. Five previous husbands, and now shes shacking up with a guy. The world needs a greater deliverance than that from political or economic oppression. He constantly exposed himself to rejection, but He never let rejection change His confidence or His worth. Now when the Samaritan woman was confronted with her load of sin and guilt, perhaps she wondered where she could go to have her sin forgiven and her guilt removed. The well that Jacob had dug 2000 years before was still supplying water. Nicodemus is a person of reputation. Our text notes: It was about the sixth hour.. The Samaritan woman didnt meet Jesus on a Shabbat or in a building dedicated to carrying out religious activities. But we must gather them in. SAMARITAN WOMAN And my well is superior. Start for FREE. They just looked for this Messiah to be a teacher who would explain everything. When we see Jesus, later in the story, knowing how many husbands this woman has had (4:18), we get the definite impression that nothing is happening by accident here. If you drink it, you never thirst again that is, its always there to satisfy you when your longing soul is thirsty (verse 14: Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again). He had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover and the religious leaders were beginning to ask questions about him. God accepts the Samaritan womanGod accepts you and meonly because of this man at the well. It started with Jesus truly reaching out in friendship to this outcast woman. Scripture passage and lesson focus: John 4:25-42. This man Jesus gave the Samaritan woman the gift of God: acceptance, forgiveness for her sins, living water, and eternal life. Now does Jesus accept you? She had a jar, He did not. Blind. So just like Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners in Luke 15, he is willing to share a drinking cup with a Samaritan adulteress. About 400 BC the Samarians erected a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. The woman replies, Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water. Perhaps shes beginning to get a clue about where Jesus is going with this. And the wonderful truth that it reveals about Jesus gives hope to us in our woeful condition. The Samaritan woman didnt meet Jesus on a Shabbat or in a building dedicated to carrying out religious activities. John 4:1-26 - Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman He initiates relationships, He knew all about her life. Jesus tells 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 is confused; shes thinking merely of H2O: Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. And my gift is superior. So we too have a testimony to share with the people we know. So dont short-circuit the wonderful work of Jesus, for you and in you, by failing to see clearly how woeful your condition is without him. Its difficult to be sure which of these purposes were driving Jesus, or if there were others we are not aware of. This is exactly what happened to one marginalized woman from Samaria. And this week and next week (Lord willing), we will see how relentlessly gracious this relationship is. Later on Jesus made clear how that thirst for God would be satisfied. He is always doing thousands of things that we cannot see. Oh, one other thing: Notice what the Samaritan woman did once Christ gave her the living water. He sat on the well. And he is seeking her through Jesus. You could wait till next week to taste and see to believe and receive him. A.) People look in many placessex, alcohol, drugs, a new boat, a bigger housealways trying to satisfy their thirst, but nothing ever seems to fill the bill. John 4:31-34. People look in many places to try to satisfy their thirst. It should, because there would be another day, also at about the sixth houronly now Jesus would be hanging on a cross. Living water to her meant a fresh spring in contrast to a pool or cistern. WebA Samaritan Woman Meets Her Messiah 4 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 48Unless you people see signs and wonders,(AS) Jesus told him, you will never believe., 49The royal official said, Sir, come down before my child dies., 50Go, Jesus replied, your son will live., The man took Jesus at his word and departed. Do you have a checkered past? He broke a centuries-old taboo. And you need what I have to live. He wants to use us to bring others into his family. Because this man Jesus, this is indeed the Savior of the world.. Red Letter Art Christmas Ornaments & Christmas Cards, Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost Church Worksheets, The Top Ten Reasons to use the Historic Lectionary, Concordia, Wisconsin woes administration cancelling its own professor for whistleblowing, Commemoration of Saint Paul McCain, Theologian and Publisher. Our heavenly Father wants our worship to be in spirit and truth. Study Guide for John 4 But do you realize that we who have trusted Him already must make the same choice daily? So it is for us. Sermon Notes: Why the Lord is my Shepherd? The gift he gave was so great that it changed her life. He immediately left that temple and a few days later joined a church in his neighborhood. What does the Bible say about using pirated software? Jesus skillfully shows her that she needs the living water that He Jesus did something we can learn from. Second, he sent the disciples to buy food (presumably touched and prepared by unclean Samaritans) so that he could be alone. If this content was helpful to you, please consider leaving your feedback in the comments section at the bottom, and sharing it with friends and family via email and social media, or both. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria 51:5, NIV). We all need forgiveness and Jesus is the only One who can give it. #livingwater #healing #trauma #forgiveness #jesus #gospel #goodnews". Secondly, she was a Samaritan. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Only the fire of the Holy Ghost could. B. Jesus words ignited in her a fire more powerful than any religion. The Samaritan Woman: A Well-Known Story (John 4:5-26, 27-30, 39-42), Does God really accept me? This is hard to do, but if we are going to tell them that God loves them, it might be a good idea to let God demonstrate that love through us from the start. Friendships and love grow as we reveal ourselves, accept and trust each other and challenge each other. They had a corrupt mixture of Jewish and pagan religions. The Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:5-30, 39-42), Have you ever felt like youre a bit of an outsider? As we heard in todays Epistle: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Again, God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ died for us sinners. The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything. Jesus said to her, I am he, the one who is speaking with you. John 4:23-26. Through conversation with the Samaritan woman, we see Jesus reveal Himself three times throughout the story. First, Jesus is revealed as the Living Water ( John 4:13-14 ). After asking the Samaritan woman for a drink, He responds to her by offering her something greater. He says: Worship would not be in man made temples or churches, but in the inner sanctuaries of peoples hearts. Salvation is from the Jews. Therefore share your experience with others. He cares for us individually. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. Living water was used symbolically in the O.T. But people must come first. He had offered Himself to her as the One who could satisfy her souls thirst, the Messiah. I see wonderful examples of this in Christians who cross these barriers to reach out to immigrants and homeless people all over our city. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Why would a good God let such evil happen? WebTherefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. This woman was living with a man outside of marriage. A. Of that life-giving stream. John 4 WebJohn 4 A Samaritan Woman and a Nobleman Meet Jesus. John 4 And so the Samaritans had gotten off track from the accepted norm. . 54This was the second sign(AU) Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. He knew the hour of his death, and how it would come. One might think that Jesus thought that the Pharisees would see his rising popularity and attempt to crush it, so out of fear of the Pharisees, he ran. What a deal. He told his disciples He wanted them to be His friends and He showed what true friendship looked like. But Jesus was all about calling sinners to repentance, that they would realize their sin, sense their need, and find their forgiveness in him. This was essential. 24God is spirit,(W) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth., 25The woman said, I know that Messiah (called Christ)(X) is coming. You must decrease; I must increase. She doesnt taste it. If you will drink if you will believe on me as your ever-satisfying treasure you will live forever.. The Samaritan woman is a woman of reputation as well but the lowest of the lowest class. There is no safe fence to sit on. 39Many of the Samaritans from that town(AK) believed in him because of the womans testimony, He told me everything I ever did.(AL) 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. WebJohn 4 King James Version 4 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. We need to remember that encounters are heavenly appointments, although they look like random supernatural manifestations. Jesus asks her for a drink and engages her in conversation. 2:13 (NIV) My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Racial and religious obstacles, moral and social obstaclesthese were the barriers that stood in the way. By the way, if you are reading this sermon online please feel free to leave your comments at the end. as their scriptures, they did not know the other prophecies about Messiah. Jesus had to go through Samaria because he had to show us where he abides. And so when the disciples come back later, and they see this happening, theyre a little surprised, if not shocked. Do we believe or reject him when He says that suffering is a major instrument used by God to build into us the character of Jesus Christ? So they went around two longer routes to avoid them. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. At a well, a place where people come to draw water. There are needs people can meet, and there are needs only God can meet and we should know the difference. Where do you look to quench your thirst? Look at the impact this immoral woman had on her community. I want to share with you five truths about encounters I learned from this passage. What was even more unusual was that Jews would not use the same utensils as a Samaritan, because they considered them unclean, but this man wanted to use her waterpot. Since He is now in heaven, He has given us the responsibility to reveal God, our heavenly Father, through our lives so that others may be born into His family, and He modeled for us in His many relationships how to be a true friend to others. And thats what this story is mainly about not us, but him! He will show you how to approach a person and what to say. So he leaves. They were a mixture of Israelite and heathen elements. John 4 represents the founding narrative for the presence of a considerable number of Samaritans in the Johannine community. Only an encounter with God can reignite the fire within us. God is seeking a gracious relationship with you. Over time, the people there would intermarry, and so the ethnic identity and solidarity of the nation would be weakened. Detail from Polish painter Henryk Siemiradzki, 'Christ and the Samaritan Woman' (1890) 106.5x184 cm, Lviv National Art Gallery, Ukraine. A tired Jesus is sitting at the well, waiting for the disciples, when a woman appears.
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sermon on john 4 samaritan woman