The gift he gave was so great that it changed her life. It is presented in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and a woman of Samaria. She rushed back to tell others about the man she just met. Jesus knew all about her before he met her. He says, in verses 14. 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 Talk about an encounter! Start your free trial today! Many years ago a young man who sought supernatural intervention for his problems, walked into a Hindu Temple, hoping to receive the favor of the gods that the temple was dedicated for. You Will Never Be Thirsty Again | Desiring God So this Samaritan woman at the well is loaded down with guilt and shame. So come to the water, you who have no money come buy and drink (Isaiah 55:13). Yes, the Samaritan woman at the well was an immoral woman, sexually immoral, ostracized from her community, loaded down with shame and guilt. John 4 represents the founding narrative for the presence of a considerable number of Samaritans in the Johannine community. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. John 4:8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 2021 John 4 - Nicodemus Contrasted with the He told his disciples He wanted them to be His friends and He showed what true friendship looked like. He is patient with our ignorance and blindness. The holy Son of God shed his blood for us. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a986a0c0b8f02456eb897fb07d711d14" );document.getElementById("f8470a62dd").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. So that was strike two against her. The Father is seeking (pursuing!) You see, Jesus not only accepted the Samaritan woman, he did something much more. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria Our text notes: It was about the sixth hour.. But his hour was not yet come. The Samaritan is the hero of that story. (J) Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water(K) welling up to eternal life.(L), 15The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I wont get thirsty(M) and have to keep coming here to draw water., 16He told her, Go, call your husband and come back., Jesus said to her, You are right when you say you have no husband. 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 rightly so. And maybe you feel some guilt before God. C. Just because encounters take place when we least expect them, doesnt mean they are coincidental or circumstantial. But people want to know the real you. That is exactly what he did when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. We know that this is a command for all Christians in each successive generation. 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. And the phrase Im using to describe her, that is, The Samaritan Woman at the Well, this tells us why. He sought to be alone in Samaria. Remember, He was called the Friend of sinners. She doesnt taste it. It is a well-known story, and its found in the Holy Gospel for today, from John chapter 4. 37Thus the saying One sows and another reaps(AJ) is true. Perhaps thats why she brought up which mountain to go to. Jesus never expressed approval of the faulty teachings of the Samaritans. He did not compromise the truth to win her favor. It started with Jesus truly reaching out in friendship to this outcast woman. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Sermon Notes: Why the Lord is my Shepherd? And whats more, Jesus accepted her even though she had led a sinful, immoral life. But we must gather them in. He offers her living water. The disciples went into the town to buy food, but Jesus sat alone by the well. . Jesus asks her for a drink and engages her in conversation. I think we often give priority to activities, schedules and programs. Not just the provincial idea that the Jews had that the Messiah would deliver Israel from Roman rule. And the wonderful truth that it reveals about Jesus gives hope to us in our woeful condition. Just before He ascended to heaven, Jesus told his disciples, Go and make disciples of all nations. So these were the Samaritans, a mixed-up people, both ethnically and religiously. Jesus skillfully shows her that she needs the living water that He Now in the Bible, there are many examples of encounters. When he comes, he will explain everything to us., 26Then Jesus declared, I, the one speaking to youI am he.(Y), 27Just then his disciples returned(Z) and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. He gives us what we so desperately need: acceptance, forgiveness, living water, eternal life. 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. on John 4 Therefore, he was not merely responding. This woman was living with a man outside of marriage. And all of them are probably true more or less and in them all, Jesus is being graciously purposeful. That is why we sin. So we too have a testimony to share with the people we know. Today, I want to speak to you about divine encounters. That is why this is important. Jesus wanted to satisfy the thirst of her soul. The story of the Samaritan woman at the well plants us deeply into the mystery of salvationGods great love for sinners. It is gracious that he keep his appointed hour with the cross. He knows my inner thoughts and my secret sins. Maybe Jesus even told them He would die for the sins of the world and rise again from the dead and they believed in Him. You have thirst. We cannot make true friendships when we always wear a mask to protect ourselves and hide our real self. Do we believe or reject Him when He promises to guide us concerning our future? . It is interesting to see how her perception of Jesus had progressed as He gradually revealed himself. Their conclusion is revealing. WebJohn 4:7 Easy-to-Read Version 7 A Samaritan woman came to the well to get some water, and Jesus said to her, Please give me a drink. Read full chapter John 4:7 in all English translations John 3 John 5 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) Copyright 2006 by Bible League International Bible Gateway Recommends He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. Is Jesus greater than Jacob? Jesus is seeking this womans salvation, knowing everything about her. The Jewish man, of course, is Jesus, a rabbi traveling with his disciples. Let us be true friends to others and introduce them to the greatest Friend of all, our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you a sinner? Now what could be so strange about that? Maintain a receptive attitude because God can visit you anytime anywhere. John 4:31-34. Theyve been on the road for some hours now, its midday, and theyre tired and hungry. And he accepted her in spite of some rather significant obstacles. E. An encounter is a glorious experience. . 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). In her joy and excitement, she went out and told others. The Samaritan Woman at the Well (An Expository Sermon) Look at the impact this immoral woman had on her community. You know, our Lord has an ample, never-ending supply of this living water to give. He is omniscient. He wants to use us to bring others into his family. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Why would a good God let such evil happen? John 4 Jesus accepts you. Because this man Jesus, this is indeed the Savior of the world.. That is why it is so essential to keep growing in our experience with him and in our knowledge of His Word so that we have something fresh to share with others. a. A stream of people was already coming down. New International Version (NIV). This does not mean he approved of her life style. It was just another ordinary and busy day in which she carried out her routine household duties. But Jesus did not lose patience with her. 1. What would her response be? John 4 But do you realize that we who have trusted Him already must make the same choice daily? Web( John 4:7-9) Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. 31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, Rabbi,(AC) eat something., 32But he said to them, I have food to eat(AD) that you know nothing about., 33Then his disciples said to each other, Could someone have brought him food?, 34My food, said Jesus, is to do the will(AE) of him who sent me and to finish his work. 47When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,(AR) he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. Oh, thats OK. Dont worry about it. On the contrary, by telling her he knew all about her sin, Jesus was leading her to repentance, so that she would see her need for forgiveness. Its really the story of the man she meets there at the well: Jesus, the one who does all things well. The Samaritans were a mixed bag, both racially and religiously. Now does Jesus accept you? Insider/Outsider. ), B. John 4 . Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. And in so doing, we see how God will accept us and give us, likewise, the same living water. But John said that Jesus had to pass through Samaria. Is this because he had an appointment to keep? That the Samaritan woman finally understands that Jesus refers to water which is more than physical is made clear by 4:28: she leaves her waterpot behind because (at least for the point our author is making) she wont need it to carry the kind of water Jesus now has her interested in! Others have gone to help those who lost everything in Katrina and other disasters. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. Over time, the people there would intermarry, and so the ethnic identity and solidarity of the nation would be weakened. Third, he sat on the well to be fully conspicuous and unavoidable. What does the Bible say about using pirated software? Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink, 8 for His disciples had gone away into the town to buy food. They were hot and weary, which likewise tells us that this was in the middle of the day. They hated the Samaritans, they considered them to be racial and religious half breeds. 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. 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. She had a jar, He did not. Sermon on John 4:1-42 | The Samaritan Woman and her And their religious identity would be eroded also. During Lent, we take special notice of ourselves as sinners, spending time and effort to recognize the seriousness of sin and to rejoice in Christs victory over it. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Those are really the only two options anyone has and as we befriend people and witness for Christ, we must make this clear. The text is John 4:1-42. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. WebJesus meets a Samaritan woman 4 1-7 Now when the Lord found that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus is making and baptising more disciples than Johnalthough, in fact, it was not Jesus who did the baptising but his discipleshe left Judea and went off again to Galilee, which meant passing through Samaria. Jesus was. He knows the real me. Jesus has no more to say about the wall between Samaritans and Jews. They were ceremonially unclean. And thats what this story is mainly about not us, but him! It was about the sixth hour [noon]. While he wasthere he heard an audible voice, which said: You have come to the wrong place. He realized this is indeed the Lord Jesus speaking to him. Jesus had given them a world view. Now as they were gathered by the well, Jesus turned their attention to the town on the hill. You cant be asking me to use the same bucket. Notice what he did. They had a corrupt mixture of Jewish and pagan religions. And from his fullness we we proud, angry, critical, lustful, greedy, worldly, lazy, fearful, unrelational have all received, grace upon grace.. Our heavenly Father wants our worship to be in spirit and truth. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Jesus was known for being the friend of sinners. He knows that she has led a scandalous life. In our day, in our crazy, decadent culture, this might not seem like such a big deal. to refer to God. The Pharisees were not in charge of this. (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. 4Now he had to go through Samaria. The main relationship not the only one in this story is the relationship between Jesus and the woman at the well in Samaria. John 4 NIV;KJV - Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman A. But it was unusual for a woman to come out there at that hour. And the sign over it said, Colored Samaritan. Verses 68 say, Jacobs well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well [literally, on the well]. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.). Here is Don Carsons description of the situation: After the Assyrians captured Samaria [the capital of the Northern kingdom of Israel] in 72221 BC, they deported all the Israelites of substance and settled the land with foreigners, who intermarried with the surviving Israelites and adhered to some form of their ancient religion (2 Kings 1718). But at the same time, again, just as he did not approve of her wrong theology, so also Jesus did not approve of her immorality. 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 Come and drink. B.) A woman of Samaria came to draw water. He cares for us individually. Understandably she felt very uncomfortable at this point; and so shifted the direction of the conversation from her personal problems to worship. But man made rules never controlled Jesus. We are introduced to two types of transformation. Maam, I will give you living water! But, sir, you dont have a bucket. Thats us. C. Mere religion cant empower us for service. And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. When you see the glory of Jesus in these stories for what it really is the glory of the only Son from the Father you experience grace. Jesus is pursuing this unacceptable relationship. This sermon is from the Come and See series through the Gospel of John at Easter Lutheran Church in 2018. Where do you get that living water? She doesnt see yet. She tells Jesus that she knows the Messiah is coming to make this possible and Jesus proclaims to her that she is with that Messiah in this very moment. Far from it. We can experience an encounter regardless of the season or place if we seek the experience earnestly. The history goes way back. 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 Only an encounter with God can reignite the fire within us. One of the ways is through Friendship Evangelism. And the Where do you get that living water? So Jesus takes her deeper: 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 forever. And it was considered inappropriate for a good pious rabbi to have a one-on-one conversation with a woman in public. And my water is superior. Many of you know the unparalleled joy it is to see a person trust the Savior because of your efforts. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? Using Jesuss encounter with the Samaritan woman (recorded in chapter 4) and his previous encounter with Nicodemus (recorded in chapter 3), John presents fundamental and profound spiritual truths, and yet the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus could not be more different from each other. I seek to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Their religious beliefs and practices were in need of correction. Dont miss the five things he says about the water that he gives and offers you today. Jesus himself would remove her guilt from her. 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.. And this same Jesus is here with us, right now, at this hour. So she says in verse 12, Are you greater than our father Jacob? Encounters arent Seasonal or Geological. They just looked for this Messiah to be a teacher who would explain everything. If you do the fire it ignited within you will die. Access 50+ premium resources. So lets begin with the transition between chapters 3 and 4. A. If you will drink if you will believe on me as your ever-satisfying treasure you will live forever.. We must learn how to make friends, and be a true friend to them just as Jesus was. And if so, why? Jesus was very honest with her. What did he teach them in those 2 days? WebJohn 4 New International Version Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman 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 not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. Sermon on John 4 The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Eternal life. And the woman knows it. As our text says: Just then his disciples came back. All Rights Reserved. I see wonderful examples of this in Christians who cross these barriers to reach out to immigrants and homeless people all over our city. A.) But we will all rejoice together. He constantly exposed himself to rejection, but He never let rejection change His confidence or His worth. (AQ) And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. Scripture tells us that Jesus was tired. promises about a Savior coming from the Jewish people were true. She knew it, and Jesus knew it. And they also set up a couple of rival shrines, which God had not authorized. He is always doing thousands of things that we cannot see. You and I have received such a wonderful gift from God that we want to tell others about it and share it with them, too. A historical perspective on the Samaritan woman in John But usually our problem is to know how do to do it. John 4:9 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.) Do you think he is greater? We must show that we are interested in them, accepting them without demanding that they change first.