The Samaritan woman didnt meet Jesus on a Shabbat or in a building dedicated to carrying out religious activities. Do we believe or reject him when He says He unconditionally loves us and will meet our every need? What did he teach them in those 2 days? It would be a great encouragement to me and a contribution to the edification of the Church. So that area around Samaria was off, even from the outset. Its all by grace. Sermon Series: How to discern Gods will. Only the fire of the Holy Ghost could. God accepts the Samaritan womanGod accepts you and meonly because of this man at the well. The second type is the transformation of the community. It is gracious that he keep his appointed hour with the cross. There is no safe fence to sit on. It should, because there would be another day, also at about the sixth houronly now Jesus would be hanging on a cross. 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! Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.). She knew it, and Jesus knew it. Do we believe or reject Him when He tells us that knowing, memorizing and obeying his word will keep us from sin? You know, our Lord has an ample, never-ending supply of this living water to give. And she had had five marriages before that, all of which apparently had failed. 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. 37Thus the saying One sows and another reaps(AJ) is true. B. Jesus life was always in sync with the Spirit. Web(John 4:21-24) The woman didnt get it. The Father is seeking (pursuing!) D. An encounter is not an experience you can keep to yourself. (AA) Could this be the Messiah?(AB) 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. Verse 4: And he had to pass through Samaria. It was possible to go to Galilee in a roundabout way, which some Jews did because they thought the Samaritans were unclean. He used terms that had deep spiritual significance. 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. And the Father is seeking her worship. B. 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. Not just the provincial idea that the Jews had that the Messiah would deliver Israel from Roman rule. Notice how He stimulated her curiosity. Sexual promiscuity, multiple divorces, cohabitation outside of marriagethese have become almost the norm in our society. (The Gospel According to John, 216). They were racially impure. They were hot and weary, which likewise tells us that this was in the middle of the day. He revealed His identity to this immoral Samaritan woman, not to the religious leaders or even to His own disciples. They knew that more people were following Jesus than were following John the Baptist (verse 1). The text is John 4:1-42. What would this womans response be: Faith or rejection? 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 It is gracious that he guard the unity of both movements, his and Johns. Night/High Noon. I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! 28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Maybe you dont have all your ducks in a row yet. Its the gift of God (verse 10: If you knew the gift of God). It was just another ordinary and busy day in which she carried out her routine household duties. All any of us have to really share is what Jesus Christ has done for us personally. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. The northern tribes, however, the ones that broke off, set up a new capital with a new king, not of the Davidic line, in the city of Samaria. I seek to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. This is graciously relational. One of the glorious things about having a sovereign Savior is that he is always multi-purposeful, and his purposes are always gracious for those who trust him. C. Encounters are ways God deals with the sin among his people (one of the many ways) Dont bail yourself out of the experience when the Holy Spirit confronts you during an encounter. 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. Its really the story of the man she meets there at the well: Jesus, the one who does all things well. He will show you how to approach a person and what to say. But I am not arrogantly superior. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. Our heavenly Father wants our worship to be in spirit and truth. We all need forgiveness and Jesus is the only One who can give it. It makes it easy for us to forget that Samaritans and Jews did not get along well in the time of Jesus. His acceptance of the woman did not mean ignoring her sins. In his encounter with the Samaritan woman, we see very clearly that Christ accepted her. Jesus stayed with these Samaritans for 2 more days at their request. 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. We are learning that Jesus Christ was God living here in a human body, fully God and fully man. And every one of those four purposes is a gracious purpose. Lets listen in on the conversation. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (verses 1314). 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. (NIV). First of all, she was a woman. Maybe youve done something to bring some shame upon yourself. It points to the diversity among the early Christian communities, and it legitimizes the discipleship of women. 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. 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: This woman was living with a man outside of marriage. He wants to be our Friend as well as our Father. He offers her Gods acceptance. And he will guide you in the way of the truth. Now she sidetracked him into a religious discussion. Scripture tells us that Jesus was tired. Many of you know the unparalleled joy it is to see a person trust the Savior because of your efforts. And maybe you feel some guilt before God. (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. But He also models something very important. The main relationship not the only one in this story is the relationship between Jesus and the woman at the well in Samaria. WebThe Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:4-26). But man made rules never controlled Jesus. 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]. And its for you, you who are thirsty and know your need. He revealed something about God that is nowhere else stated so clearly in the NT. Yes, Maam, I am superior to Jacob. Yes, the Pharisees may have stirred up trouble to get rid of Jesus. Its living water (verse 10: He would have given you living water). He even asked her for a drink, which meant that he would have to receive water from her water jar. E. An encounter is a glorious experience. And not only did he accept her, he pointed her in the right direction, in the direction of the truth, the Truth who was sitting right there in front of her: Jesus himself, the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is that salvation come from the Jews. But his hour was not yet come. Start your free trial today! 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.) But no one asked, What do you want? or Why are you talking with her?. her worship. This is Johns version of the prodigal son (Luke 15) only here it is a prodigal daughter. Many times human pride will keep us from admitting our sin. 9 The Samaritan woman said And Jesus knows it. Of that life-giving stream. So this Samaritan woman at the well is loaded down with guilt and shame. This is exactly what happened to one marginalized woman from Samaria. In John 3:3435, John had just said, He whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. Her answer shows that they were on different wave lengths. John 4 reveals that almighty God possesses an unceasing desire for true worshipers. Nicodemus is a person of reputation. Here comes a woman with a water jar, come to draw some water from the well. She passed into eternity in Sept 2015 and is with our dear Jesus. (AQ) And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. Do the words had to in verse 4 only mean it was geographically shorter? Sound familiar? 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. So just maybe you might know some thirsty people in your life, in your town, who could use this living water that Jesus has so freely given to you. C. Mere religion cant empower us for service. WebAlthough Jesus was tired and thirsty, He was more focused on sharing His living water with her. A. And the only vessel available was hers. And the Assyrians then brought in other peoplesGentiles, non-Jewsto live in that area they had conquered. WebFred B. Craddock is professor of preaching and New Testament at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. But its useless unless it transforms you within. And it was considered inappropriate for a good pious rabbi to have a one-on-one conversation with a woman in public. 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. Required fields are marked *. Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. I see wonderful examples of this in Christians who cross these barriers to reach out to immigrants and homeless people all over our city. Now the Samaritans were a mixed-up bunchliterally. Far from it. . The Importance of Preparation in the Ministry of Preaching. In her joy and excitement, she went out and told others. The story of the Samaritan woman at the well plants us deeply into the mystery of salvationGods great love for sinners. 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. The Jews looked down on the half-breed, semi-pagan Samaritans and would not associate with them. And the woman knows it. . What you have just said is quite true., 19Sir, the woman said, I can see that you are a prophet. He makes us confront our sins not to condemn but to deliver us. Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. What was living water? This should have been strike three. But Jesus was not ashamed to be identified with her. Understandably she felt very uncomfortable at this point; and so shifted the direction of the conversation from her personal problems to worship. She answers, dodgingly, and says simply, I have no husband. But Jesus knows why this line of conversation makes her uncomfortable. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. Nicodemus was a possible seeker while the woman was a true worshiper . It was just another He had offered Himself to her as the One who could satisfy her souls thirst, the Messiah. The world needs deliverance from sin. Her More. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment. She was someone none of us would want to represent us. And he is seeking her through Jesus. 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! Jesus was very honest with her. This was intentional, because it would have the effect of breaking down the national identity of the people they had conquered, those who remained in the land. He revealed the invisible God, our heavenly Father to us in His words, attitudes and actions. The Jewish man, of course, is Jesus, a rabbi traveling with his disciples. 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. So Jesus is the God-sent, God-loved, God-speaking, Spirit-permeated, all-authoritative ruler of all things. Others have gone to help those who lost everything in Katrina and other disasters. She had two choices: faith or rejection. The southern kingdom became known as Judah, with the palace of the Davidic kings and the temple of the Lord remaining in Jerusalem. ), 9The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan(G) woman. The Samaritans also only accepted the first five books of the Hebrew Scripture, and rejected the rest. My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, work together for good. The truth about Jesus that I want us to focus on in verses 115 is: The repetition of grace three times is intentional. Cannot you hear her thinking: Would not it be wonderful to never have to come to the well again, never to run the risk of woman gossiping about her. You can also subscribe without commenting. The disciples went into the town to buy food, but Jesus sat alone by the well. 43After the two days(AN) he left for Galilee. Do we believe or reject Him when He warns us that the love of money is the root of every kind of evil? Why did that prompt Jesus to leave? The story of the Samaritan Woman in John 4 is among one of the most prominent, well-known, and preached stories in the Gospels throughout the centuries. So that was strike two against her. Jesus speaks the very words of God. She went in and brought back the town. A. And the phrase Im using to describe her, that is, The Samaritan Woman at the Well, this tells us why. But how did it all start? 4Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John(A) 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. Unable to see the glory of the only Son of God. This was the harvest ready to be gathered in. 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 You can also subscribe without commenting. So these were the Samaritans, a mixed-up people, both ethnically and religiously. Thats what this well scene means. Nicodemus was male, a Jew, educated, and He did not use soft soap to win her favor. In our day, in our crazy, decadent culture, this might not seem like such a big deal. In John 4 Jesus is seated at Jacobs well and a Samaritan woman comes along to draw water. 54This was the second sign(AU) Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. And now I live in Him. Why? 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. About the sixth hour: That would be, according to our reckoning, around noon. Will God accept me? He is author of. He is patient with our ignorance and blindness. The Samaritan woman does not disagree with Jesus, but she knows that it is going to take a miraculous work of God to make it so. She came there to draw water. (N) 20Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,(O) but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.(P), 21Woman, Jesus replied, believe me, a time is coming(Q) when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Everything is intentional. The reason Jesus left Judea, John says, is because he knew that the Pharisees knew something. 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 ). She was entirely literal. Encounters arent Seasonal or Geological. For we know this man Jesus, and we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world. . But Jesus went through Samaria because there was someone He had to see there. C. Just because encounters take place when we least expect them, doesnt mean they are coincidental or circumstantial. Notice how Jesus responded to her question. Yet Jesus accepted her. Were on a mission to change that. 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. Long story short, he dedicated his life to service to God and led many people to Christ. Just as we cannot live physically without H2O, we cannot live spiritually without God, who is the Source of living water. He is always doing thousands of things that we cannot see. 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. He asked for a drink. And whats more, Jesus accepted her even though she had led a sinful, immoral life. They are ripe for harvest. (R) 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know;(S) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. So I simply draw your attention first to the fact that Jesus is graciously purposeful in this story and always. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. And they also set up a couple of rival shrines, which God had not authorized. And my sons and daughters are superior they never die.. 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. And this same Jesus is here with us, right now, at this hour. And this woman at the well was one of them. No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord (John 10:18). And well find it out at the side of a well, where a Jewish man has come and meets The Samaritan Woman at the Well.. They just looked for this Messiah to be a teacher who would explain everything. Well, she did not know a lot, but this was one thing she did know. This man really is 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. He is infinitely wise, and everything he does relates to everything else that he does, sooner or later. Friendships are pretty sterile if all you do is talk about surface stuff. 2. He told his disciples He wanted them to be His friends and He showed what true friendship looked like. 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. Sermon: A Samaritan Womans Encounter with Jesus, Sermon Notes: Jesus appears to seven Disciples, Sermon: Great Lessons from Mary and Martha, Sermon: How to discern Gods Will? And one of the first things we experience in this bright light is that without him we are like four-year-olds trying to understand the meaning of marriage with all of its intimacies. Our heavenly Father is a seeking God. But usually our problem is to know how do to do it. The pagan influence would have a negative effect on the beliefs and practices of a people who were already off the beam, religiously. E.g. Notice what was most impressive to her about their conversation. This was essential. I know we can do this from fear of rejection. What does the Bible say about using pirated software? Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! He answers: 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. He accepted the Samaritan woman, in spite of her faulty theology that needed correction. Third, Jesus may have seen that the Pharisees would have simply discredited both movements, his and Johns because they were just splintered groups with no stable foundation. We can try to answer those questions if they are answerable, but do not let them get us off point. Living in sin? He sits in the light of day with a Samaritan Woman who has suffered the oppression of her male-dominated society and the schism promises about a Savior coming from the Jewish people were true. Editors Note: This article is the lightly edited manuscript for the accompanying audio message that Vickie delivered. Christ and the Samaritan Woman, by Bourdon Jesus has taken a boring and ordinary situation and has made it astonishing. We need to remember that encounters are heavenly appointments, although they look like random supernatural manifestations. 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). ) Why is that? But He is also our heavenly Father. Confronting her issues with the opposite sex was the turning point of the encounter. Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. You may be the one who built the fountains fifty years ago, or tried to shoot Jews last week in the Holocaust Museum in Washington, or you may be the ever-targeted Jewish person, or the one forced to drink from the other fountain but at this moment, in this text, God, in Jesus, means for you to feel graciously pursued. She was shacking up with a guy. Maam, I will give you living water! But, sir, you dont have a bucket. Thats us. 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. We must learn how to make friends, and be a true friend to them just as Jesus was. Her genuine interest in the topic of worship indicates she was very religious. Required fields are marked *. She went when she wouldnt have to deal with other people, when she wouldnt have to endure their stares and gossip, even if she had to go out there under the hot sun. An encounter with Jesus can also change our life. Third, he sat on the well to be fully conspicuous and unavoidable. So, are you thirsty? But, the way John tells us this raises some questions. . Can you imagine what her self image was. Nicodemus failed to understand but the Woman understood and proclaimed it to others. And here comes what ought to be strike three. 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). 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.. At a well, a place where people come to draw water. God gives him the Spirit immeasurably and always has. Just before He ascended to heaven, Jesus told his disciples, Go and make disciples of all nations. Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, he tells the woman. Now Jesus began to reveal who He was to her. (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. 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. The opening verses of this chapter havethe impression that the entire incident was circumstantial. They were religiously heretical. Do you know your need? Jesus accepts you. Not that he approved of their sin. Therefore, he was not merely responding. This is what Jesus does with this woman, using the metaphor of water, water to quench ones thirst. And they believed also. By the way, if you are reading this sermon online please feel free to leave your comments at the end. She doesnt taste it. And my water is superior. He offers her living water. But people want to know the real you. Salvation is from the Jews. We must show that we are interested in them, accepting them without demanding that they change first. And from his fullness we we proud, angry, critical, lustful, greedy, worldly, lazy, fearful, unrelational have all received, grace upon grace.. If you will drink if you will believe on me as your ever-satisfying treasure you will live forever.. That is exactly what he did when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Look at the impact this immoral woman had on her community. But Jesus did not lose patience with her. 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. A. 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. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. Blind. 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.) It started with Jesus truly reaching out in friendship to this outcast woman. So this is the well-known story of the Samaritan woman. And people have to trust us before they will trust the Savior we say we believe in. He tells us here, as he told them, that we all are to be working at gathering in a crop for eternal life. the Spirit came upon people to enable them to accomplish specific tasks, then He could leave. If sharing your faith is difficult for you, tell your heavenly Father that you want to be obedient, but you need His help. And with his divine insight, he lets her know that he knows: Jesus asks her to go call her husband. The disciples were as literal in their understanding as the woman was. But John had just said in John 3:35, The Father . You see, this woman had to trust Him before she could receive His gift. 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. That thirst we were all born with. My superiority is your salvation. Her lifestyle, however, indicates that she was spiritually dead. He constantly exposed himself to rejection, but He never let rejection change His confidence or His worth. Yes, he does! . Living water to her meant a fresh spring in contrast to a pool or cistern. He sat on the well. 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 Now as they were gathered by the well, Jesus turned their attention to the town on the hill. 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.
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