8.20.17 ~ John 4:1-42, A Samaritan Woman Receives Living Water: Part One.

Bible Text: John 4:1-42 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: John

From a self-righteous Pharisee in Chapter 3 to a self-professed adulterous Samaritan woman in Chapter 4. What a contrast: Nicodemus, a wealthy Jewish religious leader of the highest social class, recognized Jesus. The woman, a poor Samaritan woman of the lowest social class, didn’t have a clue as to who Jesus was.

In the narratives about Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, the Lord evangelizes from one extreme to the other, knowing what was in their hearts. And although the woman wasn’t a scholar like Nicodemus, she seemed ready to receive “the Messiah” as Savior and Lord.

Jesus moves from asking her for a drink in verse 7, to revealing Himself as the Messiah in verse 26. Jesus controls the conversation, not allowing her to change the subject or remain unaware of her deep spiritual need. He stays on track!

Think about conversations you’ve had with unbelievers, how they like to change the subject or focus on something else, whenever you bring up spiritual truth or the topics of heaven or hell.

If you aren’t having any of those conversations, you need to start having them; for Jesus says (Matthew 5:13), “ You are the salt of the earth,” (Matthew 5:14), “You are the light of the world.” We are here to bring the truth of God’s Word into every situation and conversation so that others might see the light of Christ in us and acknowledge their need to be forgiven their sins that they might receive salvation through Christ.

You are commanded (Matthew 22:37-40), to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”… And to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Not one or there other, but both; if we truly love God we will also love others. Jesus says there is no greater commandment than that.

Our obedience to this command is declared in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore [going] make disciples of all nations.” For you see, if we have received forgiveness and eternal life from God, it will show in our life as we obey God’s Word and reach out to love our neighbor [anyone who is in need – the greatest need is salvation]. Read John 4:1-6… Jesus leaves Judea and heads for Galilee, through Samaria, where He stops at Sychar (about 30 miles north of Jerusalem). Jesus is tired (v. 6), and about noon, He sits down by a well, Jacob’s well.
Note: Jacob (father of the twelve tribes of Israel) had purchased a section of land from the son’s of Hamor (Genesis 33:18-20), on which a well, at the place of a spring, was dug.

Read John 4:7-15… The disciples had gone into town to get some food, but Jesus remained at the well, where He asks this woman for a drink, catching the woman off guard (v. 9)! In those days, Jews did not associate with, let alone talk to Samaritans, as they considered them to be half-breeds, unclean and despised. The reason being, the ancient Jews had intermarried with people from Mesopotamia and Syria, even adopting some of their pagan religious practices.

Any orthodox Jew, especially a Rabbi [teacher], would despise Samaritans, but not Jesus; instead of responding to her concern, He speaks to her as if she is the one in need of a drink, a drink (v. 10) from His living water; no doubt, they only thing that will quench her dry soul.

She, in verses 11-12, is clearly thinking of literal water, but Jesus is patient and compassionate toward her need, and so He explains to her, in verses 13-14, that He is offering a kind of water that is out of this world, for it alone provides eternal life.

Look at John 4:15 again, notice, she is still confused! Evidently she is not ready for the ‘living water,’ and it will become clear in the next set of verses that she must first acknowledge her spiritual need and Christ’s ability to satisfy that need, before He will entrust His ‘living water’ to her.
Read John 4:16-20… Jesus gently confronts her sinful lifestyle, asking her about her husband; and she replies, in verse 17, somewhat truthfully [at least lawfully]. She didn’t really lie, but she didn’t tell the whole truth either; but Jesus knows what is in her heart and He reveals it to her, in verse 18, very compassionately.

And of course, none of you ever do that, right? Tell only a partial truth, or perhaps leave certain things out of your answer?

I can’t get over how patient and compassionate Jesus is with this woman; I mean, if you have to be caught in your sin(s), you want Jesus to be the One to point you to the straight and narrow.
Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The woman didn’t retort, “how dare you,” nor did she come up with some justification of her situation; but you can almost hear her saying, in verse 19, ”You are right!” “That’s me!” “What You said is true!” Jesus’ revealing the truth about her lifestyle becomes uncomfortable, so she basically says, “let’s not talk about me, let’s talk about religion.” And so, in verse 20, she asks a spiritual question in order to divert the Lord away from further revealing her sin.
See John 4:21-24… Jesus masterfully cuts through to the heart issue, declaring that it really doesn’t matter WHERE we worship… What is important is WHEN,

WHO, and HOW we worship! We are to worship now! We are to worship Him! And we are to worship spiritually!

Notice, in verses 23-24, Jesus tells her she is to worship the Father in Spirit (through the inner person).
Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Our spiritual worship includes what we think and do.
Read John 4:25-26… This woman is still confused about Jesus, but she is aware that the Messiah is foretold, and He will be coming; and when He does come, He will explain everything to her and her people.

She came to get water, but instead, she had her sins exposed and is challenged to become a ‘true worshiper’ of the living God, in both Spirit [being born from above, John 1:12-13; 3:6-7] and in truth [God’s Word, Ephesians 1:13; John 17:17].

She desires someone to make sense out of her confusion and lack of understanding, to which Jesus proclaims, “I am He! I am the One who was to come, it is I, Myself, right here before you.”

Christ revealed the Samaritan woman’s sinful heart and disclosed Himself to her as the Messiah. Next week we’ll look at how she demonstrates saving faith in Christ as Lord and Savior.

God turns no one away, as Peter declares (Acts 2:21), “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” (10:34-35), “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.”
1Timothy 2:3-4, “God our Savior [who] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

2Peter 3:9, “The Lord… …is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Pastor Mike <‘(((><