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. 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. a spring of water welling up to eternal life.). He gives us what we so desperately need: acceptance, forgiveness, living water, eternal life. It points to the diversity among the early Christian communities, and it legitimizes the discipleship of women. Not that he approved of their sin. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a08faff52183c5466f175cd3c80d3b9b" );document.getElementById("f8470a62dd").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What does the Bible say about using pirated software? The Jews looked down on the half-breed, semi-pagan Samaritans and would not associate with them. Her genuine interest in the topic of worship indicates she was very religious. But how did it all start? She was shacking up with a guy. He wants to be our Friend as well as our Father. He offers her living water. Notice how He used her detour to enlighten her further. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.). Then, upon his death, his side is pierced, and out flows a sudden rush of blood and water. We must be authentic and vulnerable. . 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. The first type is individual transformation. The main relationship not the only one in this story is the relationship between Jesus and the woman at the well in Samaria. She answers, dodgingly, and says simply, I have no husband. But Jesus knows why this line of conversation makes her uncomfortable. John 4:5 Our Father loves us and proved it by sending his Son to be the Savior of the world. His acceptance of the woman did not mean ignoring her sins. Just like Nicodemus! He means to have her in heaven. The well that Jacob had dug 2000 years before was still supplying water. 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 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. On the other hand, we do not want to dump the whole truck load at our first encounter. So this woman had a load of sin and guilt as she stood there before God. Samaritans expected a Prophet like Moses to come. Wellno pun intendedwell, this woman has three strikes against her that should have kept a man like Jesus from talking to her. 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. [a]), 10Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.(H), 11Sir, the woman said, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Jesus accepted the Samaritan woman. Jesus said: I have new birth for you (living water), and he said, Where is a womans womb big enough for me to crawl into? She says, You have living water for me (new birth); wheres your bucket? This is a picture of us. So it is for us. Worship would not be in man made temples or churches, but in the inner sanctuaries of peoples hearts. Sure, there is a risk involved. That is why we sin. 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. He is author of. Jesus accepted the woman even though she was a Samaritan whose racial heritage was mixed. He sat on the well. A time is coming and now has come(NIV). Isa 44:3; 55:1; Jer 2:13; 17:13; Zec 14:8; Jn 7:37, 38; Rev 7:17; 21:6; 22:1, 17, Da 4:2, 3; S Jn 2:11; Ac 2:43; 14:3; Ro 15:19; 2Co 12:12; Heb 2:4, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Galatians, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow Gods Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture, NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People. A stream of people was already coming down. There was one fountain in Sychar. And whats more, Jesus accepted her even though she had led a sinful, immoral life. A. It was just another So we must wait. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. He is always doing thousands of things that we cannot see. Adultery? Read John 4:7-8 A. 43After the two days(AN) he left for Galilee. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Were on a mission to change that. Nothing material or earthly can satisfy the thirst of our spirits. Even though you belong to a church that teaches the gospel in its truth and purity, perhaps some of your personal religious beliefs and practices need some correction and strengthening. When this Jewish man asks her for a drink, she says, How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? And our text adds to explain, For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans., Now this Samaritan woman is down in the count, 0-2. 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. 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. He had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover and the religious leaders were beginning to ask questions about him. Her More. A. 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. First of all, she was a woman. You have thirst. C. The fact that encounters can get very uncomfortable sometimes because they convict us of our own sinfulness and our need for a savior. Required fields are marked *. I heard the voice of Jesus say, 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). Those are really the only two options anyone has and as we befriend people and witness for Christ, we must make this clear. So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come (John 7:30; 2:4; 8:20). 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. You know, our Lord has an ample, never-ending supply of this living water to give. This is what I mean by being graciously relational. She had a wrong understanding and wrong motives. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Whether you have one, two, or three strikes against you, Jesus wants to talk to you today, just like he talked to the Samaritan woman at the well. The world needs a greater deliverance than that from political or economic oppression. And what difference does that make? They hated the Samaritans, they considered them to be racial and religious half breeds. 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. The first step towards recognition of a need for salvation is for a person to acknowledge that she is a sinner. But Jesus did. Yes, the Samaritan woman at the well was an immoral woman, sexually immoral, ostracized from her community, loaded down with shame and guilt. Willful violation of Gods institution of marriage is definitely a sin, and always will be, no matter what our culture may say at the moment. Thats what well find out this morning as we consider the case of The Samaritan Woman: A Well-Known Story.. I know we can do this from fear of rejection. He revealed himself to her because she needed what He had to offer, and He accepted her as she was. 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 transformation of the Samaritan woman. This man really is the Savior of the world. I think we often give priority to activities, schedules and programs. ) Why is that? 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 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. Maam, I will give you living water! But, sir, you dont have a bucket. Thats us. Jesus had given them a world view. He did this by being attentive about what (T) 23Yet a time is coming and has now come(U) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit(V) and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. You are right when you say you have no husband. If sharing your faith is difficult for you, tell your heavenly Father that you want to be obedient, but you need His help. And yet Jesus engages her in conversation. The Samaritan is the hero of that story. Jesus does not urge the Samaritan woman at the well to repent or change her behavior. (John 15:13, NIV). 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. It was about noon. Nicodemus was male, a Jew, educated, and He tells us here, as he told them, that we all are to be working at gathering in a crop for eternal life. So I simply draw your attention first to the fact that Jesus is graciously purposeful in this story and always. He used terms that had deep spiritual significance. 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.) 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. Sitting here by the well, Jesus was tired and thirsty at about the sixth hour. They marveled that he was talking with a woman. So that was strike one against Jesus having a conversation with her: She was a woman. Now Jesus began to reveal who He was to her. What was the gift? Blind. So these were the Samaritans, a mixed-up people, both ethnically and religiously. 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. This was the harvest ready to be gathered in. We are learning that Jesus Christ was God living here in a human body, fully God and fully man. Samaritans worshiped ignorantly. B. B.) Third, he sat on the well to be fully conspicuous and unavoidable. Well, she did not know a lot, but this was one thing she did know. It just wasnt done. As Jesus looked at this woman he saw a Samaritan, a woman, a sinner one who needed to hear the gospel one who the Father was seeking. In our day, in our crazy, decadent culture, this might not seem like such a big deal. And she had had five marriages before that, all of which apparently had failed. And the time was not yet. So lets begin with the transition between chapters 3 and 4. Just before He ascended to heaven, Jesus told his disciples, Go and make disciples of all nations. This man Jesus gave the Samaritan woman the gift of God: acceptance, forgiveness for her sins, living water, and eternal life. WebJesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman. The people of those northern tribes were dispersed, scattered around the Mediterranean world. Like you didnt belong? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norn 2023 The Virtual Preacher. But in most cultures, for most of human history, these things were looked down upon as shameful. Jesus was very honest with her. Notice what was most impressive to her about their conversation. The disciples attitude towards women reflected that of the culture, but Jesus never obeyed the traditions of men that violated Gods value system and they did not dare to question him. WebJesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Do we let social, racial or religious barriers keep us from befriending people who need to know the Lord Jesus and who could enrich our lives and broaden our understanding of the love of God for all people. Jesus asks her for a drink and engages her in conversation. 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! I want to share with you five truths about encounters I learned from this passage. . (R) 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know;(S) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. The southern kingdom became known as Judah, with the palace of the Davidic kings and the temple of the Lord remaining in Jerusalem. This water gives eternal life (verse 14: . 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. Far from it. This should He fills the universe and is everywhere present. The second type is the transformation of the community. She was either widowed or divorced 5 times. You Will Never Be Thirsty Again (Excerpt), John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. (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. The road ran through a valley and the town was up on a hill. We named four possible purposes for why Jesus left Judea and headed for Galilee. She went in and brought back the town. E. An encounter is a glorious experience. But He is also our heavenly Father. Nicodemus failed to understand but the Woman understood and proclaimed it to others. 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. But she doesnt see it. Nicodemus was a possible seeker while the woman was a true worshiper . WebAlthough Jesus was tired and thirsty, He was more focused on sharing His living water with her. . You can also subscribe without commenting. But people must come first. My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, 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. Then take heart. And so the Samaritans had gotten off track from the accepted norm. Encounter at Jacobs Well John 4 In As our text says: Just then his disciples came back. You obviously are a prophet sent from God, so you must know. But Jesus doesnt send her to either place. Do we believe or reject Him when He promises to guide us concerning our future? He initiates relationships, He knew all about her life. 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. Jesus stayed with these Samaritans for 2 more days at their request. Related Topics: Christology, Evangelism, Soteriology (Salvation), Women, Mrs. Vickie Kraft, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, served as Minister to Women at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas for over 13 years. Jesus never expressed approval of the faulty teachings of the Samaritans. 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 This living water Jesus gives, he gives free of charge. She passed into eternity in Sept 2015 and is with our dear Jesus. Five previous husbands, and now shes shacking up with a guy. First, he went through Samaria. C. Mere religion cant empower us for service. He did not compromise the truth to win her favor. And he had to pass through Samaria. 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. To drink is another way of saying, to believe.. Sermon Series: How to discern Gods will. 2. They were religiously heretical. It is eternal, everlasting life, life that overcomes even death itself. 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. Do we believe or reject Him when He tells us that knowing, memorizing and obeying his word will keep us from sin? We need to remember that encounters are heavenly appointments, although they look like random supernatural manifestations. Jesus in His humanity was descended from Abraham, the father of the Jews. Not that they favored Jesus, but this would have been a good way to show that John was just a passing religious fad. Do you think he is greater? 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. The Samaritan woman didnt meet Jesus on a Shabbat or in a building dedicated to carrying out religious activities. Therefore, he was not merely responding. What do you tell the children when they ask why? 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. New International Version (NIV). You cant be asking me to use the same bucket. 9 The Samaritan woman said She knew it, and Jesus knew it. Healing Water original sound - Glasford UMC. God is Spirit and seeks people who worship Him in spirit and in truth. She senses some kind of claim to superiority here. But the man she meets there, Jesus, has something even better to give her. He did not have to go through Samaria. And with his divine insight, he lets her know that he knows: Jesus asks her to go call her husband.

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