Coming to faith in Jesus is a process and the woman at the well experienced all the phases of that process. read more, Scripture: A Woman at a Well. How could she help but share the good news! Whether its a matter of conflict in the home, church, community, nation or the world, were called to be reconciled to God and each other, and theres only one way thats possible and thats in Christ. We need to realize the importance of this; this was obviously no small thing, or Jesus would not have brought it up here. He is always speaking and showing himself to us! Ive been dealing with pouring from and empty cup, complacency, temporary fulfillment, etc. He now reigns in the Church Triumphant; even so, I tip my hat to him, as I offer this sermon in his honor. Normally this would be done in the morning or evening so this act sets her apart. He confronts her sinfulness. The prisoner on the ground struggles to say, Tell me more about your Christianity. Let him be your healer and your guide. There is more than just life there is eternal life a relationship with God that He designed for you to have with Him, a new perspective on life, and a new purpose as you work for His kingdom here on earth and then all eternity in heaven enjoying Him. Im so happy you found this and it spoke to you! The Samaritan woman thought Jesus was talking about flowing water (river or stream). Jesus used the words living water to refer to eternal life, the gift that would satisfy her soul's desire: This living water was only available through him. read more, A sermon for the 3rd Sunday in Lent Series A Thank you, Thank you so much for your sharing this word. A skid row prostitute can become a child of God. from the well. The fact of the matter is that most people do not get married and divorce 5 different times. He got right to the point. In Jesus day, there was bitter hostility between Jews and Samaritans. Designed inside of us to keep us running back to the one who can fill us. (Now, honestly, some of us here today dont need this encouragement; you already think the world revolves around you and it doesnt! That is God himself. You worship . Your email address will not be published. Jesus had to go through Samaria (v. 4). (John 4:16-19), John assumes we know the background. The woman told the others what shed seen and heard and, because of her testimony, others accepted Jesus as the Christ. This is not about place! And that is precisely how a lot of people are with Jesus. Let him do the work. Verse 7 says she was a woman of Samaria. Picture # 4 in the series: The 14 Candid Snapshots of the Maturing Christian as found in the Gospel of John. Did the Jews and Samaritans ever reconcile their differences? Come back to him daily, for he is the living well, and He alone allows you to live well. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Creating a life well-lived is found in Christ alone. When you turn away from your sins, and turn back to God, that is called repentance. You must repent of your sins and turn back to God in order to have a real relationship with Him. She has had all these husbands and was now living with another man. How one woman's encounter with Jesus changed her whole community. I am enormously grateful.. John says, Jacobs well was there. First, he spoke to her despite the fact that she was a woman. They talk. (2020, November 7). Jesus had to go through Samaria because he had to show us where he abides. Between Samaritan and Jew there is a wall of separation no less than what in our time separates the Israeli from the Palestinian. Jesus answered 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 said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Jesus alone is the Living Water that fills our void. 2. This message is for you today: God does love you; He does care about YOU just like He did this outcast woman. If the Jews and Samaritans were to be reconciled, one would have to come over to the others place of worship. Thats why I relate so much to the women at the well. But the hour comes, and now is, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock? ( John 4:28-29 ). "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet." Jesus stayed two days, teaching the Samaritan people about the Kingdom of God. Encounter at Jacobs Well Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. It is the tale of a woman who went out on a normal day's activity - to get some water from the well and yet she found more than she ever expected. John 4:4-14, Denomination: She was ready for it or so she thought! In John 4:42 we read that many Samaritans came to Jesus and recognized Him as Savior of the world. What led to this great response of the Samaritans? (Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John, pp. Noon is the time of day when the sun is high overhead. I love diving into the Bible in this way. Mercy makes your burden your blessing. 226-27). To be so overwhelmed by her problems that she doesnt even try to understand them. A hole that seems to be easily masked in the longing for more of whatever earthly thing you believe will satisfy. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He spoke of "living water". This Samaritan woman, who found herself drinking at the well with the Savior of the world, frequented this well at this hour on purpose. Jesus shows us that here. That chair is not going to do anything for me until I go over and sit on it, and actually put my weight on it. Listen: Youll never know the joy of this abundant life Jesus promises until you experience him for yourself. There are many similarities between water and God's gift of salvation: 1. That is the same opportunity this woman had. The famous English preacher Charles Spurgeon, in a number of his messages, described saving faith as reclining in Jesus: putting your trust in Him to save you. You have sinned. It was because of their sins, that had separated them from a relationship with God and were sending them to hell. In the same way, perhaps you have thought that today would be just a normal church day but God may have something more in mind for you. 6. Its like the old camp song: Thats how it is with God love, once you experience it, Hymn Lists. I want to dive into John 4 because there is a lot to learn from the Samaritan woman. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. Many Jewish men would not even speak to their wives in public! He offers us all salvation, truth, filling, and a place to never thirst again. And in the filling, may you have the energy to go out and live your God-given design. It is the running around with other women that destroyed that mans relationship with his wife; he doesnt have a hope of fixing that relationship until he stops doing what destroyed it. To make their journey shorter, they take the quickest route, through Samaria. The human tendency is to judge others because of stereotypes, customs, or prejudices. It has meant a lot to me as well. Great article. (Genesis 29:7), Jesus was sitting at the well when the woman arrived. WHY in the world would Jesus say this?! Get filled, and may you never thirst again. I would recommend taking a look around at the site, including the about section where you can learn more about who we are and what our mission is. Then came the backlash, as Jews began persecuting Christians for their faith. When the Jews returned from exile in Babylon the Samaritans offered to help them rebuild their temple, but the offer was refused (Ezra 4:2-3). Hes here waiting for us to do the same. A place where you can come and get filled so you can go out and do and live your God-given purpose. She was a SAMARITAN. This means so much to me! "An Encounter with the Messiah" The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. Can this be? The gift of God is before you today! . (John 4:9-10). You cant just sweep your sins under the carpet and pretend that they never happened or worse yet, just keep on doing the same sins as if God doesnt care. It is not just believing intellectually. read more, Scripture: He confronts her sinfulness. This leads to the second point. Of course! They're very different of course: Nicodemus was a man, she was a woman; Nicodemus was a Jew, she was a Samaritan; he was a respected ruler, she Indeed he is the only way to a well-filled life. Here are four lessons we can learn from the woman at the well. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. Crack the surface open and allow him space to fill, which can only come with staying. 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. To call someoneespecially a fellow-Jewwas a great insult. Philip, one of the deacons, went to Samaria to preach the gospel. We dont want to take this for granted: the fact that Jesus took time for this woman was remarkable. He always knew how to get to the heart of the problem in a This woman went to the well looking to meet her 6th husband. YES! Can this be the Christ? (John 4:29), At this point theres a break in the story as Jesus confers with his disciples. A thousand sparks to inspire you and your congregation! Lysa Terkeurst, Beth Moore, Jenni Allen are all some great resources to learn from in the Christian space. One might have expected that the Jews would have appreciated the fact that the Samaritans worshiped the same God as they did. In Spite of who she is and what she has done. read more, Scripture: Jesus said, Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, Gerizim c. 400 B.C. One commentator reflected that this is a text The Salvation Of A Samaritan Sinner Isaiah 59:2 says of all of us: Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. As we saw last week, we were all born with a sin nature, and we have each have chosen to disobey God and you cant have eternal life until you face up to your sin and deal with it. But before she could have that opportunity, she had to face a problem first and some of you here today need to face up to the same thing: Jesus actually brought up the problem she faced, because He knew it was important: her sin separated her from the opportunity God had for her to receive eternal life. (John 4:6). God is not scared of you. Never forget God has a great purpose for your life! They thus cut themselves off from the riches in the Psalms, the Prophets, and other books. This is a woman who needs Jesus. JOHN 4:3 Jesus left Judea and departed again to Galilee. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Jesus had been preaching in Judea, and His ministry was proving to be even more successful than John the Baptists. Anglican. 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, Help your church understand God's plan in pain, Call your people to experience a higher freedom, Proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. (2 Corinthians 5:19) In order to do that, he first had to reconcile the Jews and the Samaritans. Who does work to bring us energy and put life in our bodies. I was drinking, I was partying, I was destroying myself. One day, an unexpected opportunity came for him: a Russian Baptist shared with him the story of Jesus, and God touched his heart. Jesus said in :10 If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink,, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.. Water is necessary for LIFE; so is salvation. There is a big difference in believing that chair COULD hold me, and actually letting it hold me. Some of you have been standing and looking at Jesus long enough, saying I believe He can save me long enough; it is time for you to actually recline in Him, and trust your salvation to Him. Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, He said he suddenly understood that nothing that he could do could make his righteousness any better, and nothing he could bad would make it any worse. Why werent they going there already? John 4 - Woman at the Well John 4:1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John John 4:2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), John 4:3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place The way its commonly told, the story goes like this: Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at Jacobs well and asks her for a drink of water. 6 Jacobs well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.. My life felt as if nothing was ever settled. Thank you for sharing this story in the way you have. John 4:4 And He had to pass through Samaria. Many more believed because of his word. [] 4 Lessons from The Woman At the Well In All Labor There is Profit []. The Woman at the Well : Christ Speaks to the Problem of a Guilty Past John 4:1-30 January 14, 2001 | Ray Pritchard Listen to this Sermon Two strangers met beside a well on a hot afternoon in Samaria. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Are you struggling with a lack of libido?
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