Solely Jesus
John 4:1-26
Hearts will be revealed
We started this series 8 weeks ago talking about - JDD - Jesus, Deficit, Disorder
Christians have made the Gospel about so many things – things other than Christ. Religious concepts, ideas, doctrines, strategies, methods, techniques, formulas, “Its” and “things” have all eclipsed the beauty, the glory, and the reality of the Lord Jesus Himself. Jesus Manifesto – Leonard Sweet
Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of western culture for almost twenty centuries. Jaroslav Pelikan
Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries. If it were possible, with some sort of super magnet, to pull up out of that history every scrap of metal bearing at least a trace of his name, how much would be left? Jarsolav Pelikan
As I teach about Jesus my goal is to help you see Jesus in a clearer way.
If you are a follower of Jesus - you'll know more clearly who Jesus is. That you'll see ...
If you are not a follower of Jesus - when you push him away you'll know who you are pushing away.
Look at John 4 – Woman at the well – part of the story this week – part of the story next week.
Before we jump into John 4 - The Woman at the Well I want to show you one other passage.
Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby's mother, "This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but He will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." (Luke 2:34-35 NLT)
What I hope that you are going to see is:
- How Jesus crossed every sort of cultural border to bring love and truth to an unlikely woman.
- How Jesus has the ability to go into the heart like no one else.
- Jesus' promise to satisfy the deepest longing in a person.
- Worship is a spirit to spirit activity
Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that He was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself didn't baptize them—His disciples did). So He left Judea and returned to Galilee. He had to go through Samaria on the way.
JB was incredibly popular with the everyday people.
So much so that Josephus, the 1st century historian, wrote that the people were ready to do anything that JB told him to do.
The animosity between JB and the Pharisees was now migrating towards Jesus.
Jesus wasn't ready to enter into the conflict with them yet.
Every time that Jesus went to Jerusalem he came into direct conflict with the Pharisees.
So Jesus left the area by the Jordan River and went back North to Galilee.
He had to go through Samaria.
This was the first cultural border that Jesus crossed
Samaria was the middle region. Galilee in the North, Samaria in the Middle, Judea in the South.
Very serious animosity bw Jews and Samaritans.
King of Assyria invaded N Israel - took Israelites captive and eventually the Jews ended up in captivity in Babylon.
He resettled Samaria with people from the other nations that he had taken captive.
Those settlers married and had children with the Jewish people. Eventually the inhabitants of Samaria were partial Jew - partial Gentile.
When the Jews returned to Israel from Babylon the full blooded Jews rejected the Samaritans.
Sanballat – a prominent man in the book of Nehemiah wanted to help build the Temple – when the Jews would not allow the Samaritans to help he attempted to stop the Jews from rebuilding the Temple
He built a Temple right by where Jesus stopped.
400 years before Jesus’ time.
Samaritans only read/kept the first 5 books of the Bible
They did not read/study/follow the prophets
They did not read/study/follow history or Proverbs or Psalms
All of their understanding and because of that their devotion was wrapped up in those 5 books.
Sometimes Jews would pass through Samaria.
Most of the time they passed it by going across the river South and the recross the river when the got closer to Jerusalem.
One of the other times that Jesus was passing through Samaria - the Samaritans confronted the disciples/Jesus in such a significant way
This is that event where the disciples asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven and destroy the village.
Eventually He came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give Me a drink.“
Jacob's Well was 100s of years old.
It was over 100 ft deep.
There are a number of facts that you need to understand for this story to come alive
The woman went out to the well – alone – in the middle of the day
Drawing water was one of the ‘chores’ that women did.
They would go to the wells at the end of the day – cooler – place for socializing
Catch up on the latest news, talk about the day
He was alone at the time because His disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are You asking me for a drink?" Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water.”
Talking to the woman that came to the well was the 2nd cultural border Jesus crossed.
Women did not interact with men in the way that Jesus interacted with this Samaritan woman
Men did not discuss ‘theological’ ideas with women
A Jewish rabbi would never had volunteered to carry on a public conversation with a woman
A Jewish rabbi would not have drank from a Samaritan's cup
The woman understood that …
It is interesting that the disciples go into Sychar to get food – Samaritan food
While Jesus sits by the well
Going into Sychar alone would have been an interesting event
Taking a kid into Lind’s
"But sir, You don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would You get this living water? And besides, do You think You're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can You offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water." "But sir, You don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would You get this living water? And besides, do You think You're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can You offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
If you only knew the gift God has for you …
That statement alone is something I could talk about for a long time …
IF you only knew the gift God has for you.
If YOU only knew the gift God has for you.
If you ONLY knew the gift
If you only KNEW the gift
If you only knew the GIFT
If you only knew the gift GOD has for you
If you only knew the gift God HAS for you
If you only knew the gift God has for YOU
Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." "Please, sir," the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to get water.”
Will never be thirsty again ... Shall never, ever, ever thirst
Thirst for love, acceptance, belonging, companionship, meaning
The human needs for love, food, sex, security, and approval, even when met, do not give complete satisfaction.
Attempts to find full satisfaction will lead only to disappointment and despair.
Jesus promises water of the Spirit … water that will satisfy the deepest longings of a person’s heart
"Go and get your husband," Jesus told her. "I don't have a husband," the woman replied. Jesus said, "You're right! You don't have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
This exchange reveals another cultural border that Jesus crossed
Talking to a woman who had been rejected and in her present relationship was living immorally
Jesus uses the woman’s situation to reveal even deeper issues in her heart.
Had 5 husbands … Only men were able to divorce a woman
She had been rejected by 5 men – 5 men had given her a certificate of divorce.
According to Deuteronomy – A woman could be divorced if her husband found her unpleasing
No one could marry her without that certificate of divorce
She had been rejected by 5 men …
But at least 5 men had been interested/involved enough to marry her.
The man she was living with was also at some level interested/involved with her.
Some have portrayed her as being ‘an immoral woman.’
She was presently living outside of marriage – Sin/Immoral
To make her out to be this incredibly immoral woman you have to read pretty hard to come to that conclusion.
She was definitely a rejected woman.
Whole idea that she went to the well in the middle of the day … when none of the other women were around … says something about her acceptance and status in the community.
"Sir," the woman said, "You must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?" Jesus replied, "Believe Me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
Sanballat had led the Samaritans to build a temple here at Mt.Gerizim where the Samaritans would worship. Jerusalem would no longer be their place of worship.
For the better part of 300 years the Samaritans worshipped/sacrificed/paid tithes/celebrated feasts at their temple right by where Jesus was talking to this woman.
About 100 years before Jesus’ birth the Jewish army/troops had invaded and destroyed the temple and the old city of Sychar.
They were led by John Hyrcanus – one of the Maccabean leaders
This made the conflict ever more fierce.
You Samaritans know very little about the One you worship, while we Jews know all about Him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it's here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.
The Samaritans worshipped
They just didn’t know a lot about the One they worshipped.
They were worshipping God as He revealed Himself in the first 5 books.
Their knowledge of him was incomplete
Jews – Know all about Him
Salvation comes through the Jews
But let’s not get sidetracked
From now on --- It doesn’t really matter where people worship.
It matters that they worship in spirit and truth.
For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming—the One who is called Christ. When He comes, He will explain everything to us." Then Jesus told her, "I AM the Messiah!"
(John 4:1-26 NLT)
Both the Jews and the Samaritans were convinced the correct way to worship God depended on a particular geographical location.
Spirit and Truth
Worship can't just be done in the flesh or in acts ... Worship is a thing of the Spirit
Spirit to Spirit
Worship - not music - all of life, everything a 'believer' does is done spirit to Spirit ... Not mind to mind, not work to work, spirit to Spirit.
Truth - knowing who you worship -- they were worshipping in ignorance
One of the lessons from this event is that people can't just worship - they have to worship the one who is true.
- Jesus crossed every sort of cultural border to bring love and truth to an unlikely woman.
- Jesus has the ability to go into the heart like no one else.
- The promise of Jesus to give ‘living water’ is there for people today.
- He promises to satisfy the deepest longing in a person.
- Worship is a spirit to spirit activity