THE SAMARITIAN WOMAN AT THE WELL

1. JESUS COMES TO A WELL IN SYCHAR OF SAMARIA.

John 4:5-7 ⁵ So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.  ⁷ A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. (NKJV)

2. THE JEWS IN JESUS’ TIME, DESPISED THE SAMARITANS.

·        When the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (722 BC), they exiled almost all the Jewish population, removing them from the land. All those left behind were the lowest classes of society.

·        These intermarried with other non-Jewish peoples who came into the region, and the Samaritans emerged as an ethnic and religious group.

·        The Jews in Jesus’ time despised the Samaritans, disliking them even more than Gentiles – because they were, religiously speaking, “half-breeds” with a mixed faith. 

3. JESUS SPEAKS WITH A SAMARITAN WOMAN.

John 4:7-9  ⁷ A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. (NKJV)

APPLICATION: (i) By tradition, a rabbi would not speak with a woman in public. It was also very unusual for a Jewish person of that time to ask a favour or accept a drink from a Samaritan’s cup.  (ii) Jesus showed that the way to gain a soul is often to ask a service of that person.”

John 4:9 ⁹ Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 

APPLICATION:

·        (i)  For many reasons, this woman would have been despised by most of the religious leaders in the days of Jesus. She was a woman, a Samaritan, and a woman of questionable reputation. 

·        (ii) The woman was impressed by the friendliness of Jesus. It was unusual for her to hear a kind greeting from a Jewish man.

·        (iii) WE, OURSELVES NEED TO SHOW KINDNESS TO THE POOR & DISPISED.

4. JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT LIVING WATER.

John 4: 10-¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “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.” 

WHAT IS THE LIVING WATER?

·  (i) JESUS IS THE LIFE GIVING “LIVING WATER” Revelation 22:1-2: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.

·        Living Water and Living Worship – Living waters will come when there is Living Worship!  Living water is in His Hand and Living worship is in your hand.

·        John 4:10-11 “If you knew the gift of God ……. He would have given you Living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing (the woman was looking  to His Hand) to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?” Jesus could have satisfy her with the well waters but He satisfies her with Living Waters. God satisfies while He supplies the Living Water.

·        (ii) This living water is the spiritual fulfillment and eternal life that Jesus provides to those who believe in him.

·        (iii) Just as water is essential for physical life, Jesus is the essential source of spiritual life for those who trust in him. 

APPLICATION:

(i) Everyone needs to drink water regardless of our condition.

(a) A man’s face may be unwashed, but yet he can drink; he may be a very unworthy character, yet he can drink.

(b) To drink is to receive - to take in the refreshing faith in the Word of God. (Spurgeon)

       (ii) Drinking deeply from the well of living water is a daily practice, continually drawing from the well that never runs dry and never  thirst again as we drink from Jesus a fountain of water will spring out from our inner man.

John 4:13-14  Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (NKJV)

 

APPLICATION: THE BLESSINGS AND PROMISES FOR THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE LIVING WATER:  We

(i)   Receive eternal life & escape the final judgment

(ii)  Become the children of God

(iii) Can boldly come directly to God in prayer (Hebrews 4:16)

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!

 

 

TRUE WORSHIPPERS TODAY

 

B. The Samaritan’s Concept of Worship  (continuation from Jesus and Samaritan woman)

1. The Act of Worship – Nine times the verb, once the noun – from “Proskuneo” means “I kiss the hand toward” – John 4:20-24

2. The Object of Worship – the Father – John 4:21, 23

3. The Place of Worship – “neither in Jerusalem” nor in this mountain (Gerizim) – John 4:21

4. The Offerers of Worship – “the true worshippers” whom the Father seeks – John 4:23

5. The Manner of Worship – “in spirit and in truth” – John 4:23

1. The Act of Worship

John 4:20 “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

The noun worship from Greek “proskuneo” means “I kiss the hand toward” In ancient Greek culture, proskuneo referred to showing devotion and reverence to God in worship.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. KJV

Nine times the verb, once the noun – from “Proskuneo” means “I kiss the hand toward” – John 4:20-24  

2. The Object of Worship – the Father & Jesus – John 4:21, 23

Vs. 21 “You worship what you do not know”: The Samaritans believed that Moses commissioned an altar on Mount Gerazim, the mountain of blessing – this was their justification of their system of worship on that mountain.

Now worship is about the Father who is a spirit not in this or that mountains anymore. We also worship Jesus.

The focus of worship is the Our Father in heaven hallow be thy Name.

3. The Place of Worship – “neither in Jerusalem” nor in this mountain (Gerizim) – John 4:21

Jesus pointed her to a time when worship would no longer be focused on places (neither Jerusalem nor Mount Gerazim). The greater work of Jesus would bring a greater, more spiritual worship. (Alford)

Rev. 7:9,10 – “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ESV

4. The Offer’s of Worship – “the true worshippers” whom the Father seeks – John 4:23

GOD LOVES TRUE WORSHIPERS

Why?  This is because true worshipers worships. And God’s meat is Worship. God consumes Worship. God wants quality worship. God is seeking such to worship Him John 4:23. Do you know what God eats when He’s hungry?  Worship!

Application: God says to His churches “Don’t leave your first love? Worship!  God wants to eat here and feeds us every worship. God is not looking for cold worship and heart harden worship lifestyle.

God seeks True Worship – God wants from us more than anything else is our worship. When someone receives Christ in the church, rather than teaching the new convert how to worship, the first thing we teach him is how to work. We ask him to serve the church. We spend time training him to be a worker rather than to be a worshipper. God wants us is our worship first not our service.

And God is seeking true worshippers! There are false worshippers and true worshippers even in church.

5. The Manner of Worship – “in spirit and in truth” – John 4:23

“But the time is coming indeed here and now that..”

Application:

Let’s worship together in spirit and truth, and then let that be the commentary on our lives every day, every moment that we are following the leadership of the Spirit as we cling to the truth of his word and as we proclaim the truth of his word and the power of his spirit. (David Platt)

Worship is far more than singing. It is giving glory and honour to Jesus with our whole lives. When we incorporate intentional worship into our lives - this means our lives should be given to worshipping Jesus in our spirit!  (Katie Stone)

Challenge:

Just worship Him for worship is the key that opens the door to His supernatural supply and divine intervention.  Just worship Him for a few hours daily, really lose yourself and be overwhelmed completely in Him; just worship Him until the frustration, disappointment and depression is no more, making way for His rivers of Joy to flow out of your innermost being, and when you get up, you’ll find your miracle waiting at the door!

WORSHIP HIM AS YOUR MIRACLE-WORKER!

WORSHIP HIM AS YOUR DIVINE HEALER!

WORSHIP HIM AS YOUR DIVINE MATCHMAKER!

WORSHIP HIM AS YOUR SUPERNATURAL DELIVERER!

WORSHIP HIM AS YOUR ANOINTED KING!

WORSHIP HIM AS YOUR DEBT-BUSTER!

WORSHIP JESUS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH!

JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

 

As we look at the story of the Samaritan woman, we see a woman who is weary. She's tired. She's been carrying the weight of her past, the weight of her sins. She's been carrying the weight of the world. And she's thirsty. Not just for water, but for something more, something that can quench her deepest thirst and something that can give her rest.

And then she meets Jesus. And everything changes. Because Jesus doesn't see her as the world sees her. He doesn't see her as a sinner. He doesn't see her as a Samaritan. He doesn't see her as a woman. He sees her as a child of God. He sees her as someone who is worthy of love, worthy of grace, worthy of salvation.

The Woman of Samaria

A. The Samaritan’s woman salvation and witness:

1. Conversation commenced – “give me to drink” – John 4:7

2. Confidence gained – “Sir, give me this water” – John 4:15

3. Conscience reached – “he whom thou now hast is not thy husband’ – John 4:18, 19

4. Conversion experienced – “”I know that Messiah cometh”; “I speak unto am He” – John 4:25,26

5. Change manifested – “Come, see a Man – Is not this the Christ?” – John 4:29   (all KJV)

 

A. The Samaritan’s woman salvation and witness:

 1. Conversation commenced – “give me to drink” – John 4:7 KJV

Jesus is a thirsty Traveller and the woman is one who has frequent journeys from her home to get the indispensable supply for every day's needs.

And Jesus started a conversation by asking for water.  This was because Jews and Samaritan have no fellowship and they are considered an outcast in society.

How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? Immediately, the woman was impressed by the friendliness of Jesus. It was unusual for her to hear a kind greeting from a Jewish man, for generally speaking, Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. (Enduring Word)

2. Confidence gained – “Sir, give me this water” – John 4:15

Jesus declares - “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” – John 4:14  KJV

Jesus was telling the Samaritan woman to drink only from Him. But the woman was looking to Jacob's well. I believe Jacob's well represents our own effort or works instead of God's grace effortlessly. This well also representing the Law which cannot save and satisfies us.

3. Conscience reached – “he whom thou now hast is not thy husband’ – John 4:18,19

Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” NIV

Jesus said, “Perhaps, call your husband and bring him here. He might be able to help you understand. No, not really. Jesus didn't appeal to her intellect, but to her conscience.” (Biblical Hermeneutics)

She didn't need more husbands. Jesus opened her conscience so that she could see her need for eternal living water. She was searching for something that could not satisfy her. (Husband after husband) That's the one True Husband that she would ever need.

There are 18 bible verses “God is our Husband”

“For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called “ - Isaiah 54:5 ESV

4. Conversion experienced – “”I know that Messiah cometh”; “I speak unto am He” – John 4:25,26  KJV

The Proclamation of Jesus is the Messiah

Commentary: Merrill Tenney shows, “Jesus affirmed His Messiah-ship when He told the Samaritan woman, “I who speak to you am He.” When she announced to the town her belief, they listened to Him, and then believed, saying, ‘Now we know; this is the Savior of the world.’ Their equation of Messiah and Savior indicates their estimate of Him was theological, not political.”

5. Change manifested – “Come, see a Man – Is not this the Christ?” – John 4:29

The Samaritan woman was so impressed by the love of Jesus that she now sought out her fellow villagers, even when they had treated her as an outcast before.  “If she had avoided the company of her fellow-citizens before, she was a changed woman now; she must seek them out and share her news with them.” (Bruce)

Application: You may have a wrong past and a failure lifestyle but you can be changed by Jesus in one day. Jesus did not condemn her but show her the way, truth and the life. As she told her story and the Man Jesus many people of her city of Sychar (where Jacob’s well was) came and believed in Jesus.