Jesus God’s gift; living-water
JOHN 4:5-10
5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy some food.) 9 Now the Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus 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.”
Let us pray
Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ be multiplied unto you all…Amen!
1) Why did Jesus ask the woman for water?
Water! one cannot live without water. In fact, thinking about it; water is an essential mineral to the human body. I was thought in the gym; that when you’re working out, you have to make sure you drink lots and lots of water.
Though one can stay days and days, even weeks without food; but you can’t live without water.
This morning, I want to tell you about a story of a well of water that runs deep. The well is deep enough to take care of all our needs and more. We surely need that supply of water: thanks be to God that Jesus our Lord and Savior takes care of this water, which runs so deep that it takes care of our spiritual needs too…. Jesus God’s gift to the world is a living-water.
Friends: In the abundance of this life-giving water; why should our souls dehydrate…. Well! that is just a hypothetical question!
Today my story starts at Jacob’s Well in Samaria well over 2,000 years ago.
A woman woke up in the morning and feared doing her daily chores, but she had no other choice than to do it; because the jars of water are empty and they need to be filled.
2) Pastor, why do you say this woman feared to do her chores in the morning?
She feared because of one particular thing; her fears was not that the task was a hard thing to do, No!;
She just didn’t want to face any embarrassment:
3) Another point you said she didn’t want to face embarrassment?
Facts of the matter was that she had to go to the well, at a certain time of the day because of her reputation.
4) Really
Yes; this Samaritan woman could not go to the well in the morning or in the evening; because in the mornings and in the evenings were times when everyone went to the well.
Definitely this woman had tried the mornings and evenings before but every time she tried to go at those times she runs into people who were having wonderful conversations; laughing and talking together.
5) And what does that got to do with her?
When she gets there, the laughter dies down, and the gossips would start and everyone knew she didn’t belong…The fact is this woman was of a shady character.
6) Shady character?
Yes! (she was a prostitute) and She had been to the well before… and She had experienced all those embarrassments before and she had had enough of it. Now, because she needed the water just like everybody else, she went in the afternoon when she believed no one else would be there.
Fortunately or unfortunately for this woman on that day; things were different.
7) Why were things different?
Amazingly she had the same problems, the same challenges, but on this particular day, the different thing was that; Someone has determined to meet her at the well… in-spite of the state in which she was: someone scheduled to meet her and the purpose of the meeting was neither to pester, nor to despise her; the purpose was to meet her and to bless her…
8) Oh ok! how wonderful, if I may ask who scheduled the meeting?
You are right; it was so wonderful on that faithful day and time, that no other person but Jesus (the Savior of the world) Himself decided to meet this Samaritan woman at the well… Jesus God’s gift to the world is a living-water.
9) I believe Jesus is-all-knowing… but did this woman know Jesus before?
No, not at all: The very reasons why she had a problem with Jesus asking her for water! because she knew Jews and Samaritans, don’t get along.
10) Pastor, I think I should have asked this question earlier…why is she referred to as a Samaritan, can you expatiate that?
That is a brilliant question… in fact, the Samaritans were people who had Jewish heritage but they intermarried to other people who didn’t really believe in Yahweh and they had corrupted their heritage from a Jewish point of view.
To explain further…under the leadership of Moses God instructed the Israelites to kill all the people in the promised land (Numbers 33:52 and Deutronomy13:15), yet under the leadership of Joshua (Joshua 9:24) they didn’t destroy them rather intermarried them… such people and their descendants were treated as Samaritans.
As a matter of fact; a God-fearing Jew will never pass through a Samaritan town…. He would rather travel around the town but to enter no!
The reason I said that day in the life of the Samaritan woman was different, is because; it was Jesus who had determined to meet her that day… Jesus God’s gift to the world is a living-water.
- In fact, critically looking at the text, it is like Jesus wasn’t merely passing by and said, “Ah, let’s go through Samaria…
- No! it is evidently clear that Jesus actually determined,
- Jesus deliberately chose and directed that we are going to do things differently this time.
- We are going to this particular well.
- “I have an appointment with somebody there today.”
- So, this woman hiding from her public-shame unknowingly came to the well only to be greeted by Jesus.
12) Pastor, before you continue, let me enquire …. Do we find ourselves in this woman’s shoes?
- Yes! This woman had to live with her embarrassment, publicly.
- Can you understand what she was feeling?
- Have you ever felt some of these things in your own life too?
- Certainly, most of us have some of those same feelings in our hearts and we have tried to cover them up.
- We don’t want anybody to know about them, am I not right.
- Well if you won’t admit it publicly, admit it privately in your own heart.
Surely, we all need Jesus’ fulfilling blessing…. Halleluiah!
13) Amen!
14) So what message do you have for our listeners?
My cherished listeners: as you are listening to me this morning …
- By faith come along with this Samaritan woman to the Jacob’s well;
- Because she is a woman who was, looking for good and purposeful things in life, but she looked for them in all the wrong places, just like we all do.
- She looked in relationships that went bad;
- Are you looking for money, success,
- Are you struggling with alcohol, drugs, selfishness, pride;
- This Samaritan probably looked in some of the places like you and I have looked and all went bad!. …
15) Pastor, if all things have failed us… what shall we do then?
- Don’t let your hearts be troubled and overwhelmed…
I’ve got good news for you… the News is Jesus!
Jesus is waiting for you at Jacob’s well right now.
Just as Jesus waited patiently and purposefully for the woman that day,
So is He waiting for you and me; no matter who you are,
no matter what you’ve done,
no matter how good or bad you feel, no matter how many times you have failed.
Jesus is waiting and knocking at the door of your heart with His word….
16) Pastor what is the summary of the text
Understanding the text correctly, Jesus makes appointment always to meet people like you… yes to meet people like me, chief of all sinners we are!
17) Pastor, can you be more specific?
My dear listener: To be more specific as ….. Nii has suggested:
Hear me very well, that: Jesus already knows who you are.
He knows exactly what each and every one of us is.
18) It is becoming scaring Jesus knows who I am?
Yes, I tell you; trust that Jesus has made an appointment to be with you today, I mean right now…
Jesus is waiting with new possibilities for your life…
He is there to bless you!…
Jesus God’s gift to the world is a living-water.
19) Halleluiah… Halleluiah
Do you know? Jesus said something incredible, and here it comes,
He told her, “If you drink from this well, you will be thirsty again.
However, if you drink of the water that I offer you, you will never thirst again. It will spring up like a well of living water welling up to eternal life.”
20) What does that mean, please?
Now how would you have answered if Jesus said something like that to you? You would say I will Drink this water, right?
Or will you, say Give me this water?
21) What did the woman say?
Well, she was basically saying, “Jesus, I like what you’re talking about but let me see if I can accept it according to my understanding.
Let me see if I can receive it just to get rid of the issues I think are important to get rid of in my life.”
Well, Jesus actually comes back at her even harder saying,
“Listen, I know who you are.
I know why you are here at this time.
I know your sins and everything.”
And Jesus told it to her straight.
And then said, “Now do you want My water?”
22) Wow-what a drama, so what did she do then?
Now what she did next was to think?
She give Jesus a theological question.
23) What do you mean by theological question?
What she is saying is basically this:
- “I really don’t want to go there with you, Lord.
- I’m not sure what You mean but I think I like your opinion.
- So let me give You a question about the Jews and their worship and all that.”
Jesus cuts through the statement and was specific. Saying: “I’m here to ask you, will you put your faith in Me no matter what?” I am Jesus God’s gift to the world…the living-water.
Ahh! She then gets the point. She finally said, “Okay, I get it.
I know the Messiah is coming and I know that when He comes, He will explain all these things to us.”
Jesus said “The One Who is speaking to you right now; I am He.
I am the One and I came for you.”
I am God’s gift to the world, a living-water.
24) Wow, this woman’s eyes were opened.
Thanks be to God She eventually realized she could trust Jesus.
She could entrust her life to Him.
This woman is no longer embarrassed but she could be herself and rejoice in the presence of Jesus.
She entrusted Jesus and spoke the truth because she knew Jesus cared.
25) This story is really interesting
Indeed it is … in summary: The Samaritan woman reminded us that we have to drink water in this world…to avoid viruses and bacteria… whist Jesus is saying, “Drink the water that I give you and you will never thirst again.”
We don’t need to remain at Jacobs well; Come to Jesus’ well; hold on to Jesus; Jesus God’s gift to the world is a living-water.… come right now to His Word and not only take a drink, but jump in, put all your faith and hope in Jesus the One Who made an appointment with you today so that you can have His forgiveness, His blessing, His grace, and His peace which surpasses all human understanding.
“Amen.”
Amen! and Amen!! and Amen!!!