The Woman at the Well (6/20/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading John 4:4-30, and leave your Bible open to it because it will be easier to trek through it a few verses at a time. We begin with verses 4-6.

Jesus needed to take a break. He's physically tired, even though he and his disciples are taking a shortcut through Samaria. A devout Jew would go around Samaria to avoid being contaminated by the "half-breed" Samaritans.

What we see is that the Great Teacher didn't have limousine. He had to walk everywhere he went. Other than some boat rides and a short time on a donkey, he got around on his feet like a common person. When it says he was tired, it really means that he was physically worn out. It was noon, the 6th hour, and it was hot. It was a very good time to stop and rest.

John 4:7-10. The woman who approached Jesus was astonished that he asked her a question. She could expect only anger or condescension from the average Jew. Not only was she a Samaritan, considered half-breeds and outcasts by the religious Jews, she was also a woman. The phrase "Jews do not associate with Samaritans" is more literally translated, "Jews do not use dishes Samaritans have used." They were that picky and rude to their almost cousins. Also, Jewish men didn't speak to strange women, especially not a Samaritan woman. It's interesting to note that she had no idea of who Jesus was, other than that he was a very thirsty man.

Just like all sinners, she was blind to the anointed Messiah and more interested in the affairs of the world. She had come to draw water, not to get herself into a theological debate. Jesus points out that she's ignorant of two things: 1) The gift of Yahweh (Salvation). 2) His identity (The Messiah). And she really misses the point when Jesus speaks of the "living water."

John 4:11-14. The woman totally misses the point of what Jesus has spoken to her. She confuses his spiritual truth for ones about the practicalities of drawing water from the well. Shen points out that Jesus has no means to draw water. She also throws in a statement to let him know he's not so special. "Are you greater than our father Jacob" is spoken to prove that she has a good lineage.

Jesus goes on to explain what this "living water" is. He promises that this water of life will spring up within the heart and keep anyone who accepts it constantly refreshed and satisfied. The water she had come to get wouldn't give her eternal satisfaction. Only the water that comes from our Savior has eternal value.

Jesus is sharing the promise found in the Book of Isaiah. This Old Testament promise is found in chapter 35. It says the desert will burst forth with streams and pools of water and become a garden. Isa 58:11 spells out the blessing of obedience to Yahweh. "You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." This means much more to people who live in arid, desert areas. Yahweh's promise is to provide water in places where it's always been scarce and therefore very precious. Living water hasn't been readily available to the people. Before Jesus the people had to receive the blessings of Yahweh through the priests and prophets instead of directly through the Holy Spirit.

John 4:15-18. The woman expresses an interest in this "living water," even though she's still not thinking clearly about what he's trying to get across to her. Then Jesus confronts her with her sinful lifestyle. When he told her to go and get her husband, he nailed her to the wall. What he said forced her to face her sin, she was fully exposed. He didn't manipulate her to get a response, playing on her emotions, he just brought her face-to-face with her sin. At least she dind't try to con him or wiggle free from his direct approach.

Prov 28:13 spells out something we all need to remember. "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Yahweh knows our hearts, and it's impossible to hide anything from him. He wants us to find forgiveness and release from our sins through coming to him with repentant hearts. It's much better to find his mercy than to trust in our own ability to overcome sin.

Jesus confronts the woman with reality. You've had five husbands, and are currently living with someone. The power of his words showed that he had searched her heart, and she was convinced that he knew "secret things." This proved his divine authority to her. Just imagine having your sins laid out right in front of you like that. I'm sure we'd be just as uncomfortable as this woman.

John 4:19-24. This woman comes back at Jesus with a very typical human response. She tries to change the subject. She was likely to be thinking, "since this man's a prophet, maybe I can get him sidetracked by trying to draw him into a debate over a controversial subject." The carnal, worldly mind seems to be amazingly ingenious in shifting the subject to avoid conviction. Many people seem to have a knack for avoiding these very important subjects. And notice how fast this defense mechanism pops into action. If we don't want to talk about something that bothers us, like our sin, all of us can do this same trick.

Jesus handles her misdirection ploy very easily. He says it's not about where you worship. He points out that the most important thing is knowing God the Father and "worshiping in spirit and truth." This means we must meet Yahweh in our real world, the reality that includes the Creator of all things. Jesus explains to the woman that it's not about location, it's about having true communion with our heavenly Father. It's about having our souls and minds fully focused on knowing him. Religion without relationship is empty and lacks any eternal value.

John 4:25-26. Still failing to fully understand the words of Jesus, the woman falls back on the hope that the coming Messiah will make all things clear. She knew the Messiah would tell us everything we need to know and make it all very understandable. In one of the few specific self-disclosures found in the Gospels, Jesus plainly states "I who speak to you am he."

She was an alien, a despised Samaritan, merely speaking to her would have been thought to be a disgrace to our Lord Jesus. Yet our Lord revealed himself to this woman more fully than he'd done to any of his disciples up to this point in his ministry. Jesus basically says "I am," like he did throughout his ministry. She doesn't immediately accept this proclamation, but it does cause her to to make a response.

John 4:27-30. The disciples show up and this interruption brings about the next stage of this encounter. She leaves her water jar there at the well and goes into town to share her testimony about Jesus. Her testimony, even though it contained doubt, drew many to to Jesus. Her hope, even though mixed with uncertainty, brought people face-to-face with Jesus.

She spoke of how Jesus knew everything she'd ever done. Then she threw out a question. "Could this be the Messiah?" How could this man know so much about me if he isn't the Messiah? Her astonishment at his knowledge of her personal life caused her to speak to people she probably had avoided for a while. She must have been somewhat of an outcast, since she was gathering her water at noon, the hottest part of the day. This was most likely to avoid the nasty comments and dirty looks she would recevive if she went when the other women did.

But the people of the town are interested enough in what she's saying to go out and see Jesus for themselves. One of the most unlikely people we can think of is used as Yahweh's evangelist, his Gospel messenger. Her testimony draws people to the feet of Jesus. After seeing how this woman was used how can any of us say that we're not able to spread the Gospel? If we really appreciate what Jesus has done for us, then we should share that Good News with someone else.

The End of the Story - John 4:39-42. This woman's personal testimony helped many people in her community get saved. Most importantly, it got many people to go and listen to Jesus speak for themselves. She brought people to the Word of God. That's what evangelists do. Evangelism isn't just about preaching. It's root meaning is to tell a story. Specificly for us, that story is how Jesus changed our lives and how he can do the same for them.

Christian testimony is very important, but it's nowhere near as persuasive as a personal encounter with Jesus. Personal experience is what secures our faith. The best Gospel message in the world can't replace meeting Jesus face-to-face. Notice that these verses tell us that their time with Jesus confirmed her testimony to them. When we speak of what Jesus has done for us, it will be confirmed when other seekers find the hope and peace Jesus wants so much to share with all of us.

No past sins can bar our entrance into the presence of Jesus. He accepts us just as we are. It's the ultimate "come-as-you-are" party. We don't have to try and clean ourselves up before entering his presence, because it's impossible to do without his grace and mercy anyway. If we humble ourselves before him, approaching him with repentance and humility, believing he's the only Savior, we will receive the glorious gift of eternal life. From that point on we're allowed to remain in his presence and continue to receive forgiveness and cleansing.

Jesus did this for a woman who wasn't looking for anything special that day. All she was doing was getting water for her home. She left the well with something much more precious than common water. She left with a connection to the streams of living water which flow from heaven. Is your living water fountain in good operating condition? Does your Savior's living water flow through you to others in need of refreshing? Keep giving it away and you'll receive the blessing of seeing others transformed by their loving Savior.

Blessings & Peace, Mike