The story of the woman of Samaria is a message of grace. May we embrace this message with those we struggle to identify with in our day.
John 4: Jesus and the Woman of Samaria
1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),
3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
4 And he had to pass through Samaria.
5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman from 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.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10 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."
11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."
13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
17 The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband';
18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true."
19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things."
26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."
27 Just then his disciples came back. They marvelled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?"
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
29 "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"
30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
33 So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?"
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
35 Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour."
39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did."
40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his word.
42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."
43 After the two days he departed for Galilee.
44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in his own hometown.)
45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
Jesus Heals an Official's Son
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.
47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."
49 The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.
52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household.
54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Things to think about…
Have a look at the first four verses, Jn 4:1-4. Why did Jesus go north through Samaria away from Judea when he heard that the Pharisees knew that He was baptising more people than John? The reason is that the Pharisees had a misconstrued understanding of who the Messiah was. Those who baptise have authority and Jesus by baptising was elevating Himself as one who had authority. His right to baptise and be elevated was justified of course, but the Pharisees would misapply and abuse this information because of their distorted view of the Messiah. Jesus then leaves. How many times do our conversations about Jesus shut down because of a biased or inaccurate view of Christ within the hearts and minds of our hearers? Pray that people have their hearts and minds open to hearing the truth of Jesus and why He came.
Jesus travels to Jacob’s well in Samaria. It is about 12pm – the sixth hour, Jn 4:6. He is thirsty from His travels. Jesus is sitting beside the well, not having anything to draw water with, until someone comes along. In this case – a Samaritan woman. We might see this question from Jesus as rude, He was actually extending grace to this woman. Talking to a woman was not culturally accepted, but a Jew talking to a Samaritan was unheard of. Here we have both occurring at the same time. Jesus as He engages this woman – we see His humanity (He was thirsty) combined with His deity and ministry to show grace to a Gentile. Who do you struggle to show grace to? There is still a hardness by the Jews within Israel towards those who are referred to as ‘goyim’ - Gentiles. This of course has a strong root of pride and needs to be broken down before they accept who their Messiah is, this as we read in the scriptures will happen one day.
Jesus tells this woman that the place of worship (which was at the temple) and the people of God (the Jews) were about to be broadened to include all people in all places, so long as they worship in ‘spirit and in truth’ Jn 4:23. This cannot be done without acknowledging our need. This woman believed her need would be satisfied in earthly relationships and desires – she proved time and again that this was not the case. The woman acknowledges that the Messiah is coming. Jesus tells her plainly “I who speak to you am He”, vs 26. What an incredible privilege for this woman. She leaves her water container and goes back to the city. When you have received spiritual water, all other water sources lose their significance. This woman only had her sin exposed and then believed. What does it take to have Christ captivate your heart every day?
Jesus goes back to Cana where he first made water into wine at the wedding feast. Jesus speaks a word to an official whose son was sick in Capernaum, Jn 4:46-54. The boy is healed and this official and his family believe in Christ. This was the second miracle Jesus had done in Cana. Are miracles required for people to believe? The Lord certainly uses them. But we know miracles in themselves can be a point of interest rather than leading to conversion. Christ’s power should be evident in the life of a believer, but the important thing is the testimony of the truth. Jesus is the Saviour of the world whether miracles occur or not.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Cell groups are encouraged to do alpha at church on Wednesday night 6:30pm at church. Be encouraged and join us.
Prayer Points
1. Pray for the appointment of Ric Benson as Church Health and Community Pastor to CBC. Ric will be preaching for the next 2 weeks on the 20th Aug and 27th Aug, prior to the church vote on the 27th Aug.
2. Pray for alpha course session Wed 6:30pm at Church. Invite non-Christians.
3. Pray about Sunday’s message preached by Ric Benson that it would change lives.
4. That those who are new to the church are encouraged and settle in well into the church.
5. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you saved.
6. Pray for Rosie and Kids@church, pray for continued growth of this ministry.
7. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for the ministry of Ric Benson on Sunday. Worship team did an amazing job. Thankyou guys. Great hearing stories of healing, hope and life.
2. Great fourth session last night at alpha course.
3. Give thanks for Sally who has consistently been able to come to church with Richard.
4. Some encouraging signs of those wanting to consider who Jesus was. People asking about baptism.
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Information session 27th Aug after the morning service. All members please attend as we will be voting for Ric Benson to be a pastor at CBC.
2. Alpha Course 5th session on Wed 24th Aug – 6:30pm – invite non Christians to this course.
