In this sermon, Pastor Dave Capoccia continues examining the account of Jesus and the Samaritan town of Sychar in John 4:1-42. John presents the account of Jesus and Samaritan Sychar so that you will not miss out in dead religion but join humble outsiders in finding eternal life in Jesus. In John 4:15-26, Jesus shows in multiple ways that he is the revealer for whom the Samaritan woman has been waiting.
1. Jesus Offers Living Water (vv. 1-14)
2. Jesus Is the Revealer (vv. 15-26)
2a. Jesus Reveals His Complete, Supernatural Knowledge (vv. 15-18)
2b. Jesus Reveals the New, True Worship (vv. 19-24)
2c. Jesus Reveals the Coming, Revealing Messiah (vv. 25-26)
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well such a joy to sing together with you to our God now let’s hear from our God by his word let’s pray Lord God we need you to open your word to us we need your spirit to show us wonderful things in your law N I pray that you would remove from us that barrier of unreality where these things just seem to us like a story God some fuzzy being that we can’t quite conceive of and Jesus an interesting fictional character he is no such thing God impressed to our hearts that Jesus is real these things about him declared in your word are real these events the Bible are real and they matter for us spirit help us understand and apply your word help me to be able to speak it in Jesus name amen well when I was a boy one person that I greatly admired was Sherlock Holmes you know Sherlock Holmes the most famous detective in the world residing at 221B Baker Street in London England alongside his assistant Dr John Watson whenever I read stories about Sherlock Holmes or watched films and televisions depicting him in his cases I was always so impressed with the man’s brilliance from answers to only a few questions or from just a few basic observations of a person Holmes could deduce all about that person’s life and background for instance simply by noticing the way that someone’s sleeve is stitched Holmes could tell that that person is an army doctor just returned from the war or from the scuff marks near the charger port on someone’s phone Holmes could tell that a person routinely parties and returns home drunk of course knowing and revealing this kind of information to people around him could get homes into trouble especially for people who don’t want their life details known but for me for the reader for the viewer seeing Holmes reveal the truth about a person or about a case from seemingly insignificant details is always a satisfying treat how does he do it I remember resolving as a boy to become like homes to notice the details that others failed to notice so that I could discover the hidden truth about people and about the world yeah try as I might I just couldn’t do what Holmes could do I couldn’t notice enough details or quickly and correctly interpret the significance of those details I just didn’t have the knowledge that Holmes did or the tireless capacity to investigate everything but really my quest to imitate Sherlock Holmes was doomed from the start and for one very simple reason that Sherlock Holmes isn’t real though apparently there are some today who do believe him to be a real historical person Sherlock Holmes is in fact a fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887.
and as a literary creation well Holmes could be endowed with superhuman insight that allows him to no people at a glance and solve the cases that are way too hard for Scotland Yard he can solve them with ease that’s because he’s a literary creation but real life people well surely we can all grow in our abilities to observe and understand but no human can know everything right well there is an exception there is one human a flesh and blood historical person who was witnessed by John the Apostle and others who did know everything this person existed from all eternity yet was sent to Earth from heaven for our salvation as God he knew all things as a man he knew exactly what the father gave him to know and to speak his knowledge didn’t come by careful observation but by Supernatural endowment Supernatural anointing thus he knew all people before he even met them and he could reveal everything in their lives but didn’t come merely to reveal people he came to reveal God and to reveal the true worship of God for he is in himself the human though all of us have needed all of us have waited for the Great revealer of God and his truth speaking of a course about the man Jesus the Christ and today we have another opportunity to see him to know him and to believe in him from the god-breathed Bible that has been passed down to us so let’s do that take your Bibles and open to John 4.
John 4 we’re looking at verses 15 to 26 today I’m calling today’s message Jesus is the revealer Jesus is the revealer so we’re back in John 4 we began investigating the beginning of this chapter last week this is a page 1061 if you’re using the Bibles that we provided here we’re focusing on verses 15 to 26 today but let’s read the preceding context let’s start from verse 1 and go all the way to verse 26. so John 4.
therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John although Jesus himself was not baptizing but his disciples were he left Judea and went away again into Galilee and he had to pass through Samaria so we came to a city of Samaria called saikar near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph and Jacob’s Well was there so Jesus being wearied from his journey was sitting thus by the well it was about the sixth hour there came a woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus said to her give me a drink for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food therefore the Samaritan woman said to him how is it that you being a Jew asked me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans 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 she said to him sir you have nothing to draw with him the well is deep where then do you get that Living Water you’re not greater than our father Jacob are you who gave us the well and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle Jesus answered and said to her everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life the woman said to him sir give me this water so that I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw he said to her go call your husband and come here the woman answered and said I have no husband Jesus said to her you have correctly said I have no husband for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband this you have said truly the woman said to him sir I perceive that you are a prophet our fathers worshiped in this mountain and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship Jesus said to her woman believe me an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the father you worship what you do not know we worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews but an hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and Truth for such people the father seeks to be his worshipers God is spirit and those who worship Him must Worship in spirit and Truth the woman said to him I know that Messiah is coming he who is called Christ when that one comes he will declare all things to us Jesus said to her I who speak to you am he what we’ve just read is the majority of what is the next full section of narrative in this gospel John 4 verse 1 to 42.
this section is all about Jesus encounter with Samaritans at the little town of sikar and this encounter is juxtaposed it is set alongside and in between two sections in which Jesus interacts with Jews who are slow to believe how is it that unclean Samaritans at psychar proved to be spiritually miles ahead of Jews Like Nicodemus or the Jews of Jesus home region of Galilee our author John the Apostle wants his original audience of hellenized Jews and us to be asking the same question or at least a similar question what is it that the Samaritans at sikar saw on Jesus that I have yet failed to see could it be that pride in a foolish trust and self-made self-righteous religion has prevented me from seeing Jesus for who he really is and for obtaining the eternal life that only he can give we can summarize the main idea of John 4 verses 1 to 42 in this way and I gave this to you last time in John 4 1-42 John our author presents the account of Jesus and Samaritan psychar so that you will not miss out in dead religion but join humble Outsiders and finding eternal life in Jesus now we can divide the narrative here in John 4 1-42 into three parts and we looked at the first part together last time in verses 1 to 14 that was number one Jesus offers Living Water Jesus offers Living Water just to review deciding that it was time to get out of Judea and not risk a premature conflict with the Pharisees Jesus travels North back to Galilee and finds it necessary to pass through Samaria by midday Jesus is tired and thirsty he sits down at Jacob’s Well outside cycar while his disciples go into town to buy food it so happens that Samaritan woman comes along to draw water from this spring fed well Jesus asks her for a drink a request that she understandably finds shocking considering the history of hatred and rejection that Jews and Samaritans have shared with each other instead of explaining how Jesus could make his barrier breaking request for a drink to the woman Jesus flips the script and he says that if she only knew the gift of God and who Jesus himself was she would have asked him for living or flowing spring water and he would have given it to her thinking that Jesus means literal Spring Water the woman communicates her doubt that Jesus could draw from Jacob’s Well without a water jar or that Jesus is greater than Jacob and somehow has dug another better well that supplies better water she doubts this but Jesus insists that he is greater than Jacob and does have better water even Jesus insists that unlike the water of Jacob’s Well the water that Jesus gives does not leave people soon thirsty indeed they will never be found found thirsty again forever and this is because as Jesus explains that water he gives becomes a spring of water inside the person who drinks it always there to quench thirst and springing all the way up to eternal life what is this amazing Living Water that Jesus offers Jesus does not immediately explain but Jesus is surely speaking about the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit that enables one to always behold the father in the face of Jesus Christ and thereby find constant life refreshment and satisfaction you know the Triune God through the spirit and you find a Fountain of Living Water God has always been the greatest gift to his people a true fountain knowing god truly worshiping serving and enjoying God it doesn’t simply lead to eternal life later it is eternal life for you right now this is what Jesus offers to the Samaritan woman and through the written text what God offers to each one of us today but as we’ll see in the next part of the narrative the woman doesn’t yet see Jesus figurative meaning and so she cannot properly respond to Jesus offer Jesus therefore takes the conversation in a New Direction this is part number two which I’ve already given the title Jesus is the revealer Jesus is the revealer and it covers verses 15 to 26. and we’ll see a number of subheadings under this like we did last time the first subheading under this section comprises verses 15 to 18 and that’s what we’ll start our investigation of this new part of the passage to a Jesus Reveals His complete Supernatural knowledge Jesus is the revealer and he starts by Jesus by revealing his complete Supernatural knowledge look at verse 15.
John 4 verse 15.
the woman said to him sir give me this water so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw on the surface this response from the woman sounds like Jesus has just made an Evangelistic breakthrough sure I’ll take the water she says I don’t want to be thirsty anymore well Glory Hallelujah she’s asked for God’s salvation that’s good or baptized wait a second does she really get what Jesus is saying we cannot exactly tell her attitude in this response to Jesus is she sarcastic and mocking oh yeah give me your special water oh great Jewish rabbi or is she wistful oh sure I’d love that kind of water if it only it existed or is she sincere not really enough information in the text to judge her tone but we can note that part of the reason that she asked for the water in verse 15 is so that she won’t have to come all the way here to Jacob’s Well to draw what does that show us well she’s still thinking in terms of physical water she’s thinking Jesus has offered to save her a few trips of lugging water each day she still hasn’t understood that what Jesus is really offering she hasn’t really come to believe in him so Jesus Takes the conversation in a surprising New Direction in verse 16.
look there he said to her go call your husband and come here what that seems kind of random just having this conversation about living water he says oh yeah get your husband why suddenly ask for her husband to be present is Jesus already indicating that living water is so good that it should be shared starting with your husband Samaritan women is Jesus trying to add more cultural propriety to this conversation because there’s one thing I haven’t mentioned yet and that is it was frowned upon in those days for a man to speak with a woman publicly actually some Jewish Jewish rabbis taught that a man shouldn’t even talk to his wife in public I mean men and women can have some brief words together but no long conversations please that’s too intimate too emboldening too dangerous it’s not proper of course that’s not a Biblical rule that’s just another man-made tradition and Jesus didn’t feel the need to follow this custom even though it shocks his disciples in verse 27.
but perhaps as the conversation is about to continue and get more serious Jesus tells the woman that she should invite her husband so that she’s more comfortable and so that other people will be less scandalized maybe factors like these play a role but surely the main reason for this new request from Jesus is as we’ll see Jesus is going to show the woman just how parched she is spiritually and who exactly the one is who is offering her living water notice her response verse 17.
we’ll read verse 17 and 18. the woman answered and said I have no husband Jesus said to her you’ve correctly said I have no husband for you’ve had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband this you have said truly oh wow can you picture the scene can you imagine how this woman will be suddenly stopped in her tracks I have no husband she says which is an innocuous and true answer right he told me to call my husband can’t do it I don’t have one Jesus acknowledges the accuracy of her reply but then reveals the Fuller truth behind that answer for you’ve had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband that is she’s now living with and sleeping with a man who is not her husband five husbands do you know any woman who has had five husbands or any man who’s had five wives if you do it’s probably only someone on TV because that’s scandalous even today How could a woman have had five husbands did they just keep dying on her no she’s likely gone through five divorces and why should we think that because of the clue in the second part of verse 18.
and the one whom you now have is not your husband Jesus notes that she’s currently living in immorality either fornication or adultery and notice by the way according to Jesus living with someone does not count as marriage he says he is not your husband it’s immorality so if after five marriages she’s revealed to be living presently in an immoral life what does that suggest about how she behaved in those five marriages most likely she has been a Serial adulteress she marries one guy For Love or Money or social standing and enjoys that but then the marriage sours a better guy comes along so she transfers affections transfers her affections eventually ending one marriage to start another she wasn’t the only one like this back then she thinks maybe this next guy maybe this next marriage maybe this next well will satisfy me she’s lived all her life searching for just the right husband as it worked out no she’s still thirsty and she’s worse off than when she started do you notice how Jesus twice observes the accuracy of her statement you have correctly said I have no husband this you have spoken truly he draws attention to the pitiable truthfulness of that statement woman all your shameful sin has led you to the place in which no man will marry you you are a social outcast who avoids the women of the town for fear of their gossip and accusations you come alone all the way here at noon just to draw water the best you can do is attach yourself to a man who uses you for his own pleasure but even he’s not willing to marry you and he could dump you at any time meanwhile hanging over you is the threat of a sentence that even your Samaritan Torah prescribes for women like you confirmed to be adulterous and that sentence is death according to God you deserve to die but your life is already a kind of living death you have no husband you have no security you have no one to take care of you this you have spoken truly sad right yeah Jesus declaration to the woman not only reveals how desperate her state is but something even more profound and that is Jesus already knows all about it how could he know he’s never met her before he’s a Jewish stranger and it’s not like she’s wearing the evidence of her five marriages and her immorality on her so that Jesus and some Sherlock Holmes like way could deduce her life story no Jesus knew all about her before he told her to call her husband that’s actually why he told her that he put his finger on the sore spot of her life in fact Jesus knew all about her before he asked her for a drink and even before he set out for Galilee and knew that he had to pass through Samaria by the town of sikar how did Jesus know it’s only one answer Jesus possesses the supernatural knowledge of God and if she thought about it this would be an even more frightening realization for the woman because of Jesus is God’s representative and knows all about her sin then God knows all about it too and as Hebrew 13 4 says fornicators and adulterers God will judge now there is a lesson in evangelism for us here brethren we need to talk to people about their sin they’re not going to appreciate the significance of the gift of Salvation in Jesus Christ until they understand the nature and penalty of their sin only then will they realize how much they need Jesus in his living water but there’s an even more important lesson to learn from these verses and that is that the man Jesus possesses the complete Supernatural knowledge of God yes this historical person he reveals such here doesn’t he Jesus knew this woman’s whole life and all her sin and he knows yours too whatever secrets you try to bury even to hide from other people in the church Jesus knows about it he knows all about it he knows how you put on a religious or spiritual facade in the way that you talk or act he knows how you keep moving from broken sister into broken sister and trying to find life maybe not the same way that this woman does but in your own way he knows how sin is really ruining you it’s ruining your body it’s ruining your marriage it’s ruining your family it’s ruining your life he knows that if you will not turn to him and receive his living water you will die of spiritual thirst and you will experience the Eternal death of hell where God will finally reveal to all your sin and why he is just to punish you for it forever how can the man Jesus know all this because he is the Eternal Word made flesh and he already knows all men but what’s so amazing about this passage even up to where we’ve read it’s the decent just Jesus doesn’t just declare all this to make the woman feel bad remember what we’ve already studied it’s so that she will take his living water so what should you do is it not the same thing don’t hang on to your pride don’t hang on to a mere form of religion become a humble Outsider and find eternal life in Jesus well does the Samaritan woman do this let’s read on I imagine there was a poignant pause after Jesus words in verse 18.
the women considers the implications of what Jesus just told her she soon resumes the conversation though and in verses 19 to 24 we find our second subheading number 2B Jesus reveals the new true worship Jesus reveals the new true worship look at verse 19.
the woman said to him sir I perceive that you are a prophet and that is a sensible conclusion for this American Woman the only way that this stranger Jew could already know about her and her sin and such completeness as if he is a man sent from God with Supernatural Revelation in other words a prophet now this declaration to her from her though is perhaps more significant than she herself realizes because the Samaritan religion does not admit any Prophet except Moses and the prophet foretold in Deuteronomy 18 verses 18 and 19. the final Prophet to whom God’s people all owe their obedience is she already understanding Jesus to be this final Prophet this Messiah likely the pieces of the puzzle haven’t all connected yet in her head but she can see already that this Jew speaks with the knowledge and authority of God so she figures he help her with a certain problem which we see in verse 20.
she says our fathers worshiped in this mountain and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship what’s her problem she doesn’t know which place is the right place to worship God is it this mountain the mountain on which her Samaritan’s forefathers worshiped which would be mount gerizim it looms within sight of Jacob’s Well where’s the mountain in Jerusalem Mount Moriah the Temple mount say is the place where men ought to worship which mountain is right now some Bible interpreters detect here an effort from the Samaritan women to dodge the issue that Jesus just previously raised namely her sin by quickly diverting the conversation into a theological controversy and I want to talk about Sin why don’t we talk about mountains now certainly this kind of thing does happen in evangelism and we should be on the lookout for those who just want to raise thorny issues with us and never deal with the personal personal implications of the Gospel gotta watch out for that but I’m convinced this is not what the woman is doing here after all if Jesus had not sufficiently dealt with the issue of her sin you can be sure he would have redirected the conversation that way he doesn’t rather the question she is raising is one that one one question we might expect from someone who realizes the Deep sin problem she has she’s wondering how do I get right with God I know I must Return To God In true worship I must turn from my sin and return to God but how do I do that where do I do that after all if I picked the wrong Mountain and all my worship is worthless God won’t be pleased and I’ll be just as lost in my sin as before so Prophet man you seem to have some inside knowledge of God’s ways which mountain is the correct Mountain now really the issue of which mountain is right for worship was Central to the division between Jews and Samaritans it’s why they really resented each other so in a sense she’s asking Jesus which religion is correct do I need to follow the rules and rituals of the Samaritans or of the Jews to be saved I clearly need to do something which mountain is right for getting right with God notice that such a question though is still thinking about religion in external terms and what a person can do to save himself to remind you of any conversation we’ve seen recently in the Gospel of John maybe the conversation with Nicodemus well as with Nicodemus Jesus answers This Woman’s question in a way that the woman does not expect but which shows that Jesus has the knowledge and the authority to reveal what is acceptable worship to God look at verse 21.
Jesus said to her a woman believe me an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the father Believe Me Jesus says I know this will surprise you but what I’m about to say is true and you’ve got to believe it you’re asking which mountain is right and necessary for worship I tell you the correct answer is not going to matter for long an hour is coming Jesus says when your question will be made moot by the way the idea of a coming hour this is a theme that’s going to be repeated throughout the Gospel of John eventually we’re going to see that this hour is the time of Jesus crucifixion resurrection and Ascension that package of Salvation events that changes everything for God’s people it’s the hour of Glory that is coming Jesus says an hour is coming and he continues his explanation in verse 22.
you worship what you do not know we worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews now here Jesus provides the temporarily correct answer to the woman’s question you Samaritans worship what you do not know you haven’t gotten the complete or true view of God the father because you don’t accept his full word you remain spiritually ignorant we Jews worship what we know that is we at least know who God is according to the full Testament Revelation he deposited with us now note in this statement Jesus is not endorsing Judaism as it is being practiced in his day remember John 2 he went up and dramatically cleansed the Temple of corrupt worship judaism’s got problems nevertheless Jesus is affirming that to the Jews was given the way of Salvation in the Oracles of God salvation is from the Jews even if many Jews are missing that way of salvation so yes women right now Jerusalem is the correct Mountain but he quickly adds verse 23.
but an hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and Truth for such people the father seeks to be his worshipers notice in this verse we again hear about a coming hour but now Jesus asserts the hour already is it’s already here already a fundamental change in worship is being inaugurated and this is because Jesus one accomplishing the change has already arrived and is already about accomplishing his father’s work but what’s changing in this new hour this hour that’s even already being inaugurated the true worshipers Jesus says will worship the father in spirit and Truth now notice the term the true worshipers this phrase necessarily contrasts false worshipers with true there are people who think they are worshiping God God the Father when they are not only the true worshipers actually worship God and will actually experience God’s promise of life but how will you distinguish the true from the false worshipers well notice it’s not by location Jesus has already said it’s not at this mountain Mount garazim nor in Jerusalem that you will worship the father it’s not by the where by the way people worship it’s going to show them to be true or false those who truly worship the father will worship Him in spirit and Truth now what does that mean best understanding of this would be to Worship in spirit means to worship with sincerity in one’s own spirit and one’s heart and one’s Inner Man your whole heart is being given over to God In Worship to Worship in truth means to worship according to the truth that God has revealed about himself especially through the ultimate revealer the monogene sun Jesus Christ why this change why this change and what marks true worship this change from where to way well notice the reason offered at the end of verse 23.
for such people the father seeks to be his worshipers you see God the father has always been interested in securing the hearts of his worshipers now I’m really having them Worship in the proper location or according to proper rituals and there was a reason for all the location and ritual requirements of the old system but how many times even in the Old Testament does God rebuke his people for offering hypocritical lifeless worship he tells the people I’d rather you didn’t come to me at all In Worship and come to me with lip service only your hearts are still far from me soon therefore Jesus says worship will clearly be about what’s going on inside of a person rather than what’s going on outside the father is now inaugurating something better than the old system through his son actually this new way will be entirely consistent with God’s nature for look at what Jesus says in verse 24.
God is spirit and those who worship Him must Worship in spirit and Truth now the beginning of verse 24 is a famous declaration about the essence of God God is Spirit that is not an exhaustive statement but it is a true Declaration of what God is like just like God is love God is light God is Spirit God is not like man corporeal composed of flesh and blood or any other bits of created matter God is the infinite Eternal invisible spirit who created the world and enters into the world but cannot be contained by anything in the world and who in fact resides apart from the world in perfect holiness so then if God is fundamentally spirit how could he be content with worship merely confined to one place as if he himself were confined to that space furthermore how could God who is not made of matter and needs nothing physical consider himself satisfied with external worship that does not truly reflect either a man’s Spirit or God’s truth God’s people must it is necessary that they worship Him in spirit and Truth even though this is articulated as a new thing this has always been the case yet the new part is the wondrous change and how an old requirement is going away that requirement of place is going to make clear for God’s people what true worship is all about and is going to erase unnecessary barriers that interfere in people coming together to truly worship God now what would be the means of inaugurating this wondrous change what’s going to happen well it’s not explained specifically here it’s going to be unveiled more and more as we go through the Gospel of John but the means of this change will be the perfect life death and resurrection of the one God sent his son and the coming of the Holy Spirit the veil of the temple will soon be torn into when Jesus satisfies God on behalf of sinners that momentous events will show that access and acceptance to God is no longer bound to the sacrificial system of the temple in Jerusalem but it is guaranteed forever in the unquenchable life and love of the Sun and with the outpouring of the spirit God’s holy spirit God’s presence will abide with his people wherever they are and will assist them in worshiping truly in spirit and Truth indeed the work of the son and spirit will effectively tear down the dividing wall between Jews and Samaritans and Jew Samaritans and gentiles and God makes them into one flock one people one body truly worshiping him this is a beautiful revelation this is a wondrous change that is being inaugurated with this answer to the woman’s question about which mountain is right Jesus not only reveals his authority to reveal and clarify true worship he also implicitly invites the woman to take part to benefit to get on board with what God is doing she already reveals he knows on behalf of God All About This Woman’s past is shameful sin and yet he shows her that need not hinder you in coming to God in true worship you don’t need to jump through the Hoops of all externalistic religion as if that would make you right with God is simply looking for worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and Truth you Samaritan woman could be one of them today experiencing the free gift and eternal life of God here again we see the glory of the Gospel it’s not about man’s achievement it’s about what God has done on behalf of men now this invitation to the Samaritan woman this implicit invitation it’s not only for her but it’s for John’s original audience and it’s also for us Brethren do you worship the father in spirit and Truth do you come to the father through his wondrous way the only way Jesus Christ and do you present him with a heart that is Holy his which is even shown in the way that you live your life remember there are many religious people in the world who think they are worshiping the father but they are not they are like the Samaritans they do not worship what they know or rather they worship what they do not know this would include the Jews today Muslims Catholics Mormons and many Protestants they do many good works they may be very moral people they have very spiritual looking services but if they do not come to God in spirit and in truth even by Christ and the Holy Spirit their worship means nothing it is not pleasing to God in the slightest in fact their works and worship are an offense to God because they honor him with their lips but their hearts are far from him thank you what about you do you draw near to God with your lips but not your heart doing everything right on the outside but you’ve never given yourself to God on the inside do you feel an affection for God but not according to the truth of Christ and his word neither of these paths is acceptable to God true worshipers of God must worship Him in spirit and truth that is the only acceptable way is that the way that you take really that’s the path not of someone stuck in proud dead religion as someone who’s a humble outsider and has found eternal life in Jesus well certainly what Jesus declares to the Samaritan woman is momentous it is a wondrous revelation of the free gift of Salvation that she’s never heard before she can’t believe it’s being offered to her and perhaps the Samaritan woman senses that no ordinary Prophet could reveal such weighty matters to her for look at what appears under our last subheading today in verses 25 to 26.
this is 2C Jesus reveals the coming revealing Messiah Jesus reveals who is the coming revealing Messiah verse 25.
the woman said to him I know that Messiah is coming he who is called Christ when that one comes he will declare all things to us well we see the Samaritan women articulate here is the Samaritan Messianic cope though the Samaritans only accepted the five books of Moses and rejected most Old Testament books that foretold the coming of Messiah the Samaritans did take seriously the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18 15 and 19 which we read earlier in our service where we are told of a coming Prophet who will be like Moses who will speak all of God’s words and to whom all God’s people must listen for God will require it of them if they do not the Samaritans often call this coming figure the taheb or the one who restores based on Deuteronomy 18 the Samaritans expected that this Messiah figure would primarily come on a mission of Revelation doing exactly really as a Samaritan woman says in this verse he will declare all things to us that was their expectation and just as the Jews of Jesus day were caught up in a fervor of expecting the Christ at any moment now so the Samaritans were too they expected their taheb their Christ in any moment to bring God’s revelation and so they apparently also would sometimes use the terms Messiah or Christ to refer it’s the one they were waiting to come so in response to Jesus declaration about the coming change in true worship the woman articulates her confidence that her taheb the Messiah and the Christ will soon come and fully reveal whatever truth his people need which leads to an amazing declaration in verse 26.
Jesus said to her I who speak to you am he you know it’s amazing that in the gospels Jesus often doesn’t come right out and declare that he is the messiah but with those who don’t have so much baggage associated with that term Gentiles Samaritans is much more willing and to this serial adulteress who wasn’t looking for Jesus who totally misunderstood is offering for offering of Living Water he decides to make this plain declaration what the woman may have begun to suspect about Jesus Jesus now reveals plainly to dispel all doubt I am the Messiah I am God’s revealer for which you Samaritans have been waiting this is why I know all about you and your past this is why I can declare the wonderful change that’s coming in worship I am the promised prophet of Deuteronomy 18. and I have come not only to reveal but to save isn’t this exactly what we’ve already read in the Gospel of John even in the prologue he is the word made flesh and what is a word it is communication it is revelation he’s come to explain the father that was true for the Jews now it’s true for the Samaritans it’s true for all people now note the precise way that Jesus makes this declaration to the woman your Bibles may have the last word in our English translation of verse 26 in italics the word he I am and then he in italics why isn’t italics well italics is the way often that modern translations indicate that a word is not literally present in the original Greek but it is implied the sense is there and that’s why we see he in our translation of verse 26 but literally Jesus replied to this woman’s expression of Hope in the coming Messiah is I am I am now is that a significant way to reply you bet it is I am we’re going to see this more in the Gospel of John I am was one of the most memorable bits of self-revelation that God gave in the Torah remember which Samaritans also accept as a testimony to who he is even his eternal self-existence and Independence Exodus 3 14 Exodus 3 14 God said to Moses I am who I am and he said thus you shall say to the sons of Israel I am has sent me to you and so when the woman suggests that the Messiah will come and make things clear Jesus says I am I put yourselves in the shoes of this Samaritan woman she meets a Jewish man in a well who in breach of all Prejudice and custom asks her for a drink then he offers the most fantastic drink to her instead Living Water that will bring her eternal life then he reveals he knows all about her even though he’s never met her before he knows all about her and her sin and her ruinous quest to find life outside of God then he clarifies that true worship is really about seeking God according to his revealed truth not about place as God will soon make clear by making both garezim and Mariah obsolete and then to top it all off not only does he declare himself to be her long-awaited Messiah who will reveal all things but he does so with God’s most famous words of self-revelation in the Old Testament I am what is going through her mind the moment this conversation ends well based on what we see come later we know the spirit is working in her and now things are starting to click the puzzle pieces are coming together she’s beginning to understand he’s the Messiah this Jewish man I haven’t even learned his name yet but he’s the Messiah he’s the revealer that we’ve been waiting for he’s the one I’ve been waiting for he’s here to show us the way to life the way to God he’s here to show us who God really is she probably doesn’t understand everything yet she understands enough to know that drawing water from the well is no longer important the people of psychar need to know about this amazing man with the Living Water because he’s the Messiah thus begins one of the most glorious and unexpected gospel harvests described in the New Testament and we’ll read more about that next time but surely we need to stop and ask ourselves have we realized what the Samaritan woman has realized Jesus is the revealer the revealer of God only he can show you the way to life not some other religious person you can trust him and what he says over your own feelings over religious Traditions over what the most brilliant people in the world have to say because he is the word of God the revealer of God the savior the only savior that God has provided so do you believe him do you believe in him do you believe enough to turn from your sin and commit your whole heart to him even if it means suffering for his sake as an outcast because that’s what’s staring the original audience of John’s gospel in the face when they consider believing in Jesus I’m a Jew if I cross over to Jesus my people are going to reject me I’m going to be put out of the synagogues but John and the spirit of God through the Gospel of John is assuring us don’t be afraid don’t be afraid to become a humble Outsider for Jesus sake because in your dead religion there’s no life all those people that are rejecting you because they supposedly are zealous for God they don’t know him the only way to know God is through Jesus Christ the only way to offer God acceptable worship is through Jesus Christ so don’t stay and you’re safe proud self-righteous religion come all the way over to Jesus become a humble Outsider for his sake and he reveal all things all things that you need for your life not just how to be saved but how to walk with him how to become like him there’s a reason the scriptures say that God has provided everything that we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him Jesus even those precious like magnificent promises that cause us to overcome the corruption of the world and to become partakers in the divine nature all that’s provided only in Jesus so go all the way to him hold nothing back worship Him in spirit and in truth because that’s the only thing that’s acceptable and you’ll find eternal life Living Water remembers a free offer no matter what you’ve done you can have the Holy Spirit you can have Living Water if you’ll just come to Jesus and ask for it while holding nothing back let’s pray as we go through this gospel O Lord it just again and again it’s just amazing revelation there is no man like Jesus the things that he says the things that he does this is unlike any other person in the world no one could do what he did and no one could reveal what he could reveal because he dwelt has dwelts in the bosom of the father since before time how amazing God that we pieces of Flesh and Bone made in your image it’s true and yet made of dust how is it that we can know you through Jesus how is it that you sent your son to People Like Us people who in our own way are just as sinful as the Samaritan woman just as lost Justice broken but you came for people like her you revealed yourself to people like her and you had compassion on her and presenting her with salvation who are we God that you would reveal yourself to us and even bring us into Jesus so that we can have eternal life in him God I pray that we would respond appropriately In Worship not just by singing in church by living lives that truly are worship Hearts given over to you totally Lord you know we are not perfect but we will press on after Jesus because he is our life the Fountain of Living Water is in him and in his spirit we want that life we won’t find it anywhere else I pray if there’s anyone here who does not yet know it and experience it that they would in Jesus name amen