To Change One's Life. John 4:1-30
1. When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and
baptized more disciples than John,
2. (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3. He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4. And he must needs go through Samaria.
5. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel
of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat
thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me
to drink.
8. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew,
askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings
with the Samaritans.
10. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is
that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would
have given thee living water.
11. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is
deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12. Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank
thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13. Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst
again:
14. 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.
15. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither
come hither to draw.
16. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou
hast well said, I have no husband:
18. For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy
husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
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.
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.
25. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ:
when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman:
yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28. The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to
the men,
29. Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30. Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
memorable sayings, and some wit. They each have their place. Like octane in gasoline
they help take some of the knock out of living. And perhaps like you, I too enjoy a
laugh and a chuckle.
of Christ. One doctrine of Christ surpasses 1,000 sayings of men. Those who reject
blunt commands of Christ may try to replace them with the "deep" sayings of mortals.
They become intrigued and enamored, in trying to hide their rejection of the real thing.
It will not work. Nothing else can give us access to "the deep things of God" (1
Corinthians 2:10) except obeying Christ.
allowed the word of Jesus to show her her own self and show her the way that is
straight. On the day she drank from that well, she was willing to hear Christ
(Matthew 11:15; 17:5). But those who put another voice above Christ will not be
drinking this "living water." Instead they will be drinking that which is diluted (2
Corinthians 2:17, "corrupted" means diluted); or polluted (2 Peter 2:20, of the world);
or perverted (Galatians 1:6-8, leading to "accursed"). This woman of Samaria
realized Jesus was "the door of the sheep," and "the Good Shepherd," and she was
ready to "hear His voice", John 10:3-7,14.
not even entered the race. The reason is that they are drinking too far down away
from the fountain of Christ. This includes so-called ministers who read and preach
books about the Bible, but don't read and preach the Bible. This includes religionists
who "take their word for it," when it come to their leaders' words. This includes
enemies of Christianity who mock because instead of "standing under" so as to
under-stand, they "stand-over" in vainglory (Proverbs 9:6-12; 11:1-6).
adulteress. It was unlawful to God for her to have her fifth husband. That means in
order to please God, she must leave him. [And if she had had ten children by him, to
please God she must leave him, cp. Ezra 10:1-44 & Mark 6:18.] This is the meaning
of "repent" (Matthew 3:2; Luke 13:3), to change and be saved.
Everyone cannot even be helped. As Paul wrote, there is a time when, "if any be
ignorant, let him be ignorant," (1 Corinthians 14:38, and that was among
members). It is useless to show a man how to remodel his house if he has no tools,
will not obtain tools or labor, or if he is satisfied with his house the way it is. Also, it
does not profit for one to complain about "the world going to hell," and then not
"earnestly" seek the "one faith" that leads to heaven (Jude 3; Ephesians 4:5). That
is, faith in Christ (John 20:30-31).
Samaria. Not every person that Jesus confronted was so blessed (read John 21:25) to
be written up in the gospel. The woman of Samaria distinguished her self by
overcoming self. She did not start stripping her gears vainly trying to "Justify Self"
(as did the Pharisees in Luke 16:14-15). She did not engage in psycho-babble about
her life or how "the devil made me do it." But notice what she did do. She turned the
spotlight on Christ. The townsfolk went out of their city to see Jesus, after the woman
of Samaria left her waterpot and went to tell them: "Come, see a man which told me
all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"