[ Taste And See ]
Smiles & Victory at Every Turn!He needed to go
2007-02-11
Text: "And He must needs go through Samaria." John 4:4
Bible Reading: John 4:1-42
Introduction: Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem but he needed to make a detour on His way. A detour through a place that was not likely to others.
The Samaritans were part Jew and part from other nations. They were not full blooded Jews. This didn't go over easy with the Jews. They were prejudice against them. When on trips, Jews did not go through Samaria to get where they were going. Most towns have what people consider a "bad side" of town. Well, to the Jews, Samaria was the bad side and even if it was a shorter distance, they would go around.
I lived in a town that had an area that was known to be bad. As teenagers we would purposely go through just to show off. We were obviously of the wrong color and folks on that side didn't really like us being there. Prejudice was an obvious factor.
Jesus went through because... God wanted Him to. "I must be about My Father's business" In verse 34 Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." So, this trip, this detour was part of God's plan.
God sometimes goes through the bad side of town because He has a need to reach someone there.
Here He was sitting at this well. It was the 6th hour, or noon, and it was probably hot. Along comes this woman. Women didn't get water in mid day because it was hot, they came in the cool morning, but here is this lady coming to get water at noon. Maybe she was avoiding the other ladies because of who she was. Later Jesus revealed it to her that He knew who she was and what kind of life she lived. (Jesus knows who you are and what you do.) He asked her for something to drink.
She straight way lets Him know that Jews don't have a dealing with Samaritans. Maybe this was a statement such as, "so what do you really want mister?" or "so why then are you asking me for water, is there something you want?" Jesus keeps the conversation on the track that God wanted it which was Spiritual and not worldly. He said to 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." Hey lady, if you only knew who you were talking to, you would stop this crazy banter and ask for Him to give you what you need. Not another man but Living Water. What this lady needed wasn't a rendezvous with some guy but a meeting with The Life Giver.
This lady in turn asks a question, "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?" She was saying, So Mister, just where are you coming from? She goes on, "Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?" What makes you so special? Are you claiming to be something beter than our great forefathers? Here's the well, you're talking about Living Water and you don't even have a vessel to draw with. Where are you getting this "Living Water"? What credentials do you have to convince me that I need to keep listening because from what I see, you don't have anything?
Boy, was she wrong. That's a big problem with people and their superficial understanding of Jesus. He's more than a story or a name but He is the Living God.
Joh 4:13-14 "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."
This didn't stop Jesus from getting to the point. He was telling her, you see the natural, you see this earthly well but I'm showing you a Spiritual Well that will fill your spiritual needs. You drink from this life and you are not satisfied but when you drink from the Life Giving Water you will never thirst again. You won't want what the world has to offer anymore because you'll have it all on the inside. It'll be springing up, bubbling over like a geiser in your life.
Joh 4:15-16 "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."
Ok mister, you're talking, but now it's show time. Why don't you just give me this water that you are claiming to have? That was her attitude. You talk a big talk but can you walk the walk? Here is where Jesus lets her know who He is. He tells her to go get her husband.
Joh 4:17-18 "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."
That's right, you don't have a husband lady, you've had 5 of them and the person you are with now you aren't even married to. Now you are talking the truth lady. Now Jesus is getting down to business. He must needs go through Samaria and talk to this lady and let her know that God is watching, that God is still interested in what is going on in this lady's life. A lady that had been married 5 times and right now was shacking up with another guy, God was interested in her. You may be messed up in your life right now but you need to meet the Man who knows you better than you know yourself.
Joh 4:19-20 "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."
Now this lady gets religious. Isn't that how some people react to God dealing with them. If I haven't heard it a thousand times, I would ask people if they wanted to come and pray and they would just brush it off and say, "I'm already saved." and you know sure well that they are living in open sin. This lady starts talking religious with Jesus, "I perceive that you are a prophet" There wasn't any other conclusion you could come to other than the fact that this Man is a Prophet of God. He just showed up from no where and told this lady her life story. God does that, he tells you your life story, he knows where you have been and what you have done. He knows everything about you and still loves you and wants you to come to Him and be changed. She starts talking religion. Hey, you Jews say we should worship there and we worship here. What's the big difference?
What's the difference in what church I go to preacher? There's one right around the corner from me that I grew up in. But did you get saved? Is there fruit in your life to back up your religion?
Joh 4:21-24 "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."
Lady, I have a need to go through Samaria to let you know something! This mountain or Jerusalem doesn't matter because you don't even know what you are worshiping. It's all a flesh show, it's all just something you make your body do, go to church, sing a little hymn, listen to a sermonette (the one that those christianettes listen to, that smoke them cigarettes) and go home unfulfilled. You need to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. YOU NEED A REALITY! The Father is looking for people who are fed up with religion and want a reality in God. People who are fed up with sin in their life and want to be filled with Jesus, the Blood of Jesus and a reality. They want something that will cause them to live right. Jesus is coming through the Samaria of your life and saying it's time for a change!
Joh 4:25-26 "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."
Jesus revealed Himself as a prophet but now it's down to brass tacks. The lady says something that Jesus has been waiting for. "When Messiah comes, He will tell us, us Samaritans and you Jews, all things." This Messiah will come and straighten out the race card. This Messiah will come and fix everything. It was in her heart that even though she was in a rotten place doing rotten things, she knew that the Messiah was coming and could help her.
Jesus reveals that HE is the Messiah. Hey, you can't tell people about their life, show them God, and then say something like this without it being real. He revealed her heart and now she realized that this was the very thing she had been hoping for. The Messiah that would come and heal the nations. He is still healing the nations. He is still saving souls. He is still passing through the Samarias of our time and He is still meeting the needs of men and women with His Living water.
God Bless!!
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