Independence Day! The Samaritan Woman Encounters Christ

Title: “Independence Day: Jesus Encounters a Samaritan Woman” Script: Jn. 4

Type: Series Where: GNBC 3-26-23

Intro: "Independence Day" is a song written by Gretchen Peters, and recorded by American country music singer Martina McBride. The song was officially released in May 1994 as the third single from her album The Way That I Am. The song peaked at number 12 on Hot Country Songs.[2] Peters later recorded it herself on her 1996 album The Secret of Life. It was first offered to Reba McEntire, who turned it down. In the song, a daughter recalls a tragic incident she experienced as a child. Her mother was involved in a domestic abuse incident with her alcoholic father. On Independence Day, the daughter walks to the town fair and hears rumors going on about the father's abuse. Apparently, the whole town knew about the abuse, but did nothing to help stop it. That day, the mother burns down their house, presumably with the husband and herself inside it, and the daughter is sent to a county home. The lyrics have a double meaning in that the woman in the story is finally gaining her "freedom" from her abusive husband. Thus, it is her "Independence Day." The song speaks to a horrible problem in our world: domestic abuse. In today’s passage we see Jesus encountering a used, abused, and misused woman who desperately needed independence from the sin and guilt that defined her life and existence.

Prop: Follow w/ me in Jn. 4 as we realize 3 important aspects of Jesus’ encounter w/a Samaritan woman.

BG: 1. Event takes place in Sychar, in Samaria, near Jacob’s well. Joseph’s tomb is nearby.

2. Great hostility between Samaritans and Jews. Started with Jeroboam’s rebellion and setting up of false worship site. Samaritans were ethnically ½ Jews who had been uprooted by Assyrians and intermixed with other nations. Religiously, the Samaritans held Mt. Gerizim, and not Jerusalem for worship, even having a temple of their own.. They believed in only 1 prophet, Moses, and only read from the Torah. They rejected all rabbinical teaching. Needless to say great hostility between them and Jews. (BTW still about 800 Samaritans today!)

3. Encounter centers around Jesus meeting and interacting with a woman the well of Sychar. This is a very troubled and ostracized woman.

Prop: Exam. Jn. 4 we’ll realize 3 Important aspects of Jesus’ encounter w/this Samaritan woman.

I. Jesus Initiates this Awkward Encounter. Vv. 7-15

A. Jesus Intentionally Seeks an Audience with an Ostracized, Samaritan Woman.

1. Jesus Intentionally Initiates this Awkward Encounter.

a. Illust: Have you ever had an awkward encounter? We all have. If you have teenaged children they think 75% of all adult interactions are “awkward”! My family used to think I was the “king” of awkward encounters. Back in the early and mid-1990’s I was teaching several courses for a university in SC. The program was for adult professionals to get their BA/BS degree. The classes were 4 hrs. long, one evening a week. Days before power point. I had my lectures in a three ringed binder. Placed on top of lectern. Popped the folder open. Took out the 2 hrs. of lecture notes and snapped the ring shut. I was bent over the lectern and when straightened up the folder moved! I realized I had snapped the folder shut on the fly of my pants! For the next ten minutes I was trying to get free while lecturing. Finally, I decided there was no graceful way to get free. So, announced to the class (95% of whom were middle aged Black women.), “Ladies, excuse me, I have snapped my binder to my fly and going to turn around now and take care of this problem.”

b. This “awkward” encounter was intentional and purposeful. Maybe you don’t understand why this was awkward. Jesus chose to go to Samaria. The religious Jews would not have trod this road but taken a longer route thru Perea. They wouldn’t want to be “defiled” by walking on Samaritan soil. But, to be fair, the Samaritans hated the Jews. A Jewish rabbi would never talk to a woman in public, especially not a Samaritan, and certainly not one with this background. Yet here in Jn. 4:4 Jesus says that He “needs to go to Samaria”. Why? He needed to save this poor, sin-enslaved woman.

2. Jesus Initiates this Awkward Encounter with a Very Unlikely Candidate to be a Christ-follower.

a. I believe if you would have polled the disciples the morning of this encounter: “How many of you believe a 5x divorced woman who is currently living in adultery, who by the way is a Samaritan, will not only be a candidate for salvation, but also share the message of Christ with the entire town of Sychar?” I think the vote count would be 0-12 against.