John 4:27 -42; Jesus , Cause & Effect of the Gospel
Cause and effect refers to the philosophical concept of causality, in which an action or event will produce a certain response to the action in the form of another event.
• And so it is true when it comes to Jesus & the gospel, they will always have an effect upon others, positive or negative, the response to Jesus & the gospel will never be inert, it cannot be neutral, Jesus & Gospel will cause an effect.
• Wherever Jesus travelled cause &effect whether it was Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Jerusalem his appearance in that location had an effect ( people gathered, received him , rejected him , saved, healed, provided ) & the same is still true today wherever this Gospel goes there will be a cause and effect.
• Whatever Jesus said, had a cause & effect upon those he came into contact with whether Nicodemus (religiously intrigued), the women at the well ( morally bankrupt, yet converted) , the disciple Peter ( who denied the Lord yet restored) , the rich young man ( who refused to follow) and still today the teaching & words of Jesus still leave its effects upon individual lives.
• Whatever Jesus did had a cause and effect , whether it was up turning over the tables in the temple, whether it was calming the wind and the waves on the sea of Galilee, whether changing water into wine all these actions had effects as a result of the cause. The greatest act of course, his atoning death and resurrection, the greatest effect that whoever repents and believes is saved. But whoever fails to repent and believe will perish.
So Jesus & the gospel cause will always have an effect ; to one it’s a fragrance to life the other to death, but it is never inert or neutral the cause of the gospel will bring an effect, positive or negative.
1. The 1st Cause effect upon the disciples. v27, 31
• Jesus is talking to a women
The first cause & effect we see is upon the disciples themselves. They have just returned from their shopping trip and we see that they are surprised to find Jesus talking to firstly a women, a Samaritan women, and a complete stranger; Last week we delved into the cultural implications of all this, it was understood as a culturally no, no!
Of course this wasn’t the first time that Jesus causes surprises by the people he was hanging around with after the conversion of Levi a tax collector a party is held at his house in order to invite likeminded sinners and the Pharisees ask his disciples Luke 5: 30 “What is your teacher doing eating with tax collectors and sinners? “
Also in Luke 7: 39 Jesus is at a Pharisees house by the name of Simon where a women enters & washes his feet out of thankfulness for receiving forgiveness & yet the Pharisee reclining with Jesus said to himself, “ if this man was a prophet he would know who and what sort of women this is who is touching him , for she is a sinner.
Then in the open air also Luke 15:2, As tax collectors & sinner draw near to him, the Pharisees & Scribes once again grumbled, “ this man receives sinners & eats with them.” And of course who can forget when he went into the house of Zack Luke 19 7 ; the people grumbled he’s gone into the house of a sinner.
To their credit unlike the Pharisees / scribes never grumbled but were surprised, they remain silent, they didn’t ask the woman what she wanted, they didn’t ask Jesus what he was doing speaking to her, they didn’t form any judgements, upon the Lords work, they are simply surprised, that Jesus was talking to this particular women.
Valuable Lessons
a) A non judgemental approach to outreach. (27) ( The positive effect upon the disciples)
We can learn from the disciples is that they don’t form any critical judgements upon what Jesus is doing, or upon the women he is engaging in conversation with, although they are surprised, they remain silent. Their response is the exact opposite to the Pharisees, scribes and others, were forever grumbling whenever he engaged with those they thought were sinners. Jesus was told in no uncertain terms.
Application: We must avoid a critical spirit of others, who are reaching out with the gospel in ways we may find different, or not to our liking, , its so much easier to step in and be critical, sometimes we must stand back, remain silent & be surprised, but giving thanks to God for the great work that He is doing in reaching out to a diversity of people in a diversity of ways.
b) Awareness of ethnic diversity; (27) ( Effect awaken to the diversity of people)
This incident is placed here in order to teach us more than just that Jesus is interested in sinners, I suppose the disciples knew that with all the clientele that Jesus was attracting & saving.
But more fundamentally we have here a new people group the Samaritans, Jesus has stepped out of Judea, Salvation indeed came from the Jews (4:22) , but that salvation he is revealing to her; to the whole world, Samaritans included . Jesus is stepping out, he his setting a pattern for his disciples (Gods original intention – Jews had become parochial ) not only to reach out to Jews , Samaritans & Gentiles. That’s why Jesus said to his disciples , Acts 1:8 You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Application; Our gospel is not just for white middle class suburbia English people (danger of becoming parochial) . Jesus is setting a pattern not just for his disciples but for all of us as believers, calling us to reach out to our neighbours , whoever they are, we must not become insular, we must widen our vision as the harvest fields are ripe & ready for harvest (4:35). We must not fail in the great commission of our Lord Jesus to reach out to others from different cultural backgrounds.
• I wonder what your response would be that when these new houses in Countesthorpe are built and a large community of black or Asian people move into the area , or if the government placed a large amount of asylum seekers into the area and those people started to attend chapel, how would you react? Would you make critical judgements or would you see it as a wonderful opportunity, to reach out to them with the gospel?
c) Awaken to the spiritual harvest (31-38) (Effect to awaken to the spiritual harvest)
The disciples are concerned about the physical need of Jesus (31) after all he was hungry and thirsty and they had gone to town to get food (7-8) , but the real needs Jesus puts before (32-33) He explains the food he desires is to do the will of the Father (34) . And that is to see people saved & brought into the Kingdom of God
He speaks figuratively about a harvest, calling his disciples to look up at the spiritual harvest before them ( 35 -38 ) What was it? It was the poeple from the town (30) approaching them. Look this is what I’ve come to do, to save people like this! And now it’s your turn (38) to reap the harvest (Pentecost).
(38) Others have done the hard work sowed those who have gone before them ( the prophets, John the Baptist , Christ himself ultimately on the cross) (35) But whether sowing or reaping its teamwork together (36) Do not say in four months till harvest, others have sown, it’s time to reap, it’s their turn to see with his eyes and reap the spiritual harvest of souls before them, he has sown.
Application: The same is true for us today, there is a harvest of souls to be gathered in as a result of the atoning death and resurrection. Jesus has made it possible, others have gone before us, Jesus will save people, we need to look up & reap the harvest of souls;
• Do we see the harvest of souls; are we moved with compassion when we see others who are lost?
• Are we prepared to do the Lords will, is that our spiritual food, or are we so spiritually malnourished we are sidetracked with the world and its food.
• The cause of the gospel on a believers life will be a spiritual hunger to reap souls for Christ.
2. The 2nd cause & effect is upon the women
As a result of the womens encounter with Jesus ( the cause) a number of effects are seen;
a) This women’s thirst has been quenched (28) she has come to believe that Jesus is the Christ and v28, 29, 39. I believe this is clearly evident for a number of reasons : She has left the water pot (large pot) at the well.
Figurative lesson; When a person encounter s Jesus & is converted the effect is that their thirst for other things is quenched ( materialism, pleasures, wealth, success, addictions, vices ) it is long forgotten, turned away from. Whatever it might be they are put down, forgotten and the individual moves on into new experiences.
2Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; the old has gone, the hew has come!
Of course water in itself is not bad, it is good & even needful for us as human beings to survive but here the women leaves it behind , because she has received something far superior from Jesus a spiritual thirst has been quenched. (13-14) Jesus said, whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst, indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring welling up to eternal life.
Things in this life can never satisfy, only when we encounter Jesus can we put down those things we thirst for in this life, and take up and enjoy the new life we have in Christ and find true last satisfaction.
b) The women begins to witness (28-29)
A second effect of the saving power of Christ in this women’s life is that she begins to witness to others (29), We are saved to witness, to speak to others, about him, as John Newton said, “ I once was blind but now I see!” Charles Wesley wrote “My chains fell off, I rose went forth & followed thee!” Jesus said, you are to be my witnesses ( Acts 1:8). This is a natural by product of our salvation , telling others the good news!
You might not be an evangelist, preacher teacher, pastor, theologian but if you are in Christ you are his witness, you are the means God has ordained that others will hear of him. (Go into all the world – faith comes by hearing)
But I don’t know what to say? Look at what this women says, (29) come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?
1st She simply shares her testimony of what the Lord has done for her, I wonder have you got a testimony, every Christian has a testimony of how Christ saved them, from their sins to eternal life (dramatic or not) a Christian has a testimony. If not, you need to ask yourself, do I actually know Christ? Am I truly converted?
Imagine you witnessed a crime, you would be called upon to give evidence in a court of law & stand before the judge and jury and give testimony to the facts as you have seen it, you are an eye witness, would you reamin silent? Friends in Christ we are witness to Christ’s saving power, and if we remain silent, what are the consequences, people we know & love remain lost, their is a coming day when all believers will all be called to stand before the judgement seat of Christ and give an account of our Christian lives , of our service , of our witness, before Him seated upon the throne 2Cor 5:10
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2nd witness about Jesus Christ (Messiah) v29 – we simply speak of Him (1 Cor 15:1-3). Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again on the third day, and will return! we need to centre upon him. C.H Spurgeon said “you might be able to share the gospel better, but you cannot share a better Gospel.”
C) She begins to reap a spiritual harvest v39 (Effect a spiritual harvest)
Jesus wants your life for him to make an impact upon others; that what happens here with this woman( v39) People are saved as a result of her testimony , she’s taken to heart the words of Jesus to his disciples, the harvest is ready, it’s time to reap! Poelpe are coming to believe as a result, friends if we will step out forward in faith, believing, trusting inthe power of God to save as he has done for us, we shall reap.
Proverbs 11:30 says he who wins souls is wise; Paul said 1Cor 9:20-23 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (although I myself am not under law), as to win those under law. To those who not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from Gods law but under Christs law), so as to win those not having the law 22 to the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Friends is that our desire, to win souls for Christ, as Charles Wesley wrote “ It’s all our business here below, to cry behold the lamb!” Of course we do that with the personalities & the gifts we have been given and in the unique way that our own personalities dictate, but our confidence doesn’t rest in ourselves but Him!
We are called to reap a harvest for our Lord. As a result of obedience in going & our personal testimony, pointing others to Christ leads. Us to the 3rd cause& effect.
3) The 3rd Cause & effect is upon the Samaritan’s (People come to faith in Christ) v30, 39,40,41,42
• Through the womens testimony they were intrigued many came out to see Jesus v30 they also listened to here testimony and came to believe for themselves through her testimony v39. Others....
• Intrigued in the person & work of Jesus not only did they go out to see him v30 , they wanted him to stay with them to hear more no doubt v40 they urged Jesus to stay for two days.
• Through Jesus himself as He meet with the people, & spoke with them, they too believed and were converted v41. Then they too begin to bear testimony to the saving power of Jesus 42. And acknowledged Jesus to be the Saviour of the World, that is the gospel message, that has saved them which they in turn are effected by 7 proclaim too, let us too go from this place today & share it with others....... if you truly posses it yourself!
Here we see that salvation comes not in a set package, that people can be saved in a diversity of ways through the testimony of another, through the direct witness of Jesus , through the word of God, quietly at a tender age, dramatically in the middle of life, there are a diversity of works but all are the by the same Spirit. 1Cor 12:6 There are different kind of workings , but the same God works all of them in all men.
Although their is a diversity of experiences in regard to our salvation , but all who come must come through the same route of repentance towards God (as sinners) & faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ( cross work) & holiness of life (holy living). If we have not come to God through this route we are merely deceiving ourselves and making a false profession. So we should all examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
• Check up ; Do we feel sin, do we hate it, abstain from it, do we love Jesus Christ, are we resting in him for our salvation, are we bringing forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit, walking in righteousness and holiness, if so these are all signs you are walking in the light of His countenance.
Let us to go and be like Jesus who had a cause & effect wherever he went. My we too in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
