Note: I did read a few articles on the waters of the Middle East in Jesus' day. So this is a combination of different sources.
Title: Living Water
Theme: To show the need for more in a persons life and how to share our faith.
Text: John 4:1 - 26
Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (1) (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), (Joh 4:2)
Jesus was developing His ministry now. John the Baptist was fading and Jesus was coming to light.
As John said John 3:30 , “He must increase and I must decrease”
He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. (Joh 4:3)
Jesus would often travel between Judea and Galilee. Judea (Bethlehem) was where Jesus was born and Galilee (Nazareth) was where he lived.
But He needed to go through Samaria. (Joh 4:4)
This is an interesting statement. When you look at a map it is obivious. Jesus had to go through Smaria from Judea to get to Galilee. But I believe John is saying more here.
Note the words, "He must needs go through Samaria." The word must (edei) means necessity, compulsion, destiny. Jesus was driven to go through Samaria for the sake of His mission. Samaria needed the gospel as much as other areas. (The word "must" is so often used in connection with Jesus' mission that it makes an excellent word study. Cp. John 3:14; John 9:4; John 10:16; John 12:34; John 20:9.)
Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - John.
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. (Joh 4:5) Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
(Joh 4:6)
This was a very prominment and historical spot. Jacob the son of Isaac had dug this well. He had settled here for a short time.
In Jacob we see a life of searching. His own life is one who was raised in a home that followed God, brought up in the ways of God yet got out. He was deceptive and left home. Searching for significance. He had encounters with God such as at Bethel where he saw the angels ascending and descending. Or at Penial where he wrestles with God after many years of not truly following God.
This is also the place that Jesus meets someone who is searching.
The Harvest is there
John 4:34 - 38
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. (Joh 4:34) Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! (Joh 4:35) And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. (Joh 4:36) For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' (Joh 4:37) I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."
(Joh 4:38)
John 6:44: ' ... no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day'.
IOW when the work is done we can’t take credit because the father does the work.
Woman of Samaria
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."
(Joh 4:7) For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. (Joh 4:8)
This seemed like a simple request, but Jesus was wanting something more. He was connecting with her on deepest need.
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
(Joh 4:9)
This brings us back to the point.
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."
(Joh 4:10)
This idea of living water had to get her attention.
The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?11) Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" (Joh 4:12)
Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (Joh 4:13) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (Joh 4:14)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
(Joh 10:10)
There is a contrast here between what Jesus offers and what satan gives.
Satan comes to: 1) Steal – our joy, or hope 2) kill our dreams and visions 3) destroy our families and our marriages
Jesus comes to give us life - An abundant living.
Living in the abundant is based on how we connect to God.
This idea of living water was so important in Bible times. For us here water may not mean as much. We can run to the tap and get water. It was really brought to my attention how blessed we are when you read the stories of Flint Michigan who had lost their fresh water. Or even in Andrews when we had to boil our water to get fresh water.
This was even worse in Israel as they had to often times wait on the rain to come to get this “fresh water”. Water was scarce. Droughts were common. As you see in scripture droughts were often times used to get the attention of the people.
So when Jesus here is talking about living water this peaks her attention.
The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." (Joh 4:15)
Jesus had created a thirst in her. So she cries out.
Jesus said in John 7:37
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing [34] in Him would receive; for the Holy [35] Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
(Joh 7:37-39)
Living water. Water that brings life. Water that brings long lasting growth in our lives. Fresh water.
Ezekiel – living water
Ezekiel reminds us of the vision that out of the thrones of God there is this ever flowing rivers of living water
On the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. “It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. “
And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from En-Gedi to En-Eglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. “But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. “By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” (Ezek 47:7-12)
Joel – living water of the last days
Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before… Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be ashamed. And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:23, 27-29)
Jeremiah’s warning to Israel
"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters,
How? By turning to the idols of the land. By turning away from the fresh water of the Lord.
The Alternative
and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13).
So a cistern is a place where water was stored. When the rain did not come then they would build this holes in the ground to store the water. It works great for water but not for our lives.
They would line them up with clay to hold the water. Eventually the clay would crack and have to be redone. Maybe this happened in the seasons of no rain. They would need to reline their cisterns.
From Beth Stephens devotion on this passage
“I was discussing these thoughts with a good friend, Daren Hicks, and he shared some interesting insight and revelation. In our text, the people had turned to idol worship and they were trusting in three things wrongfully:
1. Wallet- they were trusting in their own provision instead of trusting God for their provision.
2. Warfare- they turned to the gods and government of Egypt and Assyria (their enemies) for their protection and provision. They were no longer trusting God for their victories.
3. Worship- their worship was misdirected…they were worshiping idols.”
Revisit old Wells
We need to go back to the place where we found the living water.
What causes cracks in our cisterns? What keeps the water from flowing.
In our lives: sin, lack of intentional walk with God (prayer, Bible study),
What stops the flowing? Not giving out.
We need to redig the wells of old.
How do we leak?
Getting Thirsty Illustration
A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later...
“Da-ad...”
“What?”
“I’m thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?”
“No. You had your chance. Lights out.”
Five minutes later: “Da-aaaad...”
“WHAT?”
“I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water?”
“I told you NO!” If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!”
Five minutes later...”Daaaa-aaaad...”
“WHAT!”
“When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?”
Revelation of Jesus – A prophet
He then held up a mirror for her to see the ways she looked for life and had not found it (vv. 16–18).
For the rest of their time together she really begins to understand who Jesus is. From the gift of discernment Jesus reveals to her that He knows her. He knows her sin, He knows her life.
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." Joh 4:16) The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' (Joh 4:17) for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."
(Joh 4:18)
The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. (Joh 4:19)
Revelation of Jesus – Bigger than Religion
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." (Joh 4:20) Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. (Joh 4:21) You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.(Joh 4:22) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
(Joh 4:23) God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
(Joh 4:24)
Revelation of Jesus – The Messiah
The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." (Joh 4:25) Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."
