“The Rest of the Story”
John 4:27-42
The great radio broadcaster, Paul Harvey died in 2009…. He was known for his writings and radio broadcasts that reached up to 24 million people a week. Such a dynamic voice -– and one of the things that made him so popular was the way he could craft story to make it so interesting and then he would always add some things you had never heard and then close by saying and that’s the rest of the story. Several weeks ago we looked at the gospel of John, chapter 4 and we discussed all of the barriers that Jesus broke down to reach the woman at the well. The woman was puzzled; she was amazed---surprised that a man she had never met could know so much about her. And so her story now becomes the rest of the story and all over the village of Samaria people believed because of her testimony---because she took her story public. Testimony is the key word. She testified. And because she testified we have a “rest of the story.” Now this is the rest of the story in John 4. We started there several weeks ago and in case you were not here I need to recap the first part of the story so that we are on the same page today. So let’s do that.
In the first part of this chapter Jesus meets a woman, in Samaria at the well at noon; she was coming to draw water and they have a conversation and in that conversation He reveals Himself to be the Messiah. This changes her and in the 2nd part which I read earlier she responds and it can all be summed up really in one word…testimony. (v. 39). So, once, she is changed, she goes public and shares her testimony. So let’s break this down into 3 parts (1) What she testified to. (2) How she testified. And (3) Why she was able to testify the way she did.
Now here is what she testified to. So what does this word testimony mean? It’s an English word of course taken from the Greek and it means to give first hand authentication to an important fact. You hear testimony, for instance, in a court room in hopes that person will give you first hand authentication of what has happened to help you establish the facts. So what is she giving testimony to? She is giving testimony to something that has happened to her but is something that applies to all of us.
So her testimony first was this…. Come, see a man who told me everything (v.29) I ever did. This is so important that it is repeated in v. 39. He told me everything I ever did. Now why does this matter? Notice in verse 27 the disciples had gone into town and when they returned they were surprised to find Him talking to a woman. She was shocked. She’s like… you talking to me? Because there was a racial barrier between Jews and Samaritans; the hated each other; men and women did not speak in public and in Samaria she was likely at the bottom of the social ladder. So Jesus was way ahead of her… a Jew, not a Samaritan, a man not a woman, a Rabbi and she is at the bottom. Yet Jesus reaches through all of these barriers and speaks to her on a very personal level…about her whole life. She says come see this man who knows everything about me. It seems obvious she doesn’t know every much about Him yet. But she does understand this … a man, a Jewish man, a teacher spoke to me and He knew everything about me. Now, what has happened here is that she has had an experience of grace. And certainly she had never seen this before. So she gives testimony to that but she is also giving testimony that is not just for her. It’s true for everyone. Look at verse 42. This is important. It really matters because she didn’t come forward and say this is true for me, but it might not be true for you; you know I can really say. No, she is convinced it is true for them as well and as a result of her testimony they say, hmmm, now we know this man really is the Savior of the world. So if you’re an attorney and you bring someone in to share a testimony you don’t bring them in to say; well this is true but it’s just true for me…you want them to explain this is true for everyone. This is not only life changing for me but it’s also life changing for you as well.
Historians tell us that the Samaritans did not believe in a Savior. They believed in a teacher; not a Savior for the world but rather a teacher for the Samaritans. So what Jesus was saying was this --- I’m the one you’re looking for; yet I’m different than the one you’re looking for. He built on her beliefs but He also expanded on what she believed. Now this smatters because this is always the case. When Jesus comes into the life of any individual---to any culture he will fulfill your deepest needs, and desires but at the same time He will challenge you. He says I can give you exactly what you’re looking for but only if you change your beliefs about this and this and this. I’m going to give you everything you ever desires but I’m also going to ask you to change many of the beliefs that you have built your life on. This is what she is doing which is amazing because she knows so little about Christianity yet she gets it so right.
Now I want you to look with me at HOW she does it. Her testimony, in my view is marked by 3 things. They are:
• Complete transparency.
• Jesus simplicity
• Bravery.
1. Complete transparency. Look at how she does it. She doesn’t get up and preach a sermon, give our sermon notes, put up a slide presentation, --- instead she just spoke to the people she already knew and here is what she said…. Hey, this is what happened to me. Now this idea is both comforting and at the same time; convicting. It’s comforting in this way; as a believer, what do you really need to do to be public about your faith? Well, simple; just tell people what happened to you. Now, here is the convicting part. The only way you can fail here is to hide whop you really are. Hide your heart. If Jesus is central to your life, then He is the way you prioritize your life. And, in a normal relationship, as you grow closer to someone you become more transparent. About your life…your hopes…your dreams… so forth. And if you’re a believer the only way they will not know is if you fail to choose to be transparent. If people around us in Pasco County do not know you are a believer, there are only 2 possibilities. (1) Jesus really is not central in your life. OR (2) You’re hiding who you are. So, which is it?
2. There is Jesus simplicity. One of the problems is that we know too much. I don’t mean that we know too much about Jesus; I mean that we know too much about religion. We know all of the things Christians ought to do --- everything we ought to believe---this woman knew practically nothing… yet she got it all right. Look at what she says … Come see Jesus! Come see man ---Jesus! There is no other religion that can talk that way about their founder—they could talk about a path---Buddha and his followers would point you to the 8 fold path of enlightenment. Muhammed would say here are the 5 pillars of Islam, you must submit to them. It’s all about the path. Not the person. Jesu says in John 14, I AM the path. I AM the way. You see the Christian faith is one thing---it’s Jesus. You want the answers? You want salvation??? Simple. Go see Jesus.
When Jesus shows up at the tomb of Lazarus. Mary and Martha were weeping. What did Jesus say? Well, what He didn’t say was “well, you know, Lazarus was a good person; maybe someday he will be raised from the dead—nope—Jesus said I AM the RESURRECTION. I am the LIFE. I am the way! Only Christianity can say, let me tell you about my faith and here’s how I will do that … Come see Jesus.
3. She had a bit of bravery. Jesus met this woman; alone; at noon in broad daylight. Normally a woman would come with a group, early in the morning to get water to cook with; to clean with; it was cooler. This woman by all historians report was an outcast. But notice she leaves her water jar/jug (v. 28), goes into town---she is bound to think, “no one is going to listen to ME!” this may even make my social standing worse.
Listen if people in this community really knew what all of this believe there would be a variety of responses. Some might say---do you have a 3rd grade education?? What’s up with you? You think a man actually was raised from the dead? You think a man actually walked on water? You think a man actually raised someone else from the dead and that in the end He will raise you as well? What’s up with you? It takes some bravery.
You know what the word testimony actually means? It comes from the Greek word, martyria. Which is where we get our word, martyr. Now how did a word that was originally meant martyr. Now how did a word that was originally meant to bear testimony to Jesus Christ turn into a word that means to be persecuted or killed? Well, I have an idea! I mean think about it. Now, listen this is very offensive to people who live in this area; in any city to say something like this: “I know you believe THIS. Instead you gotta believe THIS. But if we really are public with our faith there is going to be a lot of pushback because the society we live in says this, “you think you have the only truth? Who do you think you are? You think I need to throw away what I believe and come over to your way of thinking? That’s narrow minded. But it’s actually not. Let’s say you have a serious disease life threatening and suddenly a cure is found and you receive the cure. What are you going to want to do? You are going to want to shout it from the rooftops. And the person whom you tell isn’t going to say well that sure is narrow minded!! In the NY magazine The Atlantic, they carried an article about what it is like in our day to be an atheist and to be in college. One of the students; an atheist, said this, “Any Christian who doesn’t try to convert me is not a real Christian because if you really believe what you say; if you really believe you have a cure for my soul then you (a) don’t really care about me or (b) you don’t really believe what you say you believe. So, which is it? I agree with that.
Jesus said, I’ve got living water and if you receive it you will never be thirsty again. She probably thinking He sure knows a lot; good thing he doesn’t know I’ve been married 5 times and the man I’m living with…we’re not married either! Thank goodness He doesn’t know that. Cause if He did He wouldn’t think I’m good enough to have the water---He would be saying, you know you better clean yourself up first, I’ll come back in a few years---here’s my card---let’s stay in touch! He would never talk to me if He knew my past. Then He says oh, and something else here. And then He tells her he does know. And it didn’t matter. And she was dumbfounded. So what does she do? She changes the subject. Let’s talk about worship. Let’s talk theology. She says, look when this man arrives He will tell me all I need to know. He will explain everything. Then Jesus says, “The one you are speaking to, is HE.” Know what she does? She runs away. Why? Because when you know something everyone else doesn’t know and it is life changing, you gotta go tell them. Right? You’re like you guys are not gonna believe this! Ever been outside and the moon is so beautiful you just gotta tell somebody? My wife has. You know what she did. She called me. This woman said, Come see a man who knew everything I have ever done but he loved me to the moon and back. You see this is what we all want in life---to have someone who knows us at our absolute worst; all our secrets ---all the bad but STILL love us. More than anything else and that’s what she found in Jesus.
When Jesus hung on the cross there were 7 different statements he made at various time of the day during those 6 hours. One of those statements was, “I thirst.” Jesus said, I thirst so our thirst could be quenched. Jesus doesn’t care about our past. He cares about our future. There is something about having something others’ don’t that can make you feel really confident. It can make you feel like you’re better than others; but not this truth. This truth gives us a brand new identity. And there is no greater joy than to know Him and to be public with your faith and to see God change others in the same way He has changed you.
