Go! And Drink the Living Water - John 4:13–14
Introduction: Are You Thirsty?
Let me begin by asking you a simple but eternal question: Are you thirsty?
I don’t mean do you want a cup of tea, or a cold glass of water after a long walk. I’m asking about your soul. Are you thirsty for something more than this world has to offer?
We live in a time of abundance, yet we are surrounded by people who are parched within—thirsty for meaning, for peace, for purpose, for love. And today, Jesus Himself speaks into that longing.
He said:
John 4:13–14 (NLT): Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
Let us pray.
1. Context: A Well, A Woman, and the Word Made Flesh
Jesus was in Samaria, sitting by a well in the heat of the day. A Samaritan woman came to draw water—a woman with a past, a woman who knew rejection, shame, and emptiness. Culturally, Jews didn’t associate with Samaritans. Men didn’t speak publicly to women. Yet Jesus broke every barrier—ethnic, moral, social—to meet her in her need.
Why? Because Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
He offers her something greater than physical water—living water. The Greek word used here is "???" (zon)—meaning alive, flowing, fresh. This was not stagnant water from a well, but vibrant, life-giving, eternal refreshment.
The woman came for water, but Jesus came for her soul.
2. The Source of Eternal Satisfaction
Let’s look at what Jesus says: “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.”
This speaks of the temporary nature of worldly satisfaction. Everything we try to use to quench our inner thirst—relationships, success, money, pleasure—leaves us dry.
“But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.”
Jesus offers something the world cannot: eternal satisfaction. He is not offering religion, ritual, or a rulebook—He’s offering Himself.
“It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
This imagery of a spring (Greek: "p??? ?dat??" – pege hydatos) paints a picture of a source that never runs dry. Jesus isn’t giving us a sip; He is placing a spring within us—His Holy Spirit.
3. Supportive Scriptures and Deep Truths
Let’s explore this truth with other passages of Scripture:
A. Isaiah 55:1 (NLT): “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come…”
God calls out to His people who are trying to find satisfaction elsewhere.
Hebrew: Thirsty — ????? (tsame), meaning desperate longing.
Application: We don’t need to earn or deserve salvation. We just need to come.
Charles Stanley said: “The well of God’s grace never runs dry, and we are invited to draw from it daily.”
Friends, you don’t need to clean yourself up to come to Jesus. You come as you are, and He does the cleansing.
B. John 7:37–38 (NLT): “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!”
Jesus cries this out during the Feast of Tabernacles, a time when water ceremonies were prominent.
Greek: Believe — p?ste?? (pisteuo), not just mental assent but a full trust, a surrender of heart.
Max Lucado wrote: “You were made to live in a different kind of water. One that refreshes, cleanses, and fills your soul with purpose.”
Your soul needs more than Sunday religion. It needs a spring that bubbles within—Christ in you.
C. Revelation 21:6 (NLT): “To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.”
At the end of the Bible, God again invites the thirsty. The offer never ends.
This is grace—God giving what we could never earn.
Tim Keller said: “The Gospel is not just the ABC of the Christian life, it is the A to Z.”
We never move past the Gospel. We always need the water. Jesus is the only true Source.
4. The Broken Cistern
Jeremiah 2:13 says: “My people have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”
Imagine trying to quench your thirst by collecting rainwater in a broken bucket. That’s what sin is—trying to fill our lives with things that cannot hold what we truly need.
We all have our broken cisterns. But Jesus offers living water, not temporary fixes.
5. The Desert Spring
Picture a hiker lost in a desert. For days he searches for water, growing weaker with every step. Then suddenly—he sees an oasis. It’s not a mirage. He drinks. And the water saves his life.
Jesus is that oasis. He is the spring in the desert. Not a trickle. A fountain. Not a ration. An overflow.
When Jesus enters your life, He doesn’t give you a religion. He gives you Himself.
6. The Gospel Message: The Fountain Was Pierced
Why can Jesus offer this water? Because He was poured out for us.
At the cross, Jesus cried out: “I am thirsty” (John 19:28)
The One who is the Source of Living Water became thirsty so that we might be satisfied.
He died for our sin. He was buried. But on the third day, He rose again. And now He offers eternal life to anyone who will believe in Him.
This is the Gospel. This is grace.
John Piper wrote: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
And we are satisfied when we drink deeply of Christ.
7. Call to Action: Go! And Drink
Friends, the well is open.
Maybe you've been sipping from the world and you're still thirsty.
Maybe you've been religious but empty inside.
Maybe you've never truly repented and trusted Jesus as your Saviour.
Today, the offer is extended:
“Come and drink.”
Repent. Turn from sin. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive the living water.
Don’t settle for spiritual dehydration. Don’t be content with just getting by.
Let Christ be your source. Let His Spirit fill you. Let His grace satisfy you.
8. Final Exhortation and Benediction:
Go! And drink the living water.
Don’t just taste. Drink deeply. Let Jesus become your joy, your peace, your life. And when you do, the water He gives will become a spring within you, welling up to eternal life.
So may the Lord fill you with the water of life.
May your thirst be quenched in Jesus.
May His Spirit overflow in you.
May your soul never be dry again.
Go in His grace. Go in His strength. Go, and drink the living water.
Amen.
Invitation to Salvation:
If you're here today and you’ve never truly surrendered your life to Jesus, now is the time.
Right now, where you are, pray:
“Jesus, I am thirsty. I’ve searched for life in all the wrong places. I turn from my sin. I believe You died for me and rose again. Be my Lord. Be my Saviour. Fill me with Your living water. Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer and meant it, you’ve just taken the first step of the most incredible journey. Speak to someone. Share it. Get connected. You are not alone.
