THE UNEXPECTED JESUS
"Proclaim the Acceptable Year of the Lord"
John 4:1-26
INTRODUCTION: During the 1920’s and 30’s Al Simmons was one of professional baseball’s great
players. By the end of his major league career he had amassed almost 3000 hits, but that was
just it - almost 3000. When he first entered the Major Leagues he was lazy. He would make up
excuses to avoid being placed in the lineup, and because of that he missed many opportunities at
bat. You see, to have 3000 hits in your career places you in one of the sporting world’s elite
fraternities. It is a milestone that not many reach. As his time in pro baseball came to a
close, Mr. Simmons greatly regretted his laziness and missed opportunities. He said, "If only I
had known earlier in my career I would have been a different player." Failures and missed
opportunities, life is full of them. And, in John 4, Jesus met a woman who had had her share of
both. READ TEXT The power to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord had been given to Jesus.
The time was right for the woman at the well to come back to her God, and Jesus would give her
the opportunity of a lifetime.
I. FAILURES OF LIFE
A. There are many ways a person’s life can become complicated. And it seems that once the
pathway becomes difficult a snowball effect is created. The woman at the well had a very
complicated life.
1. She was a Samaritan. A mix of Jew and Gentile, a half-breed which neither the Jews or the
Gentiles claimed. She was an outcast from both societies, caught in between the two with no
sympathy from either one.
2. She was also in a highly questionable marital situation. Jesus tells her that she had had 5
husbands, and she does not deny it. If anything she affirms it by calling Him a prophet for
saying such a thing. Now, keep in mind that we do not know how those marriages broke up, but
that many having broken up raises some serious suspicions.
3. To top that off she was living with a man to whom she was not married. Morally her life was in
a mess, in shambles and you know it had to affect her daily life in many, many ways.
4. One final thing about the woman at the well, she was involved in a manner of worship that was
unacceptable to God. Samaritans worshipped in the high places, in the mountains, that often
contained idols to bow down to. Besides, the Temple was the only God-commissioned site that
worship was to take place.
5. She had more serious complications and problems in her life than anyone
else listed in Scripture. Seems as though everything was going against her. She received no
breaks, no good fortune, nothing in life by trouble.
B. Not much has changed in 2000 years has it? Human life is still full of complications, problems
and trouble. And the more complications we have it seems that more come, until we reach the
point of throwing up our hands in defeat and hopelessness.
C. In Joshua 24, Joshua issued a challenge to the nation of Israel. They had been through their
share of problems and complications before and after they had entered Canaan. In response to all
of that, he said, "Choose this day whom you will serve." In essence Joshua tells them that now
is the time to come to God. Jesus would do the same for the woman at the well.
II. THE RIGHT TIME TO COME TO GOD
A. She did not begin her day expecting to meet anyone at the well, let alone the Messiah. But, by
the end of her encounter with Jesus she was glad that the unexpected had happened.
1. The text says that she went to the well at the sixth hour. That is high noon, the middle of
the day. No one went to draw water then. Everyone else went early or late to avoid the heat. She
went at this time for a purpose.
2. Her life was a mess - she knew it, most everyone else knew it, so the safest thing to do was
to avoid the crowd. That was how she lived, so the trip to the well at noon was a purposeful
trip. If she did not see anyone, she did not have to endure the stares, the glares and the
whisperings behind her back.
3. But this day there was someone at the well. Maybe she started to turn around and go back home.
But then that would mean another trip. I can see her thinking, "If I go quickly and quietly
maybe nothing will happen." Jesus didn’t give her a chance.
4. He spoke to her first. Unexpected, yes. Frightening, more than likely. Shocking, most
certainly. Jews had no dealings with Samaritans and this one was asking her for a drink of
water. But it is what happens next that really catches her off guard.
5. Jesus offers her living water. This is symbolic of salvation. Here she is a half-breed, 5 time
divorcee who is shacking up with some guy and Jesus tells her to ask and she shall be saved.
Talk about unexpected. But that is not all Jesus says.
6. He goes on to tell her that "now is the time to draw near to God in spirit and truth because I
am here. I am the Messiah." I don’t know how she kept her sanity or her consciousness. Jesus
knew all about her, every little detail, and I submit to you that that is exactly why He said
what He said.
B. Folks, sin is sin. There are not white one and no black ones. All it takes is one sin to earn
an eternity of punishment. Paul put it this way, "The wages (plural) of sin (singular) is
death." ELABORATE "But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." Now is the time to
take that gift.
1. Romans 13:11, "it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."
2. II Corinthians 6:2
3. Hebrews 4:7, "Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart."
C. Salvation is just a step away. Today is the day to take that step. Allow Jesus
to come into your life by submitting to His will and obeying the Gospel. Don’t walk away. Don’t
leave Jesus waiting. Don’t miss another opportunity to set things right in your life.
