Jesus – Face to Face
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
People who care about and who are able to make others feel important stand out, because they are a rare commodity. A commodity is something that is useful, and it is usually considered to be of high value. I’m sure you know some people like this.
They stand out because they are not like most people.
Typically, people are more interested in doing things and interacting with others in a way that is self-serving, or selfish. They are usually on a quest to satisfy their own egos, or to build themselves up in the eyes of others.
Being selfless is not the norm in our world, or in our culture.
Therefore, a selfless attitude is quickly noticed.
Jesus Christ is the master teacher of all times. He teaches in a variety of ways.
While he frequently spoke to “The Multitudes”, he also spent considerable time in one-to-one situations. He gave great attention to individuals.
The people who appear along the way in Jesus’ travels prove this to be the case.
Their interactions with Jesus reveal what He thought was important, and they tell us how he used his time and his energy.
They show us that Jesus was selfless, and caring of others.
The title of this message is Jesus – Face to Face.
It is based on a passage of scripture from the Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John provides several unique situations in the life and ministry of Jesus.
They are unique because they are not provided for us in any of the other Gospel accounts.
These situations represent the core of why many people have referred to the Gospel of John as the most personal and spiritual view of Jesus.
Now, let’s look at one of these situations.
We are going to look at the interaction that Jesus has with a Samaritan Woman.
This interaction is packed full of information and things we get to learn about and from Jesus. Given that we had the time, we could spend a few hours discussing this single interaction.
Right now, however, I want to examine with you some of the key characteristics of Jesus.
Specifically we are going to look at:
1. His Personality,
2. His Priorities, and
3. His Power.
We’re going to be in the Gospel of John, Chapter 4, and we’re beginning at verse 4.
Now he (that’s Jesus) had to go through Samaria, so he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (Jesus was by himself, as His disciples had gone into town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
The Personality of Jesus
Let’s examine the personality of Jesus in this situation.
First, we see that Jesus suffered the same physical conditions as other people.
He was tired and needed to rest.
We talk about Jesus being God, and he is. He was also fully human, and sometimes we neglect the full implication of what that means.
Hebrews 2:18 tells us that, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”
This let’s us know that Jesus is aware of the things that we are going through, and that he is able to help us.
Next, let’s look at the sentence: “It was about the sixth hour.”
This was most likely Noon, but some translations designate it as 6:00pm.
With all of the other information provided, I believe the time to be Noon.
In this culture, it was customary for women to draw their water in the evening.
This woman, however, was drawing water in the heat of the day (at noon).
Regardless of the exact time of day, however, a question comes to mind which is, "Why was this woman drawing water alone when none of the other women are?"
At a point in their conversation, as noted in verse 16, Jesus tells her, “Go call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband”, she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is quite true.”
Given that the woman has had five husbands, and that she was currently with a man who was not her husband, I feel confident in saying that this woman was probably shunned and treated as an outcast by the people in her community.
In the first century, women could not divorce. Men alone had that right.
Therefore, this woman was a person who had been rejected by five husbands which very likely contributed to the way she was viewed by people.
Can you imagine what being rejected by five people that you’re married to would do to your self-esteem and the way that you feel about yourself?
In today’s world we may relate to her by the way people would look at you if they found out that you have been fired from five or six jobs.
The point is that at this moment, in drawing her water by herself - in isolation and separation from the other women of the community - she is probably feeling a high degree of shame and guilt.
In these few verses of Scripture the personality of Jesus is revealed.
We see that Jesus meets her in her greatest time of need.
Jesus meets her when she is feeling that nobody wants to be with or around her.
In addition, we know that this woman was a Samaritan and that Jews and Samaritans did not get along well.
Jews considered themselves morally, religiously and socially the superiors of Samaritans. Jesus, however, displays no prejudice or hatred towards her.
In spite of the way that she is being treated by the community, and in spite of the way she feels about herself, Jesus chooses to be with her and to talk with her.
The fact that he was a man, and a Jew, and that he was willing to speak with her sent her a clear message:
Jesus was telling her that she matters.
Jesus was telling her that she is important to him.
And, Jesus is telling her that he cares about her situation.
In this passage we see that Jesus cares about people regardless of their heritage or background.
In the same way, you can be certain that Jesus desires to meet you in your greatest time of need.
Jesus wants to see you face to face, when no one else in the world cares for you, or wants to be around you.
Jesus wants to have a relationship with you regardless of your heritage, regardless of your background and regardless of your sinfulness.
Jesus wants you to know that you matter, that you are important to him, and that he cares about your situation.
So, if and when other people try to make you think that you are not important, or that you don’t matter – Remember that you matter to Jesus and he cares about you.
Jesus cares and he understands. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
The Priorities of Jesus
Now, let’s look at the priorities of Jesus in this situation.
Jesus (a Jew) is talking to a Samaritan.
It was noted by the woman that Jesus should not even be associating with her.
This means that Jesus cares more about giving people what they need rather than observing existing customs and traditions. In other words, Jesus places daily ministry above adherence to customs and cultural expectations.
Jesus worked to remove barriers between people.
Most of all, he worked to remove barriers between God and people.
Later on as Jesus is continuing his conversation with this woman, the disciples return and they were surprised to find Jesus speaking with her.
Then, the woman left and the disciples urged him to eat something.
Jesus told them that he had food that they knew nothing about.
In verse 34 Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”
In the movie the Untouchables a young Treasury Agent, named Elliott Ness, is sent by the Federal Government to the City of Chicago.
His mission was clear. It was to take down a very notorious Gangster, named Al Capone.
Shortly after arriving in Chicago it became apparent to Ness that he would have to establish an elite squad of men that would report directly to him.
One individual that Ness recruited was a seasoned beat cop, by the name of Malone.
Just in case you’re wondering, in this case a beat doesn’t have anything to do with music.
It was a downtown area of the city that the officer was responsible for patrolling, and it was to be patrolled on foot.
In trying to convince Malone to join his squad and follow him, Malone asked a very profound question which was, “What are you prepared to do to get Capone?”
Ness responds, “Whatever it takes!”
Ness backed-up his statement with actions, and it was his commitment to the mission at hand that inspired the men who followed him.
See, Ness did not come to the city of Chicago on his own. He came with the authority and power of the United States Government.
Jesus was sent to earth, by God the Father, with the specific mission of seeking and saving the lost and reconciling humankind with the God of the Universe.
Jesus did not come to earth by his own decision. No, he came under the authority and with the power of his Heavenly Father.
This meant that he would have the authority to lay down his life as a ransom for us, and that he would have the power to pick it up again.
Additionally, the priority of Jesus was to reach his ultimate destination of being nailed to a cross, to be crucified for the remission of sins, and to pour himself out as living water to provide eternal life for those who come to drink from Him.
This is what he came for, this is what he lived for and this is what he died for.
Therefore, Jesus has already done whatever it takes to save each of us and to restore us to wholeness.
Given that Jesus has already done everything he came to do, the question that should be asked is, “What are we prepared to do for him?”
The Power of Jesus
Considering the power of Jesus, in this situation, we see that Jesus knows all things about us.
We also see that Jesus has the power to change lives, and to take us in directions we may never have thought about taking.
This woman went to the well for the purpose of getting water as she had many times before.
Before her day was done she came face-to-face with the Christ, and later she became an advocate for Him.
When we come face-to-face with Jesus, we too can have a life changing encounter.
I encourage you to allow Jesus to make a change in your life now. Don’t put it off.
You don’t have any guarantee that there will be enough time later on.
Also, don’t be like the Rich Young Man that came face to face with Jesus, as indicated in the Gospel of Matthew.
This man was trying to be righteous with Jesus on his own terms.
When Jesus told him what he must do, he went away sad.
He couldn’t give up what Jesus told him he must give up.
My dear friends I have to tell you that if you are trying to meet Jesus on your own terms, you are going to be disappointed.
Jesus is our Master and our teacher, and we are his students.
We must listen to what he says, we must do what he says and we must model our behavior after him.
Also we need to understand that the power and ability of Jesus to change and transform lives is the same now as it has always been.
Jesus has the power to make us whole and complete.
Jesus has the power to heal us of our wounds, and to reconcile us to the Father.
Jesus has the power to free us from the sadness, shame and guilt that come from sin.
Jesus has the power to provide us with joy and freedom.
Jesus has the power to provide us with an abundant life, and he has the power to sustain it eternally.
When we partake of "Living Water" we too will never thirst again.
Jesus has the power to give us this eternal life, as he says to the Samaritan woman in verse 14, "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
In conclusion, I leave you with the following four points and then we’re finished:
1. When we see Jesus, we get to know Jesus.
2. When we see Jesus, we get to know God the Father whom he reveals.
3. When we see Jesus, we get to know ourselves for he is our example
4. When we see Jesus, we get to know how we are to interact with others.
