Jesus In Samaria (John 4:1-6)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:07.190 Let's turn our attention now to John Chapter Four. We continue to read God's 2 00:00:07.230 --> 00:00:15.109 word this morning and I will continue preaching through the gospel of John. I'm 3 00:00:15.109 --> 00:00:20.190 going to read a longish section. If you need to sit, that's fine, 4 00:00:21.859 --> 00:00:25.460 but I'm going to be focusing on the first six verses in my my 5 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:34.219 sermon. But I'll read John for one through forty five. Now, when 6 00:00:34.219 --> 00:00:39.530 Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples 7 00:00:39.609 --> 00:00:44.049 than John, although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples, 8 00:00:44.170 --> 00:00:48.929 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee, and he had to pass through 9 00:00:48.969 --> 00:00:53.320 Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called scar, near the 10 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:57.759 field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. 11 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:02.159 So Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the 12 00:01:02.280 --> 00:01:07.030 well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to 13 00:01:07.069 --> 00:01:11.030 draw water. Jesus said to her, give me a drink, for his 14 00:01:11.109 --> 00:01:17.189 disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said 15 00:01:17.230 --> 00:01:19.579 to him, how is it that you a Jew, ask for a drink 16 00:01:19.620 --> 00:01:26.180 from me, a woman of Samaria, for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 17 00:01:26.060 --> 00:01:30.620 Jesus answered her, if you knew the Gift of God and who it 18 00:01:30.739 --> 00:01:33.890 is that is saying to you, give me a drink, you would have 19 00:01:33.969 --> 00:01:38.730 asked him and he would have given you living water. The woman said to 20 00:01:38.769 --> 00:01:41.569 him, sir, if you have nothing to draw water with, or, 21 00:01:41.689 --> 00:01:45.049 sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep, 22 00:01:45.530 --> 00:01:49.920 where do you get that living water? Are You greater than our Father Jacob? 23 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:53.680 He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his 24 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:59.480 sons and his livestock? Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks of this 25 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:04.629 water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will 26 00:02:04.670 --> 00:02:08.469 give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him 27 00:02:08.469 --> 00:02:14.669 will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The 28 00:02:14.789 --> 00:02:17.219 woman said to him, sir, give me this water so that I will 29 00:02:17.259 --> 00:02:23.340 not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water. Jesus said to 30 00:02:23.379 --> 00:02:27.659 her, go call your husband and come here. The woman answered him, 31 00:02:27.659 --> 00:02:31.610 I have no husband. Jesus said to her, you are right in saying 32 00:02:31.650 --> 00:02:36.050 I have no husband, for you have had five husbands and the one you 33 00:02:36.129 --> 00:02:39.490 have now is not your husband. What you have said is true. The 34 00:02:39.610 --> 00:02:44.319 woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 35 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:49.240 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the 36 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:53.280 place where people ought to worship. Jesus said to her. Woman, believe 37 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:58.870 me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will 38 00:02:58.870 --> 00:03:02.229 you worship the father. You worship what you do not know. We worship 39 00:03:02.310 --> 00:03:07.270 what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is 40 00:03:07.349 --> 00:03:10.430 coming and is now here. When true, when the true worshippers will worship 41 00:03:10.509 --> 00:03:15.259 the father in spirit and truth, for the father is seeking such people to 42 00:03:15.379 --> 00:03:21.460 worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in 43 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:24.900 spirit and truth. The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah 44 00:03:24.979 --> 00:03:29.689 is coming, He who is called Christ. When he comes, he will 45 00:03:29.729 --> 00:03:34.449 tell us all things. Jesus said to her. I who speak to you? 46 00:03:34.930 --> 00:03:39.650 AM He? Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he 47 00:03:39.689 --> 00:03:44.080 was speaking with a woman, but no one said what do you seek or 48 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:46.680 why are you talking with her? So the woman left with her jar and 49 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:51.639 went away into the town and said to the people, come see a man 50 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:54.039 who told me all that I ever did. CAN THIS BE THE CHRIST? 51 00:03:55.030 --> 00:03:59.870 They went out of the town and we're coming to him. Meanwhile, the 52 00:03:59.990 --> 00:04:02.750 disciples were urging him, saying, rabbi, eat, and he said to 53 00:04:02.830 --> 00:04:06.430 them I have food to eat that you do not know about. So the 54 00:04:06.550 --> 00:04:10.900 disciple said to one another, has he brought him some? Has Someone, 55 00:04:11.099 --> 00:04:15.219 has anyone, brought him something to eat? Jesus said to them my food 56 00:04:15.340 --> 00:04:18.139 is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 57 00:04:18.860 --> 00:04:23.860 Do you not say there are yet four months. Then comes the harvest. 58 00:04:24.329 --> 00:04:27.250 Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the 59 00:04:27.329 --> 00:04:30.810 fields are white for harvest all ready. The one who reaps is receiving wages 60 00:04:30.850 --> 00:04:35.009 and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may 61 00:04:35.089 --> 00:04:40.920 rejoice together, for here the saying holds true. One sows and another reaps. 62 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:45.120 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others 63 00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:49.160 have labored and you have entered into their labor. Many Samaritans from that town 64 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:53.910 believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me all that I 65 00:04:54.069 --> 00:04:57.750 ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to 66 00:04:57.790 --> 00:05:00.949 stay with them, and he stayed there two days, and many more believed 67 00:05:00.990 --> 00:05:04.470 because of his word. They said to the woman, it is no longer 68 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:09.220 because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves 69 00:05:09.300 --> 00:05:13.899 and we know that this indeed is the savior of the world. After two 70 00:05:13.899 --> 00:05:17.379 days, he departed for Galilee, for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet 71 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:21.089 has no honor in his hometown. So when he came to Galilee, the 72 00:05:21.170 --> 00:05:25.970 Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the 73 00:05:26.009 --> 00:05:30.810 feast, for they too had gone to the feast. The God bless his 74 00:05:30.889 --> 00:05:35.279 word to us. You may be seated. Well, quite an amazing story, 75 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:42.800 isn't it? This is a story about the Gospel and the effects that 76 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:48.120 the Gospel has. It's a story that we will spend some time on because 77 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:51.870 it's long and there are a lot of a lot of things in it worth 78 00:05:51.910 --> 00:05:59.709 worth considering and making sure that we we understand. It's a story about Jesus, 79 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:03.149 who brings good news. It's a story about how the Gospel affects things 80 00:06:03.300 --> 00:06:09.180 like class and gender and race. It's a story about history, a story 81 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:15.139 about geography. It's a story that has, like a multilayered cake, a 82 00:06:15.300 --> 00:06:20.970 lot of richness to it, and it's worth worth enjoying. It's a story 83 00:06:21.089 --> 00:06:27.810 about Jesus and this woman at the well, about the disciples, about misunderstandings 84 00:06:27.930 --> 00:06:34.920 and and new understandings. Today I want to consider with you just the first 85 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:43.759 six verses. They are important for a number of reasons, primarily because they 86 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.949 set the scene. They explain the context in which all of this is happening. 87 00:06:48.350 --> 00:06:53.750 There's going to be discussions about Jacob and as well. There's a it's 88 00:06:53.949 --> 00:06:58.269 significant that he's in Samaria, and this is all stated right up front, 89 00:06:58.430 --> 00:07:04.980 so we'll spend some time considering that today. We'll consider how it is Jesus 90 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:12.939 came to be here and and what happens as a result. When John Writes 91 00:07:13.019 --> 00:07:17.649 and records these events for us, it's helpful to remember that he's not experiencing 92 00:07:17.810 --> 00:07:21.810 this story for the first time, he's remembering it right. That's what a 93 00:07:21.850 --> 00:07:27.689 storyteller does. They're remembering, and there he's, as a historian, recording 94 00:07:27.810 --> 00:07:32.920 these these things. Verse Eight tells us that John and the other disciples had 95 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:39.079 been baptizing people in the name of Jesus previous to this event. They were 96 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:44.199 ministering that baptism which was greater than John's, and he tells us what happened. 97 00:07:45.149 --> 00:07:48.910 He tells us that the Pharisees were upset about this. John tells us 98 00:07:48.949 --> 00:07:55.350 that they were complaining in a way about what he and the other disciples were 99 00:07:55.389 --> 00:07:59.939 doing. They're saying Jesus, this Jesus is getting more disciples and is doing 100 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:05.300 more baptizing than John did. Interestingly, there's a parallel between the way the 101 00:08:05.459 --> 00:08:09.259 people were coming out into the Wilderness to see John and the way that the 102 00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:15.009 people are going to come out of the Samaritan city of Siccar there but to 103 00:08:15.089 --> 00:08:20.529 see Jesus later on. This will happen throughout the Gospel in many ways. 104 00:08:20.050 --> 00:08:24.170 John, you remember, testified. He said this one who comes after me 105 00:08:24.449 --> 00:08:28.879 is greater than me. And yet so often everyone seems sort of surprised by 106 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:33.759 this fact. John says, he who comes after me is greatly I'm not 107 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:41.590 even worthy to untie his sandal. And yet we see these concerns about Jesus 108 00:08:41.070 --> 00:08:50.830 and his supremacy over John and over everything happening from very early on. So 109 00:08:50.950 --> 00:08:54.590 the Pharisees are upset about Jesus and his disciples. They likely fear for their 110 00:08:54.710 --> 00:09:00.860 lives, as they often did because of the Pharisees's and so they had to 111 00:09:01.019 --> 00:09:07.299 Galilee, going north through a land called Samaria, which would have been the 112 00:09:07.419 --> 00:09:13.009 fastest route. John tells us that it was about the sixth hour of the 113 00:09:13.090 --> 00:09:16.330 day, which tells us that it was around noon, which is, no 114 00:09:16.450 --> 00:09:20.730 matter what time of the year, the hottest part of the day. They 115 00:09:20.809 --> 00:09:26.679 had likely been traveling since morning and usually around noon. They, like you 116 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:31.480 are around noon, are hungry, thirsty and tired, ready for some refreshment 117 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:39.669 and rest. Jesus seems quite in need. It says he's wearied. He 118 00:09:39.110 --> 00:09:45.149 asks for a drink. He needs to ask it from this woman because his 119 00:09:45.389 --> 00:09:50.309 disciples weren't there, and his disciples aren't there because they were going to buy 120 00:09:50.429 --> 00:09:58.059 food. The Bible tells us that Jesus was tired. He was wearied. 121 00:09:58.220 --> 00:10:03.220 Jesus doesn't stay because, well, they need nourishment, so why don't you 122 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:07.169 guys go into town and get some food? I'll be fine here. No, 123 00:10:07.330 --> 00:10:11.769 he stays because he can't go on. An interesting picture and it's important 124 00:10:11.769 --> 00:10:16.730 to note, because sometimes people forget, either on purpose or on accident, 125 00:10:16.850 --> 00:10:22.679 that Jesus is human natures, just as human as yours or mine, as 126 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:28.840 John's or judases. There were even cases, as it's here, his humanity 127 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:35.629 was perhaps even weaker than there's was, where they could physically continue on and 128 00:10:37.269 --> 00:10:41.389 yet he couldn't. And sometimes I think we we act as though, or 129 00:10:41.470 --> 00:10:45.830 we think as though, Jesus was sort of human, yes, but super 130 00:10:45.909 --> 00:10:52.779 human right, extra strong, extra powerful, that he that he was able 131 00:10:52.980 --> 00:10:56.740 in his humanity to do things that they could not. Now, Jesus, 132 00:10:56.820 --> 00:11:01.299 of course, was divine as well as human, which means he could do 133 00:11:01.620 --> 00:11:07.210 things that they could not, like walking on water or creating things out of 134 00:11:07.330 --> 00:11:11.809 nothing. But it also meant that Jesus was, though, Jesus is fully 135 00:11:11.889 --> 00:11:16.250 divine, he is also fully human. A great mystery, and we see 136 00:11:16.370 --> 00:11:22.279 that here in a fair amount of detail. He's tired, he's wearied, 137 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:30.399 he needs to ask for a drink. Remember, then, what John Helped 138 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:35.710 told us at the very beginning of this Gospel. Is True that the word 139 00:11:35.029 --> 00:11:41.909 became flesh and dwelt among us. This is not just true, it is 140 00:11:41.950 --> 00:11:48.899 the very hope of our salvation. Jesus took on humanity in a true way. 141 00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:54.740 He became weak and poor and tired and hungry so that weak and poor 142 00:11:54.059 --> 00:12:00.019 and tired and hungry people could be saved. He became man, as we 143 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:05.049 confessed in our creed this morning, to save man. But wasn't his incarnate 144 00:12:05.330 --> 00:12:09.570 is hidcarnation, that saved us? But it was what he did in his 145 00:12:09.769 --> 00:12:16.000 incarnation. This week and weary Jesus, who will preach the Gospel to this 146 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:22.679 wretched center of a woman, this Samaritan, he would have to be not 147 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:28.960 just he would be unlifted up, but not for a drink, but for 148 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:33.149 death. Jesus and his our incarnation, in his weakness, in his humility, 149 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:37.710 would not just one day rest by a well, but he would rest, 150 00:12:37.909 --> 00:12:43.110 and rest is not the right word, would hang on a cross. 151 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:48.059 This is a pattern, in other words, that we're seeing here at the 152 00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:52.620 beginning of this story that is going to repeat throughout the Gospel and even repeats 153 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:56.220 in our own lives. In a way, the Jews that he aren't is 154 00:12:56.299 --> 00:13:01.610 right now fleeing, would one day catch up with him, torture him and 155 00:13:01.210 --> 00:13:07.009 hang him on a cross. In fact, John tells us that it was 156 00:13:07.129 --> 00:13:11.610 the sixth hour. Just as it was the sixth hour when Jesus sat down 157 00:13:11.610 --> 00:13:13.879 by the well, it would be the sixth hour when pilot said to the 158 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:18.679 Jews, behold your king, and they cried out, away with him, 159 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:24.240 away with him, crucify him. Pilot said to them, shall I crucify 160 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.230 your King? The chief priests answered him, we have no king but Caesar, 161 00:13:30.230 --> 00:13:35.549 and so he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they're 162 00:13:35.750 --> 00:13:41.500 as here. The needs of his human nature continue. Jesus, is humanity 163 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:46.259 that's expressed here at the well, and being tired and being thirsty will also 164 00:13:46.340 --> 00:13:52.340 be expressed on the cross, or made manifest on the cross, as he 165 00:13:52.539 --> 00:13:56.690 bleeds, as he streuss us, as he as he struggles for bat breath, 166 00:13:58.490 --> 00:14:03.970 even, in fact, as he is thirsty. John tells us in 167 00:14:05.009 --> 00:14:09.210 Chapter Nineteen, Verse Twenty Eight, that after the soldiers had divided his clothes, 168 00:14:09.330 --> 00:14:13.480 he's hanging naked on a cross. At this point, Jesus, this 169 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:18.799 is a quote from the One thousand nine hundred twenty eight. Jesus, knowing 170 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:24.909 that all was now finished, said to fulfill the Scriptures, I thirst. 171 00:14:26.470 --> 00:14:30.870 A jar full of sour wine stood there. So they put a sponge full 172 00:14:30.909 --> 00:14:33.789 of sour wine on a hissup branch and held it to his mouth. When 173 00:14:33.830 --> 00:14:39.019 Jesus had received this sour wine, he said it is finished and he bowed 174 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:45.019 his head and he gave up his spirit. The things that are happening right 175 00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:50.019 here at the well are prefiguring his death. The persecution of the Jews, 176 00:14:50.419 --> 00:14:56.250 the suffering the time, even down to this detail, of the thirsting Jesus 177 00:14:56.409 --> 00:15:01.649 is, humanity is bringing him to a low point. But it's not an 178 00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:07.200 accident. He came purposefully, in a planned way, out of love. 179 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:13.879 The word became flesh and dwelt among us so that God would fulfill his covenant 180 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:22.429 promises that he made to Jacob and Abraham and Isaac and Joseph, these promises 181 00:15:22.549 --> 00:15:26.789 that he would be our God and we would be his people. This is 182 00:15:26.870 --> 00:15:31.590 how he dwells among us, this is how he is taking care of us, 183 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:33.230 and that's why he will say these things to this woman, and he 184 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:37.299 says, if you would, even if you knew who was was, ask 185 00:15:37.379 --> 00:15:41.700 of me and I would give you water where you would never thirst again. 186 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:48.340 She does give him a water, it would seem, but on the cross 187 00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:52.769 that's not the case. He fulfills that scripture that we read in Psalm six 188 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:56.330 twenty one. They gave me poison for Food and for my thirst, they 189 00:15:56.370 --> 00:16:03.210 gave me sour wine to drink. But God is using all of this for 190 00:16:03.370 --> 00:16:08.399 good. What man intends for evil, God works for blessings, for even 191 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:15.480 the whole world. By becoming man, by suffering, by dying, he 192 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:18.909 did this so that man might believe in him, have their sins forgiven and 193 00:16:18.990 --> 00:16:25.870 would no longer fear death. For we who believe in Jesus have death, 194 00:16:26.950 --> 00:16:33.019 die in Jesus and are able to live in him. And what's amazing too, 195 00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:37.899 is that this salvation then goes forth to everyone, a salvation that's also 196 00:16:37.940 --> 00:16:45.100 anticipated here at Jacobs well. Jacob's well in Samaria would go out into Samaria 197 00:16:45.179 --> 00:16:47.929 and all the world. We read at the end of the story that what 198 00:16:48.169 --> 00:16:52.129 happens here in this place, as he's sort of fleeing from Judea, fleeing 199 00:16:52.250 --> 00:16:59.649 from Jerusalem, going up to Galilee, going up through Samaria. What ends 200 00:16:59.690 --> 00:17:03.160 up happening is a lot of people end up believing the Gospel. The end 201 00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:07.680 up believing that he is the Christ. They end up finding salvation in him 202 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:12.400 because of what happens with this woman and her testimony. And again these patterns 203 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:18.750 that we're seeing here early in Jesus Ministry are going to keep happening after Jesus 204 00:17:18.750 --> 00:17:23.430 is resurrection, after he defeats death and rises from the dead. We read 205 00:17:23.470 --> 00:17:27.630 an acts one eight as he says to John, who writes this, and 206 00:17:27.789 --> 00:17:33.460 to the other disciples, he says, but you will receive power when the 207 00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:37.059 Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses, just as 208 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:41.660 this woman was a witness, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all 209 00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:48.490 Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. So as Pau as 210 00:17:48.529 --> 00:17:52.930 John is writing this right as he's writing about this woman at the well and 211 00:17:52.009 --> 00:17:56.849 these things that happened and Jesus is early ministry and Samaria, he is also 212 00:17:56.930 --> 00:18:03.880 re membering the command that he himself was given after the resurrection that the Gospel 213 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:08.000 would go out from Judea, after the crucifixion and Resurrection, to Samaria and 214 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:14.829 even to the whole world. It's amazing to think about here is God, 215 00:18:14.950 --> 00:18:19.349 the God of Abraham, Isaac Jacob Joseph, keeping these promises that the world 216 00:18:19.390 --> 00:18:26.710 would be blessed through them and through this offspring of Christ. This command that 217 00:18:26.789 --> 00:18:30.259 Jesus gives to them. In fact, is exactly what happens. Luke goes 218 00:18:30.299 --> 00:18:37.819 on to record and acts Chapter Eight, that Philip first goes into Samaria proclaims 219 00:18:37.859 --> 00:18:41.609 Christ and many receive that news and believe. And then when they apostles at 220 00:18:41.609 --> 00:18:47.410 Jerusalem heard about Samaria that the work of the spirit was happening in this way, 221 00:18:48.250 --> 00:18:51.650 that the the Samaritans had received the word of God, they then sent 222 00:18:51.809 --> 00:18:56.640 to them Peter and John. So here is John Right, John's baptizing in 223 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:03.160 the wilderness with Jesus. They're baptizing and in the name of Jesus they have 224 00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:07.279 to flee Judea. They have this encounter with this woman in Samarian. At 225 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:11.670 this point in time they're confused. Why are you talking to her? What's 226 00:19:11.670 --> 00:19:15.549 going on? But in just a few years time John is going to be 227 00:19:15.670 --> 00:19:22.869 returning to this region to preach not just the Gospel that the Christ has come, 228 00:19:22.869 --> 00:19:26.740 but that the Christ has come and has been crucified and is risen from 229 00:19:26.779 --> 00:19:32.180 the dead and holds the power of God to all who would believe and this 230 00:19:32.339 --> 00:19:37.500 eternal life that Jesus promises here, initially to this woman and to those who 231 00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:41.930 come out just keeps growing and growing and growing. What happens in a small 232 00:19:42.130 --> 00:19:47.809 way here is Jesus, is just passing through Samaria, will blow up into 233 00:19:47.930 --> 00:19:56.319 big proportions after his resurrection. Amazing note here, Christians. This is the 234 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:04.200 work of God, in his power and his sovereignty and his plan. There's 235 00:20:04.200 --> 00:20:11.349 another lesson here too. The suffering of Christ leads to the blessings of Christ. 236 00:20:11.430 --> 00:20:18.430 Jesus hungered, was thirsty, tired, tempted so that you could be 237 00:20:18.589 --> 00:20:25.619 blessed according to the love and plan of our trying in God. It happened 238 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:29.900 here at the well, it happened at the Cross and it happens in the 239 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:37.049 church, to where Jesus continues to dwell and to be present. God uses 240 00:20:37.170 --> 00:20:41.930 those who suffer in his name. God uses you, who are called to 241 00:20:42.049 --> 00:20:48.289 suffer in his name, for his purpose. To do what? To bring 242 00:20:48.569 --> 00:20:56.119 about blessings in his name. By the time we get to act chapter thirty 243 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:02.720 one, we read the the the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria 244 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.470 had peace and was being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord 245 00:21:07.509 --> 00:21:15.750 and in the comfort of the spirit. It multiplied, and now all these 246 00:21:15.829 --> 00:21:21.940 wonderful things, having happened according to God's will, were then recorded for you 247 00:21:22.259 --> 00:21:26.980 and for me, so that we might hear, so that we might believe, 248 00:21:26.140 --> 00:21:30.579 the testimony of the Samaritan Woman, the testimony of John, of Peter, 249 00:21:32.059 --> 00:21:37.769 of Philip and many others, the testimony that are perfectly divine God, 250 00:21:37.890 --> 00:21:45.490 who added to his divinity a humanity, human nature like ours. He did 251 00:21:45.609 --> 00:21:49.319 this so that, through his death, we might die and so that, 252 00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:55.960 through his life, we might live, and through this suffering and through this 253 00:21:56.200 --> 00:22:07.950 life we find a great blessing. I want to mention one application and closing 254 00:22:08.950 --> 00:22:18.779 simply, this believe. Believe in the one who is the Christ, believe 255 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:23.099 in the one who thirsts because he thirsts for you, and the one who 256 00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:29.980 dies because he dies for you, the one who suffers, who drinks the 257 00:22:30.130 --> 00:22:37.210 cup of God's wrath so that God's wrath would not fall on you. Jesus 258 00:22:37.369 --> 00:22:42.049 does these things. He is in Judea and Samaria, in Galilee and now 259 00:22:42.250 --> 00:22:47.559 throughout all the world, through his spirit, so that we who would believe 260 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:56.200 on him would have that eternal life, that water which always quenches. And 261 00:22:56.279 --> 00:23:03.750 as you think about this story and ask yourself certain questions, consider what answers 262 00:23:03.789 --> 00:23:08.750 are true and right. Do you think yourself too much of a sinner to 263 00:23:08.869 --> 00:23:15.980 accept this gift? This woman didn't. She was in great sin and was 264 00:23:17.059 --> 00:23:21.380 saved. Do you think of yourself as too good, that you don't need 265 00:23:21.460 --> 00:23:26.769 it? Well then, your self deceived. Jesus knows your heart just like 266 00:23:26.970 --> 00:23:33.009 he knows hers. She's Coy, she's protective, she doesn't tell the whole 267 00:23:33.009 --> 00:23:38.650 truth. It doesn't matter. Jesus knows all. He exposes her sin, 268 00:23:40.289 --> 00:23:45.359 he exposes her heart. Why? Not to shame hern, beat her down 269 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:51.599 and embarrass her, but to save her, to call her to repentance, 270 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:56.910 to show her that the masks that she wears she can take off in front 271 00:23:56.950 --> 00:24:03.470 of him. It's already removed. You might as well believe Jesus offers himself 272 00:24:04.069 --> 00:24:11.619 to her, to the true her, to the sinful her. Or perhaps 273 00:24:11.660 --> 00:24:15.099 you think that he's too weak or too human to be of any help. 274 00:24:15.099 --> 00:24:22.099 Or maybe you think that the gospel of forgiveness is too good. If so, 275 00:24:22.420 --> 00:24:27.490 then you think yourself wiser than God, who took on your humanity to 276 00:24:27.609 --> 00:24:37.529 lift you up out of sin, out of death. God is revealing himself 277 00:24:37.690 --> 00:24:41.680 to us here in the testimony of his word and the testimony of this woman, 278 00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:47.400 in the testimony of the people around you who have experienced these things for 279 00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:51.720 themselves, who, like the people who came out from Samaria, said, 280 00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:53.710 well, she said it and we heard and we saw, and now we've 281 00:24:53.789 --> 00:25:00.230 seen it for ourselves. You have witnesses all around you testifying to you the 282 00:25:00.470 --> 00:25:07.619 truth of this salvation that we have in Jesus. It's my prayer that God 283 00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:12.380 himself will help you to see things as they truly are and, though Jesus 284 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:18.059 is certainly weak and tired and suffers and dies, that you would see that 285 00:25:18.140 --> 00:25:26.410 as as the very salvation that God offers to you, because he suffers will 286 00:25:26.569 --> 00:25:33.089 willingly in order to bless. He did it at the well, he did 287 00:25:33.130 --> 00:25:40.759 it at the cross, he does it for you and he continues, as 288 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:42.440 I'll say, and as just a final word, he does this. He 289 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:48.640 continues to do this in the church. Is God works in us. He 290 00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:52.430 calls us in a way, into that suffering. Take up your cross and 291 00:25:52.589 --> 00:25:56.549 follow me, he says. We don't suffer in atoning death like Jesus did, 292 00:25:57.549 --> 00:26:03.630 but we are called to continue on this path of the cross, to 293 00:26:03.789 --> 00:26:07.180 suffer for the sake of his name, and sometimes that's hard and sometimes we 294 00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:12.339 get tired and sometimes we say this doesn't seem right and I'm I'm I'm thirsty, 295 00:26:12.420 --> 00:26:17.779 and I'm hungry and I'm tired. But my encouragement to you is do 296 00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:22.210 not lure, do not lose heart, because it is God who is at 297 00:26:22.250 --> 00:26:26.130 work within you. He knows your humanity, he knows your calling and he 298 00:26:26.210 --> 00:26:30.410 has promised to heavenly things. He knows how to work in the midst of 299 00:26:30.529 --> 00:26:37.400 tragedy, he knows how to bring eternal blessings out of weakness and sin. 300 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:44.880 If you embrace that, you embrace him and as he holds us in his 301 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:52.390 arms, His mercy and his love shines and the world believes all of the 302 00:26:52.509 --> 00:26:56.869 praise and glory of our God. I'm in