Sermon Notes - John 4:1-26 - Samaritan Woman - Littleby Baptist Church - November 20, 2022

1.     The Apostle John has been pointing to how Jesus is fully man, but also fully God.

a.      People had seen the man, now they needed to know that Jesus is God.

b.     They needed to know that He is God Incarnate… the Creator of all things, the one who sustains even our breath.

c.      As people understand that Jesus is so much more than a man, it is easier to trust in Him.

d.     As people see that He is the giver of life, they can see how He can give us new life.

e.      As we see that Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, died for us we can begin to understand that He can forgive us.

f.      He can truly wipe away our sins.

g.     The closer we draw to our Savior Jesus the more we can let Him increase in our lives, our choices, and our actions.

2.     Knowing who Jesus is… lets take a look at Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

3.     John 4:1-3

a.      John the Baptist is believed to be in prison at this point.

b.     Jesus’ ministry is growing, lives are changing, and people are noticing.

c.      Jesus knowing the timeline and the hatred growing in the hearts of the Pharisees, something only God could know.

d.     Decided it was time to take a break.

e.      Time to get out of Judea for a bit.

f.      This was not a surprise to Jesus; it was all part of the plan.

4.     John 4:4

a.      Jesus HAD to go… there were other routes that were heavily used in order to avoid going through Samaria.

b.     But Jesus Had to go.

c.      As God, He knew what the future held.

d.     He knew the lives that would be touched.

e.      He Had to go through Samaria.

5.     John 4:5-6

a.      The stage is being set.

b.     Jesus was tired from the journey, and He chose as His resting spot a place that people could identify.

c.      Many had passed by in their travels.

d.     Some may have stopped for water.

e.      A connection was being built with those who would hear about the events that follow.

6.     John 4:7-9

a.      Jesus’ behavior was out of the ordinary.

b.     Jewish Rabbi’s would never speak to a Samaritan woman, they were considered as unclean.

c.      The thought of drinking from a vessel the woman held, would have been beyond comprehension to a devout Jew.

d.     Jesus, as God, understood that this woman needed what He had to offer.

e.      He was not going to let worldly things, worldly practices interfere with His plan.

7.     John 4:10

a.      Now Jesus really got her attention.

b.     Who is this?

c.      What is this gift He is talking about?

d.     What is living water?

8.     John 4:11-12

a.      How could this be… how could this man offer something like this?

b.     How can this stranger be greater than Jacob?

c.      It did not make sense.

d.     Kinda like God dying for us… we are nothing in comparison, but our Lord became the sacrifice we needed.

9.     John 4:13-14

a.      The water from the well will quench your thirst, but you will be thirsty again.

b.     The water that Jesus is talking about, the Holy Spirit, will grow in those who have it.

c.      It will work in us and become a well itself and touch the lives of others.

d.     Jesus was basically saying, follow me and the Holy Spirit will work in you… but this whole talk about water and wells… did not help the woman understand.

10.  John 4:15

a.      It is not a surprise the lady did not get it.

b.     Just like Nicodemus not understanding being born again.

c.      Pretty sure we would have been just as confused.

d.     Jesus was leading up to what would change this woman’s life.

11.  John 4:16-18

a.      Jesus did two things here.

b.     First, He showed that He was more than just a man.

c.      He had knowledge that a passerby would not have had.

d.     She didn’t know it yet, but Jesus was showing that He had divine knowledge.

e.      The second was that Jesus pointed out the sin in her life.

f.      While she did not grasp it yet, Jesus was wanting her to understand that she needed the salvation that He can offer.

12.  John 4:19-20

a.      Jesus just showed that He was more than an average guy… and she throws out a question about who was right and who was wrong.

b.     Could have been wanting to prove a point with one of the few Jewish men she may ever talk to.

c.      Could have been a defense mechanism. She may be trying to keep her sin to herself and avoid the pain of admitting it and repenting before God.

d.     These are natural responses… too often we attempt to hide our sin.

e.      From others, from ourselves, and even from God.

f.      People in our lives who have yet to turn to Jesus, don’t want to admit they have a sin problem.

g.     This is why we all need Jesus.

h.     That is why the living water, the Holy Spirit, needs to get a hold of us.

i.       It is only through His work in us that we see the sin we need to repent of.

j.       It is only through the Holy Spirit, that a person’s eyes are opened to the truth of being a sinner for the first time.

k.     For one reason or another the woman deflected, but Jesus out of His immense love for her kept speaking truth to her.

l.       Out of His immense love for us, He knocks at the door for any and all who will open it and let Him in.  

13.  John 4:21

a.      A time is coming when where you worship will no longer matter.

b.     Jesus’ ministry on earth and ultimately His death and resurrection made it so the sacrificial system is not needed.

c.      We don’t need to go to a specific temple or church to praise our God.

14.  John 4:22

a.      With these words, Jesus is letting the woman know pretty clearly that the Samaritans are wrong.

b.     Where they worshipped and how they worshipped was not correct.

c.      The Jewish people were God’s chosen people, not the Samaritans.

d.     But the main point here is that salvation came from the Jewish people or more specifically a single Jew.

e.      A descendant of Abraham.

f.      Salvation comes from Jesus.

g.     Not by rituals, worship in temples, or how many sacrifices one makes.

h.     It does not come from the good we do, the number of hail Mary’s one says, or the undergarments one wears.

i.       Salvation comes from one place and one place alone.

j.       Ephesians 2:4-6

k.     We are saved by Grace!

l.       We repent of our sins, acknowledge that we need Jesus’ death to pay our debt, and give our lives to Him.

m.   In doing so we accept that amazing gift of grace.

n.     All who turn to Him are saved by the gift Jesus is freely offering.

15.  John 4:23

a.      True worshippers, those who realize that Jesus is Truth, that He is God, and that He is the Only way to the Father.

b.     They worship in truth, in trusting in Jesus for their salvation.

c.      Trusting that He will bring them to the Father.

d.     They worship in Spirit, the nature of our worship.

e.      It is not through the rituals and sacrifices.

f.      It is in our hearts and in our minds, it is how we live our lives.

g.     Worshipping God in Truth and Spirit is a way of life.

h.     ‘The Father wants such people to worship Him.’

i.       Everyone person who walks this earth worships something.

j.       Romans 1:24-25

k.     Everyone worships something.

l.       Some worship creation, desires, sin… they worship the lies of the devil.

m.   Others worship God in Spirit and Truth.

n.     God wants everyone to worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

o.     He wants people to live and worship in reality not in the lies of the devil.

p.     Reality is that we need Jesus as our Lord and Savior, not all that other stuff.

16.  John 4:24

a.      The only way to worship the Father is through the Spirit and the Truth.

b.     True worship can only be through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit.

c.      It is only through Jesus and the Holy Spirit that we can truly see.

17.  John 4:25-26

a.      The woman’s eyes were being opened to the truth.

b.     She was starting to get it.

c.      Then, Jesus told her that He was the Messiah.

d.     He told her exactly what she needed to hear.

e.      He gave her the truth.

f.      We will work through the rest of her story next week.

18.  In chapters 3 and 4 we have two very different examples of people.

a.      Nicodemus and this Woman.

b.     Jew and Samaritan.

c.      A respected ruler and a woman who was an outcast.

d.     He was likely following Mosaic law, she was not.

e.      Likely wealthy and poor.

f.      We can probably come up with several more differences between the two.

g.     But Jesus saw that they both had a need that only He could meet.

h.     They both needed to hear the truth.

i.       They both needed to be born again.

j.       We need Jesus, we have needs that only He can fill.

k.     Everyone needs Jesus.

l.       Only He can wipe away sin.

m.   Only He can give Peace that surpasses understanding.

n.     Only He can fill people with unlimited Joy.

o.     Pray that Jesus makes Himself known to those who do not know Him.

p.     Pray for Jesus to change their lives.

q.     Prat that He continues to work in each of us.

r.      If you don’t know Jesus, I would love to talk with you.