July 27, 2010
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The Woman at the Well by Pastor Don Moore
Samaritans were not considered to be full fledged Jews. When the Jews went to captivity, the ones left in the Land did not have priests or elders there to guide them for over 70 years. The Samaritans added things to the Law and kept things their own way, so they were not considered pure by the Israelites after the Israelites returned from the Diaspora. The Samaritans had only the five books of Moses, but no laws, prophets, or Temple Worship. They kept their customs, but not all their customs lined up with the Jewish Laws.
Jesus is inclusive but never at a sacrifice of the truth and correct doctrine. Today people are compromising the truth so that people feel comfortable.
If we align our theology to make people feel comfortable, but the “new” theology does not line up with the Word of God, we are out of step with God.
John 4:1-6 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
The woman came at the heat of the day, she was avoiding the stares and gossip of other women because of her condition in life. No one in a desert would choose to come out during the heat of the day, she was avoiding contact with people.
John 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
Only Jesus and the woman were there.
John 4:8-10 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Jesus not only talked to a woman (culturally something not ordinarily done), but she was a Samaritan. How did she know He was a Jew? His dress, ornaments, air and beard would have told her that He was not a Samaritan. Jesus offers the woman Living Water.
John 4:11-14 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
What is water. The Bible is its own dictionary.
John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The mystery is being Born Again by the Spirit of God and Water – what is water?
Ephesian 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Ezekiel 36:25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
1 Peter 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
There are continual pictures that the Water is the Word and we are cleansed by the Spirit and the Word. God is the Living Word. Jesus was offering the Woman at the well the Living Word.
We need to read John 3 and John 4 side by side to see all that Jesus is teaching about the Living Word.
If you are feeling that your life is dry, make sure that you are filling yourself with the water of the Word of God.
Praying your day is blessed.
Heather
