329. DRAMATICALLY ACCEPTED AT SAMARIA
"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst"
After Jesus had spoken to Nicodemus he went into Judea where he baptised many. At the same time John the Baptist was baptising at Aenon. The fact that both were baptising provoked a question in the minds of John's disciples. What authority had Jesus to baptise? In answer, John detracted from himself and testified to the origin and authority of Jesus and hence the need for his disciples to transfer their allegiance to him. "He must increase but I must decrease", John said, and therefore it is significant that in John 4:1 we are told that Jesus "baptised MORE disciples than John". When the Lord then moved through Samaria "many of the Samaritans of that city believed". Thus John 4 illustrates how the gospel broke new ground and yielded a spiritual harvest in a semi-Gentile community. Our aim in this lesson is to see how Jesus is the provider of the water of life to both Jew and Gentile, and to see the requirements of true worship.
John 4:1-42
TRAVELLING NORTH THROUGH SAMARIA (Jn. 4:1-6).
News reached the authorities that large numbers were now flocking to Jesus as they had previously to John. Their attitude made further preaching undesirable for they were jealous of his influence and liable to take him (v.1). So he left Judea and moved north. There were two routes leading to Galilee. One was through Samaria, but was under taken by Jews only in companies because of danger. The other route east of Jordan was probably the easier, but for Jesus it involved danger from the authorities and so he chose Samaria: "he must needs go through Samaria". He came to Sychar, one of the cities of the Samaritans, which was near Shechem, where God gave the first pro mise in the land to Abraham, and also near to the portion of land which Jacob gave to the sons of Joseph (Gen. 12:6-7; 48:22). They ar rived at Jacob's well at noon (the sixth hour) and Jesus sank down wearily, being exhausted, while his disciples bought food in the city.
THE MYSTERY OF THE LIVING WATER (Jn. 4:7-15).
Though tired, Jesus was prepared to forget his needs for the needs of others. He spoke to a Samaritan woman who came to seek water at the well, and gradually brought her to the realisation that he could of fer her the living water of eternal life. There was good reason why Jesus could have ignored the woman: not only was he weary, but the Jews were prejudiced against the mixed Samaritan race, and he knew she was immoral. However, he said, € Give me to drink". It was a calculated question for Jesus knew what he? reaction would be and how he in turn would reply. She expressed surnrise that he should deign to speak to her, a Samaritan. Would he compromise his stand for the sake of water (v. 9)! But Jesus was un concerned with a tradition which was meaningless and based upon hatred and passion. He did not dwell on her reply but gently challeng ed her with his identity. She knew he was a Jew, but not who! He replied* "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (cp. Jn. 3:16). Wells were often called "gifts of God", and "living water" was the usual description of the running, bubbling water of a spring. That is why the woman took Jesus' words in the natural sense, but he had intended her to see in them a spiritual meaning. She did not realise that in spiritual things she was the tired and a thirsty soul at the well of life. She claimed he was unable to provide living water because he did not possess the means of drawing water, and then she rebuked him for presuming to be greater than Jacob, who gave them the well to provide for children and cattle. Here was a challenging comparison. How did Jesus answer? There was no scorn but a keeping of the ma jor issues to the forefront. He persisted in the contrast between the water he could offer and that which he had asked of her. The well's water would lead to renewed thirst; but the "living water" (i.e. the Word of which God is the "fountain" € Jer. 2:13; Isa. 12:3; 49:10; 55:1-3), which he could give would become a perennial fountain pro viding life eternal (vv. 13-14). Thus indirectly he answered the com parison of himself with Jacob. Without fully grasping his meaning, she requested "living water" to save her future visits to the well. The next stage had now been reached. The conversation had turned around. Instead of him making the re quest of her, she was now seeking his water! Jesus must now provide her with grounds for belief.
JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF AND THE WOMAN BELIEVES (Jn. 4:16-30).
The woman asked for living water but Jesus replied, "Go call thy husband, and come hither". Why did he say this, for it seems to have no relevance to her request? First of all the request to fetch her hus band was reasonable, for if the gift was going to be bestowed then it should be shared. But more importantly, Jesus was giving her grounds for belief in him as Messiah by making a statement which he knew would give him the opportunity of revealing her past life history. This would become a sure sign that he was a prophet, and therefore that she ought to give heed to what he called "living water". "Go call thy HUSBAND..." She was quick to reply, "I have no husband". Jesus revealed a detailed knowledge of her past which could only have come from God: "Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband". Jesus' words were not only accurate and "of God", but penetrated her heart: they were also designed to bring to light her sins and her needs. She perceived that he was a prophet. For a moment she paused em barrassed and, avoiding his command, asked the disputed question about where God could be acceptably worshipped € Jerusalem or Samaria. The Jews regarded Jerusalem as "the place where men ought to worship", but in the days of Nehemiah, Sanballat built a rival temple on Mt. Gerizim near Shechem, where the Samaritans worship ped. Jesus' answer in verses 21-24 is a model. He goes right over the question of petty loyalties and comes back to the big question of one's own personal relationship to God. Jesus always kept things in their proper perspective, and we do well to follow his example. He spoke in a kindly way. "Woman believe me" (she now had ample reason to believe), "the hour cometh" (A.D. 33 and finally A.D. 70 when Jerusalem and the Temple were desecrated) "when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father" (v.21). Jesus indicated that he was "the saviour of the WORLD" (v. 42), for later there would be the "times of the Gentiles" when Gentiles would also be called (Lk. 21:24). In Acts 10 we read of Peter being DIVINELY sent to the Gentile centurion, Cornelius, when for the first time, "one of another nation" was formally baptised into the name of Jesus Christ. Thus God can be worshipped acceptably in any place. Jerusalem though still has an important place in divine worship for it will be the centre of worship in the age to come (Mk. 11:15-17; Zech. 14:16). Jesus next made a comparison between the religion of the Samaritans and the Jews: the Samaritans "knew not what they wor shipped". They were a mixed race of people and their worship was a confusion of idolatry and the fear of "the God of the land" (2 Kgs. 17:24-41). They held only parts of the Penteteuch as inspired, whereas the Jews held the Old Testament uncorrupted. Jesus said that "salva tion was of the Jews". Jesus then proceeded to define the sort of worshippers that were ac ceptable with God (vv. 23-24). He pointed out that unlike the idols, God is a Spirit, or an intellectual Being, Who perceives, knows, feels and expects men who are created in "His image and likeness" to com prehend His purpose and love, and respond in devotion and service. God has given men the record of His way and purpose and would have them appreciate Him and "worship in spirit (or sincerity) and in truth". It is notable that Jesus quoted the words of Joshua spoken in the same area (Josh. 24:14). In that chapter Joshua had just drawn Israel's attention to all the wonderful acts of God toward them and then he called upon them to serve God "in sincerity and in truth". All Israel had not done this for Joshua then called upon the people to choose between the service of idols or Yahweh. Jesus (of whom Joshua was a type) was making the same call. The woman knew enough about the Old Testament to associate this enlarged concept with Messiah (v. 25; cp. "he will tell us all things" with Deut. 18:18). The time had now come for the Lord to reveal his identity. He put aside the reserve he had exercised among the Jews and informed her that he was in fact the Messiah. In reviewing his discourse, we should notice how gently and considerately he led her from unbelief to conviction. At that point the disciples arrived and interrupted the conversation. Unlike their Lord they could not justify speaking to the Samaritan woman, though they did not say so. The woman went away so much lost in the wonder of belief that she even forgot her mission € she left the waterpot! As soon as she reached the city she burst forth with her new faith, "Come and see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" The believing Samaritans began to pour forth AND JESUS SAW THEM.
TRUE MEAT: DOING GOD'S WILL (Jn. 4:31-42).
The disciples pressed the Lord to take food but were unsuccessful. The joy of service and the satisfaction attending the response of the woman, had taken the place of food for the moment. He was scarcely conscious of their movement about him. When Jesus told them he had meat to eat that they knew not of, they surmised that he had received it from another source. Then he explained that HIS MEAT was to do the will of Him that sent him (cp. Ps. 40:7-8). It was four months before harvest but Jesus said that the fields were now quite white and waiting to be reaped! What did he mean? His eyes were uplifted and he could see men streaming out of the village coming to learn about him because of the woman's words (cp. Isa. 49:18). The disciples had a great work to do: they had to reap the harvest of men for God. Jesus had sown the Word. They must enter into labours already commenced and finish the work. The result was that many Samaritans believed on account of the woman's report, and others quite independently believed when they heard him themselves in the two days he abode with them (vv. 39-42).
LESSONS FOR US:
- Jesus alone can provide the living water of eternal life.
- True worship today does not depend on place, but upon our at titude to God.
- God has made man after His likeness and is worshipped acceptably when men comprehend Him and respond from the heart in truth and sincerity.
- True meat is doing the will of the Father, labouring for Him in the harvest of men.
REFERENCE LIBRARY:
"A Life of Jesus" (M. Purkis) € Pages 76-80
"The Gospel of John" (J. Carter) € Chapter 4
"Nazareth Revisited" (R. Roberts) € Chapter 14
PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:
- Who were the Samaritans and what did they believe? What did Jesus tell the Samaritan woman about true worship?
- Describe how Jesus showed to the woman of Samaria that he was a prophet.
- What lessons do we learn about true worship from the incident in volving the Samaritan woman?
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
- Recount the events that took place when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well.
- Outline the steps by which the woman of Samaria was brought to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah.
- What lessons did the disciples have to learn from the meeting of the Samaritan woman? How did Jesus teach these to them?
Section 2 LESSONS IN DISCIPLESHIP
The apostle Paul says that Jesus will "bring many sons unto glory" (Heb. 2:10). Later he quotes from Psalm 22:22 in which Christ says: "I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the ecclesia will I sing praise unto thee". The work of the Lord was to call men and women out of the world to be his brethren, his disciples. As the Lord's ministry progressed and he went about "teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness" he was followed by "great multitudes of peo ple" (Matt. 4:23-25). Amongst these were those who were genuinely impressed by "the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth" and sought to gain instruction. They became his disciples. From this group, Jesus chose the twelve who would accompany him throughout his ministry and who would, after his resurrection, be sent forth as his apostles. Disciples (literally 'learners') need to be taught, if their name is to mean anything. To expand his teaching, Jesus took them unto one of the hills of the Land and "when he sat down, his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them" (Matt. 5:1-2 R.S.V.). In a remarkable way, there the Lord outlined the qualities of true discipleship in what we now know as the discourse or Sermon on the Mount.