True Worship And Eternal Life Is Found Only In Christ: Jesus and the Woman at the Well (John 4:1-42)

I grew up in a town where there were not a whole lot of churches around other than Baptists and Methodists. I think that is something that happens a lot in Arkansas. The Presbyterian Church was small and hidden. The Catholic Church there was not large. Or, at least its influence did not seem to be large. There was a Seventh-Day Adventist down the road from my house, but it wasn’t significant. And everyone just knew to ignore the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. I grew up in a town that was dominated by Baptists and Methodists.

I was in college before I ran into a lot of other folks that thought differently. Even as an unbeliever I still at least believed in some way that the churches around had it right. I gave no thought to other religions or even having no religion. I needed to know that true worship was found only in Christ, but really the germ of the idea was already there.

It did not take long for things to be different. Things are very different now. By God’s grace, some of you grew up in Christian homes greatly influenced by God’s Word and God’s people. But, your knowledge of the world that surrounds you is much greater. You know about millions of people around the world worshiping other gods. I knew that went on, but it is something that you hear constantly today. Your friends likely look at the message of Christ and have thoughts about the many other religions that are out there today. Friends would laugh at the thought of going to church when I was a teenager. But today they will have objections similar to those that we will discuss today.

What you will see is that worship of God and eternal life is found only in Christ.

Worship of God and eternal life is found only in Christ. (John 4:1-42)

The large number of people that Jesus was baptizing had become a huge deal and because of all this attention. The Pharisees noticed and Jesus decided it was time to leave and go to Galilee (John 4:3). The Scripture says that Jesus had to pass through Samaria to get there (John 4:4). (We will discuss Jesus’s passing through Samaria and the discussion Jesus had with his disciples next week. There is some significance. It is odd. Check back next week to see why:) )

Jesus is on his way to Galilee and is in Samaria tired, thirsty, and hungry at noon. A woman came to draw water. And she seems to be the exact opposite of Nicodemus, who we talked about two weeks ago. And again, as happened a few weeks back, there is a discussion concerning Jacob.

The first thing we see is that eternal life, which truly satisfies, is found only in Christ (John 4:7-15).

Eternal Life, Which Brings True Satisfaction, Is Found In Christ Alone (John 4:7-15)

At noon as Jesus is tired, thirsty, and hungry a woman came out to draw water. This is peculiar. Only people who don’t want to talk to people draw water at noon. Jesus’ disciples had left, so Jesus asked her for water (John 4:8).

This conversation is weird all around. Jesus is alone with a woman and he talks with her. That never happens. Oh, and what is she doing out at noon anyway. And by the way, Jews don’t talk to Samaritans. The Jews saw the Samaritans as truly awful people, half-breeds of sort who no longer worshiped God as they ought. This conversation was filled with all kinds of awkwardness, to say the least.

Yet, Jesus was very willing to have that conversation. At first, at least, it seems that the reason is Jesus is thirsty. He asks her for a drink. It’s a simple request but the oddness of it all is not lost on this Samaritan woman. She actually asks him how he could ask her for water. It may seem odd to us today but this is like bumping into the boss who just fired you. It just doesn’t make sense for cordiality. And John explains here misunderstanding. “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” (V. 9)

Jesus does not answer the question but gives her the right question to ask. Before we are believers we don’t come with the right questions. We ask, how can I make myself better? How can I be happy? She is asking “why are you talking to me?” Jesus gives her the new categories for asking the right questions.

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink’, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10 ESV)

She is still confused. Remember back to Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. It went a lot like this too. Jesus was speaking of a totally different world than the person he conversed with was able to go. They could not get their minds there.

He is saying to her that he had something better than the water that she just pulled up out of the well. Water is life giving, without it we die. Yet, Jesus says that he had water better than what she had, it was “living water”. In the Old Testament running water or, “living water” was used as a reference to divine activity (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8). This is not just a peculiar type of water Jesus is discussing here. Jesus is saying that I can give you something much greater than water. If you knew who I was then you would know that I can give you something far beyond water.

Contrary to what many people believe, I think that she gets the picture but just not completely. I say this because of her answer and a small thing that she says here.

“The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” (John 4:11-12 ESV)

Jesus had stated that he could give her something divine by using the metaphor of water. She still has water stuck in her head and remembers where they were sitting. In verse 6 we find out their location. They are sitting at Jacob’s well. Jacob had a name change and 12 sons. His name was changed to Israel. And his 12 sons were the 12 tribes of Israel. And so, when she considered where she was and what Jesus was saying, she assumed that he was offering better water to her. He was, but it was not the literal water that she was asking for. The other reason  I think she got it is that she questioned him about it. “Are you greater that our father Jacob?” Jesus’ answer to that question is very telling.

“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 ESV)

Jesus is greater than Jacob. He is greater than Jacob’s well. And the water that Jesus provides is better as well. The water that Jesus gives wells up to eternal life.

God the Son came to Earth and the ladder to God is now seen ascending and descending upon the Son of God (John 1:51). God the Son came with a great and glorious purpose, to unite people to God. He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 ESV). He would soon be lifted up “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness” and all those who believe in Him would have “eternal life” (John 3:14). This was His great purpose. The water He gives is eternal life.

There are no rites, rituals, family ties or anything else that gives eternal life. The water that came from Jacob’s well hydrated and indeed helped people to live but it did not make anyone right with God. Eternal life, being united with God can be found nowhere but in Christ. He is the greater Israel who has come with a greater redemption. Why do we seek it anywhere else?

I grew up in a youth ministry where I heard the gospel preached about once every 2 months. Other than that it was a message about what I needed to do for my own life improvement. Wear this promise ring and commit to not have sex before your married. Don’t drink alcohol. Don’t do drugs. You want to be happy don’t you? Then follow this morality.

What I did not hear was that I was a fallen son of Adam and that the only hope of me finding satisfaction, true eternal satisfaction was in Christ. If you drink of Jesus’ water then you will never be thirsty again. We will finally and fully find our satisfaction in Him.

Why do you look elsewhere for what will satisfy? Jesus has come and accomplished eternal life for you. Do you really think that you are going to find something better than that while you sneak behind your parents’ backs to do things that you shouldn’t? Do you really think that having a relationship with this person you should not be dating is going to satisfy? It won’t. It can’t. You were made for something more. And it is the living water that Jesus gives that will truly satisfy.

Salvation and ultimate satisfaction is found in no one else. We will find it only in Christ. Why go seeking for it elsewhere?

The Samaritan woman is going to now ask for the water that Jesus gives but she asks it in a way that lets us know that she’s not quite getting it.

“Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:15 ESV)

She understands that there is some sort of divine property to the water that Jesus is offering. But she’s still stuck on the idea of water.

Jesus begins a different line of discussion. This one will truly drive home the point. And as an added plus it is infinitely more uncomfortable to read.

“Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4:16-18 ESV)

Jesus is preparing her heart to hear the good news. He is helping her to see that her biggest problem in life is one that only he can fix. He is helping her to see that it is her sin, not needing water every day that is her biggest problem.

Why do you think that this woman was at the well at noon? It is obvious now that she is avoiding people because of the great shame that she felt. Why did she feel such great shame? Her sin was the problem.

What is our greatest problem? It’s not what college we need to go to. It’s not how much money we have. It’s not our health. It’s not our happiness. Our greatest problem is that we have offended God with our sinfulness. He is the great and just Judge and His judgment is coming. We were born offending God as children of Adam. Our lineage is filled with lawbreakers. Our first parent, Adam broke God’s Law and brought the curse down upon us and we break God’s Law just like our representative did. And how does this get fixed. Not by us. It’s not my righteousness that will fix me. My good works, thoughts, parents, job; nothing else can fix my biggest problem. I need the living water that only Jesus can give.

It is only in Christ that I will find eternal life and eternal satisfaction. Only He gives life and only He truly satisfies.

True Worship Of God Is In Christ Alone Through The Holy Spirit

If you’re following the turn of events then you’ll likely laugh at the very next verse.

“The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place of worship.” (John 4:19-20 ESV)

This, I believe is two things. One, it’s a change of subject from her life to a question of hers. Two, this question truly is important to her.

I don’t want to sweep the question under the rug. Though it does seem to be a change of direction from her life to something else, I believe that this is a question that she has been waiting for someone authoritative to answer.

Apparently after the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 721 BC there was a split between the Jews in Jerusalem and the Jews in Samaria. This split was still in play at this point which is why it was such a big deal for Jesus to be talking with a Samaritan. They built their very own house of worship and claimed that it was where people were to worship.

I have many questions that I would love to ask people. If I felt like the person who could answer all of my questions was right here today I would have a few that I would want to ask myself. So, she blurted this one out. Where is the right place to worship God?

Jesus’ answer is incredible. He informs her that her question is unimportant but that she is wrong. Why is it unimportant? It is unimportant because very soon there will be no place of worship. Rather worship will be through the work of the Holy Spirit and in Christ.

“”Woman, believe me. The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24 ESV)

Jesus has already stated that He was the true Temple, the true meeting place of God and man through what He did and said in John 2:13-22. Now, He is telling the Samaritan woman that her question really doesn’t matter anymore….even though she is obviously wrong. Rather than worshiping in the Temple with all of its law and separation of Jew and Gentile there will be worship in spirit and in truth. Rather than ceremonies and sacrifices offered there will be the spirit and truth.

The spirit is in reference to the Holy Spirit. Christ came and accomplished salvation for us in His life. Those who trust in Christ and receive the living water that He gives are given the Holy Spirit. Those who truly worship are those who worship in spirit.

The truth is the message of what Christ has done. Well, it is actually what is true in contrast to that which was only shadows. The Israelites worshipped God. Jesus is the true Israel. The lamb was slain on the altar in the temple. Jesus is the lamb who was slain. Jesus is also the true temple. We worship in truth because we are no longer worshiping in the shadows. Jesus is the reality while the Old Testament saints could only see the shadows.

Consider the stark differences that Jesus is laying out here. True worship will now come in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit and not in the Temple.

There is now no location in which true worship of God happens. True worship of God happens in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.

No religion, but that which is rooted and grounded in Christ truly and actually worships God. What about Islam? It does not truly and actually worship God. What about the Jew? It does not truly and actually worship God because it is not rooted and grounded in Christ. He is what the shadows they believe was all about. He is the substance of their worship.

Consider what this means for a moment. Worship is not about music styles. It’s not about my preferences. It’s not about the music I like. It’s really not about music at all. It’s about Jesus. In Him is true worship by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This Samaritan woman was apparently satisfied with Jesus’ answers. She continued on and asked if the Messiah would tell them all things. He told her that He was the Messiah.

She came as a woman covered in shame and left a worshiper with living water.

We are like her in many ways. We are covered in our own shame asking the wrong questions and thinking about the wrong categories. We have all sinned and have all earned death, but we worry about other things much more. I hope that you understand that your greatest problem is that you are guilty before God and need to be united to Him. God has provided a way for us to be united to Him and to worship Him and it is only through the work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

This Samaritan woman trusted in Christ and began telling everyone about it. Many people believe in Jesus because of the testimony of this one woman.

What about you? Have you trusted in Christ? Have you turned from ruling your own life and trusted in Him? Have you received Jesus’ living water? Are you a true worshiper of God on the basis of the finished work of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit?