THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST -- "The Living Water"

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
“The Living Water”
John 4:1-14
January 8, 2012

As we continue our look at the gospel of John, John the apostle, introduces us to an unnamed woman and the ministry of Jesus to her. Let’s go to our text verses. (READ) The first thing we see here is that:

JESUS LEFT JUDEA ON A MISSION -- John 4:1-9 “When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus •said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman therefore said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) There were 2 reasons for Jesus leaving Judea.

IT WAS NECESSARY -- The crowds were leaving John and coming to Jesus. The religious leaders used that situation to downgrade John’s ministry. Jesus didn’t want to create a scene of competition between Him and John and maybe damage John’s ministry which was still very viable. The 2nd reason is:

A NEED HAD TO BE MET -- Note that vs 4 said that “he HAD to go through Samaria.” The word “had” in the Greek is edei and it means “of necessity, a compulsion.” Jesus had to go through Samaria to meet a need. Where there is a need, Christ is always there. He’s here this morning to touch your point of need.

Samaritans were half Jews by birth because of intermarriage with pagan tribes during their Assyrian captivity around 720 BC. They were half Jews by religion. With intermarriage during their captivity, they got involved with the idols of other nations. So, there was no love lost between the Jews, who believed in spiritual purity, and Samaritans. But that wouldn’t stop Jesus from bringing the gospel to the Samaritans.

My friends, we can never allow our personal bias and prejudice to keep people from hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are here to bring that message and to exalt Jesus Christ so that all men will be drawn to Him – not just those we like. In meeting this need, Jesus would bring a profound message about Himself and, strangely, it would be to a Samaritan woman. That message was that:

JESUS IS THE LIVING WATER -- John 4:10 “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.’”

This statement by Jesus of His being the living water was meant to stir this woman’s heart and to point to the Holy Spirit. John 7:38-39 Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive;” He meant by His statement that this living water:

IS OF GOD: -- It is of Jesus who has always been living, is living now and will always be living. Psalm 36:9 says, “For with Thee is the fountain of life; In Thy light we see light.” Secondly, He meant that this living water:

IS A GIFT OF GOD -- It doesn’t have to be earned or bought. It’s a free gift from God just as salvation is a free gift from the Lord. Thirdly, Jesus meant that this living water:

IS ASKED FOR -- Notice that Jesus said “….if you knew the gift of God…you would have asked Him .” Jesus was that gift of God and this woman had never received this living water; she knew a little about God but not His plan of salvation.

So many in our world today rely on rituals and ceremonies, water baptism, church membership, communion, to give them the assurance of acceptance by God. They really don’t know that the only way to be accepted by God is through faith in Jesus Christ and His death on Calvary’s Cross. It’s our calling, as Christians, to bring that plan to them so that they too can have this Living Water. That’s the Biblical mandate for every Christian. This Living Water comes from:

A PERSON GREATER THAN RELIGIOUS FATHERS -- John 4:11-12 “She said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?’”

She asked Jesus two questions: Where do You get this living water and are You greater than the patriarch Jacob who had to dig a well for water for his family? To her, Jesus was claiming to be greater than Jacob and that He had access to much better water to quench men’s thirst.

Throughout Scripture, Jesus claims to be greater than the temple (Mt.12:6) greater than Jonah (Mt. 12:41) greater than Solomon (Mt. 12:42) greater than Abraham (Jn. 8:53) greater than Jacob (Jn. 4:11-12) and worth of a greater honor than Moses (Heb. 3:3) Finally, this Living Water is the only water that:

WILL QUENCH MAN’S THIRST -- John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.’”

Men have two kinds of thirst – physical and spiritual. They know how to take care of the physical thirst but spiritual thirst is another matter. Mankind senses their thirst for purpose, meaning, significance, satisfaction and fulfillment and to be free from anxiety, stress and pressure. The problem is that they try to quench that thirst with the stagnant waters of the flesh and the world -- lust, immorality, drunkenness, pride, alcohol, drugs, money, cars, houses, land, clothes, luxurious living, position and power. But these things are like salt water – they only create more thirst.

Jeremiah 2:13 says, "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, That can hold no water."

This woman at the well is a picture of the human race – thirsting for things that will fulfill their life. Jesus Christ is the only way that they will find what they are looking for. Until they come to the Living Water they will continue to thirst.

It was April 14, 1912. John Harper had just led a young Englishman to Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. Later that night, John walked the deck of the ship with his daughter and said, “It’s going to be beautiful morning.” But for 2100 passengers on the Titanic, that night would be there last as the Titanic sunk. But for John and other Christians on that boat, the next morning would be beautiful for them with their sunrise on their first day in heaven. Their thirst to see Jesus and heaven would be quenched.

CALL---If you died tonight, do you know for sure that heaven would be your eternal home? You can be sure if you will you ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. You can leave here with all of your sins forgiven and have a new life. I remind you of Jesus’ words, that unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God. Just raise your hand.

Folks, there are many in the church today that try to satisfy their spiritual thirst worship, Bible study, buildings, programs. Those things are good and needed to carry out the ministry of the church. But by themselves, they will never quench the inner spiritual thirst people have. That’s why so many in the church are frustrated, depressed, fearful, confused and without a sense of spiritual satisfaction. Is that where you are. Do you need to come to the well of the Living Water and be refreshed?

Do you have a hunger for a deeper revelation of God? Do you know Jesus as well as you want to know Him? Do you need more of the Holy Spirit? Do you need a fresh anointing – a fresh power – a fresh infilling? Let’s come to these altars and pray that whatever your inner thirst is that the Lord Jesus will satisfy it through a new infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Father, there are so many today who, because of the condition of the world, are suffering from thirst – a thirst that is not physical but spiritual – religion can’t quench it – money, power and position can’t quench it – drugs, alcohol and immorality of all kinds can’t quench it. Grant that the Holy Spirit will give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we can know Him better.