Water, Worship and Witnessing
In John chapter 3, jealousy began between John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ followers. While John remained loyal to his calling of proclaiming the coming of the Messiah, Jesus decided to change locations and traveled toward Galilee. This is the scene that opens chapter 4.
The route He traveled took Him through Samaria. In spite of the deep-seated hostility between Jews and Samaritans, Jesus did not back down from traveling this way. Jesus had ministry to do in the very village He and His disciples stopped in. While His disciples went into town to get food, Jesus sat down by a well to rest. When a Samaritan women came to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink.
She was taken by surprise that a Jewish man would be asking a Samaritan woman for a drink. Jesus immediately begins witnessing to her by stating that if she knew who she was speaking to, she would have asked for the “living water” that only He could provide. While she was still thinking in earthly terms, Jesus was referring to eternal life. Warren Wiersbe in his New Testament commentary writes, any who drink of material water (anything the world has to offer) will thirst again. Those who drink of the water Jesus gives will never thirst again. “The things of this world never completely satisfy. In hell today, people are crying, ‘I thirst.’” (p. 240)
The gift God has for each of us is eternal life (living water). The Son of God is the one who is offering it to us freely. To receive it, all we have to do is ask.
While the woman expressed a desire for living water, Jesus goes further to help the woman fully understand her need for it. Wiersbe writes that “there can be no conversion without conviction. There must first be conviction and repentance, and then there can be saving faith.“ (p. 241) Jesus does this by asking her to get her husband. She becomes uncomfortable and tries to change the subject by discussing the different places of worship between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus tells her that the place of worship is not important, but that true worship comes from a personal relationship with Christ. John 14:6 tells us that, no one comes to the Father except through Christ. Wiersbe adds, “only those who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and who obey the truth can worship God acceptably.” (p. 241) When the woman states that she knows the Messiah is coming, Jesus tells her, “I who speak to you am He.” (v. 26)
The disciples returned to find Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman which may have surprised them. When the woman and Jesus finished speaking, she was so overwhelmed by their discussion that she went back to the town to share with others what she had heard. In the meantime, the disciples tried to get Jesus to eat some of the food they had brought. Jesus responds by saying that He had food to eat that they knew nothing about; that His food was “to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” (vv. 33-34) The disciples were confused, wondering if someone had brought Jesus food while they were gone. Wiersbe adds that what Jesus meant was “that doing the Father’s will - in this case, leading the woman to salvation - was true nourishment for His soul.” He goes on to say that “the will of God ought to be a source of strength and satisfaction to the child of God.” He adds that while the disciples had been in the village getting food for themselves, they had neglected to share about Christ with anyone. The Samaritan woman actually took their place in this. (p. 241)
The woman told others that they should, “come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.” (v. 29) The people responded to her testimony and followed her to Jesus. Having believed, they asked Him to stay. Verse 41 tells us that many more believed “because of His words.”
Jesus used this as a lesson for the disciples; teaching them that they were to be sowers and reapers - planting seeds of faith and bringing people to repentance. Wiersbe also points out that witnessing is never a waste of time. We all play a part in the process. One person may sow seeds of faith while another may reap the harvest; but each worker will get his reward for the part he played in the process. (p. 242) Which goes back to the jealousy between John’s and Jesus’ disciples. It didn’t matter to John if more people followed Jesus than him because his purpose was to point people to Jesus.
Following His two days with the Samaritans, Jesus headed to Galilee. A father rushed out to meet Jesus to ask if Jesus would heal his son. Jesus speaks of people only believing if they see signs and wonders. The father begs Jesus to come with him before his child dies. Wiersbe points out that the father mistakenly assumed that Jesus needed to go to his son to heal him and that if he died it would be too late to do anything. (p. 243) But when Jesus tells the father that he should go home, that his son would live, the father believes and heads for home. Like the Samaritan woman, he believed and then acted on his belief.
On the way home the father was met by his servant who told him his son was alive. The father asked at what time his son got better to see if Jesus had healed him. The time his son improved was the same time the father had been speaking with Jesus. Because of this healing, the father and all his household believed in Jesus as Savior.
Warren Wiersbe points out that the father began with a crisis faith which became confident faith. “He believed the Word and had peace in his heart.” This led to confirmed faith when he heard his son was completely healed. His faith then became contagious because he shared with his family who then also believed. (p. 243)
John ends the chapter by stating that “this was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed.” (v. 54) The first one had been turning the water into wine which revealed Jesus as the God with authority over nature. This second sign showed that Jesus is also the Great Physician with authority over sickness.
The two things that spoke to me the most in this lesson had to do with the focus on worship and witnessing. John 4:24 says, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” The NIV text note for this verse says that true worship must be in keeping with God’s nature, which is spirit. The note for Romans 12:1 states that worship is obedient service. Dictionary.com defines worship as homage or reverence. Therefore, to worship God means to honor Him with the way I live my life, by being obedient to His commands, growing in my knowledge and understanding of Him and following His will. When a person accepts Christ as Savior, he is given a new nature - eternal spiritual life and a restored relationship with Father God. As the new believer reads the Word of God, he will grow in understanding of who Christ is.
Leading a life of worship is one way we can witness to others about Christ. When others see how we live and hear about how Christ is working in our lives, we are planting seeds of faith. Our church has a sign as you leave the parking lot that reminds us that we are now “entering the mission field”. We don’t have to go halfway across the world to share the love of Christ with others. There are people in our own neighborhoods and families who need to be brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. While I will continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), I will also pray for and look for opportunities to witness about Him to others. Whether I reap the harvest or not, at least I can say I helped in the work by planting seeds of faith.
Thank you, Lord, for calling me your own and for caring about the lost; for desiring that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 2:4) May my life continue to be a song of praise to you. Please use me to help further reach those in need of living water.
The route He traveled took Him through Samaria. In spite of the deep-seated hostility between Jews and Samaritans, Jesus did not back down from traveling this way. Jesus had ministry to do in the very village He and His disciples stopped in. While His disciples went into town to get food, Jesus sat down by a well to rest. When a Samaritan women came to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink.
She was taken by surprise that a Jewish man would be asking a Samaritan woman for a drink. Jesus immediately begins witnessing to her by stating that if she knew who she was speaking to, she would have asked for the “living water” that only He could provide. While she was still thinking in earthly terms, Jesus was referring to eternal life. Warren Wiersbe in his New Testament commentary writes, any who drink of material water (anything the world has to offer) will thirst again. Those who drink of the water Jesus gives will never thirst again. “The things of this world never completely satisfy. In hell today, people are crying, ‘I thirst.’” (p. 240)
The gift God has for each of us is eternal life (living water). The Son of God is the one who is offering it to us freely. To receive it, all we have to do is ask.
While the woman expressed a desire for living water, Jesus goes further to help the woman fully understand her need for it. Wiersbe writes that “there can be no conversion without conviction. There must first be conviction and repentance, and then there can be saving faith.“ (p. 241) Jesus does this by asking her to get her husband. She becomes uncomfortable and tries to change the subject by discussing the different places of worship between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus tells her that the place of worship is not important, but that true worship comes from a personal relationship with Christ. John 14:6 tells us that, no one comes to the Father except through Christ. Wiersbe adds, “only those who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and who obey the truth can worship God acceptably.” (p. 241) When the woman states that she knows the Messiah is coming, Jesus tells her, “I who speak to you am He.” (v. 26)
The disciples returned to find Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman which may have surprised them. When the woman and Jesus finished speaking, she was so overwhelmed by their discussion that she went back to the town to share with others what she had heard. In the meantime, the disciples tried to get Jesus to eat some of the food they had brought. Jesus responds by saying that He had food to eat that they knew nothing about; that His food was “to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” (vv. 33-34) The disciples were confused, wondering if someone had brought Jesus food while they were gone. Wiersbe adds that what Jesus meant was “that doing the Father’s will - in this case, leading the woman to salvation - was true nourishment for His soul.” He goes on to say that “the will of God ought to be a source of strength and satisfaction to the child of God.” He adds that while the disciples had been in the village getting food for themselves, they had neglected to share about Christ with anyone. The Samaritan woman actually took their place in this. (p. 241)
The woman told others that they should, “come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.” (v. 29) The people responded to her testimony and followed her to Jesus. Having believed, they asked Him to stay. Verse 41 tells us that many more believed “because of His words.”
Jesus used this as a lesson for the disciples; teaching them that they were to be sowers and reapers - planting seeds of faith and bringing people to repentance. Wiersbe also points out that witnessing is never a waste of time. We all play a part in the process. One person may sow seeds of faith while another may reap the harvest; but each worker will get his reward for the part he played in the process. (p. 242) Which goes back to the jealousy between John’s and Jesus’ disciples. It didn’t matter to John if more people followed Jesus than him because his purpose was to point people to Jesus.
Following His two days with the Samaritans, Jesus headed to Galilee. A father rushed out to meet Jesus to ask if Jesus would heal his son. Jesus speaks of people only believing if they see signs and wonders. The father begs Jesus to come with him before his child dies. Wiersbe points out that the father mistakenly assumed that Jesus needed to go to his son to heal him and that if he died it would be too late to do anything. (p. 243) But when Jesus tells the father that he should go home, that his son would live, the father believes and heads for home. Like the Samaritan woman, he believed and then acted on his belief.
On the way home the father was met by his servant who told him his son was alive. The father asked at what time his son got better to see if Jesus had healed him. The time his son improved was the same time the father had been speaking with Jesus. Because of this healing, the father and all his household believed in Jesus as Savior.
Warren Wiersbe points out that the father began with a crisis faith which became confident faith. “He believed the Word and had peace in his heart.” This led to confirmed faith when he heard his son was completely healed. His faith then became contagious because he shared with his family who then also believed. (p. 243)
John ends the chapter by stating that “this was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed.” (v. 54) The first one had been turning the water into wine which revealed Jesus as the God with authority over nature. This second sign showed that Jesus is also the Great Physician with authority over sickness.
The two things that spoke to me the most in this lesson had to do with the focus on worship and witnessing. John 4:24 says, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” The NIV text note for this verse says that true worship must be in keeping with God’s nature, which is spirit. The note for Romans 12:1 states that worship is obedient service. Dictionary.com defines worship as homage or reverence. Therefore, to worship God means to honor Him with the way I live my life, by being obedient to His commands, growing in my knowledge and understanding of Him and following His will. When a person accepts Christ as Savior, he is given a new nature - eternal spiritual life and a restored relationship with Father God. As the new believer reads the Word of God, he will grow in understanding of who Christ is.
Leading a life of worship is one way we can witness to others about Christ. When others see how we live and hear about how Christ is working in our lives, we are planting seeds of faith. Our church has a sign as you leave the parking lot that reminds us that we are now “entering the mission field”. We don’t have to go halfway across the world to share the love of Christ with others. There are people in our own neighborhoods and families who need to be brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. While I will continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), I will also pray for and look for opportunities to witness about Him to others. Whether I reap the harvest or not, at least I can say I helped in the work by planting seeds of faith.
Thank you, Lord, for calling me your own and for caring about the lost; for desiring that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 2:4) May my life continue to be a song of praise to you. Please use me to help further reach those in need of living water.
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