08-31-08 Sermon Review

Jesus Christ at a Well
John 4:1-26

One of the reasons why I like the Gospel according to John so much is because of passages like the one we have for today. In these 26 verses, we see how a special picture of Jesus ministering to one Samaritan woman.We can learn a lot from seeing His example and therefore, though there is much in this text that we will revisit later, I would like to give you a snapshot of how Jesus approached ministry in our passage for today.

Jesus the Cross Cultural Missionary - In the beginning of the passage, we see that Jesus had to leave Judea because of the possible conflict arising from the Pharisees regarding His baptism (though John is quick to remind us that it wasn't really Jesus baptizing). Jesus decided to cut through Samaria in order to get to Galilee. To say that the Jews despised the Samaritans would be an understatement. Pious Jews would actually take the longer journey by crossing the Jordan river and traveling up the east bank in order to avoid the Samaritans completely when traveling north. Still, the fastest route was to cut through Samaria and therefore preferred by most Jews, and Jesus was taking this route as well. What is interesting to see is that Jesus, when they stopped by a well, asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. The woman responds quite astonished, and John explains why, "For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." This probably means more along the lines of "For the Jews do not use the same vessels with the Samaritans." The Jewish deemed the Samaritans unclean and therefore would not use the same vessels for water or food that the Samaritans used. What's amazing is that the Jews considered the vessels used by Samaritan women to be even more unclean. If Jesus was to drink the water from that the Samaritan woman provided, He would be doing something that was culturally taboo.

What's amazing is that Jesus extended dialogue with this Samaritan woman regardless of such cultural implications. We so often neglect ministry to others because of our differences. We neglect the wayfaring stranger. But both the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus needed the Gospel. We ought to learn from Jesus' example.

Jesus the Counselor - Often when I read this passage, I am amazed at the myriad of questions the woman raises and the patience of Jesus Christ to answer them all. He carefully guided her through the conversation and did not at once rebuke her for her ignorance or inability to grasp the spiritual teachings He was giving her. Though the woman kept changing the topic, Jesus calmly guided the conversation back to what was really important and helped her understand the truths He was teaching her. Though He was tired and thirsty, He was willing to work with the woman at the well so that she might learn of salvation. Learning from His example, we ought to be patient with those who are slow to learn and work with people where they are at.

Jesus the Confronter - Though He was quite the counselor, Jesus never feared confrontation. Before the woman at the well could fully understand Jesus' teaching on the living water, she had to recognize how incomplete and unworthy she was before God Almighty. But Jesus did not confront her thoughtlessly or insensitively. He gently guided her and helped her recognize her state before God by telling her of the relational mess she was in. Though confronting sin is important, there is a manner in which to go about doing it.

Jesus the Christ - In the end, the conversation ends with Jesus mentioning to the woman that He is the Christ. If he were to simply help her with her relational mess, He would not have helped her at all. What Jesus valued above all was that people come to understand who He is. Our ministries ought to be the same. When we minister to others, we need to point them to Christ. My professor tells me that everytime someone comes in for counseling and asks, "Can you help me?" he replies, "I can't." Surprised, the one coming in for counseling says, "Then why am I here!?" To which my professor replies, "Because I know Him who can help you!" What the woman needed was not her life problems to be fixed. She needed life. She needed s Savior from sin. She needed redemption and salvation. Jesus Christ offered Himself to her and in doing so, He gave her exactly what she needed. Let us not for when ministering to others that giving them Christ as Savior and Lord is the greatest thing we can do for them.

Jesus has set us an example of minstering to others in our passage today. We should ask ourselves, am I following Jesus' example? Am I making myself available to others? Am I serving beyond cultural bounds? Am I being a good counselor to others? Am I confronting sin with grace and mercy? Am I making it my objective to help others see Christ as Lord and Savior? If we remind ourselves of these things and Jesus' example when we minister to others, we will help many people see and savor Jesus Christ. May God use us as we pursue to imitate Christ! Stay strong and God bless!