John 4 - It Is Not Our Job To Convert Anyone, Just Point Them to Jesus!

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Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

As Jesus left Judah to go to Galilee, he had to pass through Samaria. Yes, there were Samaritans in Samaria. Jesus could have chosen to navigate around Samaria, so as to reduce to likelihood of running into a Samaritan. Samaritans were not liked at all, especially by the Pharisees, who thought since many of these families had a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, they were not clean. 

But on this occasion as Jesus was walking on this journey in the hot sun, he because thirsty and sat down next to Jacob's well. Jacob was the son of Isaac, and the grandson of Abraham.

This was a famous spot in the Jewish history of the patriarchs. Look at all the things that happened on this plot of land. 

 This is where God first appeared to Abram in Canaan, and renewed the promise of giving the land to him and his descendants. (Genesis 12:7)

· This is where Abram built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord. (Genesis 12:8)

· This is where Jacob came safely when he returned with his wives and children from his sojourn with Laban. (Genesis 33:18)

· This is where Jacob bought a piece of land from a Canaanite named Hamor, for 100 pieces of sliver. (Genesis 33:19)

· This is where Jacob built an altar to the Lord, and called it El Elohe Israel (Genesis 33:20). This established the connection between Jacob and what became known as Jacob’s well there in Sychar.

· Sychar (Shechem) was also the place where Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, was raped – and the sons of Jacob massacred the men of the city in retaliation. (Genesis 34)

· This was the plot of ground that Jacob gave his son Joseph, land Jacob had conquered from the Amorites with his sword and bow in an unrecorded battle. (Genesis 48:22)

· This is where the bones of Joseph were eventually buried when they were carried up from Egypt. (Joshua 24:32)

· This is where Joshua made a covenant with Israel, renewing their commitment to the God of Israel and proclaiming, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24) - Guzik

As I said a few days ago what makes the gospel of John so unique is the encounters he has with unlikely characters, which reveal his true nature. Yesterday it was Nicodemus, the Pharisee, who came to him at night. Today, a Samaritan woman comes to the well where Jesus is sitting down. 

She came at noon, which was the heat of the day probably to avoid contact with others. This could possibly have to do with her lifestyle we will soon learn about. Jesus shocked her when he asked her for drink of water. Jewish men did not associate with Samaritan women, especially in a public place like this. Jesus tries to tell her that if she knew who he really was, she would have asked him for the "living water". 

He would have given you living water: In ancient times they called spring water living water because it seemed alive as it bubbled up from the ground. At first glance, it might seem that Jesus told this woman about a nearby active spring. But Jesus made a play on words with the phrase “living water,” because He meant the spiritual water that quenches spiritual thirst and gives life. - Guzik

She misunderstood Jesus and was taking him literally. Jesus explains the nature of the living water he was offering her. If he was offering her regular water, if would quench her thirst for a time, but she would be thirsty again. But if she were to receive the living water he would give her, she would never be thirsty again. Her thirsty soul would be satisfied. 

Jesus reveals to her why she needed the living water that only he could give her. She apparently had five husbands, and the one she was with was not her husband. Perhaps this is why she came to the well at noon when no one would be there. But then she seems to abruptly change the topic to talk about an argument between the Jews and Samaritans regarding the proper place of worship. 

It is possible that this was a genuine source of confusion and a stumbling block to her, but it is more likely that this simply was an evasion, trying to avoid the issue of her many prior husbands and her current non-husband. If she offered an argument about places of worship here, Jesus didn’t take the bait. Jesus was more interested in winning a soul than in winning an argument.

Jesus told her that in the future worship would not be about a place, or whether it was in Jerusalem or Samaria. Worship would be a matter of encountering the Father in Spirit and in truth. This is true worship of a true God, who wanted to have a relationship so much with his people, he sent his only Son to them. 

It is important today that we don't make worship about a building, a sound system, a worship band, a preacher, or the number of people who show up. Worship has nothing to do with what is valued in this world. Worship is about showing how worthy God is of our praise. You can do this in a 5,000 seat sanctuary or an old schoolhouse. Worship is about God not us! 

Finally, the woman says that she knows the Messiah is coming will be the arbiter of all of these matters. Jesus then declares to her "I am he".  

We lose the importance of these words in English translations. The Greek words are "ego eimi" In Hebrew, it is the same word for "Yahweh", the "Great I am". This woman would most likely know Jesus was claiming to be God by using these words! 

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

When the disciples rejoined Jesus, they were surprised he was talking to this woman. Meanwhile, she went back into town and told the people about the man who knew everything about her. She wondered if Jesus could be the Messiah? The people of the town made their way to him. 

The disciples seem to be really missing the point here, as they change the subject to tell Jesus he needs to eat something. They were not at all interested in what Jesus was doing talking to this Samaritan woman. Perhaps it made them uncomfortable, and they wanted to change to subject. 

While the disciples are worrying about food, Jesus tells them he has food to eat that is not of this word. He gets his nourishment from obeying His Father's will. Jesus then uses the analogy of the harvest of the fields to show the disciples what his ultimate purpose is. 

The experience of countless others through the centuries has proved Jesus true in this statement. There is nothing more satisfying than doing the work of God, whatever that is for the particular believer. Though this is counter-intuitive and against our natural self-seeking, it is true.

Certainly this has been the case for me. Accepting Christ and following the Holy Spirit's guidance for what I believe God's will for me has been extremely rewarding. He has given me a higher purpose and a great sense of joy and satisfaction in following him rather than the things of this world. 

Jesus says to them, "The field is ripe unto harvest". He is talking here about spiritual souls. Just as one sows and reaps to receive an earthly harvest, so we need to sow and reap to bring about a spiritual harvest. From other passages we know that sowing involves preaching and teaching God's Word, and reaping means the salvation of people and the growth of the fruit of the Spirit. 

Many Samaritans Believe

As it turns out many people came to believe in this woman's testimony and became followers of Jesus. She was unafraid to let people know she had received a drink in public from a Jewish rabbi. Her testimony persuaded others to find Jesus and learn from him, which Jesus was more than willing to do. 

I love this line from the Samaritans, 

We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

Rather than just relying on the woman's testimony about Jesus, they went out to hear about Jesus and came to know Jesus as their personal Savior, and the Savior of the world. Sometimes when we share our testimony about what Jesus has done for us, it will inspire people to want to learn about Jesus for themselves. It is not our job to convert anyone, but to just point them to Jesus! 

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

When Jesus arrived in Galilee this time the people welcomed him. This was a different reception than when he came last time and he uttered, "A prophet is not accepted in their hometown." But the people had seen the signs and wonders and were whistling a different tune. 

Jesus then encountered a royal official, who had also seen the miracles Jesus had done. His son was on his deathbed and Jesus went to visit him. The man was frantic and begging Jesus to come to heal his son. Jesus simply told the man "Go, your son will live!"

When he was almost home, his servants met him and told him that his son was alive. When he asked what time he got healed, it was the exact time Jesus had given him these words. It was one in the afternoon that Jesus saved his life. 

According to his servants, this happened “Yesterday at the seventh hour.” This means that the nobleman took his time to return from his meeting with Jesus in Cana back to his home in Capernaum. His leisurely pace was a demonstration of faith. In fear, the nobleman ran from Capernaum to Cana; in faith he walked from Cana back to Capernaum. - Guzik

When the man put these facts together, he and his household came to believe. When it says "household" it likely meant his wife, kids, and servants. Though these people did not directly meet Jesus they came to faith through the man. 

What does this tell you about evangelism?

This was now the second sign Jesus performed pointing to his true identity as the Messiah.