I know most of us are familiar with
the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman
at the well from John's Gospel in chapter
4, how Jesus in his humanity was wearied
with his journey and he sat on the
well about the sixth hour and here comes
a woman of Samaria dangling a bucket from
her hand, as it was her custom to
come to Jacob's well at this particular time
of day.
It was unusual for Jesus to even be
there, since the Jews hated the Samaritans because
of their intermarriage with foreigners, they were considered
to be no longer pure Jews, but Jesus
carried no bias with him as he went
about seeking to save that which was lost.
Jesus knew that the shortest route from Judea
in the south to Galilee in the north
cut right through the heart of Samaria, so
there the Son of Man sits resting on
Jacob's well as he watches this woman approach
with her bucket in her hand and her
head down.
I think it's peculiar that we never know
the name of this Samaritan woman.
We all know about blind Bartimaeus healed by
the roadside, we are familiar with Zacchaeus climbing
a tree to see Jesus, but this woman
here remains nameless.
I feel it's because she represents all sinners
in need of a Savior.
She was unaware of her need before she
encountered Jesus.
Well that all changed when she met him
and he began to speak of that living
water, that whosoever drinketh of this water shall
never thirst again.
This morally bankrupt woman had a need for
she was weary of her sin and she
was thirsty for change.
In verse 15 we read, the woman saith
unto him, sir give me this water that
I thirst not.
Then Jesus does something interesting here.
He stops talking about the gift of living
water and he puts his finger on her
point of rebellion against God.
He says, go call thy husband and come
hither.
And with great conviction she lowers her head
and quietly responds, I have no husband.
Then Jesus tells her, thou hast well said
I have no husband for thou hast had
five husbands and he whom thou now hast
is not thy husband.
Their face in Jesus was the transparency of
a woman whose life was a train wreck
twisted by sin.
And friends is this not the case with
each of us before we came to Christ
for forgiveness of sin?
Was not our own life twisted and troubled
because of sin?
Didn't we like the Samaritan woman try to
hide it from ourselves and others and not
admit it?
But for us to come to Christ the
Holy Spirit had to put his finger on
the point of rebellion of the sin area
of our life where we had put a
stake in the ground, so to speak, with
a hand-lettered sign like someone would put
a keep off the grass sign on the
ground to keep people off the grass.
We put up a sign to keep God
off from an area in our life.
It was our own keep off sign.
But like that Samaritan woman who had to
be confronted with her sin before she could
partake of the living water, we must come
to Christ in repentance, confessing we are sinners
and own Him as our Savior and Lord.
Listen, friend, if you have a keep off
the grass sign that stands between you and
God, it has to be dealt with.
Jesus paid the price for sin on Calvary
becoming sin for us.
But we must be honest with ourselves and
transparent with God and admit our sin area
that is our point of rebellion and come
clean with God.
We must come to that blood-stained Savior
from sin and throw down our shotgun of
rebellion at His nail-pierced feet and believe
on Him.
Listen, friend, when Jesus was here in His
earthly ministry, as He passed through towns and
villages, all who encountered Him experienced change.
Are you ready to experience change?
Are you hungry for God and weary of
your sins?
Are you thirsty for Christ?
Then come to Him and believe on Him.
Christ has a pure gospel promise to all
who come in repentance and faith in Him.
All that the Father giveth me shall come
to me, and him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out.
Let us pray.