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The Gospel of John, The Second Interview, Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well, Part III - John 4:11-18 - Lesson 23 Verses 4:11,12, The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hath nothing to draw with and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater then our father Jacob, which gave us the well and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
She says, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.
By this statement she reveals her blindness to the glory that is set before her;
She reveals her concentration upon material things, she reveals her lack of faith by worrying about the means rather than the end;
and lastly she reveals her confusion about the source of the living water
She says, perhaps in a disdainful way.
Are you greater than Jacob?
Who are you anyhow?
This Jew puts himself under obligation to me and wants a drink of water-and he tells me if I knew who he was, I would ask of him and he would give me living water.
But he doesn't even have a bucket or a water pot.
Where's your water pot?
Where do you get your living water?
Who are you?
You think you are better than Jacob?
He gave us this well.
What can you do?
Her mind is centered on wells and buckets; her mind is centered on material things; her mind is occupied with the world, its daily duties and responsibilities.
She could not rise to higher thoughts.
This occupation with the things of the world is typical of those who love the world.
Do you not spend your time thinking on the things you love?
The devil does not need anything special to keep the soul from the Savior.
He just uses the common things of daily life.
A waterpot, pleasure, reputation, personal gain, amusement, family duties, lawful employment.
Simple things of this life that we put ahead of trusting the Lord of Glory.
A waterpot will do as well as fine lands and rich houses.
He can accomplish his ends, "lest the light of the glorius Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
He will bring into play the cares of this world and the deceitful of riches, to choke the Word.
Note also her concentration upon the means to get the water rather than the "one" who will bring the water.
She says that Jesus has nothing to draw with and the well is deep.
How typical of the sinner to concentrate on the means, or what he perceives to be the means rather than the Savior.
What church should I attend?
What works should I do to please God?
I need to go to a particular church with a particular preacher in order to be in good standing with God.
I must go down the aisle publicly and show my sincerity to the church and to the evangelist, I must repent loudly and with many tears and much sorrow.
Me, Me, Me. Things, things, things.
Not Christ, Christ and Christ alone.
Verses 4:13,14, Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Jesus makes it clear that he is not talking about the water in Jacob's well.
He makes a contrast between the water that she can only think about and the water that he has to give.
She can only think about the watering holes of the world.
She is typical of the children of this world.
They look to the physical for satisfaction.
Nothing spiritual because they are dead to that world.
But now Jesus Christ is creating a thirst in this woman's heart for spiritual water.
He tells her that the water of this well will satisfy only temporarily.
She must continually come back to this well for satisfaction.
She would be satisfied today but tomorrow she would come back again and then the next day again and on and on, never being eternally satisfied with the water of Jacob's well
But Jesus has an offer that gives her thought.
He has water that will satisfy her thirst forever.
She will never thirst again.
What, never thirst again!
No, never thirst again!
As John records later in this gospel, in John 7:38, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
He is telling her that the fountains of living waters can dwell in the personal life of men and women and with joy they may draw water from the wells of salvation.
Do you know, as a believer, that you have a inexhaustible source of living water within you that you can draw out as needed, at any time, in any place, in any situation?
This is the fountain of living waters, waters gushing up in continual fashion, that the Lord gives the sinner that has plunged into the fountain filled with blood that was drawn from Immanuel's veins.
This is the living water that satisfies the thirsty soul forever. It is a well of water that springs up into everlasting life.
She knew that Jacob's well could not do this.
Verse 4:15, The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to drink.
She is still misunderstanding, but her interest is sparked.
She wants some of this water to lessen her work.
If this water could keep me from having to come to this well every day that would be mighty fine water indeed.
I have to come to this well every day and I'm getting older now with no one to help.
I'm tired of coming to this well by myself, hiding from the women of the city.
This man offers me water which will make me never thirst again.
This water that I get, this water that is the result of my labors, never satisfies.
I always have to come for more of Jacob's water.
It just satisfies temporarily but then I must come here and get more.
I want some of his water that will quench my thirst forever.
You know, the world offers many wells that are attractive and many there are, that are in pursuit of those wells.
People of the world go from well to well seeking satisfaction but never find it.
They go to the money well, but it is not there.
They go to the well of fame, but can't find satisfaction there.
Let's try the well of power to get my thirst quenched.
No, not there.
The well of popularity, the well of honor, the well of public service or the well of selfless giving.
No, these wells have only water, that if we listen, are designed to tell us that there is a true well, a God produced well that we must come to, to receive water that satisfies forever and brings to us gushing springs that flow continually.
Verse 4:16,17,18, Jesus sayeth unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
Go and come.
These are the words that Jesus designed to reach the woman's conscience and her heart.
The words "Go, call thy husband," were said by Christ to prick her conscience and to remind her of her sin.
The word "come", was the invitation to the sinner that Jesus extends to the repentant heart.
He is telling her that if you really want this living water you can only obtain it as a poor, convicted, contrite sinner.
Go, face your sin and come to me to receive the living water.
Jesus Christ, full of Grace and Truth.
He says to the Samaritan woman, face the truth about yourself and receive the Grace of God.
Don't face the truth about yourself and grace is far from you as the well is deep.
Verses 4:17,18, The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto 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: in that saidst thou truly.
She quickly answers the Lord, hoping to put him off.
Here she does not call him Sir.
He is treading in sensitive waters.
Let's get off this subject.
Tell the truth and nothing but the letter of truth.
I have no husband, she says.
She thinks, We are without benefit of license or legal arrangement.
I hope he doesn't delve any further.
It is just like the Lord to know what button to push.
He knows our frame.
He knows the sore spots like the great physician he is.
As the great physician, he pushes and pulls and says, does it hurt there or does it hurt here.
Tell me when I touch a sensitive spot.
The physician must sometimes hurt before he can heal.
The Lord knew her frame and he knew her habits and he knew her sin.
But her wanted her to know those things also.
He lays her heart bare without comment or open rebuke, so she can see herself.
This is what the Word of God is designed to do.
To reveal your heart to you because your heart will not, I repeat, will not, reveal itself to you.
The human heart is so blinded by sin that it is totally incapable of knowing itself.
Only the Word of God can do that.
The Word of God is the only light that will shine brightly into those things of your life that need light.
Those areas of your life that need to be revealed to you so that the Holy Spirit can conform you to the image of the Son of God. |