The Need for Spiritual Transformation

The gospel according to john. The title of today's sermon is the need for spiritual transformation. John chapter 4. We'll look at the first 14 verses this morning. Please stand with me for the reading of god's word.

Jesus’ Journey Through Samaria and the Historical Setting

Therefore when jesus knew that the pharisees had heard that jesus was making. And baptizing more disciples than john. Although jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were. He left judaea and went again into galilee and he had to pass through samaria.

So he came to a city of samaria called sychar. Near the field that jacob gave to his son joseph. And jacob's well was there. So jesus being wearied from his journey Was sitting thus by the well, it was about the sixth hour.

A woman of samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her Give me a drink. For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the samaritan woman said to him How do you being a jew? Ask for a drink from me being a samaritan woman.

For jews have no dealings with samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her If you knew the gift of god and who it was who says to you give me a drink. You would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

She said to him Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father jacob who gave us this well and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said to her Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him Will never thirst ever. But the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.

You may be seated as we ponder these words of christ we can think about the question of what we need in life. And as we think about the samaritan woman at the well we can ask that question what was her greatest need.

What we have before us this morning is really an object lesson. Jesus was showing her that although she was sustained by the water at the well. Her greatest need wasn't just the physical sustenance of water.

Her greatest need was for spiritual transformation. This exchange between the messiah and the samaritan woman at the well Should cause us to reflect on what our greatest need is. What do you actually need in life?

How would you answer that question good health. At the simplest level air we need air to breathe. Food and water. Those are good things. We need to eat. We need to drink. But we could get more specific a roof over our heads.

A car transportation. How about an education? A job the ability to make money. How about human interaction a spouse a husband or wife family or friends. People that love and care about you. How about a good church brothers and sisters in christ.

Everyone should say amen. Amen, you only said it because I told you to. You know, those are all good things on a fundamental level. We we have needs in life. We can understand that most people need a good paying job to provide.

Whether that's paying for tuition if you're a student putting food on the table a roof over your head. Not just your head.

Over.

Your loved one's heads. We all need physical provision. But what if we have all those things. Maybe the job could be paying more. Maybe you have a dream job and you're doing very well. Maybe you're retired.

Big bank account big home nice clothes fancy cars. Food in the pantry. Most of the relationships with family and friends are positive. Let's think about it like this. When speaking to a crowd of people about the cost of discipleship jesus asked a couple of questions.

He said for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul. For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Think about a person that can check all of the boxes of physical needs, but doesn't know christ.

Money in the bank, but do you know christ? Roof over your head. But do you know jesus? Clothes on your back. But do you know the messiah? A car or cars to get you around town, but do you know christ? Food on the table.

But do you know jesus? Relationships in your life. But do you know the messiah? And we can get back to the most important question in all of life. What is the greatest need that any person has despite all of these physical things?

The need for spiritual transformation. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul. For what will a man give? In exchange for his soul. Whether you have zero. To no money in the bank.

Or you're a billionaire. What does it matter? If you live in a shack. Or if you live in a mansion, what's the difference? If you shop at goodwill or you get your clothes from sacks fifth avenue and beverly hills might be a little far for you guys.

Ultimately, what does it matter? If you get around town on public transportation or you're riding around in a hundred thousand dollar suv, what's the difference? If you're living on food stamps. Or you're eating filet mignon every night at the fanciest restaurants in town.

What does it matter? If you're estranged or have no friends or family or the relationships in your life are amazing and bring you happiness. What's the point. If you don't have christ you don't have life.

The greatest need that any person has no matter the status of these physical things. Is the need for spiritual transformation? At the end of it all at the end of life the billionaire who had everything you could ever possibly imagine.

That person would give it all away to have everlasting life. In other words. It's all meaningless. All the physical things all the earthly relationships it's all meaningless if You don't have the spiritual transformation that takes you from death to life by faith alone in christ alone.

And even those good things. They have meaning because you have christ. As we spend several sundays with jesus and the samaritan woman We will see over and over that the main theme is that jesus is the messiah and the son of god.

While it is true. We get to see the conversion of the samaritan woman at some point in the narrative. That is not the main point. Her conversion is not the main point of the passage the main point of this Historical eyewitness account is that jesus of nazareth is the messiah?

The conversion of the woman is implied in the text. But that is not the apostle john's main focus. The main emphasis of the passage is jesus's.

Declaration.

Foretold in the scriptures. We can look at a few passages or a few verses rather that help us to think about the the context the immediate context. Look at verses 25 and 26. The woman said to him I know that messiah is coming.

He who is called christ. When he comes he will declare all things to us. Jesus said to her. I who speak to you? am he. Jesus's declaration foretold in the scriptures. This section is also an encouragement to us and that it shows us.

Jesus is understanding of all All people because he is the creator. His love for the lost sheep that he has come to save. This passage was actually thrown around last year as a suggested text to preach at the gospel event at the zoo.

This was one suggestion. In light of drag queen story hour in 2022 at zoo montana one suggestion was preaching a sermon on this passage because Jesus demonstrates his love for fallen man, and he crosses cultural boundaries.

He addresses somebody engaged in sexual sin who would be considered a social outcast. But the love of the messiah has no boundaries unlike human affirmation. Think about that. I'm affirming i'm being loving.

That's a diluted love a diluted love and acceptance. Jesus as the messiah Shows us the true character of god-like love. A love that does not discriminate and is beyond comprehensive in its pursuit of true good for the other person in this case.

A lost sinner a lost sheep. Who was about to hear the voice? of her shepherd in verses 1 through 14. The apostle john records the first part of the exchange between the samaritan woman and the messiah jesus.

So that you can understand your greatest need in life is not physical. It is the need for spiritual transformation. An object lesson from the messiah. And we can think about it like this. The history in verses 1 through 6 and the help in verses 7 through 14.

An object lesson from the messiah. Verses 1 through 6. The history. Therefore when jesus knew that the pharisees had heard that jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than john. Although jesus himself was not baptizing but his disciples were.

He left judaea and went away again into galilee. And he had to pass through samaria. So he came to a city of samaria called sychar near the field that jacob gave to his son joseph. And jacob's well was there.

So jesus being wearied from his journey. Was sitting thus by the well it was about the sixth hour. In the first few verses we see that not everybody was friendly with jesus. But that there was opposition to him coming from the pharisees these religious legalists and hypocrites.

Resented the popularity or fame that jesus was garnering amongst the people. And the visible impact of his message and ministry. Because of the uniqueness and exclusivity of the gospel. He was preaching they were left out.

The message of jesus put into question and challenged in a broad way all of their teachings. Remember what we've learned before over 600 Man-made rules that the pharisees lived by. Although jesus was at the start of his earthly ministry the lost sheep Were responding as it pleased the father to reveal the son to them.

The truth was prevailing upon their hearts. However, the time had not yet come for jesus to openly confront these leaders. That would happen. But not yet. And so in the providence of god and under the independent authority of the holy spirit and the will of god the father jesus left the area.

He went from jerusalem and traveled to galilee. In verse 4 we see the specifics about the journey. In order to go from jerusalem in the territory of judea traveling north into galilee one had to have passed through samaria.

This was a central territory between judea and galilee. But we have to pause here. And understand that this group of people had a history with the jewish people. Many if not all jews would have gone out of their way and done everything they could possible to not go through samaria.

These two people groups have a history. Before the division of the nation with the northern kingdom israel in the southern kingdom judah samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom. And in the context of the passage, we understand that at some point in the history of the samaritans They had set up a different center for worship.

Than what was commanded through yahweh the temple at jerusalem. Look at verse 20 of chapter 4 our fathers worshiped on this mountain and.

You people.

Say that in jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. And you can think of his response. What do you mean you people? No, this was a history. They had a different center for worship than what was commanded through yahweh.

Under judgment by god the northern kingdom with its capital samaria fell to a foreign nation. And the instrument of god's judgment against the people of israel the assyrians. And when that happened many jewish people had been deported to assyria.

And the result was that there was intermarriage between the jewish people and the foreigners who had been brought into the land. We see this in second king 17 the king of assyria brought men from babylon and from kutah and from ava and from hamath and Sufavarium.

And settled them in the cities of samaria in places of the sons of israel. So they possessed samaria and lived in its cities. And what was the result? The intermarriage between those foreigners and the remaining jews and most of the jewish people had a major problem with that.

They looked at the offspring as a bastardization of their bloodline a mixed race. That was impure. The jewish people who lived in the southern kingdom of judah hated the samaritans. Those in the southern kingdom of judah where jerusalem was located looked upon the remnants of the northern kingdom as less than human.

The so-called pure blood jewish people in judah hated the samaritans because they consider them a mixed race. And more than that they consider the samaritans as ones who had betrayed their own people in their own nation.

Remember they had set up an alternate center of worship outside of the temple. And jesus is dealing with someone and walking into a situation where there is a history. This is a long-standing intensely personal discrimination and prejudice between the national israelite and the samaritan.

And here we see that jesus did not care. Jesus did not care. Jesus did not hinder his gospel ministry to one race of people. There are no such restrictions for him. I mean think about that. We think about the whole thing that happened over the last few years with the critical race theory stuff.

To think about that that every human being is made in the image of god and that race is a social construct. God is the creator those dividing lines. Those are man-made things. No, jesus did not care.

No restrictions for him. And it is true that the route through samaria was shorter. But I think there's more going on here than it's just the quickest way back. In a practical sense that may have been true but you would have to take the position that the earthly ministry of jesus was random and without intention and Purpose and just oh what's the quickest way?

You'd have to play semantics and hermeneutical acrobatics to come to that kind of conclusion. No, jesus is understanding of the creation. And that means people he's understanding of people. His love for the lost sheep that he has come to save.

Jesus demonstrates his love for fallen man and he crosses. The cultural boundaries the political boundaries, whatever it may be. He addressed somebody engaged in sexual sin who would be considered a social outcast.

The love of the messiah has no boundaries unlike human affirmation or weak diluted love or acceptance. No, jesus as the messiah shows a sacrificial And pure divine love that does not discriminate. This is a love.

That is beyond human comprehension in its pursuit of good for the other person even a person of ill repute and an outcast. The apostle john concludes this section by giving us some history about the property.

This well was on a piece of land that was originally owned by jacob. Genesis 33 says this now jacob came safely to the city of shechem. Which is in the land of canaan when he had come from padam haram.

And he camped before the city then he bought a portion of a field where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons.

Of.

Hamor shechem's father for 100 pieces of silver. So in a practical way we can understand that this would have been a source of sustenance. This is a place of life-giving water in the middle of the desert.

The woman would have come to draw water at least twice a day once in the morning once in the evening. The women of the village would have been doing that regularly. This kind of a well would not have been a spring-fed well where water would have just flowed.

This is where water would have seeped in from rain and dew collecting at the bottom like a cistern. And keeping that in mind we can understand that this would not have been inside the city or even along a main road.

Where would it have been? Well, it would have taken care of the needs for those that are a little bit further out. So it would have almost always been located outside of a city area. Most cities have been built around a running spring.

That's not what we have here. Although it makes sense that a person would come twice a day and maybe typically at evening or morning. The samaritan woman came at noon the sixth hour the jewish time for noon you know, so we think about that that it is a shortcut or it is quicker, but actually.

The reality is it's like he's going out of his way. He's going out of his way. Now that she came at noon. It's probably right for us to deduce that she came at that time for a specific reason. Because the normal thing would have been what morning or evening?

Well that would very likely have been to avoid people possibly to avoid people who may have known her reputation. Remember this woman had some baggage. Look at verses 15 through 18. The woman said to him sir, give me this water.

So I will not be thirsty nor come back here to draw. He said to her go call your husband and come back here. The woman answered and said I have no husband. Jesus said to her You have correctly said I have no husband for you had five husbands and the one you now have is not your husband.

This you have said truly. It's a strong possibility that she was simply avoiding people or trying to stay under the radar for people who knew her history. But oftentimes when we try to avoid our sin. Being uncovered or we stay in the shadows.

What does god do? He brings it into the light. He pursues us in this case. In the perfect providence of god as she was trying to avoid meeting people who may have known her reputation. She was brought into the very presence of the one who knew her greatest need.

And then the beginning of this exchange we see the messiah giving this sinner the samaritan woman an extraordinary object lesson. The messiah would help her to understand her need for physical water to sustain her life was not her greatest need.

He begins to explain that although she is in the desert in this extremely arid region. And without water she would die. The messiah will now begin to explain that fresh and pure water that would quench her spiritual thirst forever.

Was indeed her need for spiritual transformation. And she had walked into the very presence of the only one That could deliver her only and greatest need. The history Of the region shows the faithfulness of jesus to cross cultural boundaries to reach sinners.

Transcending the human limitations of worldliness or political correctness. And we can think about this for our own lives that sometimes past differences hurt our present witness. And you think about your life and friends or family or co-workers people that you have in your sphere of influence.

And at some point there could be estrangement. There could there could be a history. We all have that history or baggage. And we shouldn't allow that to supersede what is of ultimate importance. You know, it's not that the other person likes you or you can be reconciled to them and everything's rainbows and butterflies that what's the greatest need?

Whether you have a history with someone or not is that they know christ is their savior. That they're going to go to heaven when they die. You know, we don't want to let past experiences or grudges or.

Even if it's perceived correctly and there's some wrong or slight in the past. We have to go beyond those things. We can't let past differences hurt our present witness who cares what the history is. What matters now is that they know christ?

We can even think about this and The myth of not being able to reach others of a different social class or ethnicity. That's a myth. The idea that you live in a good part of town. So what are you doing over there in the homeless area?

You know, what are you doing going down to this? Area of. You know where there's maybe drug dealers and murders happen and even prostitution and drug use and gangs. What do you think you're doing there you're there to save people with the message of the gospel who cares.

The idea that oh you can't reach them because they have a lot of tattoos or it's a biker gang or something. We can show up in a suit and tie and tell them everything or maybe because of the social class.

You can't go witness to the ceo. That's a myth. That is a myth. I had someone say to me recently. Uh, you you know, you probably wouldn't be able to get into the group that I could go into because I have this bad history.

That's a that's a myth. That's completely false. You know going into areas where there's gang activity drug dealing prostitution. When people know that you're there. You have this in your hand. You don't need anything else.

You don't need to identify with them. You don't need to be in their same social class. You don't need to be the same skin color as them. All you need is the word of god and a genuine heart that they go to heaven when they die.

You can reach beyond all this stuff and this isn't this isn't, you know critical race theory black lives matter prosperity stuff. I'm talking about souls and caring about people's souls. Who cares what skin color they are.

I remember the first time I heard this silliness in the pulpit. It was martin luther king day and a and a white preacher said something like oh the gospel's for all people. It's not just a white gospel.

I was like what version of the bible have you read that you even have that assertion? You were chasing a boogeyman here read the bible. What what are you talking about? The gospel's not for white people.

I thought that was kind of racist. Just be quiet read this passage. Know the lord know jesus christ the messiah who doesn't care about social boundaries or ethnicities. He's our master we should follow his example.

We don't we don't need to get caught up in all that stuff. Jesus didn't. The history of the region shows the faithfulness of jesus to cross cultural boundaries to reach sinners. Transcending the human limitations of worldliness or political correctness the history.

And the next the help the help. Verses 7 through 14. Look at verse 7. A woman of samaria. Came to draw water. Jesus said to her give me a drink. For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Therefore the samaritan woman said to him.

How do you?

Being a jew. Ask for a drink for me. Being a samaritan woman. For jews have no dealings with samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her If you knew the gift of god and who it is who says to you give me a drink.

You would have asked him and he would have given you living water. She said to him sir You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father jacob who gave us this well and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said to her Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst.

Ever.

But the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. Generally speaking it would make sense for the woman to have come early in the morning or late in the evening.

Not in the middle of the day where it's the most hottest. And what else is in the middle of the day? The sun is at the highest. No, the normal habit would have been for the women in the village to come in a group.

She came by herself and in the hottest time of day. Because of her public shame she may not have been accepted amongst the women in the village. But in verse 7 she encounters the messiah. And it's not that he accepted her.

His help goes beyond societal acceptance. He came to reveal his messiahship to her thereby calling her out of her lifestyle. Even by simply saying give me a drink. Jesus was doing something completely outside of the societal norms or expectations.

Jewish men didn't speak to women in public as a general rule. But you add on the fact that this is a samaritan. With that history and certainly this would not have been the normative exchange. Remember as a samaritan woman.

She was a member of a mixed race, which was hated by the jews. Also in the context of the passage this woman was known to be living in sin. And this was a public place where other people from the town would come in and be able to witness this exchange completely outside of the social norms.

Beyond going in a different direction of the social hatred that existed between the samaritans and the jews. Jesus was asking for a drink. This was something that would have been an open defiance of the strict social customs that marked the day.

And think about it from an outsider's point of view folks who may have been looking at jesus just as a teacher. The idea that a teacher of the law a rabbi would hold a conversation. With a woman that had a reputation for having multiple husbands and adulterous.

The conversation is a scandal that it's even taking place. And the apostle reminds the reader that the disciples aren't there. So this exchange in some way is private and we can think about. Well, how did john record it?

Well, either john stayed behind or jesus told john later. Just like jesus the disciples not caring about the social expectations or crossing cultural boundaries. His disciples didn't follow those same kind of rules that had been opposed on them by the religious elite of the day.

You wouldn't find a pharisee caught dead in this situation. It says that his disciples were willing to purchase food from the samaritans. The pharisees wouldn't have done something like that. They would have been unwilling to eat anything that had been handled or touched by a samaritan it would have Been looked upon as being unclean not so for the disciples.

And as they walk away to get food, we see the exchange between the messiah and the samaritan woman. You can kind of hear her shock. In the question she asks in verse 9. How do you? Being a jew ask for a drink from me being a samaritan woman.

A respectable jewish man would not speak to a woman like that under any circumstances. And yet here was jesus. The help that he's about to offer her and giving her this object lesson of the need for sustenance and water.

Versus the ultimate need of spiritual transformation demonstrates the good news. The gospel ministry of jesus christ is for every person. The person's gender. The person's race the person's social class or position and their past sins.

None of those things hinder the gospel ministry of jesus christ. As believers we need to be prepared in every situation. To share the gospel with every person any time any place to any person. This account shows that jesus didn't consider social norms.

Ethnicity or the sin of a certain people group as being barriers to evangelizing the lost and sharing the gospel. If we are followers of jesus. We must follow him and we must do no less than our master in this regard.

Also, we don't want to have a misunderstanding in this passage that as he was reaching out to her. That somehow he was accepting her in her sin. Christ doesn't accept you for who you are. Jesus doesn't accept sinners.

He saves sinners. He calls you out of your sin. He doesn't accept your sin. And now jesus will begin the lesson. Helping her to understand her greatest need. It's not water from the well.

It's him.

It's christ. Jesus is the living water. Jesus is using a metaphor to describe himself as the manifestation of yahweh in human form. Taking on the form or fashion of a man. This language is specific and there is old testament background for this term.

Let's look at a few. The prophet jeremiah speaking on behalf of yahweh regarding the nation of israel judah the southern kingdom transgressing against yahweh. Thus says the lord jeremiah chapter 2 verse 13.

For my people have done two evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters to hew for themselves. Cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water. Yahweh brings an indictment against the jews Who are disobedient because they have rejected him.

In this passage who is speaking?

Yahweh.

How does he refer to himself? The fountain of living waters. And this isn't the only time in the old testament that a metaphor spoke about the knowledge and grace of god in this way. There are numerous passages in the old testament that directly speak of thirsting after god as one who thirsts after water.

For the follower of yahweh, there was a desire to know him and to thirst after him. Psalm 42 as the deer pants. For the water brooks. So my soul pants for you. Oh god. My soul thirsts for for god for the living god.

When shall I come and appear before god? To to desire god to thirst after god. The old testament metaphors are helpful for us to Understand that it is by god's grace that he provides spiritual life purification cleansing the soul.

For those familiar with the old testament prophets They would have been looking forward to a time when the living waters of god would flow out of jerusalem. Ezekiel 47. And it will be that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes Will live.

And there will be very many fish for these waters go there and the other waters are healed. So everything will live where the river goes. Restoration and cleansing by water is a theme throughout the scriptures, especially in the old testament.

Zechariah 14. And it will be in that day that living waters will flow out of jerusalem. Half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea. It will be in summer as well as in winter.

In a section speaking of yahweh. Battling the nations we see here a completed yet unfulfilled action in the future jesus is using the old testament metaphors to describe himself. And connect to her that the christ is yahweh in the flesh.

In these usages we can ask the question what does it mean? That jesus referred to himself as living water. What does it mean that jesus referred to himself as living water? Isaiah 55. Everyone who thirsts come to the waters.

And you who have no money come. Buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Very simply. What yahweh had promised was now here? Zechariah 13. In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of david and for the inhabitants of jerusalem for sin and for impurity.

The earthly incarnation of the sun is just round one Remember god himself is called the fountain of life. Psalm 36. How precious is your loving kindness? Oh god. And the sons of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They are satisfied from the richness of your house. And you give them to drink of the river of your delights for with you is the fountain of life. In your light we see.

Light.

God is called the fountain of living water. Jeremiah 17. Oh yahweh. The hope of israel all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down. Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water even yahweh.

And we can see from her response that his metaphor is going over her head. She's not tracking with him. In other words, she's not picking up what he's throwing down. Eventually He'll get her there and make it crystal clear.

Again look at verses 25 and 26. I know that messiah is coming. He who is called christ when he comes he will declare all things to us. Jesus said to her I who speak to you am he? In this exchange. He's helping her along that path of revelation Revelation to finally come to the complete and full understanding that he is the messiah.

And we'll see in the context of the passage in the sundays ahead as we return to this passage. That she'll actually run into town and tell everyone who will listen to her this truth. Jesus is helping her to understand that her need for physical water to sustain her life.

Really doesn't mean much if she doesn't have the fountain of living water in her life. It's great that you have everything you need physically. But if you don't have god all of that is meaningless in the object lesson.

The help that jesus is offering is to point to himself as the messiah. That's where he's taking her. And think about what he's saying that he could bring living water that would quench a person's thirst forever.

In saying that jesus was claiming to be the messiah. Because only the anointed one of god could provide this free gift. That would satisfy a person's soul forever. The apostle john is applying these themes of living water to jesus christ.

He's making a connection and symbolism to eternal life. That's mediated by the holy spirit from jesus. And remember the greater context of this conversation. And what had just happened previously? What did jesus just get done telling nicodemus and the historical eyewitness account recorded for us here.

Unless one is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of god. Unless one is born of water in the spirit. He cannot enter into the kingdom of god. The theme of spiritual Transformation and the need to be born again is brought to the forefront by the apostle john.

He's reiterating he's reinforcing the teaching of jesus on this topic. One conversation followed up by another conversation that is highlighting the same truth in both cases. Jesus is helping the person to understand their need for spiritual transformation.

And the object lesson he's trying to point out is very helpful if we consider that there are many spiritual functions that actually parallel physical functions. Think about it like this. Do our physical bodies hunger and thirst?

Well, obviously they do. But in the same way our souls hunger and thirst. The scripture makes allegory and metaphorical distinctions to spiritual food and water. As we see her react we understand that she didn't immediately understand what he was saying.

The samaritan woman didn't connect the two kinds of water. And we can likely understand that she had probably not thought about her own spiritual hunger and thirst before regardless of that her soul hungered and thirsted.