THE LIVING WATER

“Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.  7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.’ 13 Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ 15 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’”  

John 4:1-15

The Gospel of John presents the tender side of Jesus that we can only imagine if we allow He spoke to this Samaritan woman as the Son of God who cared for all men and women just like our Heavenly Father. Jesus was resting by Jacob’s well as an unknown woman approached Him with her water jar. Rather than withdraw and avoid the embarrassing moment, He spoke to her, asking her for some of the water that she had drawn from the well. That one question starts the whole drama of John 4 and leaves us smiling as we see a broken woman come alive.

 

The fourth chapter of John’s Gospel relates the same message as found in the other stories in this Gospel.  The message is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The first six verses set up the encounter:  The Pharisees notice Jesus’ growing popularity because Jesus’ disciples are baptizing more than the disciples of John. Now, the Pharisees are turning away from John (cf. John 1:24) and focusing on Jesus.  As a result, Jesus decided to leave Judea and head north to Galilee to be away from Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish leadership and rule.

Let me take a moment first to focus on verse 2.  

“2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples).”

Jesus did not baptize people, but His disciples did. 

Do you wonder why Jesus did not physically baptize people but allowed His disciples to do it?  What do you suppose would have happened if Jesus was the person baptizing along with His disciples? Pause for a moment and put yourself in the first century.  Imagine standing in line to be baptized. Whose line do you think would be longer: Jesus or Bartholomew? Do you think if Jesus was baptizing people, that could have been a problem? Likewise, imagine what people would have said? Surely, they would have boasted about being baptized by Jesus and not the apostles. This is exactly what happened in 1 Corinthians when Christians were boasting over which apostle baptized them. Paul was glad he did not baptize any of them because of that very problem (1 Corinthians 1:14-17). It is no different today when people want to be baptized by a particular preacher as if who baptizes has more impact or meaning. Although Jesus did not baptize, that does imply that baptism is not essential. If baptism was not essential, why would Jesus’ disciples waste their time doing it?  You see, by instructing His disciples to baptize, He was free to use His time more wisely!  If Jesus had baptized people Himself, many problems would have occurred.

 I.   OUR STORY’S BACKGROUND:

In John 4:4-5, we read,

“And he had to pass through Samaria.  5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.”

Verse 4 states that Jesus had to pass through Samaria. The most direct route from Judea to Galilee passed through Samaria. However, many Jews avoided Samaria because of their disdain for the Samaritans who lived there. But this was not the only route to Galilee. You see, one could cross the Jordan River to the east and travel through Perea, crossing back to the west into Galilee. But John’s point is greater than geography. Why?  Because the Lord had an appointment in Samaria. What was about to happen was not an accident.  It was part of God’s plan.  Jesus went to Sychar in Samaria.  So, why is this story important?  Notice that this location is near the field that Jacob gave Joseph (verse 5).  This well is Jacob’s well. Jesus went to this well and sat beside it.

“Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.”  (John 4:6)

The humanity of Jesus is evident because He was weary from His journey. The Gospel writers always acknowledge the humanity of Jesus instead of hiding it. God was in a body.  Notice how the Gospel of John starts.  

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  (John 1:14)

Jesus is God in a human body.  He experienced the limitations and challenges of the human body just like we do.  

 II.   THE WOMAN AT THE WELL:

• Part One:  John 4:7-12

"A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.'"  

"Jacob's well" was located approximately half a mile south of the village of Sychar.  The well was located 100 yards from the base of Mount Gerizim. Some commentators have described its depth as over 65 feet deep with a diameter of over 7 feet. This well is one of the few Bible sites where there seems to be no dispute.  It is most likely the only place on earth where one can confidently say that the feet of Christ stood within the circumference.  Most likely, it was around 6 pm. that day (since it appears that John is using Roman time). 

In John 4:9, Jesus’ disciples have gone into the city to buy food.  Most likely, Jesus has sent them away to prepare for this encounter with this woman. This woman was not from the city of Samaria but the province of Samaria, located between Judea and Galilee. She came to the well, and Jesus made a simple request.  He asked this woman to give Him a drink of water. Today, Jesus’ request would probably not be considered out of the ordinary. However, this request was not common in the first century.  Why?  Because of the woman to whom Jesus made the request, not because of what He requested. Remember, she was a Samaritan who was also a woman!  By Jesus’ speech and manner of dress, the woman recognized Jesus as a Jew.   She expressed her surprise that Jesus would want to speak to her, a Samaritan, since the Jews and Samaritans were enemies and had no social "dealings" with one another.  Most Jews had contempt for Samaritans. This is why the parable of the good Samaritan is so shocking.  However, that racial prejudice did not interfere with trade or other matters involving money (e.g., 4:8).  According to tradition, a Jew would not accept any hospitality from a Samaritan.  They would not have a Samaritan as a guest to eat their bread because that was as polluting as to eating swine's flesh. Amazing!  Even today, Samaritans who live in this region do not eat, drink, or marry Jews but only trade with them. Thus, the woman was shocked by Jesus’ request.

Now think for a moment about how this discussion started. Jesus asked the woman for a drink. She asked, “You are asking me for a drink?” Jesus responded, “You should ask me for a drink. If you knew who I was and the gift of God, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.”

If I had been in this woman’s place, I would have said, 

 “You asked me for a drink, and now you are telling me that I should have asked you for a drink.” 

But this woman was very cordial toward Jesus.

Jesus' response to this woman's question was similar to His response to Nicodemus in John 3:3.

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

Although Jesus spoke of a physical event to her, His message was spiritual, much to the confusion of the inquirer. This Samaritan woman knew that Jesus was a Jew, but she was unaware of His real identity. Had she known that He was the Christ, she would have asked Him for that which He alone could give: the living water of eternal life! Both positions were reversed spiritually.  Why?  Because the woman was the one in need of a "drink," and Jesus could give her "living water."   Do you remember what Jesus told the crowd in John 7:37-39?

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.’”

And though the woman would have normally understood "living water" to be a reference to flowing or running water, on this occasion, she evidently believed Jesus was referring to the well water.

The Samaritan woman perceived an impossibility. She asked Jesus how He would provide water, considering He did not have a bucket and the well was deep.  There may have been a little edge to her voice as she contrasted Him to Jacob, the giver of the well. It's as if she had said: 

“Surely, stranger, you aren't greater than Jacob with his sons, cattle, and wealth, are you?” 

She would soon find out the answer to that question.

Where would He get that living water?  We must understand that living water would have been very valuable. Instead of working with a bucket to draw water from a deep well, one could go to the spring of flowing water. With a spring, one could quickly draw water. So she asked where this flowing water was located. Further, in verse 12, she said that if He could give them living, flowing water, that would make Jesus greater than Jacob. Jacob dug this well for them. They survived on this well because there was no flowing water around there. So if Jesus was offering flowing, living water, He was greater than Jacob.

Jesus agreed with her observation.  The water Jesus offered was better than Jacob’s well.  One who should drink this water would never be thirsty again. Further, the water Jesus offered the Samaritan, He still offers to the world. It becomes a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Jesus was using prophetic language to describe the water He offered.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:2-4) 

“On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.” (Zechariah 14:8-9)

“As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. 9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.” (Ezekiel 47:7-9)

• Part Two:  John 4:13-19

“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ 15 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’  16 Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ 17 The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.’ 19 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.’”

In John 4:13-19, Jesus drew a contrast between earthly and heavenly blessings. The water of Jacob's well satisfied physical needs but only for a short time. The Samaritan woman would have had to return to the well again and again. However, the living water that Jesus was offering her was a fountain that would never fail, for it would be ever satisfying, springing up into eternal life.  Nevertheless, this Samaritan woman could not understand what Jesus was offering yet. In verse 15, she asked Jesus, 

“Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

She asked Jesus to give her this water so that she would never be thirsty or have to come to the well to draw water any longer. Her response in verse 15 indicated that she did not understand the true nature of Christ's offer.  Perhaps, she was convinced of two things: 

1. She wanted the wonderful water Jesus described to her.
2. Jesus could and would give it to her. It is difficult to know for sure if she really believed this second point. 

Perhaps her answer carried a bit of sarcasm: 

“If you've really got this kind of water, why don't you give it to me?”

We must see the point Jesus was making and not misunderstand it as the people of Jesus’ time did.  Allow me to explain.

1. In John chapter 2, the people misunderstood Jesus when He said that He would destroy the temple and raise it in three days. 
2. In chapter 3,  Nicodemus did not understand how the new birth worked.

In the same way, this woman did not yet grasp the meaning of the living water Jesus offered.  At the end of this story, we will notice that Jesus’ disciples likewise did not understand how Jesus was not hungry when they gave Him lunch. Such physically and materially minded people we are!   How easy it is for us to become so consumed by life that we fail to see with spiritual eyes!  How easy it is for us to lose our spiritual discernment!   How sad it is that we cannot understand Jesus’ words quoted in the Gospel!  How easy it is to become dull of hearing as quoted in Hebrews 5:11!  But guess what?  We are the woman in this story. Jesus has to move our hearts from the physical to the spiritual.  How tragic to lose focus of eternity and live in the now!  

In verses 14 and 15, Jesus offered eternal life, and this woman seemed not to want to come out in the heat to draw water.  

"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' 15 The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.'"

The same occurs today.  Jesus is offering eternal life, and all we want to do is relax and take it easy. We want “easy Christianity” and “easy Grace.”   We dare to treat Jesus like a social club where we occasionally pay dues and show up when we feel like it. Jesus is offering eternal life, and we dare ask if we have to come to church on Sunday night. Jesus is proclaiming living water, and we dare ask how He will make our life more convenient and comfortable.  Wake up, people!  Today is the day of salvation!

In John 4:16-18, Jesus said to her,

“Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ 17 The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.’”

In verse 14, Jesus asked her to get her husband. She admitted that she had no husband as a vague explanation for why she couldn't fulfill His request. Jesus already knew this. That is why Jesus said what He said. Evidently, this was a sensitive subject. When Jesus told her to go and bring her husband back with her, He changed the direction of the conversation immediately. This was essential as the first step in meeting this woman's spiritual need. It was necessary for her to first be convinced of her sinfulness before recognizing her need to quench her spiritual thirst with living water. Jesus was trying to make her think about the spiritual state of her soul. 

When Jesus told her she had five husbands and the one she had now was not her husband, notice her response: “You are a prophet!”  Jesus' response was unexpected, to say the least. When this woman declared Jesus was a “prophet," she basically confessed the truthfulness of Jesus’ words.  Jesus, though a stranger to this woman, knew specific details about this woman’s life (cf. 2:25)!  It is not revealed why she had been married to five different men.  It is useless to speculate!  Most Jews had a lax attitude toward divorce because of rabbinical misinterpretations (cf. Matt. 19:3ff).  And it is unlikely that the Samaritans held any higher standards or principles.  Thus, her husbands could have divorced her for the most trivial reasons. We are not told, so we must not speculate.  But there’s one thing we know for sure:  she was living an immoral life of fornication.

Jesus exposed this woman’s sins, and He is still exposing our sins as a loving act.

It would be cruel on God’s part to be silent. We must know our sins so that we can wake up! When we see our sins for what they are before a righteous God, we will be very concerned about the spiritual state of our souls and eternal life.  But when we overlook our sins and forget that we are condemned, and in danger of perishing, we will fail to be concerned about our soul and the direction it is heading.  When we acknowledge our condition as sinners, we will be more concerned about eternal life, keeping our eyes on Jesus.  Jesus indeed made a remarkable impression on this woman!

• Part three:  John 4:20-26

“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.’ 21 Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ 25 The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.’ 26 Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he.’”

When this Samaritan woman realized that she was in the presence of a prophet, she asked  Jesus His view on the great dispute between the Jews and Samaritans, that is, where is the proper place to worship God?  She had been taught throughout her life that only on Mt. Gerizim would God accept worship. Her Samaritan ancestors worshipped God on this mountain because Moses commanded an altar to be built here in Deuteronomy 27.  Thus they worshipped there because their fathers did. The Jews claimed that God must be worshiped in Jerusalem. The Jews worshipped in Jerusalem, not because of tradition, but because God ordained it (cf. Deut. 12:5-14; I Kings 9:3; II Chr. 3:1). So who is right?

Indeed, the Samaritans were wrong in their contention.   In John 4:21, Jesus said,

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.’” 

And though Jesus could have closed the discussion here without dealing with who was right, He didn't avoid the issue. Instead, He went on to explain the difference that existed.  

Jesus used the word "hour" in John 4:21 to indicate that the time was near when God would not be worshiped at a physical place like the Temple but through Jesus.  Jesus is the new Temple where we must worship God, meet Him, and find atonement.  Religious distinctions regarding the place of worship would be abolished.  You see, the Samaritans had a flawed knowledge of God and worship.  They accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament. They rejected the other books of history, wisdom, and prophecy.  Their rejection of these books kept them from knowing many things about the nature of God and His will. They were wrong about where and how to worship God in an acceptable manner.  

In John 4:22-24, Jesus said,

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

In John 4:22, Jesus affirmed  that "salvation is of the Jews." Since salvation would come from the Jews, it meant that the Messiah would come from them.  The Christ came from the Jews, according to prophecy.  Jesus is the source of eternal life and the one they must worship.  

1. The prophets foretold His coming.
2. The Jewish sacrifices anticipated Him.
3. And their land supplied the place of authorized worship, Jerusalem.

And though Jerusalem was the location, it would be irrelevant, for Jesus is what matters.

In  John 4:23,24, Jesus spoke about the great religious changes that were about to happen. Thus the time would come when worshippers were no longer recognized by their devotion to a temple but by worshiping the Father. The Father is looking for people who will worship Him properly (John 4:23-24). That implied that the place of worship in both cases would not matter. 

1. "True worshipers" worship God sincerely and wisely instead of mechanically and ritualistically. 
2. True worship is directed toward the Father and is shown "in spirit and truth."  
3. True worship is in harmony with God’s Word, His Truth (John 17:17).  
4. “True worshippers” worship in this manner. 
5. Not all worship is pleasing to God. 
6. It is possible to worship God and yet be displeasing to Him when the worship is not offered "in spirit and truth" (cf. Matt. 15:7-9; Acts 17:23). 
7. The Father is seeking people who want to worship Him sincerely. 
8. Since God is  Spirit, He is not bound by fleshly restraints:  mountains, temples, or holy shrines.
9. God wants worship from the heart, for it leads to proper worship.  
10. Our love for God allows us to understand His Grace toward us and compels us to worship Him the way He commands.   

In John 4:25, the woman responds to Jesus saying,

“The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

Although the Samaritans did not accept the inspired writings of the prophets, which foretold the coming Messiah, they did believe in a Savior, mentioned in the books of Moses (cf. John 4:25).  The woman responded that she knew the Messiah was coming and that He would explain everything when He came.  

John 4:26 is the focal point of this story. 

"Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.'"

Jesus is the Messiah. I, the one speaking to you, I am. Jesus knew what He was talking about regarding worship because He was the Christ and the Savior. He came to offer eternal life.  When Jesus affirmed these truths, the light bulb began to shine for her.  It was no longer an academic discussion, for He is the Christ.  This woman’s mind must have been reeling from all the things Jesus had said to her. Do you remember what Jesus told this woman back in verse 10?

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’”

Jesus offered her something full and truly satisfying. Think about those words in John 4:14.

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” 

Jesus was telling this woman and is telling us today that He will provide what we lack in life.  When our life is not right with God, we are thirsty and unsatisfied.  This woman had five husbands and was on her sixth man.  She is indeed thirsting for pure and living water.  The water she was drinking was only providing her temporary relief.   And that is exactly the world we live in!  The world provides temporary enjoyment, only to leave us thirsty again. They keep running to the wrong well only to find disappointment and loss. How sad!

Jesus offers living water to all who are condemned because of sin.  He calls them to eternal life with Him.  But before they accept the living water that will give them eternal life, they must move their hearts from physical to spiritual concerns. The Light is shining brightly in the world so that nobody will be blinded by the darkness anymore.  Sadly, Satan is blinding many with the things of this world.  He is impeding them from seeing the treasure, Jesus, and the living water He provides. The world must see that what Jesus is offering is more valuable than anything this world can offer. Jesus is the pearl of great value.  We must sell all to acquire Him, the treasure and the pearl.  Don’t you think Jesus is worth everything?!

CONCLUSION:

In John 4:26, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman,

“I who speak to you am he.”

This passage is the first recorded and perhaps the clearest declaration made by Jesus regarding His identity. Simon Peter did not confess Him as the Messiah until the last year of His ministry (Matt. 16:16). Why do you suppose Jesus spoke so freely here? Perhaps we can point out a few reasons: 

1. The Samaritans would make no effort to take Him by force and make Him a king (e.g., John 6:15) and 
2. His short stay in Samaria accounted only for an explicit and brief revelation.

John 4:26 is the focal point here. The Samaritan woman did not seem to understand what Jesus was telling her fully but acknowledged to Jesus that the Messiah was coming and would be explaining everything. Jesus told her that He was the Messiah, the Christ.

"The woman said to him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.' 26 Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.'"  (John 4:25-26)

Jesus is the Christ, the Savior, the gift of God, the living water, and the only One who can offer eternal life. Prior to John 4:21-25, Jesus had offered her what would give her true satisfaction. He said to her, 

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14-15)

Jesus was calling this Samaritan woman to repentance.   She needed salvation, the salvation that Jesus offered.  Jesus had to penetrate her conscience with a sense of sin.  She needed Christ! She needed Christ to reveal her sin and affirm His authority.  Jesus offered her the living water freely (salvation).  But Jesus was seeking a commitment on her part as He did with Nicodemus.  Jesus was looking for a heart that would produce faith.  Jesus invited her to become a true worshipper (the hour is coming and now is!) through submission to His will.  She recognized this truth as coming from a prophet.  Thus she declared her faith in the coming Messiah (John 4:25).  

Jesus declared to her His own identity.  This woman was ready to make that commitment Jesus wanted from her (John 4:28-30). 

Isn’t it marvelous that this woman had come to get a bucket of water and instead found the one who could transform her into a true worshiper of God, the Messiah!

After she committed to following Jesus, the Messiah, she wanted to lead others to the same “water” she had found. She invited others to investigate the evidence.  Her first desire was to lead others to the same “water” that she had found. Indeed, her faith in Jesus bore fruit as she taught others her faith.  John 4:39-43 confirms this.

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.  43 After the two days he departed for Galilee.’”

In the New Testament Law of Christ, Jesus is the foundation of our new temple where we come to worship God and find redemption. Salvation came from the Jews because Jesus, the Savior, came from the Jewish people, fulfilling all of the prophecies and promises of God to Abraham. And since Jesus is the only source of eternal life and the only One we must worship, Jerusalem is not relevant anymore, for Jesus is what matters. So now we are commanded to worship the Father and not the Temple according to the Law of Moses. The Father is seeking those who will worship Him the way He has authorized.

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."  (John 4:23-24)

Since God is spirit, we must worship Him properly.  Why?  Because it is a matter of the spirit rather than a physical location, physical posture, or an external ritual. God demands that we worship Him from the heart, for it leads to the kind of worship that He demands that we offer. When we understand God’s Love and Grace toward us, we will be compelled to worship Him from the heart, the way that He wants. 

How sad it is to see Satan blinding people with the things of this world, causing them to fail to see the treasures found in Jesus and His living water! We must examine our hearts and see what our Savior is offering.  He is offering something precious, priceless, and more valuable than anything this world can offer us. Since our Lord Jesus is the most valuable pearl in this world, we must sell everything to acquire it. He is our most precious and priceless treasure worthy of all!

Those who thirst for righteousness accept the gift of God that Jesus is offering. Righteous and holy living is as essential to them as food and water are. These are the ones who can never get enough of the riches of God's Word to be satisfied. Their relationship with God is like the eating of rich food (Isaiah 55:1-2). Our culture's satisfaction is found in carnal pursuits and goals. 

1. Bodybuilding.
2. Weight loss.
3. Group therapy to heal the social ills.
4. And the empty-headed vain fashions that absorb our times. 

They promise what will satisfy their worldly and fleshly desires. Everyone yearns to be satisfied with the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. Sin fills their hunger and thirst. They desire lesser things. Jeremiah, the prophet, described this thought in Jeremiah 2. The people of his time were described as having broken cisterns that could not hold water. 

"But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.  12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 13 for my people have committed two evils:  they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."  (Jeremiah 2:12-13)  

This is precisely the problem with our world.  Our world rejects God’s prescription that quenches the thirst caused by sin.  No matter how many pleasures they try, the only enjoyment they can find is temporary, so they thirst again. They keep running to the wrong well where they find disappointment, heartache, and loss. They reject the things of God and choose the physical things of this world. They reject Jesus’ offering of living water and eternal life, so they stand condemned. They are blinded by this world’s darkness even while the Light brightly shines and leads them to eternal life. 

Fools reject what God offers them: flowing, clean, and pure water. Yet, they are eager to drink the old, stale, contaminated water. They deceive themselves, thinking they will still be satisfied with such contaminated water. Indeed, worldly satisfaction comes with such a decaying way of living! They would rather pass by the pure and unpolluted water of righteousness, holiness, and godliness.

Those who love righteousness thirst for the living water. They understand what Jesus said to them.

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

The more we hunger and thirst for the righteous things of God, the more we will be satisfied. The more we are dissatisfied with other carnal substitutes, the more we will thirst for God and His kingdom of righteousness. The path of righteousness destroys self-righteousness because self-righteousness will bankrupt our spirit and cover up our need for repentance. Jesus is challenging us to examine our hearts, that we might thirst for salvation. Salvation is for those who sincerely and genuinely want it. Our spiritual bankruptcy must compel us to mourn over our sins and desire salvation, restoration, reconciliation, and righteousness. 

 You see, Jesus, our Lord, supplies what our souls are lacking.  We are thirsty because of sin. Sin separates us from God.  When sin rules, our lives are not right with Him. This Samaritan woman was very thirsty for "this water," for she had had more than five husbands and was living in sin and separated from God. Although she was drinking the well-water, she was still thirsty because no water could supply what she needed. She was drinking from the wrong kind of water and finding only temporary relief.

Jesus is standing at the door calling for true fanatics, who would eat and drink from Him and His kingdom of righteousness. Jesus does not want us to substitute Him for worldly pursuits, for He is not our hobby or pastime! Those who are hungry and thirsty don't want merely a substitute either.  They hunger and thirst for Jesus' food and water. Only those who sincerely hunger and thirst for God will conform to the will of their Father in heaven. Those who have the right disposition of seeking, searching, and groping after the righteousness of God will be filled and satisfied (Matt. 6:25-33; Acts 17:26-28; James. 1:12; Rev. 2:10).

Are you thirsty?  Who can satisfy that thirst?

May the yearning in our heart and soul find the only source of eternal life, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May we be renewed in Him by drinking of the fountain of Living Water, the Only source of eternal life. May we hunger and thirst for Him, our Manna, and Living Water, that we may be blessed and be satisfied with His righteousness.

"Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst, but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.'"  (John 4:13-14)

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."  (Revelation 22:1)

Luci