"Living Water" (Sunday, January 17th Sermon)

“Living Water”

Jesus intentionally went where few Jews would, right into the heart of Samaria to the town of Sychar (Jn. 4:4). So you can imagine the surprise of the woman when Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She reminded him, “You are a Jew and I am Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (Jn. 4:9). The Jews don’t associate with us Samaritans.” Somebody must have forgotten to tell Jesus that little detail.

Jesus turned the conversation to spiritual matters in John 4:10 when he told her that if she knew who he was, she herself would be asking him for water, “and he would have given you living water.” She had to be thinking, “If he has this water why is he asking me for a drink?” “Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well?” (Jn. 4:11-12a). “Actually, I am!” Jesus will tell her during the course of their conversation.

Perhaps Jesus looked at the woman and then towards the well when he spoke his next words, “everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn. 4:13-14).

When Jesus reminded her of her past and present status (Jn. 4:16-18), it was not to lecture her, or to embarrass her, or to condemn her. He simply wanted her to be open and honest with him, to deal with reality for God is only known as we worship him “in Spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:24). She doesn’t need another dead-end relationship that can never fully satisfy her deep needs, she needs a living relationship with her heavenly Father. Five husbands or fifty husbands will not fill the bottomless well of her heart. Nothing satisfies the heart but Jesus, living water. And the amazing grace of this encounter is that Jesus knew all about her and loved her anyway.

Come here the rest of the story of this amazing and life-changing encounter with Jesus this Sunday, January 17^th at Carrollwood Baptist Church where all are welcomed. This Sunday could be a life-changing experience for you. You can read the Scripture passage of this account below. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and we are conveniently located one mile east of the Veterans Expressway at 5395 Ehrlich Road. For more information, check us out online at Carrollwoodbaptist.org.

Looking forward to a great day of worship!

Pastor Joe

John 4:1-14, New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

¹ Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”