008 - High Noon

You pick up your Bible and wondered, is there more here than meets the eye. Is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right well it may look like just print on the page but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than Inc. will in John's Gospel today geez decide to deliver goes there to meet with the purpose. The woman at the well today on more than any we are exploring our way through the gospel of John, which is one of our favorite things to do and I got real stuff to us.

Every single time we do this and I met this blessed time amazed last time we were the very famous guy Nicodemus in John 30 highly placed, very, you know, influential guy. Jewish leader shows up again at the end of the store. He does show up again to write his name down a week from you show up and if you don't know where to surprise you because at the end of the last chapter in chapter 3. Not quite sure, Nicodemus is right, and also will see what happens to him. But now we switch from Jesus talking with Nicodemus is a highly placed, highly respected big time Jew write a log keeper and stuff like that and he goes to someone who's almost on the opposite end of this lately, so here's Jesus in his graciousness telling this person who he is.

And remember, John says I'm writing all the stories so you'll know who this Jesus is what here's an example were Jesus goes to the lowest end of the social spectrum and get us to a place where self-respecting Jews actually probably would not. Yet the play itself is wrong yeah yeah and were talking about were talking about the Samaritan walking through Samaria who heard about the good Samaritan might most people don't know Samaritans were not in high favor in Israel at the time they realize they were half breeds. They were halfbreed Jews who had intermarried with the people of the land and said they were regarded as less than yes I have just said half Jewish blood may had some Assyrian blood has became my blood may reenter the area and so they were there really considered kind of halfbreed cousins. Well, there was a twist on religion that was discussed at the date that they had their own temple and their own holy place and they didn't have to go to Jerusalem right according to the law right in that that separation to be going on for years so you know so you don't even going to Samaria for one thing, but it looks like Jesus in his travels going from north and south. The north and south to north and south of Israel. Samaria is right in the middle of it instead of screwing around which everyone did. He went straight through, MD, did you notice in your reading of John four did you notice that inch in verse four it says, and he had passed through C had to.

Usually they would avoid that and go a few miles out of their way to travel up the Jordan Valley, but it says Jesus had to go straight through Samaria. Someone challenged him he said he had to know you didn't have to go through their is doing and we think it's because of this woman.

Look at today. He had this appointment set with this woman who by all rights, no Jew should talk to and on top of that, even a Samaritan shouldn't talk to. So she has a very checkered past.

But Jesus decides it's time to introduce her to who he is and so we find himself in the hot part of the day sitting at a very famous historic well waiting, he places himself right where she would come and counter him. It's a great kind is not an invoice, but it's a design conversation and she she herself was astonished that he would do this… Pick up a few places where we set the context of it yet, says in verse six they were to place very famous place called Jacob's well you know were many wells to find water in Israel. This was was dug by the patriarch Jacob but there there at the well. Jesus is sent away all the apostles to get food from somewhere because they don't have food so they're all gone to just leave Jesus at this well in verse five, he sat down by the well in its the sixth hour. That's about noon and is just sitting there and here comes a Samaritan woman September 7 to draw water in his very simple question to her is give me a drink and you drink some of these is best conversation.

This is opens the conversation right now. I self-respecting law-abiding Jewish man hat way where you find himself alone at the well with a woman would not engage in conversation with her. But here Jesus and you know for our benefit. Since we don't know that historically. John writes it for us in the next verse, verse, that he said ask your Jew I'm a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink. That's her saying that she is and then thought Anson parentheses site so thank you John and thank you woman said to help set us up as were just too far.

Yeah. So yes a free drink and and supposedly she draws one form. That's why she's there as well so so either while she's drawing or when she gives him a drink or whatever.

You mean the issue in the hot time sons on Thursday and wanted drink and Jesus says in verse 10 he says if you knew who you were talking to you would have asked him and he would have given you living water was no way to set my digit is the one is operating the well. She's the one is drawn.

The down and you're telling me Jesus that I should ask okay so what we need to understand is that in the holy land that living water is a commonly used phrase that just means fresh flowing water as opposed to well water or water that's been sitting in the cistern, so this may have begun just as kind of a maybe even a flirtatious conversation from her point of view exactly so and she responds well, okay, tell me where you get that water that you can hear that happening yeah because you living waters moving water. If you watch old Westerns you know and you see that dead animal on how skilled you know know you're sitting I get I didn't want to die there. You don't drink that, but moving waters is commonly living water, and so you know I'm sure she looked around her to see what time of the stream right so he says you I get the good stuff. I'm at the living what you would've asked me for that right and she says are you are you greater than our forefather Jacob because he's when he gave us as well. You got something better than what Jacob gave to us now were getting place yeah Stanley, this conversation develops because Jesus engages with her in this very common thing everybody needs a drink of water and then suddenly he begins to drop like breadcrumbs into the conversation to kind of tickle her on what the living water, leaving why he would much prefer, but how's that possible, and are you saying that you giving me something that Jacob is Elvis and say okay I'm not just talking about fresh flowing water. I'm talking about water that once you drink it. Never be thirsty again. Okay this is what I waters that is water and then there is water so so Jesus now he's doing sort of what it is Nicodemus you were talking about being born again.

I got a call back and my mom no wrong way to pass the physical here and he saying here just water well water, but this is a different kind I can give you what it's going to well up inside you like living water, leading to eternal life. Now were taught virtual reality that we just we just went to the spiritual exactly, but interestingly enough, it wells up inside of you that must've drawn a thousand questions in her mind and she does even asking for much or she knows what to do with that yet is just like whatever as well, whatever that is I want I want that you and and and she doesn't she doesn't quite get it because she says you know if I don't have to thirst in more than I can stop coming to the stupid well right well know she started getting there but she's she's kinda changing the topic will be to present were getting into a spiritual realm when you talk about eternal life in the spiritual realm.

The issue of sin in the background and the conversation than people know that when the qualifier don't qualify for eternal life because you got sin and with her.

Their sin lurking in her background and so when Jesus is the next thing it's earthshaking to go college has been yikes well because the reason a woman would come to draw water was to provide for her household right. Presumably there is a husband and children and people not servants would draw water but I woman would lug home the daily water every day for her family.

So Jesus is okay. The client has been and let's and he knows what her condition is and how does she respond she says in 17 I don't have a no husband. Husband she could try to lie. You know how she says that they say it flirtatiously does she say it. Sadly, we don't know Jesus knows because he just looks her right in the I and says boy you said that right got it you had five husbands you are woman with the sequential problem men right trying to quench the thirst that dead men don't satisfy you now were talking about thirsts and Thurston water and water for there is this thirst. It's never been quenched and the incident trying to her credit instead of trying to sort of bowl them over and liked woman just skirt the issue, which is really awkward and it's a very awkward moment right here she just got a face right up to just straight up to it and and he says you're right you had five husbands course that convinces her he he's more than I could right in telling that right and how would he know that he's a stranger coming into the so then her in 19 she says I can see your profit try to turn away. It is too close to home is something else that is Angel. Question Jews worship in Jerusalem and say we have our own place and what you have to say the Samaritan kinda different Jews right now you know we get her own place to worship you as it is a nice diversion since Ron Ron kind of religious ground disease, a private, but let's kinda turn away to worship for safe religious question that that we haven't resolved five husbands, so so and you know, to his credit, he follows with her, but is not to get very far away so he says okay okay and he said you know time is coming when you worship the father, neither in this mountain were standing were in Jerusalem had no right to do it were not about the place so he's he's actually entertaining your question is going with the flow of the conversation, you know she's trying to diaper and he's trying to bring your background understanding who you started when she realized that he knew something should know so so he says you know time is coming in here we had some wonderful glimpses into some theology that is just newly introduced here. For instance, you know what kind of people is God looking to to worship it well first of all, God is looking for people he's looking God is seeking worshipers who worship him in spirit and in truth all we could talk about that for a while spirit and in truth that opens this whole door of you know, worship is not ritual worship is not something you do in a place according to an order worship is an activity of the spirit and must be based on truth one. What is truth and the truth of who God is not superstition the truth about who God is and the truth about who I write in relation with him. I think all of that is packed into that little phrase in more so that was a wonderful detour that Jesus is in got a letter get too far off track, but he does. He does entertain in any does give us some astonishing information right here, which is kinda cool. And then she tries to sidestep a little bit stay in the religious room and just as well.

I know that the Messiah is coming and when he comes. While he can explain it to us is fascinating to me. He had just said to her. God is spirit right by here in response to her saying we know Messiah is coming and he's in it sort it all out, she's he says to her I a.m. bright Messiah. I am the one I zone speaking to. He has just said God is spirit, and then he said I am and if you and here's your study skill for today are one of them. If you notice in verse 26 you will have the worry he probably in italics. Most additions will have it that way. Jesus said to her I who speak to you am he that he is in italics, and that indicates to us that that little word is not actually in the Greek text.

What Jesus says is I am right now that that not to get our team to ring some bells of the Old Testament and should I a.m., in case you don't know the Old Testament, could you join is trying to figure how to read the Bible. That is the name of God in the Old Testament, and you can find that in Exodus 3 if you want to turn back there or you want to make a note and go back there.

Later, where God is in conversation with Moses.

I should have most wonderful conversation basically ask God do I need to tell people what your name I yeah who are you are right, who shall I tell them you are. He says tell him I am who I am.

That's my name right and I hadn't revealed it before this point, I am who I am. That's what you tell.

And so every time Jesus says I a.m. there's this ECO bell goes off bell goes off and will see if John will show us this happening in the later chapters. Every time Jesus says this it it promotes a deeper conversation and more and more opposition among the Jews so much more, much more profound reaction is coming up in a couple chapter right here in is not much reaction but there they get it. Okay, so here's your study skill look for that in your cross-references right right because in the column in my Bible actually in both of the Bibles that we have open here. It will reference some other places where Jesus says that I a.m. and that's helpful because you can look at the reaction of the people and they knew clearly that he was claiming to be deity. It was US course, it is straight up and in verse 25 you know and she says I know the Messiah is coming that that's pretty class like Orthodox Jewish understanding that the Messiah is coming and he says I met so when he says on the Messiah. And I also am he.

He's like putting together the Messiah and God himself right in just one little phrase. This is the first time that we have recorded that he actually says to anybody Pointblank. I am Messiah, I am. This is one who does he say to says it to a woman is aware of the Samaritan woman so she's religiously at access, lose love this living woman.

She is socially and that people all my gosh wonderful thing that Jesus makes is most makes first and pronounced mission who used to this woman affect us partially if you went back to chapter 2 why Jesus was a little reticent to do the water and wine thing you members. Mother said do something about the fact I says he says something like my hours not quite. Now I can't. What is really saying and that phrase is you can't do because if I if I help myself to quickly get arrested and killed too quickly, so I have to keep little undercover for a while. I can't just go around telling Messiah got Cupid and he did often say that the Gospels will coordinate clearly not don't don't don't don't go blabbing this around so don't misunderstand.

When Jesus says that he's not.

He's not denying who uses Messiah. He's just telling people to slow down spreading the word because he knew that as soon as that word got out that he was claiming to be that it would rile if the authorities so badly that they would they would angle to get him arrested and killed blasphemy.

So you he's he's kind of playing the timeline to make sure that doesn't happen too soon. Which is why he wasn't super public with the wind and water thing, but here he reveals exactly face to this woman in the middle of nowhere and in a minute. She's not going to be the only one that's right so it becomes pretty widespread that the brilliance of this, though, is that because the Samaritans, the Jews are socially distance from one another, he that's a phrase we used today don't talk to each other. The news that spread to the Samaritan village probably didn't get back into Jerusalem and Judah section in the South in if it did, they say, was just as crazy Samaritans claimant something about some guy so when I can get all riled about such so Jesus can be very straight up and straight forgot who he is here without starting that that timer going down in the South that eventually got him killed so easily straightforward. In fact, right here. If he's consistent with what he does later you would expect them to say at this point. After he says I am he, you would expect him to say don't tell anybody, but he doesn't but he does later on he'll say that over and over and over until the end of the three year ministry. Then he just lets all rip just lets all out so and in the intro to if we just passed on to the passage that the apostles come back and you can read it for yourself. 27 to 37.

But what I want to do is jump pass that the city effect on the village okay and in its own -3939. It is says that love the Samaritans from that town believe in because the woman's testimony. What was your testimony. She says he tell me everything I've ever done, so I set such a big deal because she hadn't told he just knew it yes and he continued in conversation and talk to her and told her things she never expected to see her here.

He didn't wave his hand big on what I'm yeah I'm I'm framing your unclean your unholy be gone for me you dog which is what she would have expected here here's Jesus being friendly and loving and gracious to someone who really doesn't deserve it. Culturally, or from us in perspective.

Any and said, all prior to that, before saying I am Messiah. He had said to me, asked me and satisfy your thirst Thursday with all your life. So this is very gentle very available approachability. It just to a woman who is very needy.

Yes.

And Jesus says I know your needy ask me also and probably now significantly beaten up by life. I mean you today of women you know who have been serially through relationship after relationship because, in part, that we skipped our West. You said you had five husbands and the guy got now is not your husband was married to this one you live him or somebody else's husband and you here with them. So now he just lays it all out. And yet stays in conversation with her. Yeah, and that's the astonishing thing itself. It's not so much how Jesus treats the big officials like Nicodemus and three, chapter 3, it's how he deals with the people who were down and out, who were were distanced from the. The good people in society. The people were put down because of their sinfulness who think that they don't really have a place in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven because of their sinfulness and end because of their race or culture. The Samaritans, I think I just have no place in this and and instead, Jesus gives her the other being the first one to understand who he is and he says that God is seeking worshipers like you exactly interested in the worship of the spirit. He just truth, he just opens up a huge welcome door to her that you just would never expected.

Indeed, she didn't go looking for him. He placed himself where he knew she would encounter him. He opened the conversation he welcomed her. He stayed engaged with her until the rest of the disciples got back in there like what what's going on here is going to what they are more astonished to find them talking with how little this woman and this will not be the last time the Jesus Grays P pays great honor to women. He does it over and over and over again nor pin women of questionable reputation many times? And and to them it just it just cuts into the heart than this guy, this guy would love them so honestly and be so accessible to them, recognize them and welcome them into the conversation so it's not it's not an accident that when you see the crucifixion scene. People were standing around. It's these women are there as these women were deeply touched by him doing what no one else in proper society would do that they wouldn't come and talk to them and they definitely would say asking for living water. We can talk about eternal or something of great value.

So yeah, throughout his entire ministry, Jesus is is very proactive toward women vary in their downcast in society and the one to her sexually ridiculed like her. Jesus doesn't let that stop promiscuous past, current amoral situation right and this actually is is much like what we are that because we are all very needy were all riddled with sin. We like to talk to ourselves and cut a fool or not you were not covered up but when we get honest about that. Which is what she did here when you get honest about that sinful past and you say you know what I really deserve nothing because of what I've done and who I am and Jesus knew that she knew that that's what really astonished her is that when she when she became open and honest about that. He still stuck around and he still offered her this great gift is just it's just a lot. It's a wonderful thing. So she goes running back to her village. Just like I noticed you tell it just tells the men I know because that's who she knows is tells the men and they come with then they'll come out and is a hey can you come talk to us directly and he does he does he comes out any and he spent some time with them but I think this is a spending is staying there for a couple days and I think that was uncomfortable for the 12 who were with an exact date and want to stay there exactly know exactly alike and I've always kind of envisioned her this Jim speculation running well. But even during those two days. Stay. I envision her walking around with a smile from ear to ear saying this is the kind this is this is isn't he just incredible.

We would.

It would be so nice know I'd like to know her name.

For one thing, but in God's wisdom, and as we don't want to worship this woman right and you and she's pointing to Jesus. So we need to keep on Jesus as well, but as as result of all that because Jesus was a gracious to this woman that no one would give the time of day to day and the end of the very end of the story and 42. They say you know we don't we don't believe just because what you said talk a woman now we've heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world while in two days. It got so here in the in the narratives in the Gospels in the most unlikely place in a place that was pushed off by the Jews is not being part of the kingdom of God. This whole village knows before everybody in the outsiders the elevators from a first-hand encounter, and they believe life the outsiders have been made insiders° and they've received the living water, so you know this is the second time now that John accounts for us at Central a focused story in which water plays a central part in this action. 1/3 time because he had talked to Nicodemus about the water to so let me just offer you this, take your concordance and look up water and see all the places in the Gospels where Jesus says something about water. Just look for the words of Jesus about water that's that that's a steady principal.

You can use since it's such a central idea here. See what you learn tracking down Rhineland water has very special.

I wonder just look for the words of Jesus pertaining to what is asked me living where you are well disguise the same or Thursday.

Let's have a quick we hope you come back with a 65 next week