Be Alive The Bad Samaritan John 4

Various kinds and classes of people came to Jesus: the Samaritan woman and her friends and nobleman The Samaritan woman –Samaritans were a mixed race, part Jew and part Gentile coming out of the Assyrian captivity of Israel (10 tribes) in 727 B.C. Orthodox Jews avoided the Samaritans Samaritans established their own temples and religious services on Mt. Gerizin

–Jesus was no respecter of person Nicodemus, a moral and religious Jewish leader Unnamed immoral Samaritan woman –Interview with the Samaritan woman He is “a Jew” (7-10) –Improper for any man including a rabbi to speak to a strange woman, but Jesus was more concerned about her soul –“Living water”, no sales talk –Ignorance: who he was, what He had to offer, and how she could receive it “Greater than Jacob” (11-15) –Confusion of material (literal) and spiritual

–Whosoever drink water will thirst again, but whosoever drink of the water He gives will never thirst. »No satisfaction from the things of the world –In hell people cry out “I thirst” –Life: 36 times »Jesus gives the living water of life “Prophet” (16-24) –Preparing the soil - admission of sin »Jesus - go and get your husband –No conversion without conviction »Conviction and repentance leads to saving faith –She changed the subject – what’s the difference between Jewish and Samaritan religion »More comfortable to discuss religion than facing one’s sins

»Spiritual ignorance: she did not know who to worship, where to worship and how to worship »Faith through Jewish is acceptable; the Bible is of Jewish origins; our Savior is a Jew; first Christians were Jews »Worship is no longer limited to the temple; “The Christ” (25-30) –The woman knew that Christ will come and reveal the secrets of her heart »“I am he that speak” »She put her faith in Jesus and was converted »Evidence: she dropped her waterpot and shared with other Samaritans »She was satisfied when she had the living water –Jesus was patient working with her

–The disciples (4:31-38) “I have a meat that you know not of” –Doing the will of God leading the woman to salvation was a true nourishment for His soul –The disciples were satisfied with bread while Jesus was satisfied with accomplishing God’s work –The will of God should be a source of strength and satisfication –“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Ps. 50:8); doing the will of God fed and satisfied Him inwardly. –The Samaritan woman was doing the will of God as well as finding excitement and enrichment. Harvest: the source of food –It applied to the ministry of winning the lost souls. –We planted the seed of God’s Word in the hearts of people who hear it and cultivate the the seed by love and prayer. When the time comes, the seed may bear fruit.

–The harvest was ready, or ripe and needed only the faithful workers regardless of the discouraging circumstances. –No competition in the Lord’s harvest. –One sows and another reaps, but each receives his honest reward and God gets the glory (I Cor. 3: 6-9) –An opportunity to witness is never a wasted time and energy. –Peter and John had worked in the harvest among the Samaritans (Acts 8: 5-25) –“Labor” in Greek means wearied (John 4: 38) –Sowing, cultivating, and harvesting are difficult tasks in both physical and spiritual realm. –The Samaritans (4: 39-42) Many Samaritans believed because of the woman’s testimony and many more believed when they heard Jesus personally.

The new converts be grounded in the Word. Samaritans declared Jesus as “the Savior of the world”, not of Samaritans and Jews (4:42) Acts 1:8b - …and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Underlined emphasizes) He was in Jerusalem (2:38), in Judea (3:22), Samaria (4:4) The Samaritan woman was a faithful believer: she bore fruit (many believed), more fruit ( many more believed), and today continues to bear much fruit to the glory of God (15:1-5) –The Nobleman 4: 43-54)

After Samaria, Jesus went to Galilee of Gentiles in Cana (4:3) He cultivated the seed. He planted there when the wed- ding feast occurred. Nobleman from Capernaum met Him (20 miles away) Nobleman: Jew or Gentile? What position? He believed that Jesus can heal his dying son Two mistakes: –Jesus had to go to his hometown to save his son –If the boy dies, it was too late. “Go thy (your) way; thy (your) son liveth.” He believed and returned home

Faith: –Crisis faith: the father was losing his sonand had no other way to go except Jesus –Confident faith: He believed Jesus’ words and had peace in his heart. He returned knowing his boy was out of danger –Confirmed faith: He found out that his son was healed when Jesus told him to go his way and that his son lived – Contagious faith: he shared experience with his family and others Jesus’ performance: –At distance: He healed nobleman’s son and centurion’s servant from a distance (out of town) –Over time: water into wine and healing of the nobleman’s son; it didn’t take a season or time for miracles. Jesus’ miracles were instantaneous copies of Father's work (John 5:17)

–Power over space: Jesus was in Cana and the sick boy in Capernaum. –No limit for Jesus –Matt 19:26 - But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.