Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / John 4:1-30 (Part 1)

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John 4:1-30 (Part 1) · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Our text for today is John chapter 4, verses 1 through 30.
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  While you're getting there, I just want to extend some appreciation to everyone who showed up over the last two days on Friday and Saturday to help with the project downstairs.
• 0:16
  If you are unaware, about two-thirds of our building flooded downstairs and had to be remediated, flooring out, sheetrock cut, and we're putting it back together.
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  And not only am I thankful for all the help that showed up just because the project needs to get done, but it's a real clear expression that the church understands that it's not my project.
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  This building belongs to you all as much as it belongs to me, and I'm very glad for that.
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  So you didn't just show up and help me with my project, but we came together and rallied.
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  And especially thankful for Jake, who pulled together materials for us, and Tyler, who spearheaded and led the charge over the last two days.
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  And the long haulers.
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  And if you don't know if you're a long hauler, you're not a long hauler.
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  But I'm grateful for everybody who showed up, even those of you who could come for an hour or two and pitch in.
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  It was really, really helpful.
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  Very encouraging.
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  We'll keep at it.
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  It's not done quite yet.
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  So, John chapter 4, verses 1 through 30.
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  Let me pray before we read it.
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  Father God, help us as we study your word together this morning.
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  We humbly recognize that it was written for your glory and for our good.
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  We should.
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  We need your help to believe its promises and obey its commands and have affection for you, its author.
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  So help us, we pray, to this end.
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  Amen.
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  Amen.
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  Verse 1, chapter 4 and following.
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  Now, when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John,
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  although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples,
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  he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
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  And he had to pass through Samaria.
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  So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
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  Jacob's well was there, so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.
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  It was about the sixth hour.
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  A woman from Samaria came to draw water.
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  Jesus said to her,
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  The Samaritan woman said to him,
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  How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?
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  For Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.
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  Jesus answered her,
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  If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, give me a drink,
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  you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.
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  The woman said to him,
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  Sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep.
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  Where do you get that living water?
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  Are you greater than our father Jacob?
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  He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.
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  Jesus said to her,
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  Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.
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  But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.
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  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
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  The woman said to him,
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  Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.
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  Jesus said to her,
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  Go call your husband and come here.
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  The woman answered him,
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  I have no husband.
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  Jesus said to her,
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  You are right in saying I have no husband.
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  For you have had five husbands and the one you now have is not your husband.
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  What you have said is true.
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  The woman said to him,
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  Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
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  Our fathers worshipped on this mountain,
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  but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.
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  Jesus said to her,
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  Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
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  You worship what you do not know.
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  We worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
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  But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.
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  For the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
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  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
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  The woman said to him,
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  I know that Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ.
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  When he comes, he will tell us all things.
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  Jesus said to her,
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  I who speak to you am he.
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  Just then his disciples came back.
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  They marveled that he was talking with a woman,
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  but no one said,
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  What do you seek?
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  Or, why are you talking with her?
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  So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
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  Come see a man who told me all that I ever did.
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  Can this be the Christ?
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  They went out of the town and were coming to him.
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  Okay, now, you may have noted in your bulletin that it says,
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  John chapter 4, verses 1 through 30, part 1.
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  If all goes to plan, you know, often I have a plan to do the entire text,
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  and then we end up splitting it into parts.
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  I am planning on doing it in two parts,
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  so this Sunday and the next Sunday,
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  because there's just so much richness to be pulled out of these verses.
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  And to aid us across this week and next in our study of these 30 verses,
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  I'm going to do something unique for my preaching,
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  perhaps for all preaching, I don't know.
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  We're going to consider the text with two outlines,
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  not just one, but two.
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  And my hope is that this will help us grasp the structure
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  and, therefore, the meaning of the text.
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  So our first outline for today,
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  Jesus is presented in four ways.
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  Number one, he is Jesus the living water.
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  I'll explain more, verses 4 through 15.
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  He is Jesus the prophet, number two, verses 16 through 19.
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  We'll try to cover those two today.
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  Thirdly, he is Jesus' savior of the world.
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  And fourthly, he is Jesus, Messiah.
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  So we're going to try our best to get to those two points of the four today.
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  And we're also going to use a second outline,
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  which will kind of be the more prominent outline.
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  First, if you're taking notes, this is probably the place you want to start.
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  First, the greatness of our sin.
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  And secondly, the surpassing greatness of Jesus' mercy.
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  The first of these outlines presents itself fairly obviously to me
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  as I sought to ascertain some direction for our study.
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  You may not have ever taught the Bible, but this is a thing we do.
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  We sit down, we read the text, we reread the text.
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  We're looking for some structure found within the text itself.
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  Some texts it's easier, some texts it's a little more difficult to ascertain
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  how you should structure what the structure of the text is,
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  therefore what the structure of the sermon ought to be.
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  But as we read through that, and I gave you those first four points,
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  I imagine that it was fairly simple for you to see the point there.
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  It's sequential, Jesus the living water, Jesus the prophet, Jesus the savior of the world,
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  Jesus the messiah follows through the text in that way.
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  And of course, we do well to see what any text intends to inform us about our Lord.
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  We want to pay very careful attention to it.
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  What is it saying about Jesus in the case of the gospel of John?
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  So, why the second outline?
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  If that's easy to ascertain, why the second outline?
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  And I want to tell you, I want to give you a little bit of explanation.
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  So as I'm looking at this passage, I'm beginning to notice some patterns
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  that I want to show you that were emerging to me.
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  I'm going, I really think there's an interesting pattern going on in this text.
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  And so we need to talk a bit about the literary structure of chapter four.
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  Before doing it, though, I want to take two quick comments about preaching.
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  Some of you are guests this morning.
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  Some of you are pretty settled in here.
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  But number one, I'm just always baffled, just absolutely astounded
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  by the preacher who is constantly searching for relevant stories to help make Bible points.
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  I don't spend any time in the week watching TV or sports
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  and looking for an analogy that I can bring to the pulpit on Sunday morning.
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  Why?
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  The Bible itself is replete with Spirit-inspired stories.
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  We have one before us today.
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  I just want to say, not all preaching that has stories in it is bad,
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  analogies in it is bad.
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  But be wary of preaching that's always looking elsewhere to try to drive a lesson home.
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  It's right here.
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  It's right here in the text itself if we would be careful and really consider it.
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  Secondly, good preaching keeps your nose in the text.
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  What do I mean by that, right?
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  Good preaching is many things,
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  but a really good place to begin preparing a faithful sermon
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  is to consider how to have your hearers swim around in the text.
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  So when I say keep your nose in the text,
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  not that I really want any of you to do this, but this.
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  You're doing this.
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  You don't have to look at me.
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  I'm not very much to look at up here.
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  I wave my hands around frantically sometimes,
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  but you're better off in the text.
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  And I do a good job when I'm drawing you to it again and again and again.
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  We don't want to just read it and then move on in our preaching.
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  We want to contemplate it deeply so that the text might read us.
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  And beloved, this text, I mean, it is just rich.
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  The scripture is so incredible.
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  The times I've read this passage and not really understood the layers of its meaning,
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  and I will tell you humbly,
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  probably someday I will come back through the book of John
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  and there will be something else in there,
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  something I missed that will make it all the much more rich.
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  This past Monday at our elder meeting,
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  we had a discussion about literary structure
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  and how it aids in our preparation and delivery of faithful sermons.
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  We talk about things like that at elder meetings sometimes.
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  And we had some extended conversation about how much of that is helpful to listeners.
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  Like, how much time should we spend explaining things like literary structure?
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  But we also don't want to neglect it,
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  particularly when it's really important to the meaning of the text.
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  We want you, in hearing the way we preach,
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  to be able to go home and confidently study the Bible.
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  You can do everything I'm about to do this morning.
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  It's very possible for you to do it
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  if you could just take up and learn how it is that you're supposed to do it.
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  So, at the risk, I recognize,
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  at the risk of spending too much time on the structure before us this morning,
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  but with the hope of keeping your nose in the text
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  and with the aim of answering the second outline question,
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  why a second outline,
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  I want to talk to you about chiasmus.
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  I've used the term before.
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  I think it blows off the top of your head.
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  We're doing it again.
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  Chiastic structure.
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  And this word comes from the Greek letter,
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  the X in Greek, which is the chi.
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  So that's chiasmus is the plural of it.
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  Chiastic structure.
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  And these structures are found everywhere
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  in Hebrew, in Greek literature,
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  including the Bible.
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  So what that means is,
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  the starting point of the text
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  can kind of be folded over
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  to the ending point of the text,
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  and they reflect one another.
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  So the two things, you could fold.
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  So think of the X,
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  like you're following the pattern,
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  or if you want to follow it,
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  down to the point and then back out.
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  The two things fold over the top of the structure.
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  All over the place in the Bible.
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  Not forced into it.
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  And I'm going to show you this morning
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  that this text has a chiastic structure.
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  In fact, the entire book of John
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  has a chiastic structure,
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  and I can't wait to get to the center point of the text.
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  I'm so excited to get there,
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  but I'm going to wait for it right now.
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  Did you know that the entire Pentateuch,
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  the first five books of the Bible,
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  have a chiastic structure?
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  Brilliant.
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  Brilliantly written.
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  And meant to bring us to a place
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  to help us interpret the rest of it.
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  Why?
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  Why does this type of structure exist?
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  Well, it's a very useful device
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  for the memorization
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  and the transmission of thought.
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  It's really helpful for that.
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  And that structure can help lead us,
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  again, to some interpretive help
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  as we're looking at text.
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  Now, I learned this week,
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  if any of you listen to the Room for Nuance podcast,
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  which I commend to you a lot,
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  this was talked about this week
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  from the book of John.
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  I learned this week that Jewish children
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  were taught their alphabet this way.
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  I don't know the Jewish alphabet,
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  so I'm going to tell you in our alphabet.
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  First, right, sequentially in order
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  from beginning to end, right?
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  A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and so on.
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  Then, they learned it backwards.
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  So, in our alphabet,
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  Z, Y, X, W, V, E, U, T,
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  and yes, I typed the whole thing out backwards.
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  Because I couldn't do it otherwise.
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  Because we don't learn the alphabet that way, do we?
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  In fact, if you're anything like me,
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  you've got to sing the song every time.
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  You try to...
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  Then, then they would learn it
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  in a chiastic structure.
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  A, Z, B, Y, C, X, D, W.
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  What a way to know their alphabet
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  forward, backward, inside out.
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  I mean, you really know
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  where the letters belong in that sequence
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  if you memorize it in that way.
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  So, this is like in the water
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  of our biblical writers
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  and their initial audiences.
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  I think they would have seen them.
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  It should have been really apparent
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  what was going on.
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  We've got to recognize that they exist
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  and slow down a little.
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  So, that was what I was doing this week.
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  As I was looking, I'm going,
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  there's some things happening.
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  This is an interesting text.
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  Even odd.
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  What's going on here?
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  And then, praise God,
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  somebody smarter than me
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  actually built out the chiastic structure
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  and handed it to me in a book.
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  And I was able to take a look at it.
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  And I want to bring it to you.
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  Like I said already,
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  but regularly,
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  where the literary structure
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  meets in the middle,
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  the central point of the text
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  is being made
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  or a significant turning point happens
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  or a phrase that helps
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  the reading of the rest of the passage
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  is presented.
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  We're supposed to pay attention to it.
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  A little special attention
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  to what's going on
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  right at the center
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  of that text.
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  And so, we really do well
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  when we notice these patterns
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  emerging from the text.
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  So, I want to show you.
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  Now, the chiastic structure
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  begins in verse 4
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  and ends in verse 30.
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  The previous text
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  is also chiastic,
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  but the first three verses
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  belong to it.
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  So, I'm going to talk about
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  the first three verses
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  just briefly
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  and then I'm going to get
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  to the chiastic structure.
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  Again, I'm answering the question
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  why a second outline.
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  So, I'm just going to know.
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  There's structure here
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  that matters
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  for our study
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  of this text.
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  Okay, so first three verses.
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  Now, when Jesus learned
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  that the Pharisees had heard
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  that Jesus was making
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  and baptizing more disciples
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  than John.
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  He's rising in prominence.
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  His ministry is growing.
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  There's a concern
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  on Jesus' part
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  that the Pharisees
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  are going to take him
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  before his time.
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  We'll see this repeated
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  throughout the gospel accounts.
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  Jesus himself
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  did not baptize,
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  verse 2 says,
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  but only his disciples.
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  He left Judea,
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  the region
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  where Jerusalem is located,
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  and departed again
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  for Galilee.
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  He's going back to Galilee.
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  Okay?
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  So, that's where we pick up
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  the end of the other
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  classic structure
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  and the beginning
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  of this one.
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  Now,
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  nose in the text.
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  Are you ready?
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  I'm going to show it to you.
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  I just want you to see
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  how very cool it is.
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  I hope you think it's cool.
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  Okay.
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  First,
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  verses 4 through 6
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  correspond to verse 30.
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  Notice in verse 5,
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  he comes to a town,
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  he comes to a town
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  of Samaria.
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  And then what happens
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  in verse 30?
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  They go out of the town
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  and there,
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  in this language,
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  they're coming to him.
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  Okay?
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  So, see how that happens?
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  And inclusio,
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  he's going to the town,
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  eh,
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  there's some coming to,
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  coming out to him.
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  Okay?
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  So, I'm just showing you.
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  This is how you can kind of
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  see the pattern.
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  Go, eh,
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  there's some coming to
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  and some coming to
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  happening on both sides
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  of this.
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  Now,
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  watch again.
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  The first half of verse 7.
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  A woman from Samaria
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  came to draw water.
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  She would have brought
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  something with her
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  in order to do that.
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  A water jar.
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  Notice verse 28,
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  29.
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  So,
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  the woman
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  left her water jar
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  and went away.
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  Right?
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  So,
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  are you seeing
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  what's happening here?
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  So,
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  he's coming to,
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  then they come to,
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  and you step just inside of that.
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  She came to draw water
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  with a water jar.
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  What does she do?
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  Just before,
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  she leaves her water jar
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  and she goes back
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  to the town.
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  You see how it steps in?
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  I won't walk you through
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  the entirety of the text,
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  but I'm going to give you
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  another one.
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  Okay?
• 19:39
  Jesus speaks
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  to the woman.
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  Okay?
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  We see this at the very
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  beginning of verse
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  7.
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  Oh,
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  the last half of verse 7.
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  Excuse me.
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  Jesus said to her,
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  give me
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  a drink.
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  And what we see
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  in verse 27,
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  the disciples come back.
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  What do they do?
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  They marvel
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  that he was talking
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  with
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  the woman.
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  Are you seeing it?
• 20:06
  I'm not making this up.
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  Right?
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  It's there.
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  And we can track it
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  all the way down
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  to the central point.
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  For the sake of time,
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  I'm not going to walk you
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  through the entire thing.
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  If you'd like to see it,
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  I'll be happy
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  to share it with you.
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  But what I do
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  want to bring you to
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  is the central,
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  the hinging point.
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  Okay?
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  And it is found
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  in verse 17,
• 20:27
  the very first half.
• 20:30
  We show you
• 20:30
  on either side.
• 20:31
  Again,
• 20:31
  this is reflecting
• 20:32
  on either side.
• 20:34
  Jesus says to her,
• 20:36
  go call your husband.
• 20:38
  Other side,
• 20:38
  he's speaking to her again.
• 20:40
  Same phrase.
• 20:41
  Jesus said to her,
• 20:42
  you are right in saying,
• 20:44
  I have no husband.
• 20:46
  Last half of verse 17.
• 20:48
  The beginning of verse 17.
• 20:49
  The woman answered him,
• 20:52
  I have no husband.
• 20:57
  Isn't that fascinating?
• 21:00
  If you understand
• 21:01
  that these structures exist
• 21:02
  and you can see the pattern,
• 21:04
  and again,
• 21:05
  it's a whole pattern.
• 21:06
  It's built out here.
• 21:08
  See the chiasm?
• 21:10
  There's a whole thing.
• 21:12
  The central point of it
• 21:13
  is the woman said to him,
• 21:18
  answered him,
• 21:19
  I have no husband.
• 21:26
  Fascinating, right?
• 21:27
  The structure of the text itself
• 21:29
  is communicating,
• 21:31
  this is a turning point.
• 21:33
  There's something going on here.
• 21:34
  We should pay attention.
• 21:36
  So this text fully intends for us
• 21:39
  to behold Christ.
• 21:41
  But this is not a text
• 21:42
  that's teaching us
• 21:43
  how to emulate Christ.
• 21:45
  This is not a text saying to us,
• 21:47
  look like Jesus in this way.
• 21:49
  We could pull some things
• 21:50
  by implication,
• 21:51
  but that's not the point
• 21:52
  of the text.
• 21:53
  This text seeks to expose us,
• 21:58
  to lay us bare.
• 22:00
  This is what's going on,
• 22:02
  right in the central point
• 22:03
  of this text.
• 22:04
  Jesus says to her,
• 22:05
  go get your husband,
• 22:06
  come back here,
• 22:07
  and she says,
• 22:08
  I have no husband.
• 22:11
  He knows this already
• 22:13
  when he asks her,
• 22:14
  because how does he respond?
• 22:16
  Yeah, you don't have a husband.
• 22:18
  You've had five.
• 22:21
  Five failed marriages,
• 22:22
  and now the man
• 22:23
  that you're living with
• 22:24
  is not your husband.
• 22:27
  Which is why the first point
• 22:30
  of that second outline
• 22:31
  is the greatness of our sin.
• 22:36
  We're supposed to notice
• 22:37
  this happening in this text.
• 22:41
  The greatness of our sin.
• 22:45
  This little point,
• 22:46
  we have to start with it,
• 22:47
  verses 16 through 19,
• 22:48
  and this is where we see,
• 22:50
  she makes the declaration
• 22:51
  that Jesus is the prophet.
• 22:53
  That second point
• 22:55
  in the first outline
• 22:56
  that I mentioned to you.
• 22:59
  Jesus said to her in verse 16,
• 23:02
  go call your husband
• 23:03
  and come here.
• 23:07
  Jesus has just said
• 23:08
  some astounding things.
• 23:09
  We read them earlier,
• 23:10
  and we'll address them
• 23:11
  in a moment.
• 23:12
  Some astounding things
• 23:14
  about living water.
• 23:17
  Water that you will have,
• 23:19
  and it will never go away.
• 23:21
  Water that wells up in you
• 23:23
  for eternal life.
• 23:25
  I mean,
• 23:25
  these words are worth
• 23:27
  contemplating.
• 23:28
  Roll these things over.
• 23:30
  What is going on here?
• 23:31
  And she is just
• 23:33
  absolutely clueless.
• 23:37
  I mean,
• 23:38
  she thinks he's speaking
• 23:39
  literally
• 23:40
  as he's saying this.
• 23:42
  And we can see in verse 15,
• 23:44
  she says to him,
• 23:45
  Sir, give me this water
• 23:47
  so that I will not be thirsty
• 23:49
  or have to come here
• 23:50
  to draw water.
• 23:51
  How great.
• 23:53
  It tidies up my day
• 23:55
  is what it seems to be doing
• 23:57
  there on the surface.
• 24:00
  And what does Jesus do?
• 24:03
  That's what's so odd
• 24:03
  about this text.
• 24:04
  What does he do
• 24:05
  when she says this?
• 24:06
  He doesn't go,
• 24:06
  wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
• 24:09
  Let me explain further
• 24:10
  what I mean by this.
• 24:12
  He just drops the analogy.
• 24:15
  He stops talking
• 24:15
  about it altogether.
• 24:17
  He doesn't even revisit it
• 24:18
  later in the text.
• 24:19
  Like we move on later
• 24:21
  to talk about worship
• 24:21
  and where worship happens
• 24:23
  and how worship happens
• 24:24
  and who worship is
• 24:25
  to be aimed at.
• 24:27
  He just leaves it behind
• 24:29
  altogether.
• 24:31
  She doesn't get it.
• 24:33
  And he just
• 24:33
  seems to just
• 24:34
  move on.
• 24:36
  This response
• 24:36
  seems so
• 24:38
  very
• 24:39
  strange.
• 24:40
  but if we
• 24:43
  understand the structure,
• 24:44
  if we see the structure
• 24:46
  and we see what's going on
• 24:47
  and we can add
• 24:48
  another little detail
• 24:49
  into the mix,
• 24:51
  it helps us comprehend
• 24:53
  what is happening here.
• 24:56
  Right?
• 24:56
  So,
• 24:56
  we come to the text.
• 24:57
  Again,
• 24:57
  our elders,
• 24:58
  this past week,
• 24:59
  we had a conversation
• 25:00
  about textual structure
• 25:02
  and I didn't get
• 25:03
  to this point.
• 25:04
  It was not where my head was
• 25:05
  by the time we ended
• 25:06
  our time together.
• 25:07
  But we were all
• 25:08
  kind of thinking
• 25:09
  through outlines
• 25:10
  and I was scratching my head.
• 25:11
  I said,
• 25:12
  I got some work to do
• 25:12
  on this text.
• 25:14
  Right?
• 25:14
  It is odd.
• 25:16
  And then I start
• 25:16
  to notice patterns.
• 25:18
  And then we pick up
• 25:19
  a detail
• 25:20
  in the last part
• 25:21
  of verse 6.
• 25:23
  When does Jesus arrive
• 25:24
  at this well?
• 25:27
  It was about
• 25:27
  the sixth hour.
• 25:31
  So,
• 25:31
  about noon.
• 25:33
  First hour was 6 a.m.
• 25:34
  It's about
• 25:35
  noon.
• 25:38
  This is not
• 25:39
  when people
• 25:40
  went and gathered
• 25:41
  water in the desert.
• 25:43
  This is the hottest
• 25:45
  time of the day.
• 25:47
  They would go out
• 25:48
  early in the morning
• 25:49
  or they would go out
• 25:51
  late in the evening
• 25:52
  as the sun
• 25:53
  was setting.
• 25:54
  Preparing for the day,
• 25:55
  putting it away
• 25:56
  in the evening,
• 25:57
  getting ready for
• 25:57
  the next day.
• 26:01
  This woman,
• 26:02
  by herself,
• 26:04
  as far as we can tell,
• 26:05
  this woman
• 26:06
  is out there
• 26:07
  in the middle
• 26:08
  of the day
• 26:10
  gathering water.
• 26:14
  It's extremely
• 26:15
  significant.
• 26:17
  The woman answers
• 26:19
  Jesus.
• 26:21
  She says,
• 26:22
  I have
• 26:22
  no
• 26:24
  husband.
• 26:26
  Jesus says to her,
• 26:28
  you are right
• 26:28
  in saying
• 26:29
  I have no husband
• 26:29
  for you have had
• 26:30
  five husbands
• 26:31
  and the one you have
• 26:31
  is not your husband.
• 26:32
  what you have said
• 26:35
  is true.
• 26:38
  Five failed marriages.
• 26:39
  This number,
• 26:41
  I mean,
• 26:41
  this is a true story.
• 26:42
  This number
• 26:42
  is an astounding number.
• 26:45
  Less so in our day,
• 26:47
  but still in our day.
• 26:49
  And she's now
• 26:50
  in a cohabitation
• 26:51
  situation.
• 26:53
  This woman
• 26:54
  has either
• 26:56
  first looked
• 26:57
  for satisfaction
• 26:58
  in men
• 26:59
  and they have
• 26:59
  failed to satisfy
• 27:00
  her.
• 27:02
  Or she has been
• 27:03
  the desired
• 27:04
  satisfaction
• 27:04
  of these men
• 27:05
  and she has
• 27:06
  failed to satisfy
• 27:07
  them.
• 27:08
  Or,
• 27:08
  and likely,
• 27:09
  as we know,
• 27:09
  the nature of human
• 27:10
  relationships,
• 27:11
  both things
• 27:12
  are true.
• 27:14
  She
• 27:15
  is
• 27:17
  dry.
• 27:20
  She has
• 27:20
  looked for life
• 27:22
  and she
• 27:22
  has failed
• 27:23
  to find it.
• 27:26
  She is
• 27:27
  out there
• 27:27
  in the middle
• 27:28
  of the day.
• 27:29
  This is some
• 27:29
  sanctified imagination,
• 27:31
  I know,
• 27:32
  but cultural
• 27:33
  details help us
• 27:34
  to understand
• 27:35
  she is avoiding
• 27:36
  the scorn
• 27:37
  of others
• 27:38
  and she is
• 27:39
  collecting water
• 27:40
  by herself
• 27:41
  in the midday heat.
• 27:44
  She comes
• 27:45
  to that well
• 27:46
  in the middle
• 27:46
  of the day
• 27:47
  with great
• 27:48
  shame.
• 27:50
  It's why
• 27:51
  she's there
• 27:52
  and it's
• 27:53
  why Jesus
• 27:53
  encounters her
• 27:54
  in this
• 27:55
  very
• 27:56
  moment.
• 27:58
  She doesn't
• 27:59
  get what he's
• 27:59
  talking about,
• 28:00
  about living
• 28:00
  water.
• 28:02
  Why does she
• 28:03
  not want to
• 28:03
  come back
• 28:04
  to the well?
• 28:05
  She could
• 28:05
  avoid it
• 28:06
  altogether,
• 28:06
  right?
• 28:07
  I don't have
• 28:07
  to be around
• 28:08
  the shame,
• 28:10
  I don't have
• 28:10
  to come out
• 28:10
  in the midday
• 28:11
  heat instead
• 28:12
  of gathering
• 28:12
  early in the
• 28:13
  morning or
• 28:14
  late in the
• 28:14
  evening,
• 28:15
  I could avoid
• 28:15
  it all
• 28:16
  together.
• 28:17
  And Jesus
• 28:17
  turns to
• 28:19
  expose her.
• 28:22
  You've been
• 28:22
  looking for it
• 28:23
  in the wrong
• 28:24
  place,
• 28:25
  is what he's
• 28:25
  saying to her.
• 28:27
  The relief
• 28:28
  of your shame
• 28:29
  isn't found
• 28:30
  in a midday
• 28:31
  gathering
• 28:32
  of water,
• 28:33
  it's found
• 28:34
  in me,
• 28:35
  the source
• 28:36
  of living
• 28:37
  water.
• 28:39
  Earlier this
• 28:40
  morning in our
• 28:41
  liturgy,
• 28:42
  Jake read
• 28:42
  from Jeremiah
• 28:43
  chapter 17
• 28:44
  verses 5
• 28:45
  through 13,
• 28:46
  I want to
• 28:46
  reread some
• 28:47
  of that
• 28:47
  for you.
• 28:49
  This is
• 28:49
  verses 5
• 28:50
  and 6.
• 28:51
  Thus
• 28:52
  says the
• 28:52
  Lord,
• 28:53
  cursed is
• 28:54
  the man
• 28:54
  who trusts
• 28:55
  in man
• 28:55
  and makes
• 28:56
  flesh
• 28:57
  his strength,
• 28:59
  whose heart
• 28:59
  turns away
• 29:00
  from the
• 29:01
  Lord.
• 29:02
  He is
• 29:03
  like a
• 29:03
  shrub
• 29:04
  in the
• 29:04
  desert
• 29:04
  and shall
• 29:05
  not see
• 29:06
  any good
• 29:07
  come.
• 29:08
  He shall
• 29:09
  dwell in
• 29:09
  the parched
• 29:10
  places
• 29:10
  of the
• 29:11
  wilderness
• 29:11
  in an
• 29:12
  uninhabited
• 29:14
  salt
• 29:15
  land,
• 29:16
  dry,
• 29:17
  dry land.
• 29:18
  land.
• 29:19
  Then down
• 29:20
  to verse
• 29:20
  9,
• 29:21
  the heart
• 29:22
  is deceitful
• 29:22
  above all
• 29:23
  things and
• 29:24
  desperately
• 29:24
  sick.
• 29:26
  Who can
• 29:26
  understand it?
• 29:28
  And then
• 29:29
  verse 13,
• 29:30
  O Lord,
• 29:30
  the hope
• 29:31
  of Israel,
• 29:32
  all who
• 29:33
  forsake you
• 29:33
  shall be
• 29:34
  put to
• 29:34
  shame.
• 29:35
  Those who
• 29:36
  turn away
• 29:36
  from you
• 29:36
  shall be
• 29:37
  written in
• 29:37
  the earth,
• 29:38
  for they
• 29:39
  have forsaken
• 29:40
  the Lord,
• 29:42
  the fountain
• 29:43
  of living
• 29:44
  water.
• 29:46
  water.
• 29:47
  That wasn't
• 29:47
  an accident.
• 29:48
  We planned
• 29:49
  that,
• 29:49
  him reading
• 29:49
  that earlier
• 29:51
  for our
• 29:52
  benefit.
• 29:54
  You may
• 29:54
  not comprehend
• 29:55
  just how
• 29:56
  dry a
• 29:57
  desert
• 29:57
  is.
• 29:59
  Water is
• 30:00
  life in
• 30:02
  these places,
• 30:03
  right?
• 30:03
  In a stark
• 30:04
  way,
• 30:04
  right?
• 30:05
  It's life
• 30:05
  for all
• 30:05
  of us,
• 30:06
  but it's
• 30:06
  in a stark
• 30:07
  way.
• 30:07
  It is
• 30:08
  precious.
• 30:09
  It is
• 30:10
  carefully
• 30:11
  saved in
• 30:13
  the desert.
• 30:14
  desert.
• 30:15
  We here
• 30:15
  are like
• 30:16
  fighting
• 30:16
  against
• 30:17
  water all
• 30:17
  the time,
• 30:17
  right?
• 30:18
  We're
• 30:18
  trying to
• 30:18
  keep water
• 30:18
  out of
• 30:19
  stuff like
• 30:20
  our
• 30:20
  basements,
• 30:21
  right?
• 30:22
  It's the
• 30:23
  enemy often
• 30:24
  where we
• 30:24
  live,
• 30:25
  but not
• 30:26
  at all
• 30:27
  so,
• 30:27
  right?
• 30:27
  This idea
• 30:29
  of a water
• 30:30
  that satisfies,
• 30:32
  that gives
• 30:32
  life forever,
• 30:33
  it's a really
• 30:34
  vivid thing
• 30:36
  that Jesus
• 30:36
  is saying
• 30:36
  to her
• 30:37
  as she
• 30:38
  confuses
• 30:39
  it all
• 30:39
  together.
• 30:40
  Jesus'
• 30:43
  response
• 30:43
  to her
• 30:44
  failure to
• 30:45
  understand
• 30:45
  what he
• 30:46
  told her
• 30:47
  about
• 30:47
  living
• 30:48
  water
• 30:48
  makes
• 30:50
  perfect
• 30:51
  sense
• 30:51
  when we
• 30:52
  can understand
• 30:53
  the cultural
• 30:53
  and literary
• 30:54
  context,
• 30:56
  right?
• 30:57
  Keep your
• 30:58
  nose in
• 30:58
  the text.
• 30:59
  Keep your
• 30:59
  nose in
• 31:00
  the text.
• 31:01
  It's a
• 31:01
  rich,
• 31:02
  rich
• 31:03
  book.
• 31:04
  Let it
• 31:05
  read
• 31:05
  you.
• 31:06
  We are
• 31:09
  no different
• 31:11
  from this
• 31:12
  woman.
• 31:14
  I feel like
• 31:14
  we're always
• 31:14
  reading the
• 31:15
  Bible.
• 31:15
  There are
• 31:15
  others all
• 31:16
  the time.
• 31:18
  Don't let
• 31:19
  it be lost
• 31:19
  on you.
• 31:21
  You and
• 31:21
  I have
• 31:22
  searched
• 31:23
  for satisfaction
• 31:24
  for life
• 31:26
  in so
• 31:27
  many places
• 31:28
  where it
• 31:29
  cannot be
• 31:30
  found.
• 31:32
  We should
• 31:33
  not read
• 31:33
  this text
• 31:34
  and go,
• 31:34
  well,
• 31:34
  I haven't
• 31:35
  been married
• 31:35
  five times
• 31:36
  and now
• 31:36
  I'm
• 31:36
  cohabitating
• 31:37
  with somebody
• 31:38
  else.
• 31:38
  This is
• 31:39
  clearly a
• 31:39
  story about
• 31:40
  somebody who's
• 31:40
  that bad
• 31:41
  off.
• 31:43
  Not at
• 31:43
  all.
• 31:44
  Every single
• 31:45
  one of us
• 31:46
  has tried to
• 31:46
  find satisfaction
• 31:47
  in something
• 31:48
  that will
• 31:49
  not provide
• 31:50
  satisfaction.
• 31:51
  It will
• 31:52
  not.
• 31:52
  It cannot.
• 31:53
  And we
• 31:53
  walk around
• 31:54
  in this
• 31:54
  world,
• 31:54
  apart from
• 31:55
  the forgiveness
• 31:55
  of Christ,
• 31:56
  with great
• 31:57
  shame and
• 31:58
  guilt.
• 31:59
  Metaphorically,
• 32:00
  for us,
• 32:01
  we're looking
• 32:01
  for all kinds
• 32:02
  of ways to
• 32:03
  avoid it.
• 32:04
  And we
• 32:04
  drown it in
• 32:05
  things.
• 32:05
  Even those
• 32:06
  who have
• 32:06
  been delivered
• 32:06
  from the
• 32:07
  power and
• 32:08
  the guilt
• 32:08
  of sin,
• 32:09
  we drown
• 32:10
  the way we
• 32:10
  feel with
• 32:11
  all sorts
• 32:12
  of unsatisfactory
• 32:13
  things.
• 32:16
  We,
• 32:17
  so often,
• 32:18
  are midday
• 32:19
  at a well.
• 32:20
  What we need
• 32:22
  is living
• 32:23
  water.
• 32:25
  to the point
• 32:28
  to the
• 32:27
  point,
• 32:28
  draw our
• 32:29
  attention to
• 32:29
  this woman.
• 32:31
  We might
• 32:31
  see the
• 32:32
  greatness of
• 32:33
  our sin
• 32:35
  as we
• 32:35
  behold
• 32:36
  her.
• 32:39
  How does
• 32:40
  she respond?
• 32:41
  The woman
• 32:42
  says to him,
• 32:42
  Sir,
• 32:43
  I perceive
• 32:44
  that you
• 32:45
  are a
• 32:46
  prophet.
• 32:48
  He knows
• 32:49
  things that
• 32:50
  he couldn't
• 32:50
  possibly know
• 32:51
  without her
• 32:51
  having told
• 32:53
  him.
• 32:53
  And her
• 32:54
  conclusion that
• 32:55
  he is a
• 32:56
  prophet is
• 32:56
  absolutely
• 32:57
  correct.
• 32:58
  Jesus holds
• 32:58
  that office.
• 33:00
  It's certainly
• 33:00
  not all that
• 33:01
  he is,
• 33:02
  but he
• 33:02
  certainly is.
• 33:03
  She's saying
• 33:03
  a true
• 33:04
  thing there.
• 33:05
  She's taking
• 33:05
  a step in
• 33:07
  the right
• 33:07
  direction.
• 33:10
  We'll see
• 33:10
  next week where
• 33:11
  her thinking
• 33:12
  leads her.
• 33:13
  It doesn't
• 33:13
  take off the
• 33:14
  way you might
• 33:14
  hope that it
• 33:15
  would.
• 33:15
  but we
• 33:16
  do see
• 33:16
  in verse
• 33:16
  29,
• 33:17
  she says,
• 33:17
  come see
• 33:18
  a man
• 33:18
  who told
• 33:19
  me all
• 33:19
  that I
• 33:20
  ever did.
• 33:21
  Can
• 33:21
  this be
• 33:23
  the
• 33:24
  Christ?
• 33:27
  The
• 33:27
  greatest
• 33:28
  person
• 33:30
  and
• 33:31
  ours.
• 33:34
  But
• 33:34
  praise God
• 33:35
  we get to
• 33:35
  step out
• 33:36
  beyond that.
• 33:37
  We're not
• 33:38
  left miserable
• 33:39
  in the middle
• 33:40
  of the text.
• 33:41
  So we
• 33:42
  also want
• 33:42
  to note
• 33:43
  the surpassing
• 33:44
  greatness of
• 33:46
  Jesus'
• 33:46
  mercy.
• 33:48
  The opening
• 33:49
  song,
• 33:50
  kind of the
• 33:50
  song that's
• 33:50
  kind of meant
• 33:51
  to gather
• 33:51
  your attention
• 33:52
  and get
• 33:52
  us together,
• 33:53
  although that
• 33:54
  seemed to
• 33:54
  be slow
• 33:55
  this morning.
• 33:56
  So you
• 33:56
  might have
• 33:56
  missed the
• 33:57
  first verse
• 33:58
  of his
• 33:59
  mercy is
• 33:59
  more.
• 34:01
  This is
• 34:01
  what love
• 34:02
  could
• 34:03
  remember
• 34:04
  no wrongs
• 34:06
  we have
• 34:06
  done.
• 34:08
  Omniscient,
• 34:10
  all-knowing.
• 34:12
  He knows
• 34:12
  all about
• 34:13
  this woman's
• 34:14
  sin.
• 34:15
  Omniscient,
• 34:16
  all-knowing,
• 34:17
  he counts
• 34:17
  not their
• 34:18
  sum.
• 34:20
  Thrown into
• 34:21
  a sea without
• 34:22
  bottom or
• 34:23
  shore,
• 34:24
  our sins,
• 34:25
  they are
• 34:26
  many.
• 34:27
  His mercy
• 34:28
  is more.
• 34:30
  Praise the
• 34:31
  Lord,
• 34:31
  his mercy
• 34:32
  is more.
• 34:33
  Stronger than
• 34:34
  darkness,
• 34:35
  new every
• 34:36
  morn.
• 34:37
  Our sins,
• 34:38
  they are
• 34:38
  many.
• 34:39
  His mercy
• 34:40
  is more.
• 34:42
  Surpassing
• 34:42
  greatness
• 34:43
  of Jesus'
• 34:45
  mercy.
• 34:46
  So let's
• 34:47
  back up in
• 34:47
  the text
• 34:48
  and look
• 34:48
  at what it
• 34:49
  teaches us
• 34:49
  about that.
• 34:50
  Verse 4
• 34:51
  says he
• 34:51
  had to
• 34:53
  pass through
• 34:53
  Samaria.
• 34:56
  Now,
• 34:56
  Jesus has
• 34:56
  left Judea
• 34:57
  and he's
• 34:58
  traveling back
• 34:59
  to Galilee.
• 35:00
  We see that
• 35:00
  detail in the
• 35:02
  text.
• 35:02
  He did not
• 35:03
  have to
• 35:05
  travel through
• 35:05
  Samaria
• 35:06
  in a
• 35:06
  geographical
• 35:07
  sense.
• 35:08
  It was
• 35:09
  the fastest
• 35:10
  way,
• 35:10
  it was
• 35:11
  the most
• 35:11
  direct way
• 35:11
  to complete
• 35:12
  his journey,
• 35:13
  but there
• 35:13
  were two
• 35:14
  routes that
• 35:14
  circumnavigated
• 35:16
  the region
• 35:16
  and most
• 35:18
  Jews went
• 35:18
  out of their
• 35:19
  way to
• 35:20
  avoid
• 35:21
  encountering
• 35:22
  Samaritans.
• 35:23
  They went
• 35:23
  around the
• 35:24
  long way
• 35:25
  to not go
• 35:25
  through the
• 35:26
  region of
• 35:28
  Samaria.
• 35:29
  But John
• 35:30
  says Jesus
• 35:31
  had to
• 35:32
  pass through
• 35:33
  Samaria.
• 35:34
  Why?
• 35:35
  The verb
• 35:37
  that John
• 35:37
  uses here
• 35:37
  translated
• 35:38
  had to,
• 35:39
  he also
• 35:40
  uses to
• 35:41
  speak of
• 35:41
  Jesus
• 35:41
  fulfilling
• 35:42
  the mission
• 35:43
  that the
• 35:44
  Father had
• 35:45
  given him.
• 35:45
  He uses
• 35:45
  that same
• 35:46
  verb
• 35:46
  repeatedly
• 35:47
  throughout
• 35:47
  his
• 35:48
  gospel
• 35:48
  account.
• 35:50
  Jesus
• 35:51
  had to
• 35:52
  pass through
• 35:53
  Samaria
• 35:53
  because this
• 35:54
  was a
• 35:55
  mercy-filled
• 35:57
  divine
• 35:58
  appointment.
• 36:00
  He was
• 36:01
  compelled to
• 36:02
  go there
• 36:03
  by God
• 36:03
  the Father
• 36:04
  that he
• 36:04
  would be
• 36:05
  at this
• 36:05
  well,
• 36:06
  at this
• 36:07
  time,
• 36:07
  to speak
• 36:08
  words of
• 36:08
  life to
• 36:09
  this woman.
• 36:11
  What a
• 36:11
  merciful God.
• 36:14
  He was
• 36:14
  meant to
• 36:15
  encounter
• 36:15
  her.
• 36:16
  Now I
• 36:17
  mentioned that
• 36:17
  Jews went
• 36:18
  out of their
• 36:18
  way to
• 36:18
  avoid
• 36:19
  encountering
• 36:19
  Samaritans.
• 36:21
  Some
• 36:21
  historical
• 36:21
  context is
• 36:22
  helpful here.
• 36:24
  Samaria was
• 36:25
  a region,
• 36:25
  I mentioned
• 36:26
  that already,
• 36:27
  but the
• 36:27
  people named
• 36:27
  after the
• 36:28
  region were
• 36:29
  viewed with
• 36:30
  disdain because
• 36:31
  of their
• 36:32
  mixed
• 36:32
  ethnicity.
• 36:33
  after the
• 36:35
  fall of the
• 36:35
  northern kingdom
• 36:35
  of Israel
• 36:36
  to the
• 36:37
  Assyrians,
• 36:38
  the ten
• 36:39
  tribes of
• 36:39
  Israel,
• 36:40
  this is in
• 36:40
  2 Kings
• 36:41
  chapter 17,
• 36:44
  were exiled
• 36:45
  from their
• 36:45
  own land
• 36:46
  to Assyria,
• 36:48
  and the
• 36:48
  king of
• 36:49
  Assyria
• 36:49
  brought people
• 36:50
  from Babylon,
• 36:51
  Kutha,
• 36:52
  Ava,
• 36:53
  Harnath,
• 36:55
  and
• 36:55
  Safarazim,
• 36:57
  something like
• 36:58
  that,
• 36:58
  and placed them
• 36:59
  in the cities
• 36:59
  of Samaria
• 36:59
  instead of the
• 37:00
  sons of Israel,
• 37:01
  and they
• 37:02
  took possession
• 37:02
  of Samaria
• 37:03
  and they
• 37:03
  lived in
• 37:04
  its cities.
• 37:06
  They
• 37:06
  intermarried
• 37:07
  and were
• 37:08
  therefore
• 37:09
  viewed as
• 37:10
  unclean
• 37:11
  by the
• 37:12
  Jews.
• 37:13
  Not only
• 37:14
  that,
• 37:15
  for some
• 37:16
  time,
• 37:16
  the Samaritan
• 37:17
  people had
• 37:17
  mixed together
• 37:18
  pagan idolatry
• 37:19
  with Judaism.
• 37:21
  In Jesus'
• 37:21
  day,
• 37:22
  they had
• 37:22
  departed from
• 37:23
  the idolatry,
• 37:24
  but they
• 37:25
  had a
• 37:25
  pretty odd
• 37:27
  version of
• 37:28
  Judaism.
• 37:29
  They only
• 37:30
  read and
• 37:31
  studied
• 37:31
  the
• 37:31
  Pentateuch,
• 37:32
  the first
• 37:33
  five books
• 37:33
  next week,
• 37:34
  but the
• 37:35
  Jewish people
• 37:35
  just viewed
• 37:36
  them as
• 37:37
  unclean,
• 37:38
  outside of
• 37:40
  the grace
• 37:41
  and mercy
• 37:41
  of God.
• 37:43
  So,
• 37:44
  a further
• 37:44
  mercy,
• 37:45
  right?
• 37:46
  He is sent
• 37:46
  through this
• 37:48
  region to
• 37:48
  encounter
• 37:49
  this woman,
• 37:51
  a Samaritan.
• 37:54
  Jesus does
• 37:55
  not see
• 37:57
  this Samaritan
• 37:58
  woman,
• 37:58
  or the
• 37:58
  Samaritans
• 37:59
  of her
• 38:00
  village,
• 38:00
  we'll see
• 38:00
  later in
• 38:01
  the chapter,
• 38:02
  as being
• 38:02
  outside of
• 38:03
  the reach
• 38:04
  of his
• 38:06
  mercy.
• 38:08
  So,
• 38:08
  he prompts
• 38:08
  a conversation
• 38:10
  with her,
• 38:11
  verse 7,
• 38:11
  right?
• 38:11
  He asks her
• 38:12
  for water,
• 38:13
  give me a
• 38:14
  drink,
• 38:14
  and we get
• 38:14
  the parenthetical
• 38:15
  insertion,
• 38:16
  verse 8,
• 38:17
  his disciples
• 38:17
  had gone
• 38:18
  away into
• 38:18
  the city
• 38:18
  to buy
• 38:19
  food,
• 38:20
  and she
• 38:20
  responds
• 38:21
  to him,
• 38:21
  how is it
• 38:22
  that you,
• 38:23
  a Jew,
• 38:24
  ask a
• 38:25
  drink from
• 38:25
  me,
• 38:26
  a woman
• 38:26
  of Samaria.
• 38:29
  And then
• 38:29
  John inserts
• 38:30
  again,
• 38:30
  for Jews
• 38:30
  had no
• 38:31
  dealings
• 38:31
  with
• 38:32
  Samaritans.
• 38:34
  Further,
• 38:35
  it was
• 38:36
  breaking
• 38:36
  a societal
• 38:37
  norm
• 38:38
  for a
• 38:39
  rabbi
• 38:39
  to speak
• 38:40
  with a
• 38:42
  woman.
• 38:43
  At very
• 38:44
  best,
• 38:45
  it was
• 38:45
  seen as
• 38:46
  a waste
• 38:46
  of time.
• 38:48
  This is
• 38:49
  why the
• 38:49
  disciples
• 38:49
  marveled
• 38:51
  that he
• 38:51
  was talking
• 38:51
  with a
• 38:53
  woman.
• 38:54
  Further
• 38:55
  mercy.
• 38:57
  The
• 38:57
  original
• 38:57
  readers of
• 38:58
  this would
• 38:58
  have been
• 38:58
  like,
• 38:59
  why is
• 38:59
  Jesus
• 38:59
  spending
• 39:00
  any
• 39:01
  time
• 39:01
  with
• 39:02
  her?
• 39:05
  Jesus
• 39:06
  answers
• 39:06
  her.
• 39:07
  If you
• 39:08
  knew the
• 39:08
  gift of
• 39:09
  God and
• 39:09
  who it
• 39:09
  is that
• 39:10
  is saying
• 39:10
  to you,
• 39:10
  give me
• 39:10
  a drink,
• 39:12
  you would
• 39:12
  have flipped
• 39:13
  it around.
• 39:13
  You would
• 39:13
  have asked
• 39:14
  him and
• 39:14
  he would
• 39:14
  have given
• 39:15
  you living
• 39:16
  water.
• 39:18
  If you
• 39:18
  have any
• 39:19
  idea of
• 39:19
  who I
• 39:20
  am,
• 39:22
  you would
• 39:22
  get that
• 39:23
  the point
• 39:23
  is not the
• 39:24
  water in
• 39:24
  the well.
• 39:25
  everyone,
• 39:27
  verse 13,
• 39:28
  who drinks
• 39:28
  this water
• 39:29
  will be
• 39:29
  thirsty again,
• 39:30
  but whoever
• 39:30
  drinks of
• 39:30
  the water
• 39:31
  that I
• 39:31
  will give
• 39:32
  him will
• 39:32
  never be
• 39:33
  thirsty
• 39:34
  again.
• 39:36
  Fully
• 39:37
  satisfied.
• 39:39
  He does
• 39:39
  not mean
• 39:40
  that we
• 39:40
  won't have
• 39:40
  to drink
• 39:41
  water.
• 39:42
  He's not
• 39:42
  talking about
• 39:43
  our temporal
• 39:44
  life.
• 39:44
  He's talking
• 39:44
  about our
• 39:45
  eternal
• 39:46
  satisfaction.
• 39:48
  Never
• 39:49
  be thirsty
• 39:50
  again.
• 39:51
  The water
• 39:52
  I give
• 39:52
  him will
• 39:52
  become in
• 39:53
  him a
• 39:53
  spring
• 39:54
  of water
• 39:55
  welling
• 39:56
  up
• 39:57
  to
• 39:58
  eternal
• 39:59
  life.
• 40:00
  Here
• 40:01
  Jesus
• 40:01
  presents
• 40:02
  himself
• 40:03
  as the
• 40:04
  living
• 40:05
  water.
• 40:07
  Great,
• 40:08
  great
• 40:08
  mercy to
• 40:10
  this woman.
• 40:10
  He presents
• 40:11
  himself as
• 40:11
  the living
• 40:13
  water.
• 40:14
  But why
• 40:14
  not the
• 40:15
  giver of
• 40:16
  living
• 40:16
  water?
• 40:18
  Again,
• 40:19
  back to our
• 40:20
  Jeremiah
• 40:20
  chapter 17,
• 40:21
  verse 5
• 40:22
  through 13,
• 40:23
  reading from
• 40:24
  before.
• 40:25
  This time,
• 40:25
  let me read
• 40:25
  to you
• 40:25
  verses 7
• 40:26
  and 8.
• 40:27
  Blessed
• 40:28
  is the
• 40:29
  man who
• 40:30
  trusts in
• 40:31
  the Lord,
• 40:31
  whose trust
• 40:32
  is the
• 40:33
  Lord.
• 40:34
  Trust in
• 40:35
  the Lord,
• 40:36
  whose trust
• 40:36
  is the
• 40:38
  Lord.
• 40:38
  He is like
• 40:38
  a tree
• 40:39
  planted by
• 40:40
  water that
• 40:41
  sends out
• 40:42
  its roots
• 40:43
  by the
• 40:43
  stream and
• 40:44
  does not
• 40:44
  fear when
• 40:45
  heat comes,
• 40:46
  for its
• 40:47
  leaves remain
• 40:47
  green and
• 40:48
  is not
• 40:49
  anxious in
• 40:50
  the year of
• 40:50
  drought,
• 40:51
  for it
• 40:51
  does not
• 40:52
  cease to
• 40:53
  bear fruit.
• 40:55
  The picture
• 40:55
  is a tree
• 40:55
  planted by
• 40:56
  a stream
• 40:57
  that continues
• 40:58
  and continues
• 40:58
  and continues.
• 40:59
  Even in a
• 41:00
  year of
• 41:00
  drought,
• 41:01
  the water
• 41:01
  continues to
• 41:03
  flow.
• 41:03
  Does that
• 41:03
  sound familiar
• 41:04
  at all?
• 41:05
  Back to
• 41:06
  verse 14.
• 41:08
  The spring
• 41:10
  of water
• 41:10
  that wells
• 41:11
  up to
• 41:13
  eternal
• 41:13
  life.
• 41:14
  And again,
• 41:15
  verse 13,
• 41:16
  O Lord,
• 41:17
  the hope of
• 41:17
  Israel,
• 41:18
  all who
• 41:18
  forsake you
• 41:19
  shall be
• 41:19
  put to
• 41:19
  shame.
• 41:20
  Those who
• 41:21
  turn away
• 41:21
  from you
• 41:21
  shall be
• 41:22
  written in
• 41:22
  the earth,
• 41:22
  for they
• 41:23
  have forsaken
• 41:24
  the Lord,
• 41:25
  the fountain
• 41:27
  of living
• 41:29
  water.
• 41:31
  That's why I
• 41:32
  think Jesus
• 41:32
  is presenting
• 41:32
  himself as
• 41:34
  the living
• 41:35
  water.
• 41:37
  John's
• 41:38
  Jewish readers,
• 41:39
  this imagery
• 41:39
  would have been
• 41:40
  just firing
• 41:41
  off in their
• 41:41
  brains as
• 41:42
  they're reading
• 41:43
  this recorded
• 41:45
  word of
• 41:46
  Jesus'
• 41:46
  teaching to
• 41:47
  this woman.
• 41:49
  God's
• 41:50
  love of
• 41:51
  So,
• 41:51
  we get to
• 41:51
  see in the
• 41:52
  first part
• 41:53
  of this
• 41:53
  passage,
• 41:54
  in our
• 41:54
  first week
• 41:55
  in it,
• 41:56
  the greatness
• 41:56
  of our
• 41:57
  sin,
• 41:58
  the surpassing
• 41:59
  greatness
• 42:00
  of Jesus'
• 42:01
  mercy as
• 42:02
  he presents
• 42:02
  himself as
• 42:04
  the living
• 42:05
  water and
• 42:05
  as the
• 42:07
  prophet.
• 42:09
  I hope
• 42:09
  that our
• 42:11
  time in
• 42:11
  thinking about
• 42:12
  this lays
• 42:14
  us bare.
• 42:15
  we recognize
• 42:16
  our great
• 42:17
  need of
• 42:18
  a merciful
• 42:19
  savior.
• 42:22
  And close
• 42:22
  with a
• 42:22
  quotation from
• 42:23
  Charles Spurgeon,
• 42:24
  it's on the
• 42:24
  back of your
• 42:24
  bulletin.
• 42:26
  He's once
• 42:26
  said,
• 42:26
  God's mercy
• 42:27
  is so
• 42:28
  great,
• 42:28
  God's mercy
• 42:29
  is so
• 42:30
  great,
• 42:31
  that you
• 42:31
  may sooner
• 42:32
  drain the
• 42:33
  sea of
• 42:33
  its water,
• 42:35
  or deprive
• 42:36
  the sun
• 42:36
  of its
• 42:37
  light,
• 42:38
  or make
• 42:38
  space
• 42:39
  too
• 42:40
  narrow,
• 42:41
  than
• 42:41
  diminish
• 42:42
  the great
• 42:43
  mercy
• 42:44
  of our
• 42:45
  God.
• 42:47
  Let's pray
• 42:47
  together.