A Samaritan Woman at the Well Meets Her Messiah

A Sermon on John 4:1-26

Originally preached Oct. 9, 1966

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Scripture

John 4:1-26 ESV KJV

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town … Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (ESV)

1When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3He left Judæa, and departed again into Galilee. 4And he must needs go through Samaria. 5Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Sermon Description

The Gospel of John has a frequent theme of the abundant life found in Christ. All throughout the book, this theme appears in a variety of ways. Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks on one such story which points to this theme in this sermon on the woman at the well in John 4:1–26. Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by pointing out several things that can be learned from this woman’s encounter with Jesus. First, this story shows that the fullness of Jesus is possible for everyone. His fullness is not retained for certain people, but is for all humanity. He goes on to explain how this story points to Jesus’s unique way of coming to His people right where they are and ridding them of a religious mindset of routine and sameness, filling them with the fullness of the Messiah. While both of these aspects are seen in this story, the most significant and stunning one found is the personal element of Jesus’s encounter with the woman at the well. Although Jesus was tired and thirsty, He was more focused on sharing His living water with her. The story, preached in this sermon on the woman at the well, is a beautiful glimpse into Jesus’s love for all humanity and desire for all people to experience His fullness.

Sermon Breakdown

The story of the woman at the well teaches us that God's blessings are available to all people regardless of gender, ethnicity or social status.
The Christian life is full of surprises and unexpected encounters with God. We should not settle into a routine and stop expecting God to move in our lives.
God often moves in our lives during ordinary moments and routine tasks, not just during religious services or spiritual disciplines. We should be open to God encountering us at any time.
Christianity is intensely personal. We must have personal encounters and dealings with God, not just conform to a religious system.
Jesus went out of his way to meet with the woman alone so he could speak to her personally. We must make space for personal time with God.
Jesus was weary, tired and thirsty, showing his full humanity. Yet he was still concerned for the woman's spiritual thirst more than his own physical thirst.
Jesus' meeting with the woman was not an accident. He was compelled to go to Samaria to meet with her. God orchestrates divine appointments in our lives.
We should be encouraged that Jesus knows us fully, cares for us personally and meets us in unexpected ways according to his perfect plan.

Sermon Q&A

Understanding the Woman at the Well: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon Insights

What is the central theme of the Gospel of John according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the central theme of John's Gospel is "the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ available for his people." He specifically references John 1:16, "and of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace," as the key verse expressing this theme. Lloyd-Jones explains that this Gospel is ultimately about eternal life and Christ's statement that He came so people "might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." The sermon emphasizes that Christianity isn't merely about religious practices but about receiving Christ's fullness.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents the contrast between Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria to demonstrate the universal availability of Christ's message. He points out several stark differences: - Man vs. Woman (significant in that ancient culture) - Jew vs. Samaritan (groups with historic animosity) - Teacher vs. Common person - Moral/religious leader vs. Immoral woman with five previous husbands - Educated vs. Uneducated - Respected vs. Disrespected

Yet despite these differences, Christ offers both the same profound spiritual truth about eternal life, showing that His fullness is available to all types and kinds of people regardless of background or social standing.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the "unexpectedness" of Christ's encounters?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that one of the most wonderful aspects of Christianity is the "unexpectedness" and "surprising character" of Christ's encounters with people. Using the woman at the well as an example, he points out that:

She was engaged in routine, everyday activity when Christ unexpectedly met her
She wasn't seeking a religious experience
The encounter completely transformed her life

Lloyd-Jones suggests that Christians today should maintain this sense of expectancy, not settling into religious routine but remaining open to unexpected divine encounters in the midst of ordinary life. He calls this "the romance of preaching" and says, "Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings. It is the Lord who rises with healing in his wings."

What does the phrase "he must needs go through Samaria" reveal according to the sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones interprets the phrase "he must needs go through Samaria" as indicating not a geographical necessity (as there were other routes available) but a spiritual compulsion. He explains that:

This wasn't an accident but part of God's sovereign plan
Christ felt a divine compulsion to meet this specific woman
It reveals Christ's personal interest in individuals
It demonstrates that "in this realm, nothing is an accident"

Lloyd-Jones uses this to emphasize that God has a personal interest in each believer, knows them individually, and arranges divine encounters according to His sovereign purpose. This reflects the doctrine that salvation is planned "before the foundation of the world" and that Christ knows His people "one by one and all about us."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the misconception about higher spiritual experiences?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones confronts the misconception that "higher reaches of the Christian life" and profound spiritual experiences are reserved only for special people. He critiques:

The Catholic division between "religious" and "laity"
The monastic idea that one must withdraw from ordinary life to experience spiritual fullness
The mystical notion of progressing through stages to reach illumination
The Protestant tendency to carry over these ideas despite Reformation teaching

He uses the woman at the well as proof that Christ's fullness is available to all believers, not just special classes of Christians. Lloyd-Jones states emphatically: "We must get rid of these distinctions. We must never say, 'I'm just an ordinary Christian. These things are not for me.' They are for you. They are for all, for everybody." He argues that Christ offering His profound teaching about "a well of water springing up into everlasting life" to this Samaritan woman proves that the highest spiritual experiences are available to all believers.

The Book of John

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.

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