What Can Bring Satisfaction in Life. (John 4: 1-42)

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N.B. This podcast is based upon a sermon I preached at , "The Well Baptist Church - Lytham St Annes", on the 23rd of June 2024.
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Today, I am going to speak about satisfaction in life. But immediately, there is a problem because we are all so different that it seems impossible that any one thing could satisfy all of us.

To address this, let's turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 4, where Jesus meets a woman at a well. Let's explore this passage and see how Jesus offers satisfaction and fulfillment in our lives.

The Encounter with the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-30)

1. Background (Verses 1-6): Jesus learns that the Pharisees are aware of His growing influence, so He leaves Judea for Galilee, passing through Samaria. He arrives at Jacob's well in Sychar, tired and thirsty, and sits down to rest while His disciples go into town to buy food.
2. The Conversation (Verses 7-15): A Samaritan woman comes to draw water, and Jesus asks her for a drink. She is surprised because Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus tells her that if she knew who He was, she would ask Him for "living water." The woman, not understanding, questions how He can provide this water without anything to draw it with. Jesus explains that whoever drinks the water He gives will never thirst again, as it will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman asks for this water to avoid coming to the well repeatedly.
3. The Revelation (Verses 16-26): Jesus shifts the conversation, telling her to call her husband. When she admits she has no husband, Jesus reveals His knowledge of her five previous husbands and her current situation. The woman perceives Him as a prophet and brings up the religious divide between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus explains that true worship is not about location but worshiping in spirit and truth. He then reveals Himself as the Messiah.
4. The Response (Verses 27-30): The disciples return, surprised to find Jesus talking with a woman. The woman leaves her water jar, goes into the town, and tells the people to come and see the man who told her everything she ever did, wondering if He could be the Messiah. The townspeople come to see Jesus.

The Brief Interaction with the Disciples (John 4:31-38)

1. Spiritual Sustenance (Verses 31-34): The disciples urge Jesus to eat, but He tells them that His food is to do the will of the one who sent Him and to finish His work. This indicates that His satisfaction comes from fulfilling God's mission.
2. The Harvest (Verses 35-38): Jesus tells the disciples to look at the fields, which are ripe for harvest, signifying the readiness of people to receive the gospel. He explains that the one who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, and both the sower and the reaper can rejoice together. Jesus sent them to reap what others have sown, emphasizing the collective effort in God's work.

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