Month: February 2026

Good morning, church! A warm welcome to all who have joined us today. As we move on ahead, I wanted to ask everyone if we’re prepared to hear from God’s Word this morning ? Even as we say “yes” (good thing) let’s also remember that hearing God’s Word also means being prepared to have our hearts examined. Are we ready for that?

Hebrews 4:12

[12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Are we ready for God’s Word to do that in our hearts this morning? Are we ready for God’s Word to discern our hidden thoughts and intentions of our hearts? If you truly want to know the Lord, then I hope your answer is yes.

If you’ve been tracking us as a church, you’re probably aware that we are going through a series titled Believing and Knowing Jesus from the Gospel of John. John’s entire purpose in writing this gospel book is so that we may believe (commit and entrust our lives to Jesus) and know Jesus (not surface-level knowing but knowing Him intimately and personally).

Today, we will study the third out of the seven signs mentioned in the gospel of John. As we discussed earlier, what’s the point of a sign? Right outside on the street, there’s a sign of Mukti Manch. Why is that there? To point us to this hall. In the same way, John carefully curated 7 signs in the Gospel so that we may be pointed to something about Jesus.

The sign that we’re going to study today will point us to Jesus’ Supreme Authority. Jesus as God’s Son has got power and authority. But before we go ahead, I would love to pray for us.

Let’s jump into our text for today in v1.

[1] After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John sets up the context in which the sign takes place. There’s a festival of the Jews and Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem where all of this is taking place. So we can imagine large crowds. Jews travelling from all over to be there in Jerusalem. Especially the Jewish religious leaders who would have been really involved and out there at that time.

[2] Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

Interestingly the Sheep Gate had huge importance for Jews because that’s the entrance from where they would bring in the sacrificial lambs to the Temple. Ironically it was Jesus – the perfect and ultimate sacrificial lamb who was walking through Sheep Gate.

Right beside the gate was a pool called Bethesda which means House of mercy. And this Bethesda pool was covered with a roof or a shade held together by five pillars.

[3] In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

Under this shade right next to the pool there were a multitude of people with disabilities. Some were blind, some didn’t have limbs and some were paralyzed.

[5] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

Among all of these people with disabilities, there was one man who was disabled for 38 long years! That’s a long time. A better part of his life was already spent with that disability.

You can just imagine how a long term disability could have taken a toll on his life. Let’s keep in mind that this is not 2026 but first century AD. Not just affected physically but spiritually (viewed as cursed by God forever), mentally & emotionally (you’re experiencing more lows than highs), relationally (they are social outcasts) and economically (they can’t earn an income, most would resort to begging).

His whole life had been defined by his physical disability. Even as John is describing this man’s condition, he wants us to know that this man had an unbelievably difficult life. Whatever we think is difficult, this man’s life was much harder than that.

[6] When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

It’s so interesting that out of all the multitudes in that place, Jesus took special notice of this man. And the verse tells us that Jesus “knew” that he had already been there a long time. Not only did Jesus know the number of years that he was disabled for, Jesus knew Him from the time He was formed and knitted together in His mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).

Jesus fully knew and understood all that He suffered over the years. Nobody else knew him the way Jesus knew him. So when this verse says Jesus knew him, let’s know that it’s not just factual, surface level knowledge of the person. It’s not just his medical history like a doctor knows his patient. Jesus knows him from the inside out.

In the same way Jesus knows us from the inside out. So when we approach the Lord we don’t need to go to Him pretending to be someone else. We don’t need to go to Him with a long explanation of our background history. He knows us. He is our Creator. He is our Redeemer. So we can approach Him with honesty and sincerity just like a small child is with their parent.

So Jesus knew the man from the inside out, yet why is Jesus asking him if he wants to be healed? Didn’t Jesus know that he really wanted physical healing? Off course Jesus knew. Then why did He ask? We see that often in Jesus’ conversations. He probes further to draw out what’s there in people’s hearts.

Jesus already knows what’s in our hearts but He probes further so that people can themselves realize what they’ve been trusting in. Maybe they’ve been trusting in their own strength or other people’s strengths or maybe they’ve been trusting in the things of the world.

All of that comes to surface when Jesus asks those pointed questions. Do you really want to be healed? Are you prepared to live a different life post healing? Or have you become comfortable with the way things are right now?

[7] The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

Instead of answering Jesus with a yes or no, what does the man do? He puts the blame on others for his condition. It seems like there was some superstition that this pool had some magical powers. There was a belief in that day that an angel of the Lord would come and stir the pool at a certain point of the day, and whoever jumped into the pool first would get healed.

And so this man is complaining and blaming others for not supporting him to jump into the pool without realising that right before Him stands someone who has the authority to do whatever He wishes to do in the manner He wishes to do and nobody can defy that command.

 [8] Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”

Sometimes I think we get so familiar with stories like this in the Bible that we may end up missing the impact that it’s supposed to create in our hearts and minds. Jesus is telling a man who has been disabled for 38 years to simply get up, take up his bed and walk!

If you or I were to tell this to someone who has had experienced physical suffering for so many years, it would be considered a terribly insensitive joke. We just don’t say that and yet Jesus goes ahead and says these words.

[9] And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

And guess what? Not after a few hours, not after a few days, what does this verse tell us? At once he was healed! Instantaneous healing. Even long term diseases, illnesses and disabilities – the Lord has the power to heal that instantly. That’s His Supreme Authority!

But does that mean that Jesus will always choose to heal all our diseases and disabilities? Sometimes we forget that there were a multitude of invalids who were at the pool that day. Jesus could have healed all of them. He has the supreme authority to do that but He didn’t do that. Why? Because Jesus’ ultimate goal was not to deliver physical healing and deliverance. Jesus’ ultimate goal was to deliver us from God’s wrath because of our sins.

It’s like asking a fireman – when a building is on fire, what is your main goal? Is it rescuing people or preserving their valuables? Rescuing people from getting burnt and dying is their number one priority.

Jesus’ No. 1 priority is rescuing you and me from God’s wrath. That’s why He came and went up on the cross and died for us. He died and was buried and on the third day He rose from the dead so that whoever repents and puts their full faith in Jesus (holds on to Jesus to rescue them) will be saved not just for this life but for all of eternity. And gift us and eternal relationship with God forever!

[10] So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” [11] But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” [12] They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” [13] Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

It’s such an interesting response of the Jewish leaders. They’ve just witnessed a person with disability for 38 years being instantly healed and instead of marvelling at the miracle, instead of moving toward Jesus in faith, what are they doing?

They are more concerned about their Sabbath tradition being observed. Now let me clarify that the Sabbath law which was ordained by God and part of the 10 commandments did not prohibit people from being healed or carrying their bed and walking.

The Sabbath was designed by God to free His people from the burden of daily labor. The Egyptians forced the Israelites to work everyday. By giving the Sabbath, God wanted to give His people rest from their labor. God was telling them “Now that you’re under me, you can take rest and enjoy that rest”.

But the Jewish leaders made their own rules on top of this, and basically defined what constituted as work – carrying a load of this much weight and travelling this much distance is not observing the Sabbath according to them. And so the Sabbath became stifling for people rather than freeing and life giving.

I sometimes wonder how am I presenting the Sabbath to my children. Am I presenting it to them as a burden – something that they have to do as an obligation? Or something that is freeing so that they can be refreshed and freeing for them?

And so observing the Sabbath man made tradition was what the leaders were more worried about and they kept questioning the man who was healed. The man didn’t know who Jesus was, and so he just replied with an “I don’t know” to the Jewish leaders.

[14] Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

It’s a fascinating follow up conversation that Jesus has with the man. Jesus basically tells him that he shouldn’t go back into that pattern of sin or something worse would happen to him.

In this case it does seem like Jesus is connecting this man’s physical suffering to his sin. There was some connection with sin in his life. However, this is not a blanket rule for all physical suffering. We can’t look at this passage in isolation. There are many other instances where Jesus clearly explains that suffering and personal sin are not connected.

Let me share a few examples of the other side:

John 9:1-3

[1] As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” [3] Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

So in this case, physical suffering was there in this person’s life so that it would more clearly display God’s power and goodness.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 ESV

[7] So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

In Paul’s case physical suffering was in his life not due to sin but to instead to guard his heart from sin, keep his heart humble and help him desperately rely on God.

And so biblically speaking, it wouldn’t be right to associate every physical ailment, disease or suffering to a sin cause. Sometimes it’s related, other times there aren’t. In fact that was the predominant thought in biblical times, that suffering and sin is always connected. Jesus had to correct that way of thinking.

Coming back to this story, why does Jesus feel the need to have this follow up conversation on sin? After all, he had a physical disability problem which was solved right? Shouldn’t this be the end of the story?

Again, this should tell us that Jesus is more concerned about our spiritual eternal wellbeing than of our physical well-being. Jesus knows that although this man is physically okay now, that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be okay in eternity. His physical healing is not an assurance of spiritual security. And we see this in his response to Jesus after this conversation.

[15] The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. [16] And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. [17] But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Unlike some of the other healing passages, where healed persons have shown gratitude, trusted in Jesus and followed Him, this man instead goes and tells the Jewish leaders about Jesus. This begins the face off between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. There’s no indication of saving faith in the life of this man and that’s what makes this sign so astonishing.

That Jesus would still use His Supreme Authority to physically heal someone whom He knew wouldn’t reciprocate in faith. Why would Jesus do that? That’s His mercy which is not dependent on how we will respond but despite our response. He will show mercy on Sabbath and non-Sabbath days. He will show mercy to those who don’t deserve it. Because that’s who He is.

The question we need to ask is : what is our response going to be to His mercy? Are we going to respond just like the disabled man? Or is it going to be of gratitude and love?

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV

[14] For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; [15] and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Good morning church! A warm welcome to everyone who has joined us this morning. As a church we’ve been going through a series titled Believing and Knowing Jesus from the Gospel of John.

And it’s fascinating to know that the apostle John wrote this gospel with only one goal in mind. He wrote this book so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

If Jesus is truly the Son of God, if Jesus is truly the Savior that God has been preparing for us from eternity past, then not believing in Him and not knowing Him would be the greatest tragedy of our lives.

I remember this story that was once shared by one of the missionaries from my previous church. This missionary had once gone to a village in Maharashtra and was asked to speak at a meeting there.

This missionary kept speaking about the legacy of my previous church – stating how St. Thomas had come to Kerala in AD52 and the result of his work was the eventual formation of this church.

He went on and on about the credentials of this church. And somewhere in between, one of the villagers stopped him and asked “If St. Thomas brought the Gospel of Jesus in AD52, why did it take you so long to bring it to us?”

Not believing and knowing Jesus is the greatest tragedy of anyone’s life.

That villager in Maharashtra recognized that. Do you and I recognize the gift of believing and knowing Jesus? Are we grateful that God has chosen us to believe and know Jesus?

I believe that’s why John wrote this Gospel. If you’re an unbeliever, then John’s purpose is that you would take that step of faith to believe and know Jesus. If you’re a believer, then John’s purpose is that you would be grateful for what Jesus has done for you and that you would trust and know Him deeper than you’ve done before. That you won’t be okay with all that you’ve known about Jesus so far.

So let that be the expectation of your heart today as we study God’s Word. Let that be the prayer of your heart today as we prepare to listen from God’s Word. Let’s ask God for help to be able to believe and know Jesus deeper today through this time with the Word.

Today’s passage happens right in the middle of a fascinating conversation between Jesus and an unnamed Samaritan woman. We don’t know her name but through the conversation we get to have a glimpse into her life and her struggles.

Unlike Nicodemus who was seen as the ideal spiritual leader of the day (you looked up to him and wanted to follow his lifestyle), she found herself on the other side of the spectrum where she was seen as an unspiritual person with promiscuous life, someone whose life you wouldn’t want to emulate.

That was the contrast between the two people and yet Jesus departed from his budding ministry in Judea where He was gaining more followers than John the Baptist. He leaves all of that, and was willing to travel through hostile territory so that he could meet with her. He treated her with the same gentleness and the same compassion just as He dealt with Nicodemus.

He was pleased to reveal Himself to this unnamed Samaritan woman who didn’t have her life put together. The last couple of verses that we read last week were so interesting because it seems like the Samaritan woman is trying to deflect and change the conversation and move on by saying “I know when the Messiah comes, he will tell us all things”.

And Jesus basically tells her “I am He”. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that’s me. The One around whom all of human history hinges on, that’s me! He was pleased to reveal Himself to this unnamed Samaritan woman who didn’t have her life sorted out.

That should encourage you and me because we know that even our lives are not always put together. Even our lives are not sorted all the time. Even if we are in a mess, Jesus delights to reveal Himself to us. So we should never think that Jesus expects us to be perfect before He reveals Himself to us. He knows we cannot be perfect. All we need to do is come to Him.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

[28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

This interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman should encourage us, assure us and brings us to Jesus’ feet once again.

Let’s look at V27

[27] Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

Jesus’ disciples who had gone into the city to get food are back with food and they spot Jesus having this intense conversation with the Samaritan woman.

As we heard last week, it was forbidden for a Jewish man to speak to any woman on the street, not even his wife.

And so they see Jesus here breaking traditions, going against cultural norms and doing something that was considered inappropriate at that time. But instead of asking Jesus, they decided to avoid that conversation, slip that under the carpet and not bring it up again.

[28] So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, [29] “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” [30] They went out of the town and were coming to him.

The events described in these verses are remarkable! Actions speak louder than words. First things first. Why did the Samaritan woman come to the well in the first place? To draw water. So why would she leave that jar of water which she brought to well to draw water – why did she leave that and go away? Something has happened that is more critical than the water that she came to draw.

Secondly, we know that this woman had a very scandalous life. She faced a lot of public shame in her lifetime which is why she picked a time of the day to draw water when she knew no one else would be around. She tried her best to avoid the public eye because she knows that it will lead to judgments and humiliation.

And now how is it that she’s able to let down her guard, boldly stand in front of those very same people and tell them that she met a person who told her everything that she ever did? How in the world was she able to do that?

It’s because for the first time ever in her life she’s experienced what it means to be satisfied by the fountain of living waters. She spent all of her life going from one broken container to another through her multiple marriages and relationships and she’s returned back dry, empty and unsatisfied in her soul.

For the first time as she interacted with Jesus who knew everything about her – with all of the messy details – He didn’t use those details to humiliate her but to offer her living water to satisfy her soul.

What we’re seeing here is that the joy and satisfaction she’s experiencing in knowing Jesus has completely turned her life around. It’s making her do things that she was so terrified of doing earlier.

It’s causing her to be a bold witness of Jesus. “Can this be the Christ?” She’s not worried about people not taking her seriously, she’s only faithfully expressing what she’s just experienced.

And it’s also causing her to humbly acknowledge her sins before others. No longer is she worried about facing humiliation once she confesses, because the One whose opinion matters has already revealed Himself to her and offered her living water.

So right here, we are able to see the secret to bold witness and humble confession of sin – it’s when we experience joy and satisfaction in our relationship with Jesus.

When our cup is being filled with the joy and satisfaction of Jesus, we no longer look to others to do that for us. We no longer live under the insecurity of people’s opinions about us. We are actually freed to live out the life that God has called us to live.

So if we’re here today, desiring to be a bold witness for Jesus and also desiring to be authentic and not fake in your acknowledgement of your sins and weaknesses, we need to ask ourselves “have I been drinking from the fountain of living water? Have I been filling my spiritual cup with the joy of knowing Jesus?”

[31] Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” [32] But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” [33] So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” [34] Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

The disciples have brought food for Jesus from the town. They know that He’s physically hungry and so they urge Him to eat.

But Jesus responds to them saying that He’s got food that they aren’t aware of. The disciples are surprised by hearing this and are wondering if someone else brought food for Jesus.

Again like some of the other conversations that we’ve seen in the past, while people’s minds are only fixated on physical earthly things, Jesus often talks about spiritual things.

That’s what Jesus says in V34 – His food is to do the will of His Father and to complete that work. Just like in the same way as we need physical food to live – to sustain and satisfy us, Jesus is saying that obedience to His Father’s will and completing that work is what sustains and satisfies Him.

In other words, obeying His Father’s will & completing that work was more critical to Him than even eating physical food. Now that doesn’t mean that Jesus is saying that eating food is not important or that we shouldn’t take care of our health.

What He’s trying to say is that the mission on which Jesus was sent – to seek and save the lost was His top most priority. Everything else was secondary. It’s like a fireman saying “I have to go and rescue those people trapped in the building that has caught fire. That is my top most priority”.

Isn’t that encouraging to know that saving you and me was on Jesus’ top most priority? It’s not because we are some special, rare, lovable species. No, in fact we don’t deserve to be on Jesus’ top most priority because we are enemies by nature and by our actions. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We shouldn’t be on God’s priority list at all. But that’s how amazing God’s love is for us – the Bible says that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Jesus went on the cross and died for you and me.

And on the third day He rose from the dead so that whoever repents and trusts in Jesus would be rescued from sin, Satan and death & adopted as children of God.

How gracious is our Lord that we would be on His top most priority despite our sin and weakness?

[35] Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. [36] Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. [37] For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ [38] I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

One of the familiar analogies that Jesus would often use is that of harvest. Farmers would sow seeds of grain and then wait for sometime so that the grain grows and matures. Once the grain changes color and becomes hard, it’s ready for harvesting. This whole process from start to end would take months.

So Jesus uses this analogy to tell his disciples that we don’t have to wait any longer for the spiritual harvest because harvest season is already here. In other words, people are already prepared and ready to believe in Jesus right now. We don’t have to wait anymore.

Already Jesus says we’re able to see the fruit of the harvest. We’re already seeing the impact. All we need to do is go and pluck out the ready grains. All of the prior work of sowing has already been done, we just have to reap now.

In the immediate context, it’s referring to the Samaritan people whose hearts were already prepared and ready to believe in Jesus. But what if we also tried applying that today? Do we look at the people around us and trust that God’s already prepared their hearts? Do we trust that God’s readied their hearts to believe in Him?

[39] Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”

Can you believe that? This unnamed Samaritan woman’s testimony brought many people to faith! Who was this woman? What kind of life did she live in the past? How many church services did she attend? How many years of ministry experience did she have? Which bible college did she go to? Nothing was there. She was a brand new believer and someone who the world considered unfit as an evangelist.

But this is the amazing truth – unfit evangelists are the best evangelists! Why? Because they have nothing else to boast about except Jesus. That’s when it truly impacts people’s hearts.

And so just seeing this from the Samaritan woman should encourage us to know that we don’t need any qualifications to be ready to witness for Jesus. If we are a believer and tasted the love of Jesus, we are qualified to share the Gospel with others.

 [40] So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. [41] And many more believed because of his word. [42] They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

These are such assuring, encouraging verses because it tells me that the burden of trying to convince people and make them believers is not my job. My job just like the Samaritan woman is just to introduce others to Jesus. Jesus is powerful and strong enough to convince, persuade and transform people’s lives. Jesus will do that. I’m only called to witness to what Jesus has done in my life & Jesus will do the convincing.

As I close, just want all of us to take a minute to prayerfully ask God to do this:

1. Fill our hearts with the joy and satisfaction of knowing Jesus through the Word
2. Help us to trust that God has already prepared people in our lives who are ready to believe
3. Pray for God to show us who are the people with whom we can witness to about what God has done for us in Jesus or open doors for us to read the Bible with them so that they can be convinced of Jesus themselves

Good morning church! Hope you’re doing well this morning. If you’ve been tracking with us, you’re aware that we have been going through a series titled Believing and Knowing Jesus from the Gospel of John.

And what we’ve realized is that this believing and knowing doesn’t simply mean believing in facts about Jesus or knowing facts about Jesus.

I can believe in a lot of facts about Jesus and still not surrender my life to Him. I can know a lot of facts about Jesus and yet not know Him personally. There’s a stark difference between believing facts about Jesus and truly believing in Him. There’s a stark difference between knowing facts about Jesus and truly knowing Him. That’s the journey that we have begun through the Gospel of John.

And so even today we are going to ask ourselves the same questions as we look at this well known passage. Do I really believe and know this Jesus who is revealed in today’s passage? Have I really surrendered my life to this Jesus who is revealed in this passage?

And so before we begin, let’s ask the Spirit to soften our hearts, and to help us understand & apply this passage to our lives this morning.

Jim Carrey – the famous Hollywood actor and comedian once famously said “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see it’s not the answer”.

So profound! The reason why we take this quote seriously is because Jim Carrey attained it all. He’s attained all the riches and fame in the world. With all of his power and influence, he can get hold of anything that he wants to get hold of and he’s saying that none of these is the answer to life. None of these can satisfy our hearts. All of these things that we often chase after will leave us empty. And so then what can satisfy us?

Well today’s passage is an answer to that question. In today’s passage, Jesus reveals Himself as the only One who can truly satisfy us. He is the Giver of Living Water.

Let’s jump into John 4:1:

[1] Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John [2] (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), [3] he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.

This is connected to last week’s passage where we see that Jesus kickstarting His earthly ministry and it was gaining traction. In fact a lot of the crowds were now going to Jesus and His disciples rather than John the Baptist.

And so John the Baptist’s disciples were intimidated by that and they thought that they were losing influence and they went up to John and aired their grievances to him.

And John tells them that Jesus is the bridegroom and so if people are going to Him, then he rejoices in that because that’s the way it should be. The bride should be with the bridegroom. John the Baptist was simply the friend of the bridegroom. He must increase, I must decrease. And so we saw John’s humble view of his own ministry.

And in these first three verses, we see Jesus’ view of his own ministry. Jesus wasn’t interested in the popularity and fame game. At a time when His ministry was growing and gaining traction. At a time when the religious leaders were beginning to take notice of Jesus, He leaves the area and goes to Galilee.

We can see that Jesus wasn’t in for this popularity game. Jesus wasn’t sidetracked by the growing fan following. He had a clear cut purpose for why He came to the world, and He was sticking to it.

[4] And he had to pass through Samaria.

It was necessary for him to pass through Samaria. Now this might seem like a simple fact, but there’s more to it. Because of the context. Jews and Samaritans were hostile enemies. Jews hated Samaritans.

They couldn’t stand them because they saw them as unclean people. Because Samaritans were children of Jews intermarrying with foreigners who had settled in their land.

On top of that, to make matters worse, the Samaritans had their own temple on Mount Gerizim. They had their own version of the first five books of the OT. They had their own version of Israelite history.

To use a loose modern example, their relationship was like that between India and Pakistan. Tensions were always very high between both people groups.

Jews would do everything they could to avoid interacting with a Samaritan (which is what is written in v9 also). If it meant that a Jew would need to take a longer route, they’ll do that just to avoid interacting with a Samaritan.

In that context, for Jesus to choose to go through Samaria was a huge deal. You can imagine the disciples of Jesus trying to talk him out of it. But no, Jesus had to go through Samaria because there was a divine purpose behind this journey.

[5] So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. [6] Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.

Jesus was fully human just as He was fully God. He experienced weariness and tiredness and exhaustion just like us. So whenever we experience that in this life, we should know that Jesus understands and relates with us.

It was about the sixth hour. [7] A woman from Samaria came to draw water.

It was around 12pm. What’s interesting is that that’s not the usual time when women came to draw water. They would usually come to draw water in the mornings or in the evenings when it would be cooler. This Samaritan woman seems like she’s coming to the well at a time when no one would be around. She wanted to avoid the public eye.

Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” [8] (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) [9] 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 initiates the conversation with this Samaritan woman and she’s taken aback by that. Firstly because of the heightened tensions between Jews and Samaritans.

But also, it’s because she was a woman. They lived in a very patriarchal society where it was forbidden to not speak with any woman on the street, not even their own wives.

Which is why her response was of shock and surprise. What Jesus was doing at that moment was something radical! He was engaging with a woman who was also a Samaritan. He was breaking all kinds of barriers and traditions at that very moment.

[10] 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.”

And so Jesus was basically telling her that if she really knew who it was who was speaking to her, she would ask him and he would give her living water.

What is this living water? It’s the only thing that can satisfy the deep longings of our hearts. For that we have to turn to a passage from OT.

Jeremiah 2:13 ESV

[13] for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

In this passage, what is God referring to Himself as? Fountain of Living waters. God is telling His people that He is the source of abundant living water. He is the source of abundant soul satisfying water.

But instead of going and drinking from the fountain of abundant living water, what have God’s people done? They are trying to drink from man made broken containers which have no capacity to hold water. These containers are empty. They cannot quench your longings of your heart and soul. They cannot satisfy.

So Jesus is recalling the same language out here where He’s telling the woman – I am the fountain of living water. I am the abundant supply of soul satisfying water. Come to me. Drink from me.

[11] 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? [12] Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

She doesn’t understand his metaphor. She’s still thinking that Jesus is talking about physical drinking water. He’s not.

 [13] Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, [14] 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.”

In other words, Jesus is telling her that if she goes and tries to satisfy her soul with anything else in all of creation, she will come back empty. They are all broken containers. But if she comes to Jesus, guess what? He can fully satisfy the longings of her heart!

And the same applies to you and me as well. If we turn to our jobs to satisfy us, we will be empty and dry.

If we turn to our relationships to satisfy us, we will be empty and dry.

If we turn to our possessions and think that by buying everything that we can buy it will satisfy us, we will be empty and dry.

If we turn to our pleasures, thinking that if I can indulge in whatever pleasure I want to indulge it will satisfy us, we will be empty and dry.

If we turn to knowledge thinking that accumulating all the information in the world will satisfy us, we will be empty and dry.

There is nothing in all of creation that has the capacity to fulfill and satisfy the longings of our heart. Only Jesus can because He is the fountain of living waters.

An example that we sometimes use – what would happen if we fill our vehicle’s fuel tank with Pepsi instead of petrol or diesel. It’s not going to run. Why? Because the vehicle was made to run on petrol Or diesel. In the same way, you and I were created with longings that can only be fulfilled by our Creator. Everything else will fall short.

[15] 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.”

She still doesn’t get it because she’s still thinking about physical drinking water. Jesus doesn’t give up. He continues the conversation with her.

[16] Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” [17] The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; [18] for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” [19] The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

In order for her to receive this soul satisfying living water, she first needs to be confronted with her sinful and immoral lifestyle.

When we look at the Samaritan woman’s personal life, we realize that there’s a lot of mess involved. She’s gone from one relationship to another to another to another. And her current relationship isn’t a marriage, it’s a live-in relationship.

You can imagine how scandalous this was at that time. And yet Jesus wasn’t confronting her with her sinful lifestyle in order to name and shame her.

Jesus was confronting her with her sin so that she could come and confess before the One who knows what it is in man! So that she could realize her need for the real satisfier.

She went from relationship to relationship in order to find satisfaction but came back empty. So she has to acknowledge that before she receives the soul satisfying living water.

[20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

She tries deflecting the conversation from herself and moving to a theological debate on the right place of worship. How many times have we done that? Whenever we are convicted, instead of responding to the conviction by repentance, our defenses come up and we try to deflect to a theological discussion which is in the air and doesn’t address the heart issue.

[21] Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] 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. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Although she was trying to deflect, Jesus didn’t stop the conversation. He carries on and reveals to her God’s intention in worship. It was never about this place or that place. It was always about people’s hearts. But people’s hearts are broken. So how were they going to worship?

And so God had to do something radical by sending His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins. He lived the life we needed to live but couldn’t. He died the death we deserved to die. He was buried and then on the third day rose again so that whoever may repent and put their faith in Jesus would be radically transformed to be able to worship God in spirit and truth.

What does that mean? It means where our worship is based on the truth of God as revealed in His Word. We are not worshipping our own ideas and concepts about God. We are worshipping what is true about God as He has told us in the Bible.

And when we have known God as revealed in His Word, the Spirit will take that truth and bring about authentic, genuine, sincere worship from our hearts.

To take a human example, what if I went up to my wife and told her “Angie, I just love your blonde hair. You look so beautiful and amazing in it”. Do you think she would feel loved by that? No, why? Because it’s not rooted in what’s true about her.

And so in the same manner, what God delights in is when we take what is true about Him as revealed in the Bible and worship and praise Him for that only.

Sometime back when we did our training for the worship team we spoke something similar to this. The closer we are to God’s word during our worship set, the more authentic our worship would be. The further we are from God’s word during our worship set, the less authentic our worship would be.

[25] 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.” [26] Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Little did she know that the One with whom she was having this theological debate was her Messiah. Her Savior. Her soul satisfier!

This is the second one to one dialogue that Jesus has in the Gospel of John. The last time he had it, it was with Nicodemus. Interestingly she didn’t have any of the credentials that Nicodemus had. She didn’t have his OT knowledge. She didn’t have his moral standing as someone who followed the law rigorously externally.

She didn’t have his influence. She didn’t have the respect and stature in society. She was the polar opposite of a Nicodemus. And yet, Jesus was pleased to travel through that hostile territory in order to reveal Himself to her as her satisfier. He is the same today! He promises to do the same to any one of us who comes to Him this morning.

What is your response going to be to Jesus this morning?