Living Words
"Living Words" is a weekly podcast that explores the transformative power of scripture across a diverse range of Biblical books, guided by insightful devotionals from the author's own works. Each episode seeks to deepen faith and understanding, connecting listeners with the enduring wisdom and relevance of the Bible in their daily lives.
Living Words
In His Footsteps Week 13: The Woman at the Well
In Week 13 of the Living Words Podcast, host Charles Vance delves into the transformative encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, as described in John 4:1-42. Charles begins with a heartfelt prayer, thanking God for His mercy and love, before reading the passage.
This episode explores the significance of Jesus offering "living water," symbolizing the Holy Spirit's presence, which satisfies the deepest spiritual thirst. The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman breaks cultural norms, demonstrating the inclusivity of Jesus' mission and God's love for all, regardless of social boundaries. Jesus reveals Himself as the Messiah, emphasizing that true worship transcends physical locations and rituals, focusing instead on worshiping in spirit and truth.
The narrative highlights the transformative power of personal testimony, as the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus leads many in her city to believe in Him. Charles discusses key lessons, such as the importance of overcoming cultural and social barriers to share God's grace, the role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual fulfillment, and the urgency of spreading the gospel.
Reflective questions encourage listeners to consider their own spiritual thirst, the significance of worshiping in spirit and truth, and the barriers Jesus breaks through His inclusive love. Prayers are offered for the living water of Christ, the courage to reach across divisions, and the boldness to share personal testimonies of faith.
Charles concludes with a blessing, hoping that the insights shared will enrich listeners' spiritual journeys.
Get a copy of the In His Footsteps devotional here.
Good morning. I'm Charles Vance and this is Living Words Podcast. We're in the 13th week of the devotional In His Footsteps, 52 weeks in the Gospel of John. This week is the woman at the well, and I want to say peaceful Sabbath to you. Good morning, and before we read the word, the passage is going to be John 4, 1 through 42. I'm going to open in prayer. Father, thank you for this day, thank you for your mercy, for your love that you've shed on the cross for us, that you gave your blood, that we would have the opportunity for eternal life. We just pray that you would open our eyes and our ears and our hearts to hear your word this morning. I'll begin by reading the passage John 4, 1 through 42.
Speaker 1:Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John though Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples he left Judea and departed again to Galilee, but he needed to go through Samaria. So he came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now, jacob's well was there and Jesus therefore, being wearied from his journey set thus by the well, it was about the sixth hour, a woman of Samaria came to draw water and Jesus said to her Give me a drink, for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. And then the woman of Samaria said to him how is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her if you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you give me a drink, you would have asked him and he would give you living water. And the woman said to him sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where, then, do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it, as well as his sons and his livestock? Jesus answered and said to her Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water, springing up into everlasting life. And the woman said to him Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. And Jesus said to her Go, tell your husband and come here. The woman answered and said I have no husband. And Jesus said to her you have well said I have no husband. And Jesus said to her you have well said I have no husband, for you have had five husbands and the one whom you are now with is not your husband, and that you spoke truly. The woman said to him sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
Speaker 1:Our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. And Jesus said to her Woman believe me, the hour is coming when you will, neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. The hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. And the woman said to Him I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ, and when he comes he will tell us all things. And Jesus said to her. I who speak to you am he.
Speaker 1:And at this point his disciples came and they marveled that he talked with a woman, yet no one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her? The woman left her waterpot, went her way into the city and said to the man Come see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ? And then they went out of the city and came to him. In the meantime, the disciples urged him, saying Rabbi, eat. But he said to them I have food to eat of which you do not know. And therefore the disciples said to one another has anyone brought him anything to eat? And Jesus said my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest. Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together For. And so, when the Samaritans of that city believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified. He told me all that I ever did. And so when the Samaritans had come to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days and many more believed because of his own word. And then they said to the woman Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
Speaker 1:This passage tells the story of the encounter of Jesus with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, a narrative rich in theological depth and practical lessons. This passage not only breaks cultural and social norms of the time, but also offers profound insights into the nature of true worship, the living water Jesus offers and the universal scope of his mission. Jesus, traveling from Judea to Galilee, chooses to go through Samaria, where he meets a Samaritan woman drawing water at noon. The encounter is remarkable for several reasons Jews typically avoided Samaria due to deep-seated hostilities, and men didn't publicly speak to women they didn't know. Yet Jesus initiates a conversation by asking her for a drink, leading to a deep personal exchange.
Speaker 1:First, living water. Jesus offers the woman living water, signifying the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence that brings eternal life and satisfies the deepest spiritual thirst. That brings eternal life and satisfies the deepest spiritual thirst. This living water contrasts with the physical water of Jacob's well, symbolizing the surpassing greatness of what Jesus offers. This conversation shifts to worship with Jesus, declaring that the time has come for true worshipers to worship the Father in spirit and truth. The statement highlights the transition from worship centered on location and tradition to worship that is spiritual and personal, based on a relationship with Him. In this dialogue, he explicitly reveals Himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan, indicating the inclusivity of His mission. The revelation to an unlikely recipient underscores His grace and how his kingdom is open to all, regardless of social boundaries.
Speaker 1:The story concludes with many Samaritans believing in Jesus because of the woman's testimony. He uses this opportunity to teach his disciples about the readiness of the spiritual harvest, encouraging them to join in the work of bringing people to the faith. There are some lessons to be drawn Christ's offer of living water and true worship. His offer of living water to the Samaritan woman underscores the Holy Spirit's role in satisfying our deepest spiritual thirst, emphasizing the need for fulfillment in Christ over worldly solutions. Additionally, he teaches that true worship transcends physical location and ritual, focusing instead on worshiping the Father in spirit and truth which reflects a genuine personal engagement with him. By engaging with a Samaritan woman, he demonstrates the love of God and salvation's reach to all people, regardless of any boundaries. This interaction teaches the importance of overcoming cultural and social barriers to share His goodness, his grace, highlighting the inclusive nature of His love, the Power of Personal Testimony and the Readiness of the Harvest. The Samaritan woman's transformation and her subsequent sharing of her encounter with Jesus illustrate the impactful role of personal testimony in drawing others to faith. His dialogue about the ripe harvest further emphasizes the urgency and importance of witnessing to others, inviting believers to actively participate in spreading the gospel.
Speaker 1:Here are some questions for reflection and discussion. Reflect on the symbolism of living water and how does Jesus, as the source of living water, speak to your spiritual thirst and desires Living water? His word is living water. You know, um, the spirit within is the source of truth and to quench our spiritual thirst. And like every time you read the word you'll, you can hear different things, things that you've never, you may have read that same passage a hundred times and then be reading it in something completely new reveals itself, and that is the Spirit of God being living water from the Word. So discuss the significance of worshiping the Spirit and truth, spirit and truth, and I think that in my mind, the Spirit.
Speaker 1:Obviously you can't know Him in your flesh. The flesh is at enmity, it's at war with the goodness of God. It's at when we do our flesh. Flesh doesn't want to have anything to do with God. Flesh doesn't want to do a Bible study or a devotional, it doesn't want to read the Word, it doesn't want to hear the Word, just flesh is the flesh. You cannot know God in the flesh, you can only know Him in the Spirit. So when you seek spiritual things, reading his word being renewed and washed in the water of his word, prayer, listening to the small still voice of the spirit of God that is walking in newness of life, and it is spirit that's walking in the spirit.
Speaker 1:So truth just means that you know sometimes we say things that well, it doesn't. Let me use an example. Okay, let's talk about the three days literal three days of resurrection of Jesus Christ. The three days literal three days of resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said, he said I will this. This, this, this nation seeks a sign. There is no sign except the sign of Jonah Three days and three nights in the ground raised on the third day. Well, if you try to tie that into Good Friday and Easter Sunday, you can't get three days and three nights. It doesn't work. So people say, well, it doesn't matter, it's not, you know, okay, it's not literal. Well, see, that goes against truth, because it's either true or it's not. It's either three days and three nights or it's not. So in my mind, to me, when I say spirit and truth, I'm meaning that even the things that are unpopular, that just because they're a little hard to understand or to take, it's truth. So he desires that we seek the truth, even when it's not pleasant. So consider the barriers that he breaks in the story.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, the Samaritans were considered dung, they were cow dung. I mean they were trash. The Jews didn't have anything to do with them. They were idolatrous. They inbred um, they worshiped a different god as far as the jews were concerned, because they worshiped on a different mountain. That's what she's talking about there. You know, they didn't go to Jerusalem, they had their own religion and the Jews despised the Samaritans.
Speaker 1:So for Jesus to initiate a conversation, especially with a woman, not just a Samaritan but a Samaritan woman, was against all the norms. Yet the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus led to her transformation in witness. So how does that personal encounter inspire you to witness? Well, I mean, I think it should open us up to say you know, it's okay to go against what you would normally do if you're led by the Spirit to do it. You just keep your heart fastened to the Spirit of God, follow His leading and don't worry about the consequences.
Speaker 1:So the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah to the Samaritan woman carries profound implications. So what does it tell you about the nature of his kingdom? Well, I mean, he's just again. He's saying I am he, you know. He said I am, it's the great I am, you know I am he. He said I am, it's the great I am, I am he. He told her I am the Messiah and he wasn't telling anybody that because he was on a secret mission. If Satan knew what he was up to, then Satan never would have allowed the crucifixion to occur, because that was ultimately his downfall. He knows that now, but it's too late. You know, he allowed innocent blood to be shed and that cost him his hold over mankind. So Jesus was on a secret mission. He didn't want Satan to know or you know. That's why, whenever the demons would call out his name, he would say shut up. Or he would tell people when he healed him don't tell anybody. He was covertly operating.
Speaker 1:Here are some suggested prayers Lord Jesus, living water. In a world filled with temporary satisfactions, we thirst for something more, something that you can truly satisfy the depths of our souls. We come to you acknowledging our need for the living water. Only you provide. Quench our thirst with your presence and fill us with your spirit that we may never thirst again. Teach us to seek you above all else, finding in you our ultimate fulfillment and joy.
Speaker 1:Amen, heavenly Father, in your wisdom, you sent Jesus to break down barriers and to extend your grace to all, regardless of background, culture or past mistakes. Inspire us to follow his example, reaching out across divisions with your love and grace. Help us to see others as you see them, beloved and worthy of your salvation. Give us the courage and compassion to be agents of reconciliation, building bridges where walls once stood. Amen, holy Spirit. Just as a Samaritan woman shared her encounter with Jesus, grant us the boldness to testify to the transformative work you have done in our lives. Use our stories to draw others to Christ that they too might come to believe and find life in his name. Open our eyes to the opportunities around us, preparing the hearts of those we meet to receive your truth. Empower us to be faithful witnesses to your love and grace, sharing the good news with joy and urgency. Amen. I hope this has been meaningful to you. I hope that this helps you with your walk as you go forth today and the rest of the week, and I'll see you again next week.
