May 5, 2023
‘Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work”‘ (John 4:34 NLT). When the disciples returned from the town of Sychar with food for lunch, they found Jesus at Jacob’s well speaking with a Samaritan woman. They encouraged Jesus to eat something, but He
May 6, 2022
FAITH AND FAMILY When the nobleman from Capernaum came to Jesus, begging Him to come to heal his dying son, Jesus said, “Go your way, your son lives.” The man believed the word of Jesus and went his way. As he was going, his servants met him saying, “Your son lives!” When he asked the
May 5, 2021
GO AND TELL THEM TO COME AND SEE The Samaritan woman that Jesus met at Jacob’s well was ready to share Jesus with others after only one encounter. Jesus had given her the clearest statement concerning His identity that He had given anyone, simply saying, “I am He.” The woman ran back to her village,
May 6, 2020
THE FAMILY PATTERN OF BELIEVING When the nobleman from Capernaum came to Jesus, begging Him to come to heal his dying son, Jesus said, “Go your way, your son lives.” The man believed the word of Jesus and went his way. As he was going, his servants met him saying, “Your son lives!” When he
July 21, 2019 | John 4:1-42 |
We might summarize God’s plan for witnessing in four words: Pray, Presence, Power, Proclaim. God’s plan is that we are to pray, look for God’s presence, depend on God’s power, and proclaim God’s gospel. Today, we want to focus on the 4th and final step, Proclaim God’s Story, because there is no witness without words!
In the gospel according to John, Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman drawing water at Jacob’s well outside the city of Sychar. After her encounter with Jesus, she immediately went back to her hometown to proclaim the story to everyone. We can proclaim the story of how we met Jesus.
May 5, 2019
DOING GOD’S WILL IS LIKE FOOD FOR THE SOUL When the disciples returned from the town of Sychar with food for lunch, they found Jesus at Jacob’s well speaking with a Samaritan woman. They encouraged Jesus to eat something, but He answered that He had food of a kind they knew nothing about. When they
May 6, 2018
FAITH IN THE PERSON NOT THE PERFORMANCE
A government official from Capernaum came to Jesus in Galilee desperately begging Him to come to heal his son. Jesus pointed out that it wasn’t the man’s faith in Him that moved the man to travel to Galilee, but his hope that Jesus could heal his son. Jesus wanted the man to put his faith in His person, not His performance. So, Jesus sent the man home with the promise that his son would live. The man believed Jesus and immediately went home where he found his son alive and well.
In John’s gospel, Christ’s miracles are called “signs.” For miracles attract, but signs point. Jesus always called people to see His miracles as signs that pointed to His deity, to His identity as the Christ and Savior of the world. Many came to Jesus that He might feed them bread, but only a few had the faith to see Christ Himself as the Bread of Life.
Do you believe in Jesus for who He is, or for what He can hopefully do for you? Do you seek His face before His hand?
May 5, 2018
GO AND TELL THEM TO COME AND SEE
The Samaritan woman that Jesus met at Jacob’s well was ready to share Jesus with others after only one encounter. Jesus had given her the clearest statement concerning His identity that He had given anyone, simply saying, “I AM the Messiah!” The woman ran back to her village, leaving her water jar behind, telling every neighbor and friend to “Come and see!”
In reading this account, I didn’t notice an evangelism class, nor any gospel tracts given out. Certainly, these are good things, but the Samaritan woman didn’t have them. She was just passionately excited about having met Jesus and couldn’t wait to tell others her testimony. She became Christ’s herald to her village, announcing His arrival and identity to everyone.
And what was the result of her simple approach? “Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus” because of the woman’s testimony (John 4:39).
May 6, 2017
The gospel of John recorded seven “signs” of Jesus. These were miracles, yet John chose to call them “signs” because he wanted to emphasize their purpose, namely, that they pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.
John wrote, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).
John wanted his readers to take their eyes off of the miracles and put them on the Miracle-worker, Jesus. In this second sign, Jesus healed the nobleman’s son in Cana without even going to see him. He healed him with a word. And the nobleman, an officer of the king, believed in Jesus as his true King from that day forward.
September 4, 2016 | John 4:7-42 |
We are all worshipping, but sadly many are worshipping false idols which leave us in lack or with a void. We put our hopes and dreams and affections in things that neither help us nor ground us in anything. Right worship puts the foundation in our lives. Some of us put worship on this day or in this box, we put our witness in this box, but the call to Christ is a completely de-compartmentalized life of worship. The truth is everyone worships something and everyone bears witness to that worship, but God has called us to a specific worship and witness.
In the gospel of John, Jesus revealed Himself to a Samaritan woman as the only foundational way to worship and witness God. We can receive Jesus as the only true foundation for our worship and witness.