Thank you for once again for listening to Cultivating Growth. We've been spending time this month and talking about various conversations that Jesus has had, not necessarily, uh, big moments of teaching to the multitudes, but specifically one-on-one conversations that he has, and we've talked about Jesus and Nicodemus.

Last week we talked about Jesus and a rich young ruler, and this week we'll spend some time talking about Jesus and his interaction, the conversation with a woman of Samaria at the well in John chapter four. I'm looking forward to this conversation. Let's get to it.

So you mentioned, Jeremy, that we've talked about a couple of different conversations at this point that Jesus has had during his ministry and his time on Earth. And today we're gonna focus our time in John chapter four with a conversation that he has with a woman that he meets at a well in Samaria.

And so. This as we kind of set up this story, there's a few things to kind of keep in mind, uh, culturally that I think help make this story even a little bit more profound to us as we read through it. We're told at the outset of chapter four that Jesus and his followers were leaving Judea and they were going through Galilee, going to Galilee, but they needed to pass through Samaria.

The Samaritans were a group of people that the Jews. Uh, did not get along well with and hadn't for generations, uh, so much so that even interact, interacting with one another was largely frowned upon, and even traveling through their land largely would've been avoided, if possible. And so just the very fact that Jesus was willing to travel through Samaria.

Tells us a little bit about his intentions. While there, many of the Jews would have bypassed Samaria entirely, even if it meant prolonging their journey. But Jesus is gonna lead his followers straight through Samaria, and obviously he is doing so because he understands what's about to take place. And this is a very important conversation that he's going to have with this woman, not.

Only for her and her spiritual life moving forward, but also the impact that it would have on others in that area. And it is still a, a very impactful counter encounter that Jesus has with this woman that speaks to us today. I think it teaches us a lot about evangelism. It teach, teaches us a lot about.

Love and compassion and who Jesus is and how he views people. There's so many things that can be learned from this interaction, and so this conversation is a really important one that Jesus is gonna have with this woman. Yeah, you know, even though last week we talked about Jesus and the rich young ruler.

John chapter three in week number one with Jesus Nicodemus. This is just one chapter later here in John chapter four. Yeah, in a lot of ways there are some similarities. I mean, certainly you have, Nicodemus was a Pharisee. They interacted with Jesus all the time. This woman is a Samaritan, as you said, they had little to no interaction, uh, with, with, with the Jews.

And so you have that difference. But there is a lot of things. Similar in the significance of the conversation. Uh, it is utmost importance, the topic of the conversation, but even a little bit of how Jesus went about it, you made mention it, it would behoove us as we go through Jesus and we, we take a look at his life.

Uh, certainly we've got. Take notice of the topic at hand, uh, whether it was being born again, such as, uh, he had a conversation with Nicodemus or here, uh, specifically the living water that he'll mm-hmm he'll get to. But there was so much to learn, uh, about technique, about Jesus' interaction with a person.

We've made mention we're more likely to have interactions with. One person than we are with thousands of people. And so Jesus teaches us how, how to do that. I mean, how, how to interact, whether it was with Nicodemus and, and being willing to maybe put off sleep or to, you know, put off, you know, exhaustion or whatever the case may be as he came to Jesus at night.

We're here to step outside of maybe a cultural zone, uh, that normally we wouldn't interact with someone maybe that normally we wouldn't interact with. But even as he goes about and the questions that he asks and in, in dealing with the topic at hand, with water, even how he begins the conversation technique-wise, by way of evangelism, there's so much to gain.

You know, hear from the story. Yeah. Well, let's just start there, because the, the setup to this we're told that the disciples had gone into the city to buy food. And so Jesus is kind of left by himself at Jacob's well, and a woman comes to the well to draw water as would be customary for, uh, the people in that city.

And Jesus simply begins this conversation with the most basic of requests, can I get a drink of water? Yeah, I mean, it couldn't get any more simple than that, but I think in and of itself that that teaches us something because Jesus is going to start a conversation that is going to lead into some very profound territory for this woman, but it starts with the most non-spiritual.

Common ground that can be found. Hey, we're at a, well, I'm kind of thirsty. You have a bucket with you. You mind if I get a drink of water? It couldn't get any more simple than that, but that that is a door that Jesus opened that then led to the real conversation that he wanted to have with this woman. And I think that teaches us something about the use of everyday common interactions and things that we have in common with a lot of people around us.

How can we utilize. Those opportunities and those commonalities to open doors for more deep spiritual conversations. And Jesus is, is a master at being able to do that. This woman is, is not immediately putting her guard up about the question. Now she has some concerns about why this Jewish man is talking to her, and we can talk about that in a little bit.

The, the question is a disarming question, and it is one that is simply meant to begin conversation and to open doors, and I think it would be good for us to learn to better utilize those types of techniques when we are trying to talk to people about spiritual things. Yeah, we never reference it as one, but I mean this is kind of a, in the moment as it's playing out in real life.

Parable, uh, in a lot of ways. I mean, you know, what do we, what do we use it? Ge, you know, Jesus, when he teaches in parables, he takes kind of an everyday item or an everyday thing or something people would be familiar with, and he, he morphs that into some spiritual lesson. Mm-hmm. Well, that's what he's doing here with this drink of water.

Now it's happening in real time, right? Mm-hmm. I mean, it's not, Hey, let me share with you this parable as we, you know, we see 'em in other places, but it, it is no doubt, a technique that it is. It is something that we can be using to, and something we gotta be thinking about because we don't wanna, we're not looking to shut doors, you know, immediately we're, we're, we're, we're looking to have doors open.

Yeah. And, and how can we move the conversation maybe into spiritual territory. Jesus is a master at that and he showcases that here. But we, we've gotta be able to see those things in real life. And there's commonalities here. You made mention it's very. Quickly that she moves in verse nine immediately to the differences.

You know, how is it that you're a Jew and you ask me for a drink? But yet Jesus isn't starting with those differences. Yeah. He's starting with, Hey, you're at a well. Ahm at a, well, you're drinking water. Hey, I, I drink water. And now we have all of these commonalities, uhhuh, and be able to move from that, you know, ultimately to the place that he wants to go.

Yeah. And I think, again, we can make parallels, uh, to our lives today for the rest of our time if we wanted to, but. You know, simple things in this world. Hey, you know, I eat food. Hey, you eat food. How about we go eat food together? Yeah. You know, so something as simple as that can be a, a conversation starter or a door that opens that then gives us a chance to talk about more meaningful things with people.

And that's almost immediately where Jesus goes, is this woman, as you pointed out, is like, uh, you know, what, what are you doing talking to me, a Samaritan woman? But Jesus immediately takes even that as an opportunity to say, listen, if, if you knew, if you really knew who was talking to you right now, uh, you'd be asking me for living water.

Well, that's gonna pique anybody's interest because what is that? And immediately again, he, he is, he's prodding this woman to open up and to ask questions and to engage in conversation. He's leading her down a path, but, but in a way where she feels comfortable continuing the conversation and she has questions and she wants to investigate further.

And again, just, just more, more lessons being taught along the way about how, how can we utilize some of these same strategies? In the conversations and interactions that we have with people today. Well, let's encourage questions and let's encourage engagement and let's incur encourage curiosity. Those are good and healthy ways to begin conversations.

And again, that's what Jesus is doing here and, and that's, that's what we need to try to, I see. I think I'll speak personally, do a better job of. In my conversations with people is I'll, we'll get to the main point, we'll get there, but at the outset, I wanna encourage curiosity and investigation. And if I can do that, then that's gonna help us get to the main point of whatever conversation we're trying to have.

Yeah. And I've gotta be willing to, you know, switch gears and maybe take another path if they're not, if they're not, you know, getting it in one area, I've gotta be willing to go in a different way. Them getting it ultimately is the most important thing. But we see that with Jesus. And, you know, Nicodemus, when he makes reference to, Hey, you must be born again.

And he is like, how can I do that? Am I gonna go back into a mother's womb? Right. Jesus. He didn't close that conversation now and be like, well, you're never gonna get this. Well, the Samaritan woman kind of does a very similar thing when he talks about, you know, this living water and, and she's on the physical as well.

Mm-hmm. And she says, listen, you, you don't have anything to draw water with. How, how are you gonna do that? Well, he does it then say, well, listen, you know, it's nice talking to you. Um, you know, it's, you know, we don't have time to get into this or whatever. Yeah, no. He moves, he, he moves and continues down the line because he has a purpose in mind.

Mm-hmm. And, and the, the most important thing is getting to that purpose, not necessarily getting there in the way that I think Right. That it should go. And, and I think. Technique wise, you know, that's something to keep in mind. Yeah. And you know, Jesus continues this conversation and continues to talk about this living water.

And he makes the point that whoever drinks of this water at this well, where you're gonna be thirsty again, but there is this living water where you're never going to thirst again. And immediately what do you think this woman's gonna say? Well, hey, I like the sound of that. You know, I come out to this well every day and it's hot and it's a long walk and this water's heavy, and so you're telling me that there's water.

I could drink that. I'm never gonna get thirsty again. That sounds great. Now her mind is still thinking physically, but yet Jesus is now priming her for the main point of this conversation. And I think that that is another one of those lessons where how, how can we prime people's minds? Uh, to, to be interested in what Jesus has to say.

And, and so Jesus is then going to move into this request of his, Hey, why don't you go call your husband and, and come here and, and now we're gonna get serious with this woman very quickly because what's gonna happen next is this woman says, well, hey, I, I don't have a husband. Been, and now Jesus is going to begin to really unveil who he is because he's gonna begin to tell her things about her personal life and her marriage history that is going to completely take her off guard.

This man who she has never seen before, never spoken to before, is now gonna be begin to tell her things about her life that no one should know. No one else. Would be privy to certainly someone she's never met before. And so now we're gonna enter into the deep waters, so to speak, with this conversation because now all of a sudden this woman is.

Extremely interested into who this guy is and how do you know these kind of things. Yeah. And then he's able to, ultimately, now that he has her attention, he's able to get ultimately to where he, he wants to go Again, I keep going back to John three with the Nicodemus. You know, Jesus in a lot of ways does a, you know, very similar kind of thing once he is kind of got Nico Demi's, you know, thinking a little bit clearer.

He uses something that he's familiar with. Looks, he points back to Moses and, you know, the, the plague and the, the bronze serpent and all of those things, a story he would've, Nicodemus would've been familiar with. And what Jesus does here, he moves into worship, specifically the places of worship. And here, you know, this woman understands that yeah, she understands, uh, you know, the differences between the Samaritans and how they go about worship and the Jews and how they go about worship.

She's familiar with all that. And now Jesus is able to take her familiarity with worship and to take it ultimately where, where it needs to be. And that is the worship of God. And, and, and now he is just moving her, you know, and along in the place that she needs to go. Yeah. And ultimately they're gonna come to the point where the woman, he, here's Jesus talking about, you know, the, the worshiping, worshiping the true God and how that's.

To take place. And it's not gonna be about where you worship, but it's gonna be about worshiping in spirit and in truth. And the woman says, listen, I, I know about the Messiah. I, I know what has been spoken of about the coming Messiah, and I know that he's gonna come. She, she knows the prophecies and she's heard about, uh, the coming Messiah.

And she knows that when he comes, he's gonna tell us all these things. And I almost get the impression that she is starting to be curious about who she's talking to here. Now, hold on a second. Uh, I've been told that the Messiah's gonna be the one to come and tell us all of these things. And now Jesus sees the perfect opportunity.

Her mind is primed. She's, he's demonstrated to her, uh, his abilities in the supernatural realm to understand things about her life. Spoken to her about things that have been prophesied about, and now she's curious and she's almost kind of like, you're not. You're not him, are you? And he reveals himself. I, I, who you speak to.

Am he? Yeah. Uh, John chapter four in verse 26 that you made reference to is a tiny little verse. Yeah. There's so much. I mean, it, it is one of the most profound verses certainly in this story, because you're right on. She's really starting to think, she's now. Coming in contact with Jesus, she recognizes that Jesus, in a very simple way, I, I I, who speak to you.

And he, uh, uh, just another example, listen, in his life, Jesus never ceased to try to explain who he is. I am the Christ. I am the son of God. I mean, he's always, you know, out front with that. And this one moment, because she believes this. Yeah. Ha changes her life. Mm-hmm. And that's what an interaction with Jesus can do is is now an interaction with Jesus and a belief in who he is.

And now your life is forever altered and you see it in a pretty powerful scene that unfolds. Yeah. And kind of just to wrap all of this up, it not only changes her life, but it leads to changing a lot of other people's lives as well, because this woman leaves, uh, this encounter and, and she is. Just amazed by what has taken place and she just runs into the city.

I can only imagine the excitement that she has as she begins to tell everyone else about what she had witnessed and others come to know Jesus and who he is as a result of this interaction. And we'll finish today with that, uh, reality of others coming to know Jesus because of this encounter. John tells us in John chapter four, beginning in verse 39, kind of the outcome of what's to transpire as a result of this conversation.

John chapter four, verse 39, and many of 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. 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.

Thank you for listening this week. If you haven't already done so, we'd appreciate it if you would take just a second to subscribe to the podcast. Whatever platform you're listening, rate and review the show so we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus widely and effectively as possible. Thanks again for joining us this week and we'll talk again next week.

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