Natural Insatiability (John 4:1-30)

Introduction
In route from Judea to Galilee, Jesus takes a route that many Jews of his day would have avoided. Rather than passing through Samaria, many would have taken a circuitous meandering route around Samaria -- one that was almost twice as long. They did this so that they would not (in their estimation) become contaminated by the people and practices of the Samaritans. They were willing to treat the Samaritan people in a way that was worse than their sheep and cattle. They treated them as unclean animals.

There was no love lost in either direction between the Samaritans and Jews. Samaritans did not feel welcome to come to Jerusalem, to the Temple, to worship YHWH. And Jews looked at the history of Samaria with great contempt. After Solomon's death, the kingdom of Israel was split into the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern 10 tribes of Israel. The northern kingdom immediately began following idolatrous practices in an effort of the king to maintain sovereignty over and loyalty of his people.

Later, after the exile of Israel to Assyria, the king of Assyria transplanted peoples from all over his kingdom back into the northern kingdom. Along with the people came many pagan gods as well as a corrupted worship of YHWH. All of this history lent to the hatred between Jews and Samaritans.

Before God, all men are on an equal footing outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus obediently goes into Samaria, his intent is to share his message of new birth with a lady who had the same need as Nicodemus had. They both were in the same spiritual condition, howbeit vastly different culturally, ethnically, religiously, etc. Jesus saw them in the same light and saw past the outward adornments and into the real condition of the person - the soul.

As with Nicodemus, Jesus employs a teaching method with the woman at the well that addresses her ability to understand. He takes a metaphor that would be very familiar to her and uses it to illustrate a vastly more important principle -- the soul thirst that she had. Just as Nicodemus was unable, through his learning and striving, to obtain eternal life, this woman could never address her soul thirst through striving for what this life has to offer. Her only hope was the living water Jesus had. This water would produce a life within her that would obviate the need to find happiness in temporal pursuits.

My Well (John 4:1-14)
God's gift of living water has a single source.
Where are you seeking to find satisfaction in your life? Job? Relationships? Money? Popularity?
Do you know the source of living water at a personally level or in theory only?

My Mountain (John 4:15-26)
Exposure to Jesus exposes sin.
Faith in Jesus enables true worship.
What sins are you trying to hide from God? You know it's not possible, right?
What sins have been revealed to you – you've been convicted – but never come to repentance?
Is your worship the kind the Father seeks? If not, what is it lacking?
Who is the focus of your worship, you or God?

My Messiah (John 4:27-30)
Conversion should be contagious.
What impact is your life in Christ having on those around you?
Who might you be withholding the Gospel from due to the fact that they don't think like you, act like you, look like you?