Yesterday we
were in John chapter 4 and a key truth we learned from this chapter is that we
are a thirsty people. All people without
exception have this problem. We all have
a thirst that can never ultimately be quenched.
That is why we have to go on a daily basis to places where we can access
water.
We learn from
this chapter that Jesus, by striking up this conversation with this woman at the
well is trying to her to see that
she is thirsty and in need and that her needs go far beyond the physical. In verse 13 he says,
Everyone who drinks of this water will be
thirsty again, 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.
What is Jesus saying
here? Well, like with Nicodemus in John
3, Jesus is not speaking literally but figuratively and spiritually. He is talking about providing spiritual water
for this woman—he’s talking about quenching her spiritual thirst. Notice he says, “The water that I
give will become a spring of water
welling up to eternal life.”
He is talking
about salvation here and says, “The water you are drinking, though it is good
water, it does not ultimately satisfy. After
drinking this water, you are going to be thirsty again, and you are going to have
to come to this well for more.” Jesus says, “The
water I am talking about—it satisfies.
It does not quench your thirst for an hour and then you get thirsty
again.” The water Jesus is talking about
is spiritual water and the thirst a spiritual thirst.
I believe John has given us this story because he wants us
his readers to relate to this woman at the well, and there are a lot of ways in
which we can. One way we can relate is
that we, like the woman, all have deeper seeded spiritual needs. We all have a hunger and a thirst within us that
goes beyond the physical. We all have a
thirst for lasting happiness, and try our hardest to find it in relationships,
in social status, in money, in our jobs etc.
All of us think that if we work hard enough, we will finally get to the
point when we will find satisfaction that lasts.
We learn,
however, by the example that John gives us here as well as all throughout Scripture that lasting happiness cannot be experienced in the palpable and
temporal things of this world. Only
Jesus can ultimately satisfy our spiritual hunger and completely quench our
spiritual thirst.
To hear this
sermon from John 4, click HERE and listen to “KNOWING JESUS AS THE LIVING
WATER.” .
