John
4:25-30; 39-42 “Telling
other’s about Jesus”
Introduction: This woman sets for us a good example of how
to tell other’s about Jesus. The most
outstanding thing is the fact that she simply shared with others her experience
with Jesus. Believers do not have to
have deep theological knowledge to tell others about Jesus. Anyone who has been saved can tell other
people about their experience. Tell
other’s what Jesus has done for you and how you came to know Him as your
savior.
(John
4:25) The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called
Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
I believe that the woman is saying
that when the Christ comes he will set every one strait as to what the truth
is. She was, no doubt, confused by what
Jesus had said concerning the proper worship of God. The things He had pointed out were contrary
to what she had been taught and practiced.
Every one ought to want to worship God acceptably. This woman certainly wanted to do so. She did not know for sure what to believe
about worship but she knew that when the Christ would come He would set things
strait.
There are many religions and
denominations today and a person seeking to worship God and serve God may be
bewildered as to which church is the right one.
When Jesus comes He will set all of this strait
and we will know which church is right for He will dictate how men are to
worship in His kingdom. The Church is
the organization which Jesus has authorized to carry out His Kingdom business
till He comes. Till He comes we must
join a church which traces its origins back to the shores of
The woman at the well may have been
confused by Jesus’ explanation of worship but she knew that one would come that
would set things right. She believed in
the coming Christ and Jesus lets her in on the good news in verse 26.
(John
4:26) Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am [he].
He is the Christ the son of the
living God the savior of men. He has
always been God and by Him were all things made. He did not become God, He has always been
God. The woman believes in Jesus as the
savior and is saved.
(John
4:27) And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the
woman: yet no man said, What seekest
thou? or, Why talkest thou
with her?
The disciples are amazed that Jesus
is speaking to the woman. They, no
doubt, saw Him speaking to her as they approached. They did not question the actions of
Jesus. They did not ask about the
conversation. They perhaps feared
rebuke. They have great respect for
Jesus and would not dare to accuse Him of wrong doing. When a respected man of God seems to be in error those who respect him are slow to
question him and are caused to reflect and study before speaking. The disciples are going to assume that what
Jesus is doing is appropriate and necessary though they do not understand his
actions such is their respect for His knowledge and authority.
There are two questions which they
did not ask but was on their minds. What
seekest thou?
They wanted to ask this question but did not. What is Jesus looking for? What does this woman know that Jesus does
not? Jesus knows everything and does not
need to inquire of men in order to gain knowledge. Jesus has come to seek and to save that which
was lost. The answer to their question
is the lost. He seeks the lost to draw
them to repentance and faith.
The second question is “Why talkest thou with her?”
They wanted to know why Jesus is talking to this woman. What could He possibly accomplish by talking
to this woman? He is talking to her because
it is through hearing the Word of God that men are saved. She must hear in order to be saved. If you will not talk to people and share with
them the Gospel they will not be saved.
The Bible says (1 Cor.
(John
4:28) The woman then left her waterpot, and went her
way into the city, and saith to the men,
The Woman left her waterpot. Her memory
must be like mine. I often forget what I
am supposed to be doing. She had come to
get water but her spiritual thirst has been quenched and she has forgotten all
about her physical needs.
Let us examine the two ways of this
text. There is the way of the disciples
and the way of the woman of
The woman went her way into the
city. Her way was to run and tell every
one about Jesus. Her primary reason for
returning to the city was to tell others about Jesus. Her primary reason for going to the well had
been replaced by a zeal to tell others about
Jesus. She did not want to leave anyone
out. She invited them all to come see a
man who told me everything I have ever done is not this the Christ.
This woman’s way was the way we
ought to go. Believer, when you leave
your house keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to invite the people
you meet to come to Jesus. Our primary
reason for going anywhere should be to share the Gospel to of Jesus Christ with
those who are lost. Jesus told his
mother that “I must be about My Father’s business.” We should also be about God’s business
everywhere we go. Go God’s way not your
own.
(John
4:29) Come, see a man, which told me all things that
ever I did: is not this the Christ?
Jesus is a man. Jesus is God also. He is all man and all God. He is not like any other man who has ever
lived. His love is deeper. His grace is more abundant. His mercy endures longer. His compassions do not fail. His pardon is free. His understanding is complete. His obedience is perfect. His life was without sin. His knowledge has no limits. His ability to save is certain and
unique. There may have been other men
named Jesus but there is no other name but His given among men whereby we must
be saved.
(John
4:30) Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
The men, she spoke to, believed her
words and they came to see Jesus for themselves. Those who would come to God must believe that
He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. My father believed in Jesus and he told me
about Jesus and I believed. Some people
will not believe. They refuse to believe
the things you say about Jesus. I have
told many people about Jesus and I have had many, by their actions, to say that
I have been deceived and that what Jesus has said is not true. These men accepted the testimony of this
woman and came to see if what she said was indeed true. You must experience Jesus for yourself in
order to be saved. You must believe what
the Bible says about Jesus and you must personally trust in Him.
(John
4:39) And many of the Samaritans of that
city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me
all that ever I did.
The verse says many believed because
of the saying of the woman. They
believed her story about Jesus telling her all that ever she did. This woman must have had a reputation for
frankness and honesty. She was probably
the type of person who would tell you the truth without regard for your
feelings. She was most likely known for
honesty even though she had lived an immoral life style. If she had not had a good reputation for
solid honesty and integrity they would not have believed her. This woman was a woman of influence and she
used her influence to invite men to come to Jesus.
(John
4:40) So when the Samaritans were come
unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there
two days.
The Samaritan men come to Jesus and
they begin to ask him questions. What
questions they asked we are not specifically told. I am sure they started with the experience of
the woman. Did Jesus indeed know all
about her? They would soon find that
what she had told was true. It did not
take many questions nor much persuasion, on the part of
Jesus, to convince these men that He was the Christ. They invited Him to come into town and stay a
while for they wanted to hear more of His teaching. Jesus agreed, I
suspect that this was much to the dismay of the disciples.
What can these men learn in two days
with Jesus? Jesus will teach them what
they need to know in order that they might be saved and that they might worship
God acceptably. I suspect that he
explained to them as He had with the woman at the well that true worship is in
spirit and in truth. God wants
repentance and a broken heart He will not despise.
(John
4:41) And many more believed because of his own word;
Many more believed during the two
days that Jesus taught in the city of
I want to remind you here of the
prejudice between Jews and Samaritans.
The disciples were Jews and Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. To spend two days having to eat and sleep
with Samaritans was uncomfortable to say the least for the disciples. Peter, over in the book of acts, reverted to
prejudice by not eating at the same table with gentiles when Jews were
present. The apostle Paul rebuked Peter
for this action. God is not a respecter
of persons.
(John
4:42) And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard
[him] ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the
world.
Here is the idea conveyed by this
verse. The men who heard Jesus teach now
believed because of their own personal experience with Jesus. They had come to Jesus because of the story
they had been told by the woman but now they no longer believe just because of
what she said. They believe because of
what Jesus said. The worst reason to believe
something is because I said it. The best
reason is to believe because God said it.
Their conclusion is exactly
correct. Jesus is the Christ the savior
of men. These men may well have heard
the preaching of John the Baptist and were ready to repent and trust in Jesus
whom John called the Lamb of God.
Conclusion: Believers should always be ready to invite the lost to come to Jesus. This should be the primary purpose of our activities. The lost need to accept God’s invitation to come to Christ for salvation. If you will repent and trust in Jesus He will save you now.