Introduction
Kingdom = God’s Rule, God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven, God’s Shalom, it is God’s dreams being realised for the world, Jesus says this kingdom rule is available now through me, so change and believe it, be part of it. A fresh start was needed he said to Nicodemus, because God loves the world so much, far more that we realise. This is illustrated in John 4 and the encounter with the Samaritan woman. Perhaps you have heard the story about the bride and groom who ordered their wedding cake and requested a particular scripture verse written on the top with frosting. It was to be 1 John 4:18 - "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." Unfortunately the baker didn’t know the Bible all that well, and put on John 4:18 - "You have had five husbands and the one you have now is not your husband..."
This incident stands in stark contrast to the one with Nicodemus – the contrast in Jesus day was quite shocking. We look at John 3 & 4 and think nothing of it. One conversation is with a respected leader of the nation, a member of God’s elite – the next is with to put it politely a lady of poor reputation, a member of a half-breed race despised by the Jews. Today the contrast is greater than Jesus one minute talking to a Bishop and the next to an illegal immigrant who is also a prostitute.
This is compounded in the contrasting way Jesus deals with them. In one sense it is really rather shocking. Jesus appears to deal harshly with the good guy and gently with the bad one! One he tells has to start all over again if he even wants to see the Kingdom, yet the other he offers living water. It’s as if Jesus is saying the good, religious guy is a long way from the Kingdom. The sinner is offered living water and eternal life which as we saw last time is the Kingdom. It was shocking that Jesus even went through Samaria, to set foot in that place could render you unclean. In Jesus day sin was regarded as a contagious disease. This woman was drawing water in the heat of the day because to do otherwise would have meant exposing herself to abuse. John in writing his Gospel was no doubt aware of this contrast and is telling us something significant about Jesus and his message, that was and is revolutionary….
1. Jesus sees sinners as thirsty people
Jesus knew this woman, the Holy Spirit clearly revealed to him the details of her life. The Pharisees wouldn’t have gone near her. Today some Christians might have told her if she didn’t repent she would go to hell, others might take her to task on her sexual immorality. Jesus asked for a glass of water and ended up offering her living water. To him she and others like her were just thirsty people looking in the wrong places, who weren’t actually that far from God’s Kingdom. I wonder if that is how we see sinners in our society today. You just have to see some Christian’s attitudes to homosexuals; they are an “abomination”. They are going to hell. Look at this picture of some Christians protesting against homosexuals. Don’t get me wrong, sin is sin, but Jesus sees the sin as a symptom of a deep thirst. Many when they realise that real life is found in may follow. The religious ones are the hard nuts, inflexible and convinced they are right, theirs is the way. Jesus turned people’s perceptions and ideas upside down. I believe that he will, if we let him, do that to us.
When Jesus looks at people involved in sexual sin, materialism, greed, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, striving for success – he sighs and sees thirsty people and would say to us as he did to his disciples the fields are ripe (4:35). People are thirsty for love, for fulfilment, satisfaction, peace, happiness, meaning and purpose. Maybe we are too – some of us may be thirsty. It’s one reason why Christians fall into sin, get greedy, are workaholics and many other things.
2. Jesus offers living water
Jesus said he offered living water. Apparently Jesus used a phrase that simply meant fresh, running water, natural spring water rather than the stuff you get from a well. His kingdom is like the difference between stagnant water compared to natural spring water. This water bubbles up to eternal life, abundant, real life, it is his Kingdom life. John is giving us another picture of the kingdom of God. His kingdom, his eternal life like living water for thirsty people – it satisfies, it fulfils, and it doesn’t leave you thirsty.
Jesus was saying you will find what you are looking for in life by following me. The kingdom rule of God is like living water, it is like a glass of cold water on a baking hot day when you are really thirsty. It refreshes, it satisfies. Because it is as we follow Jesus we find the secret of living life. If we are following him then we have the key to successful relationships and living. God made us to need relationships, but it is as we follow Jesus and learn what it means to really love others that we find true fulfilment in them. God made us as sexual beings. But it is as we follow Jesus that we can really learn to give ourselves to another body and soul. He made us so that we need work. But it is as we follow Jesus and find his purpose for us that we can be fulfilled from work without becoming a workaholic. God made us so we need material possessions, but as we trust him we learn that life is about far more than possessions, and then we can actually enjoy the things we have without the craving for more and more. We find as we follow Jesus that as we actually give our lives away, as we seek to be a blessing to others we find fulfilment. We can enjoy all that life has to offer because we are enjoying life as we follow Jesus. We all need this living water, this fulfilment and satisfaction and peace and joy. So where are you thirsty? Where are you feeling unsatisfied? Where are you felling tempted? Where are you driven? Are you a workaholic, shopaholic? Because these things are often symptoms of thirst and we need to discover more of the living water of God’s rule in our lives.
3. Jesus is looking for authentic followers
Jesus finishes the conversation with this lady as she tries to change the subject and focuses on a major area of disagreement with Jews and Samaritans, here or at Jerusalem. Jesus says the time has come when God’s kingdom is not focussed on a physical temple. Jesus was saying where is no longer going to be the issue but how - In spirit and truth.
God is looking for people who will follow him in spirit and truth. What does that mean? It is not about style of worship; Jesus was not talking about whether you use liturgy, songs, hymns, and styles of meeting. He was talking about what it means to follow him, the way we live our lives. – MESSAGE “23 But the time is coming - it has, in fact, come - when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. 24 God is sheer being itself - Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."
If we are to find the living water that satisfies, if we are to be people of God’s Kingdom then we need to be genuine followers of Jesus, genuine worshippers
SPIRIT – worship must be genuine, not about outward things, but from the whole person, heart and soul, and in
TRUTH – truthfulness, faithfulness, trustworthiness
It is about following Jesus wholeheartedly, honestly, being an authentic disciple of Jesus. That’s what I’m interested in. I am not interested in playing church, in religious meetings and trappings. I am not interested in denominational differences, protestant, Catholic, orthodox – I want to be and want to join with those who want to be an authentic follower of Jesus of Nazareth. Next week we’re going to see what happened when Jesus returned from his trip to Jerusalem and preached the Sermon on the Mount back in Galilee, because there it is fleshed out what it means to be a genuine follower of Jesus.
Conclusion
Today we need to realise God loves Samaritans and sinners, Muslims and Hindus, homosexuals and adulterers, the world. He sees thirsty people who need the living water of his kingdom to satisfy their thirsty souls. He is looking for people to follow his Son Jesus with all their hearts and souls and in doing that find the key to life. I want to ask you to commit yourself to not just be a Christian, but being an authentic follower of Jesus.
