This is part 2 of 3 in the I Choose sermonlink series. Find this and other pursueGOD.org sermons on YouTube here.
Have you ever taken the time to ask yourself, “What am I thirsty for? Am I thirsty for acceptance, love, marriage, kids, forgiveness, money, safety, position, pleasure, or respect?” How are you attempting to quench your thirst? Are you seeking to satisfy your thirst on your own? Let’s see what we can learn by looking at a person who is trying to quench her thirst.
John 4:5-7 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water…
The story will make it clear that this woman had quite a bad reputation. No one in town would have anything to do with her. Why? She was a serial seducer and a homewrecker. So as she went to the well alone, during the worst part of the day in blistering heat, she was thirsty and in need of water.
We All Struggle with Something
The Bible doesn’t tell us how this woman ended up this way. We do know that all of us, like her, are good at hiding. People we meet everyday are hiding secrets that are wrecking their lives. In fact, how are you doing? What is really going on in your life? Are you thirsty but you don’t know how to quench your thirst?
[Related: Learning to Embrace Hardships]
Jesus Risks a Lot to Care for Thirsty People
It was forbidden for a religious leader to talk with a woman in public. Yet Jesus did.
John 4:7-9 Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink…” The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
This is actually an astonishing request on behalf of Jesus. Some Jewish religious leaders would not even look at a woman in public. More than that, Jesus was speaking to a woman with a bad reputation, a sinner. Now, consider this amazing reality: if Jesus was willing to take those steps for her, maybe he would do the very same thing for you!
Jesus Can Satisfy a Thirsty Heart
The truth is, this woman is us and we are her. Just like us, she is thirsty and trying to fill a void in her life. Yet she can’t because she is trying to fill it by herself, and with the wrong things. This is not a new problem. It’s a challenge every person must confront, including you and me.
We all have “wells” that we go to to quench our thirst. We drink from the well of pleasure, possessions, power, or position – only to need more. We have to keep coming back to the well because our wells keep leaving us thirsty, empty, and dry.
[Related: Make Sure You Get Jesus Right]
Jesus lets this woman know that he has a different kind of water that will satisfy her thirst forever.
John 4:10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
Jesus offers himself to be that spring of fresh, flowing water that will satisfy her heart. Other people only wanted to bring her rejection, shame, and scorn. God wants to bring this woman a gift – if she only knew. Jesus is more than enough to satisfy this woman’s spiritual needs.
Drink Christ’s Living Water to Satisfy Your Thirst
Jesus does not want us to be on spiritual life support from dehydration. He doesn’t want us to keep trying to fill our wells by ourselves with things that never satisfy. He wants us to live full, satisfied lives in him. The only way for this to happen is for us to drink “living water.” He wants us to drink from him.
John 7:37-39 Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.”
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- How would you fill in this blank? If I just had __________ I would be satisfied?
- Do you find yourself longing more for material things, emotional things, or things related to relationships?
- Why was it such a surprise that Jesus would travel through Samaria and talk to a Samaritan woman? What does that say about Jesus?
- Read Jeremiah 2:13. What is God saying that his people have done? Can you identify some ways that you also do this? Why do you think filling our lives with other things, even good things, might be offensive to God?
- Read Philippians 4:19. What does this verse say about our needs? Can you identify any attitudes or behaviors that prevent you from experiencing this?
- Read John 4:10-14. What type of water was Jesus talking about? What do you think would be different in the Samaritan woman’s life if she knew the gift God had for her?
- Comment on this quote by Corrie Ten Boom, “You may never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have.”
- Jesus went into a despised area to offer living water to the Samaritan woman. Think of the people at your work, school or neighborhood. How do you see them trying to fill their “God shaped vacuum”?
- How could you be involved in leading people to Jesus, the only one who truly satisfies?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
