The Gospel of John: Our Deepest Need
The story of the woman at the well.
In this passionate sermon from Pastor Johnathan's summer series on the Gospel of John, he delves into John 4:1-27, examining Jesus's transformative encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Pastor Johnathan begins by emphasizing the importance of the Gospel of John for new believers and how last week's message focused on John the Baptist's crucial lesson that "we must decrease and He must increase."
Moving into Chapter 4, Pastor Johnathan emphasizes that Jesus' journey through Samaria was not merely a path of convenience, but one of radical obedience. He boldly declares that as Christians, we must display "radical obedience to King Jesus" rather than the "radical chaos" seen in society today. This obedience, he insists, is our primary purpose as believers, referencing Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
The sermon explores the historical context of Jewish-Samaritan relations, explaining how Jews typically avoided Samaritans due to centuries of racial and religious hostility. Yet Jesus deliberately waited at Jacob's well to meet this Samaritan woman who came at noon—likely to avoid the judgment and gossip of others. Pastor Johnathan notes that she came with a deep well of heartache, rejection, and shame inside her, but Jesus was waiting to offer her something greater.
With powerful imagery, Pastor Johnathan contrasts the physical water from Jacob's well with the living water Jesus offers—water that "never loses its power, can't be polluted, and constantly refreshes and renews." He points out how Jesus didn't shy away from addressing the woman's troubled past of five failed marriages, yet did so without condemnation. Instead of seeing her for who she was, Jesus saw who she could become—transformed, healed, and "on fire for the Gospel."
The sermon reaches its climax with Jesus' Revelation: "I who speak to you am He"—the moment Jesus declares Himself as the Messiah. This transformative encounter led the woman to leave her water jar behind—symbolically abandoning her old life—to invite others to "come and see" the man who had met her at her deepest need.
Pastor Johnathan concludes by challenging his congregation to allow Jesus to meet them at their deepest needs rather than trying to fill those needs with worldly substitutes. He encourages them not to "rush the moment with Jesus" but to sit with Him and let Him transform their lives as He did for the Samaritan woman. The sermon powerfully illustrates that only Jesus can satisfy our deepest longings and give us true purpose through a lifestyle of worship in spirit and truth.