Encounter with Jesus: An Adulteress is Converted (John 4:1-30; 39-42)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
2 January 2022
This is the story of an adulteress who encountered Jesus. She was a Samaritan, and at that time the Jews and Samaritans had little dealings with each other.
Jesus surprised the woman by asking for water. God springs surprises. Good things can come when you least expect it. When you are despondent the Lord may surprise you with fresh reviving insights from the Bible. When the church is at a low ebb he may surprise by sending revival and awakening.
Jesus creates an initial desire in this woman for spiritual things. He spoke about living water and the woman said “give me this water.” Her sinful life had brought no happiness. Sin fakes happiness but never satisfies. She desired something more meaningful than what she had. But her desire was not like the desire of the Philippian jailor who said what “must I do to be saved” (Acts 16:30). The woman may have uttered what she said tauntingly.
This is probably why Jesus seemed to change the subject and asked the woman to bring her husband to him.
Jesus exposes the woman's deepest secrets. Nothing can be hid from Jesus. The woman said she had no husband. She was lying. People in adultery live a life of lies. But Jesus exposes this woman by saying she has had five husbands.
Adultery is the lusting after someone else's spouse and the committing of illicit sex. But on a deeper level adultery is the violating of an agreement. The first adultery was committed in the Garden of Eden when the first couple lusted after the forbidden fruit, tasted it, and thus broke the covenant with God. In Eden there was a marriage between God and the first couple. This covenant was shattered by adultery.
In the dialogue with the Samaritan woman Jesus began talking about a coming worship which would be in spirit and truth.
He was talking about a new covenant which he would establish. He would bring about a new marriage. His church would be the bride. He would be the groom. By his death and resurrection Jesus would bring into being a new people. Jesus will restore the marriage between God and his people who will have the law of God written in their hearts. Adultery will never again break a marriage.
Jesus dealt compassionately with adulterers. He did so here. On another occasion he told a woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more (John 8:11). There is forgiveness available for adulterers and not only adulterers but all sinners. This is the gospel. This is what the Samaritan woman heard.
The woman is overwhelmed by the fact that Jesus told her everything she had done in her life. She rushes to tell other people and they in turn, by encountering Jesus, come to believe that he is the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
This narrative is about an adulteress who is converted and through her witness many people come to believe that Jesus is the Saviour of the world, the one who brings into being a new relationship in which the Lord indwells his people.