_When therefore the Lord knew_
THE FIRST VISIT TO SAMARIA
I. THE STORY ITSELF.
1. The memorable halt (Jean 4:1).
2. The surprising request (Jean 4:7).
3. The opened vista (Jean 4:10).
4. The proud reminiscence (Jean 4:11).
5. The perennial fountain (Jean 4:13).
6. The weary request (Jean 4:1... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me?_
--It is remarkable that while the Samaritan woman here is taunting the
Lord with being a Jew, the Jews, in a somewhat similar passage, charge
Him with being a Samaritan (Jean 8:48). (_G. J. Brown, M. A._)
ASKEST AND SAITH
There is a singular... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_If thou knewest the gift of God _
WAYSIDE OPPORTUNITIES
I. THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE OF WAYSIDE OPPORTUNITIES. Speaking
after the ordinary manner this transaction was accidental; apparently
unpremeditated on the part of Christ, unexpected on the part of the
woman.
1. We go into transaction... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the Well is deep_
THE WOMAN’S FIRST REJOINDER
I. It is the property of natural men to take up spiritual things in a
carnal way, and they are not able to discern grace till they have it;
for, so doth this woman understand Christ, as if He were speaking of
elemen... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not._
THE THIRST OF LIFE AND ITS SATISFACTION IN CHRIST
I. The poor sinful heart--astray and deceived--UNSATISFIED.
II. The soul led aright and brought to itself by repentance--BEGINNING
TO BE SATISFIED.
III. The soul transformed into purity and blessed li... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Go, call thy husband, and come hither._
Whence learn
1. As grace is little known or esteemed of so long as we know not our
misery, so, where the offer of mercy doth not persuade, Christ will
discover their misery to make them either come quickly to Him, or else
resolve on hell; for, therefore, af... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet_
PERSONAL PREACHING
General discourses are like the beams of the sun dispersed in the air;
they may warm us a little, but that is all.
Conviction is like a burning glass, that gathers all the beams into
one point or centre, and fastens them upon the soul, a... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Our fathers worshipped in this mountain_
THE ADVENT OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO THE HEATHEN
This is the first mission to the heathen.
I. Our Lord’s MISSIONARY METHOD. He tries to excite in the woman a
longing for something higher than the life she was living. In order to
do this He touches her cons... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Ye worship ye know not what_
THE TRUE WORSHIP
I. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SAMARITANS AND THE JEWS.
1. Samaritan worship was offered in ignorance. They were little better
qualified than the Athenians. Rejecting the prophets, their faith
rested on tradition, and was given up to superstition. As... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers_
WORSHIP
I. ITS GROUNDS OR REASONS.
1. The perfection of the Divine character. “God is a Spirit.”
These words are
(1) A mystery, because spirit, like matter, is unknown to us in its
essence. We are acquainted with some of the sensible prope... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_God is a Spirit, and they that worship Hill must worship Him in
spirit and in truth_
GOD IS A SPIRIT
There are two ways of knowing and describing God--Affirmatively, which
ascribes to Him whatever is excellent; Negatively, which separates
from Him whatever is imperfect.
The first is like a paint... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_I know that Messias cometh … I… am He_
SECOND EVASION AND REPLY
The stricken deer tries once more to wrench the arrow from the wound;
the wanderer thus caught amid the entangling thorns makes yet one
other effort to escape the pursuing shepherd; the bold transgressor,
unable to discuss these high... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And upon this_
SOWING AND REAPING
I. WITH A SOLITARY PUPIL.
1. Face-to-face work (Jean 4:27, Jean 1:42, Jean 21:16; Actes 3:4;
Actes 9:5).
2. The convert’s message (Jean 4:29; Matthieu 9:31; Marc 5:20, Marc
7:36;... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_The woman left her waterpot, and went her way into the city_
A WOMAN’S ZEAL
I. THE ENGROSSING NATURE OF CONVERSION.
1. To meet Christ causes ordinary events to shrink into
insignificance. Paul for three days did “neither eat nor drink.”
Bunyan “ran about the streets distracted.” Fuller was “so m... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Come see a Man which told me all things whatever I did: __IS NOT THIS
THE CHRIST?_
Christ and modern scepticism
This judgment on the claims of Christ is the verdict of common sense
in contrast to that of Nicodemus, which was the verdict of
scholarship. It is for learned men to study for us the qu... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Say not ye there are yet four months and then cometh harvest_
THE SPIRITUAL CULTURE OF THE WORLD
Not unfrequently does the Bible represent the great work of the moral
reformation of the world by that of husbandry.
I. THE SERVANTS OF GOD SHOULD EARNESTLY SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE SPIRITUAL... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Many more believed, because of His word, and said … This is indeed
the Christ._
CHRISTIANITY ADAPTED TO MAN’S MORAL CONSTITUTION
The counterpart of this narrative at a missionary station may easily
be imagined. The Missionary says, “Come, learn the missionary
doctrine which has made me happy. I k... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Now we believe not because of thy saying:__ WE HAVE HEARD HIM
OUR__selves_
THE SAMARITAN’S CONFESSION OF FAITH
I. THE PERSONS FROM WHOM IT CAME. Samaritans out of the covenant, with
imperfect notions of God and the Spirit of His worship, yet they were
so captivated by Christ’s teachings that they... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And after two days He departed thence, and went into Galilee_
MORAL USEFULNESS
I. MAN MAY DO MUCH GOOD WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD. TWO days Jesus spent in
Samaria, and what did He accomplish?
1. He broke up religious monotony.
2. Set minds thinking.
3. Won many to His cause.
4. Sowed truth that ha... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum_
THE SECOND MIRACLE AT CANA
Who shall persuade us that we have not here a true story?
I. Notice SOME OF ITS LESS OBVIOUS POINTS.
1. Mark the word “for” in verse 44. He went into His own country
because there was no honour for Him ther... [ Continuer la lecture ]