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Making the Most of Every Opportunity
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Making the Most of Every Opportunity
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Good morning. Today we're looking at John 4, verses 4-42, and specifically at how we can share our Christian story with those around us. The question before us is simple: Why should we share our story? And more importantly, how do we do it faithfully?
We all recommend things we love, don't we? We tell others about the restaurant we've just visited and really enjoyed. We've just watched a TV show that's really good, and everyone else should watch it. Or we've just read a gripping book and everyone else should really not miss out.
You want good coffee? You go to Applebee's. We tell people about it all the time. It's the best spot in town. We love sharing our positive experiences with family and friends. We do it naturally.
But truth be told—and I know this from my own experience—I find it really easy to share a film or an experience, but much, much harder to share Jesus. It's much harder to share what he's been doing in my life this week, or just in general.
I think it's a question for all of us to reflect on: When is the last time you've shared Jesus in conversation? Whether that's been what he's teaching you at the moment, or what he has done for you in your life.
Perhaps we worry we don't have the right words to say, or we don't have the vocabulary. Perhaps we can't answer questions in the right way. Or perhaps you think your story, your testimony, isn't exciting enough.
But here in John 4, we see that evangelism—sharing Jesus—is much simpler than we think. It just begins with one person saying, "Come and see."
This morning, I want all of us here who trust in Jesus to know this: Each of you has a story worth sharing. All of us are enabled to share our testimony. We would feel able to share what the Lord Jesus has done for us in our lives and how he's changed it for the better. That we can say to our friends and colleagues this week, "Come and see Jesus. Come and see the man who knows me and has changed everything."
And that's exactly what we see in today's passage. We see the first evangelist in John's Gospel. And she isn't an apostle or even a preacher. We don't even know her name. She is simply an unnamed woman. And yet God uses her and her story to bring about a spiritual harvest of souls.
Let's look at where we find ourselves. Jesus is on his way from Judea to Galilee. The quickest route through Galilee was straight through Samaria. But often, most Jews wouldn't have taken this route. They would have gone the long way around, either east or west.
Why on earth would they do something so illogical? Because Samaria was full of Samaritans. And Jews and Samaritans did not get on, to say the least. They were great rivals.
They were ethnically and religiously similar, yet different in key areas. The Samaritans were descendants of the northern tribes who had separated from Judah, and they had intermarried with surrounding nations like Assyria. So they were seen by the Jews as half-breeds, not quite Jewish.
But they were not just physically compromised in Jewish eyes—they were spiritually compromised as well. They had rejected much of the Jewish Old Testament. They had their own version of the Torah, and they rejected Jerusalem as the place of worship. Instead, they looked to their own mountain, Gerizim, in Samaria as the legitimate place of worship.
So you had two culturally and ethnically similar people living side by side who absolutely hated each other. A dispute that went on for centuries.
Yet here we have a peacemaker who bridges the divide: the Lord Jesus, a Jew, who deliberately takes the direct route through enemy territory. He arrives at Sychar and crosses every known social, cultural, and religious boundary to speak with this lonely Samaritan woman.
But this isn't a chance encounter. Jesus already knows her. He knows her story, and he intends to use her to reveal who he is. Jesus isn't just the Messiah for the Jews, but for the Samaritans, too. In fact, he's the savior of the whole world. The son of David is coming to unite the once-divided peoples of Israel. And remarkably, he begins that journey with one unnamed woman at a well.
We don't know much about her except some key details, but Jesus knows her whole story intimately. That's the first thing I want us to see this morning: Jesus knows her story, and he knows your story as well.
The conversation begins at Jacob's well—a well significant to both Jews and Samaritans, as Jacob was their common ancestor. But sitting now at Jacob's well is someone far, far greater than Jacob.
Jesus asked the woman for a drink. He's had a long journey and is surely parched. But she's shocked:
"You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (John 4:9)
She's surprised for two reasons. First, he's a Jew and she's a Samaritan. Second, he's a man and she's a woman speaking privately—two taboos being crossed. But Jesus really isn't interested in keeping cultural taboos or conventions. He's interested in saving sinners. And so he crosses every barrier to speak to this woman.
Jesus begins the conversation around water—we're at a well, after all. But then he brings the conversation to something even greater:
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
Jesus is pointing out that physical water is not enough. Physical satisfaction is not enough. But she needs—all of us need—deep spiritual life and satisfaction. He's offering her and all of us eternal life in him.
If we want satisfaction for the soul, we need the Messiah. We need the Christ. And the person she needs is sitting right in front of her.
But to help her see her deep need, Jesus gently and lovingly exposes her:
"Go, call your husband."
Of course, Jesus already knows the answer. The woman replies that she has no husband. But then he shows that he knows everything about her:
"You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you've had five husbands. And the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is quite true." (John 4:17-18)
Imagine how she would have felt. This strange Jewish man who she's never met knows her deepest, darkest secrets. He knows about her failures, her failed relationships, her shame of living with a partner.
We can tell she feels deep shame from key clues in the text. What time of day is she going to get water? It's noon, midday. Women in the ancient Near East would normally collect water in the early morning or late evening when it was cool. No one wants to do physical labor when it's 40 degrees at midday.
This woman comes alone at the hardest part of the day because she likely wants to avoid everyone else. She's probably become the talk of the town and feels like an outcast.
For years, she's been seeking satisfaction in all the wrong places. Perhaps she's been treated unfairly by her previous husbands, divorced unjustly. Now she's given up on marriage entirely, living with a man outside of marriage. Still trying to find some kind of satisfaction in a relationship.
She's thirsty, but not just physically—spiritually. She wants meaning for her broken life. But everywhere else she's gone has left her thirsty time and time again. Man after man has let her down.
And then she meets the Man. Jesus has come—a man to offer her true, lasting satisfaction.
He doesn't expose her in order to shame her. He exposes her so that she will see her need of him, and so that she will know that he knows her story. He hasn't come to drive her away, but he has come to seek her out, to draw her in.
It's as though Jesus is saying to her—and all of us: "I know exactly who you are. I know every chapter of your story, even the messy bits. And I have come for people just like you. I want you to know me. I want you to have eternal life."
And the Lord Jesus says that to all of us, irrespective of how messy or shameful our past is. Isn't that remarkable?
The Lord Jesus knows your story and he wants you. He knows your past. He knows your guilt. He knows the shame you've carried for years. He knows the struggles you're going through right now that no one else sees. He knows the sins you hope nobody else discovers.
Nothing about your life surprises him. Nothing at all.
If you were in this woman's situation and you met Jesus and he said all this, you would feel exposed. You would want to run away.
Imagine if one Sunday you came into church and everything on the slideshow behind me showed everything you've ever thought, said, or done. How would you feel? I know I would want to run out those doors and never show my face again. I would be embarrassed and ashamed of all the stupid mistakes I've ever made.
But the good news is two-fold. First, that's not happening, thank the Lord. But second, and more importantly, the Lord Jesus has seen every slide of your life and hasn't driven you out. The opposite.
The Lord Jesus has seen every bit of your life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. And instead of drawing away from you, he's drawn to you. He has sought you out. He says to all of us this morning: "I know exactly who you are and I have come for people like you. I want you."
All of us really are in a smart moment. All of us have stories that are messy and not straightforward. Jesus knows them, every detail. But the good news is he doesn't condemn us. And he didn't condemn her.
If we haven't had that relief this morning, if we don't know Jesus, if we haven't brought our burdens to him, maybe this morning could be the first time you do that. Have the slate wiped clean. Give your life to Jesus. He knows you and he wants you. Because he sees your problem and he offers himself for you. He will satisfy your soul and quench your thirst.
All of us have a story, and we may not think our story is glamorous or exciting, but we all have one. And if you are trusting in Jesus this morning, then you have a story that is miraculous. You have a story of being brought from death to life. You have a resurrection story, and that is always worth sharing. Because it's a miracle.
The woman realizes that this Jesus knows her story and concludes that he must be from God. He must be a prophet of some kind. Then she mentions how the Messiah is coming and he will explain all these things—he will settle the disputes between Jew and Samaritan.
But Jesus makes everything clear to her. He clears it all up:
"I, the one speaking to you, I am he." (John 4:26)
Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Christ. She is the one she's been waiting for. He is the one who can offer her true and lasting satisfaction. It's in Jesus that her story is made complete.
The Lord Jesus loves sick, sinful, and broken lives that are messy and makes them beautiful in him.
And what is her response? She's excited. She wants everyone to know about it. She wants to share Jesus. She shares her story, and so should we.
At this point, the disciples come back and they are shocked at what they're seeing. Jesus is talking to a woman alone—not appropriate in that conservative context. They're gobsmacked by it, but they say nothing. They keep it in their heads.
But the woman, however, doesn't close her lips. She goes and speaks. Her priorities are so different from theirs. The disciples just want to get lunch and get out of dodge as soon as possible. But this woman wants to go and share Jesus with all her neighbors.
She leaves her jar behind. Getting water and her daily tasks no longer matter. Jesus and who he is is now the most important thing in her life. She goes into the streets to the people who've scorned her and judged her for years.
And there she shares her testimony:
"Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" (John 4:29)
The Samaritan woman knows her neighbors already know her scandal. But they don't know Jesus. Therefore this woman becomes the most effective evangelist. Scores of people come out of the town to seek out Jesus. Who is this man? Is he indeed the Messiah?
This woman masterfully uses her story as a tool—a tool to point people not to herself, but to the man who knows her. To point them to Jesus.
What an example this is to all of us here this morning. We should use our story not to point to ourselves, but to point to Jesus.
Our stories are testimonies. When we share them, they don't have to be elaborate or masterfully crafted. It can be as simple as:
If we are trusting in Jesus here this morning, all of us have that story. Every Christian has a story worth sharing. You have a story because you have Jesus, and he is always worth sharing.
I remember as a teenager, I would often go to youth rallies or evangelistic events. Very often they would get someone at the front who had a really gripping story. Many of them are very powerful and moving. But looking back, I don't think they're always helpful.
It is encouraging to hear that the former paramilitary turned evangelist, or the former drug dealer now dealing tracts in the streets instead of drugs—these are great stories. But sitting there as a 15-year-old, I'm like, "Well, my story isn't that exciting. Like, I could never do that. Mine isn't that cool."
Very often we make testimonies, and the main point isn't really Jesus, but the story itself. What's happened. People can make a competition of who has the most gripping and thrilling story. "I need a story like Paul's road to Damascus. That will really win people over," we think.
The fact is, that's wrong. Every story is worth sharing because it's worth sharing if it points people to Jesus. That's what makes it worthwhile.
If he is the main character in the story we share, then people will know the person they need to go to to make their stories complete.
Testimonies the Lord uses, and does continue to use, to bring people to conversion. Don't sell yourself short. The Lord could use it to save someone.
Not just that—I think often we think testimonies are things for non-Christians. But I think we all need to hear testimonies all the time. They're encouraging.
Christians need to hear other Christians' stories. It's an encouragement to me and to others when I hear people Jesus has the same someone else—that helps me, too. Stories of God's grace and sustainment are encouragement, reminding me and everyone else of who to look to when tough times come.
Think of Job or Elijah—many who wanted to die, but the Lord kept them. These stories are powerful because they speak to our own experience. They give us hope for perseverance. If they can do it, why can't I?
So let me ask you: Don't only share your story with your non-Christian friends, but share it with your Christian brothers and sisters, too. They all need it.
Share how Jesus has shaped your life—the day you first met him, but also every day since, how he's been with you in the good times and the bad. It can help others keep looking to Jesus.
Share your story of how Jesus sustained you through depression, how he was there for you when you lost that job or relationship, when you got that diagnosis. These are testimonies of God's grace and love. Don't hide them from others.
I know from my own experience that testimonies can be really, really encouraging.
When I was 16 years old, I had pretty much flunked from school. I had failed most of my GCSEs. I was out of education and employment. Very few prospects. I was rattled with anxiety and low moods, going to CAMHS. Prospects were not good. At that point, I thought: Is Jesus really there? Is he worth following? It was a low point.
Why did I share that? Not for sympathy—everything's worked out fine since, clearly. I share that because of someone else. When I was in that pit, someone else pointed me to Jesus.
At that time I was doing a one-to-one with a guy in his 20s, a youth worker. We were in the Bible together, but he had suffered very similarly to me. He was someone who battled intense mental health struggles and self-harm. And he didn't hide that—he actually spoke of that story. But more so, he spoke of Jesus: how Jesus spoke to him and loved him through that.
He shared his story of Jesus' love for him, and I could relate to him. Crucially, he showed me Jesus and how he speaks into every circumstance. He didn't point me to him, but he pointed me to the one who is good.
He used his story, his experience, to speak the words of Jesus. He showed me that it's by God's grace alone that we go on—nothing of our own effort or feelings. That even in our worst circumstances, from a human perspective, God is still good. And he is for us.
I want all of us to do the exact same thing. Share your story. Bless others through your story. Share your story to remind others that Jesus is for weary and weak sinners. It's okay to feel weary in the Christian walk. That is normal.
All of us are called to do this. Use your experiences to share Jesus on the first day of your Christian walk and every day since. Say to others:
"Come and see the man who was with me in every storm and trial. Come and see the man."
The Lord delights to use our stories to build up the church and grow it.
That's exactly what we see in the following verses. He enlarges the church through a spiritual harvest, through the sharing of testimonies and stories.
In verses 31 to 38, the disciples are really confused. Why are they still dithering about in Samaria? They just want to get lunch and go. But Jesus explains that true food is found spiritually.
He has a conversation with them, a cultural dialogue, and he quotes a local saying to them:
"Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35)
Clearly people used that as a phrase to say, "Well, there's always more time, presumably." But Jesus says that saying is dead wrong. The time for harvest is right now.
At this point they probably looked around saying, "Well, no, they're not. It's still four months or whatever." But he wasn't talking about literal wheat. He was talking about the Samaritans. There are people who don't know Jesus, and therefore the field is open. Go and share the good news. Go and reap.
You see, if you look out at the field of the city of London, it is ripe. If you look at the field of your family and your colleagues in your workplace, that field is ripe and ready for spiritual harvest.
Jesus is teaching the disciples and us an important lesson: We must be laborers in the mission field. The Lord will, and does, use us to reap a spiritual harvest.
And that's a great encouragement for all of us, because he speaks about how people will often labor but someone else will reap the benefit. Perhaps you have labored for years and years with someone who doesn't yet know Jesus. And yet tomorrow someone else will come along and reap the benefit. They say one word and that person comes to saving faith.
Or you could be that person. You could be the answer to someone's prayer. You witness to someone and they come to know Jesus, and years and decades of prayer comes true.
The Lord Jesus says, "You are ready to go and harvest people."
We need to see the need for evangelism. We need to see the need of people coming to saving faith in Jesus. If you want to be good evangelists, we need to see that there's a need and speak.
This woman gets busy. She knows she needs to share Jesus, and she goes and tells. She isn't a full-time ministry member or staff but a new believer. Which just shows us that you don't have to be a Christian professional or someone who's been a Christian for 10+ years. You can be a Christian on day one and be an evangelist.
All of us can share Jesus. So get on with the harvest. Labor away in the mission field that you operate in each day.
The priority that Jesus wants us to have is to be busy about his work. We're invited, like the disciples, don't get distracted by bread or lunch—go and do his work. Because when we share our story, it doesn't bring glory to ourselves, but it points people to Jesus.
And we see where this leads when the woman does that: It leads to revival.
The first revival that we read about in John isn't of Jews, but foreigners. The whole town is swept up. Who is this Jesus? Her story points people to Jesus, and his words save.
"Many of the Samaritans from the town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did.' So, when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words, many more became believers." (John 4:39-41)
People's interests are piqued. Some are saved then, but many more come. And because of that, many are saved.
It's interesting—some believed because of her words initially, and many more believed because of his words. The Lord Jesus used many means and ways to bring people to conversion, but it always centers on him. He's the common denominator in all stories.
So when you share your story, you're pointing people to Jesus' words, and it's his words that bring life.
Don't feel like people can only be converted through a 3-2-1 course or Christianity Explored, as good as they are. It can happen gradually as you meet someone one-to-one and just share how Jesus worked in your life.
That's what the Spirit does in this woman. He uses her words to bring the words of Jesus, which bring life. Therefore, all of us should keep doing that.
Maybe you're doing that already, so I just say well done, keep going. If that's something you struggle to do, then let this be the encouragement to step out in faith. Point people to the words of Jesus. Point people to the words of life.
Notice whose words give confidence that he is the Messiah. It's his words:
"They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.'" (John 4:42)
When we share our stories, our testimonies, it's not our words that save—which is actually really, really good. Because if that were the case, that would be a massive burden on all of us. We would worry about getting the right words and saying the right things in the right way. Eventually, we'd be crippled into inaction, thinking it's on us to do it in the right way to save people.
But that isn't the case. Our words are imperfect. We blather. We mumble words. But the good thing is that the Lord Jesus uses feeble and imperfect words to point to the one perfect person who has perfect words.
When we share our story of how God has saved us and how he's gotten us through the trials of this life, it's the words of Jesus that come through and save, not our own.
He is the harvester of the mission field, but we have the privilege of being hired as fellow workers—his farmhands. The Holy Spirit will use your words to speak Jesus's words. He can, and does, speak words of life to those willing to listen.
As I draw to a close, I just want all of us to be encouraged to be like this woman. Don't have perfect words. Don't have perfect confidence. Just share Jesus, and his words will do the work.
You have an amazing story worth sharing because you have an amazing Savior. You've been given eternal life. And not only that, you've been given a close friend who's with you at the beginning, middle, and end. Why wouldn't you want to tell others about that great friend you have?
It is far greater than The Odyssey or any coffee shop. It's far more amazing than a sports team. He is the Savior of the world. Share him.
Say to your colleague: "Come and see the man who has known everything I've ever done and yet has loved me anyway." Speak of the man who was there for you when no one else was. Speak of the man who was there for you when everyone else let you down.
Why? Not to bring ourselves glory or pity, but because the field is ripe for harvest. There are many people, people that you love, that need to hear the words of Jesus. If you love your friends, if you love your colleagues, if you truly do, you must share Jesus with them. Because that is true love—to share the best thing in the universe.
Because only if they hear his words will they receive life. Share your story so that others can hear of Jesus.
Jesus has sent you out as a disciple into the harvest field. So don't be shy or awkward. Well, actually, do be awkward, but just get over it. It's okay. Lord Jesus is with you. Nothing about you makes you unqualified or unsuitable to share Jesus.
Because all of us have been invited in.
Look to this woman's example. She left her jar behind. She left her life behind and said, "Come and see."
Share your story so that others can come and see the Savior who knows you and knows them, who has loved us before we even deserved it. Share your story so others can hear his words and come to saving faith in him.
Good morning. Today we're looking at John 4, verses 4-42, and specifically at how we can share our Christian story with those around us. The question before us is simple: Why should we share our story? And more importantly, how do we do it faithfully?
We all recommend things we love, don't we? We tell others about the restaurant we've just visited and really enjoyed. We've just watched a TV show that's really good, and everyone else should watch it. Or we've just read a gripping book and everyone else should really not miss out.
You want good coffee? You go to Applebee's. We tell people about it all the time. It's the best spot in town. We love sharing our positive experiences with family and friends. We do it naturally.
But truth be told—and I know this from my own experience—I find it really easy to share a film or an experience, but much, much harder to share Jesus. It's much harder to share what he's been doing in my life this week, or just in general.
I think it's a question for all of us to reflect on: When is the last time you've shared Jesus in conversation? Whether that's been what he's teaching you at the moment, or what he has done for you in your life.
Perhaps we worry we don't have the right words to say, or we don't have the vocabulary. Perhaps we can't answer questions in the right way. Or perhaps you think your story, your testimony, isn't exciting enough.
But here in John 4, we see that evangelism—sharing Jesus—is much simpler than we think. It just begins with one person saying, "Come and see."
This morning, I want all of us here who trust in Jesus to know this: Each of you has a story worth sharing. All of us are enabled to share our testimony. We would feel able to share what the Lord Jesus has done for us in our lives and how he's changed it for the better. That we can say to our friends and colleagues this week, "Come and see Jesus. Come and see the man who knows me and has changed everything."
And that's exactly what we see in today's passage. We see the first evangelist in John's Gospel. And she isn't an apostle or even a preacher. We don't even know her name. She is simply an unnamed woman. And yet God uses her and her story to bring about a spiritual harvest of souls.
Let's look at where we find ourselves. Jesus is on his way from Judea to Galilee. The quickest route through Galilee was straight through Samaria. But often, most Jews wouldn't have taken this route. They would have gone the long way around, either east or west.
Why on earth would they do something so illogical? Because Samaria was full of Samaritans. And Jews and Samaritans did not get on, to say the least. They were great rivals.
They were ethnically and religiously similar, yet different in key areas. The Samaritans were descendants of the northern tribes who had separated from Judah, and they had intermarried with surrounding nations like Assyria. So they were seen by the Jews as half-breeds, not quite Jewish.
But they were not just physically compromised in Jewish eyes—they were spiritually compromised as well. They had rejected much of the Jewish Old Testament. They had their own version of the Torah, and they rejected Jerusalem as the place of worship. Instead, they looked to their own mountain, Gerizim, in Samaria as the legitimate place of worship.
So you had two culturally and ethnically similar people living side by side who absolutely hated each other. A dispute that went on for centuries.
Yet here we have a peacemaker who bridges the divide: the Lord Jesus, a Jew, who deliberately takes the direct route through enemy territory. He arrives at Sychar and crosses every known social, cultural, and religious boundary to speak with this lonely Samaritan woman.
But this isn't a chance encounter. Jesus already knows her. He knows her story, and he intends to use her to reveal who he is. Jesus isn't just the Messiah for the Jews, but for the Samaritans, too. In fact, he's the savior of the whole world. The son of David is coming to unite the once-divided peoples of Israel. And remarkably, he begins that journey with one unnamed woman at a well.
We don't know much about her except some key details, but Jesus knows her whole story intimately. That's the first thing I want us to see this morning: Jesus knows her story, and he knows your story as well.
The conversation begins at Jacob's well—a well significant to both Jews and Samaritans, as Jacob was their common ancestor. But sitting now at Jacob's well is someone far, far greater than Jacob.
Jesus asked the woman for a drink. He's had a long journey and is surely parched. But she's shocked:
"You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (John 4:9)
She's surprised for two reasons. First, he's a Jew and she's a Samaritan. Second, he's a man and she's a woman speaking privately—two taboos being crossed. But Jesus really isn't interested in keeping cultural taboos or conventions. He's interested in saving sinners. And so he crosses every barrier to speak to this woman.
Jesus begins the conversation around water—we're at a well, after all. But then he brings the conversation to something even greater:
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
Jesus is pointing out that physical water is not enough. Physical satisfaction is not enough. But she needs—all of us need—deep spiritual life and satisfaction. He's offering her and all of us eternal life in him.
If we want satisfaction for the soul, we need the Messiah. We need the Christ. And the person she needs is sitting right in front of her.
But to help her see her deep need, Jesus gently and lovingly exposes her:
"Go, call your husband."
Of course, Jesus already knows the answer. The woman replies that she has no husband. But then he shows that he knows everything about her:
"You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you've had five husbands. And the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is quite true." (John 4:17-18)
Imagine how she would have felt. This strange Jewish man who she's never met knows her deepest, darkest secrets. He knows about her failures, her failed relationships, her shame of living with a partner.
We can tell she feels deep shame from key clues in the text. What time of day is she going to get water? It's noon, midday. Women in the ancient Near East would normally collect water in the early morning or late evening when it was cool. No one wants to do physical labor when it's 40 degrees at midday.
This woman comes alone at the hardest part of the day because she likely wants to avoid everyone else. She's probably become the talk of the town and feels like an outcast.
For years, she's been seeking satisfaction in all the wrong places. Perhaps she's been treated unfairly by her previous husbands, divorced unjustly. Now she's given up on marriage entirely, living with a man outside of marriage. Still trying to find some kind of satisfaction in a relationship.
She's thirsty, but not just physically—spiritually. She wants meaning for her broken life. But everywhere else she's gone has left her thirsty time and time again. Man after man has let her down.
And then she meets the Man. Jesus has come—a man to offer her true, lasting satisfaction.
He doesn't expose her in order to shame her. He exposes her so that she will see her need of him, and so that she will know that he knows her story. He hasn't come to drive her away, but he has come to seek her out, to draw her in.
It's as though Jesus is saying to her—and all of us: "I know exactly who you are. I know every chapter of your story, even the messy bits. And I have come for people just like you. I want you to know me. I want you to have eternal life."
And the Lord Jesus says that to all of us, irrespective of how messy or shameful our past is. Isn't that remarkable?
The Lord Jesus knows your story and he wants you. He knows your past. He knows your guilt. He knows the shame you've carried for years. He knows the struggles you're going through right now that no one else sees. He knows the sins you hope nobody else discovers.
Nothing about your life surprises him. Nothing at all.
If you were in this woman's situation and you met Jesus and he said all this, you would feel exposed. You would want to run away.
Imagine if one Sunday you came into church and everything on the slideshow behind me showed everything you've ever thought, said, or done. How would you feel? I know I would want to run out those doors and never show my face again. I would be embarrassed and ashamed of all the stupid mistakes I've ever made.
But the good news is two-fold. First, that's not happening, thank the Lord. But second, and more importantly, the Lord Jesus has seen every slide of your life and hasn't driven you out. The opposite.
The Lord Jesus has seen every bit of your life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. And instead of drawing away from you, he's drawn to you. He has sought you out. He says to all of us this morning: "I know exactly who you are and I have come for people like you. I want you."
All of us really are in a smart moment. All of us have stories that are messy and not straightforward. Jesus knows them, every detail. But the good news is he doesn't condemn us. And he didn't condemn her.
If we haven't had that relief this morning, if we don't know Jesus, if we haven't brought our burdens to him, maybe this morning could be the first time you do that. Have the slate wiped clean. Give your life to Jesus. He knows you and he wants you. Because he sees your problem and he offers himself for you. He will satisfy your soul and quench your thirst.
All of us have a story, and we may not think our story is glamorous or exciting, but we all have one. And if you are trusting in Jesus this morning, then you have a story that is miraculous. You have a story of being brought from death to life. You have a resurrection story, and that is always worth sharing. Because it's a miracle.
The woman realizes that this Jesus knows her story and concludes that he must be from God. He must be a prophet of some kind. Then she mentions how the Messiah is coming and he will explain all these things—he will settle the disputes between Jew and Samaritan.
But Jesus makes everything clear to her. He clears it all up:
"I, the one speaking to you, I am he." (John 4:26)
Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Christ. She is the one she's been waiting for. He is the one who can offer her true and lasting satisfaction. It's in Jesus that her story is made complete.
The Lord Jesus loves sick, sinful, and broken lives that are messy and makes them beautiful in him.
And what is her response? She's excited. She wants everyone to know about it. She wants to share Jesus. She shares her story, and so should we.
At this point, the disciples come back and they are shocked at what they're seeing. Jesus is talking to a woman alone—not appropriate in that conservative context. They're gobsmacked by it, but they say nothing. They keep it in their heads.
But the woman, however, doesn't close her lips. She goes and speaks. Her priorities are so different from theirs. The disciples just want to get lunch and get out of dodge as soon as possible. But this woman wants to go and share Jesus with all her neighbors.
She leaves her jar behind. Getting water and her daily tasks no longer matter. Jesus and who he is is now the most important thing in her life. She goes into the streets to the people who've scorned her and judged her for years.
And there she shares her testimony:
"Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" (John 4:29)
The Samaritan woman knows her neighbors already know her scandal. But they don't know Jesus. Therefore this woman becomes the most effective evangelist. Scores of people come out of the town to seek out Jesus. Who is this man? Is he indeed the Messiah?
This woman masterfully uses her story as a tool—a tool to point people not to herself, but to the man who knows her. To point them to Jesus.
What an example this is to all of us here this morning. We should use our story not to point to ourselves, but to point to Jesus.
Our stories are testimonies. When we share them, they don't have to be elaborate or masterfully crafted. It can be as simple as:
If we are trusting in Jesus here this morning, all of us have that story. Every Christian has a story worth sharing. You have a story because you have Jesus, and he is always worth sharing.
I remember as a teenager, I would often go to youth rallies or evangelistic events. Very often they would get someone at the front who had a really gripping story. Many of them are very powerful and moving. But looking back, I don't think they're always helpful.
It is encouraging to hear that the former paramilitary turned evangelist, or the former drug dealer now dealing tracts in the streets instead of drugs—these are great stories. But sitting there as a 15-year-old, I'm like, "Well, my story isn't that exciting. Like, I could never do that. Mine isn't that cool."
Very often we make testimonies, and the main point isn't really Jesus, but the story itself. What's happened. People can make a competition of who has the most gripping and thrilling story. "I need a story like Paul's road to Damascus. That will really win people over," we think.
The fact is, that's wrong. Every story is worth sharing because it's worth sharing if it points people to Jesus. That's what makes it worthwhile.
If he is the main character in the story we share, then people will know the person they need to go to to make their stories complete.
Testimonies the Lord uses, and does continue to use, to bring people to conversion. Don't sell yourself short. The Lord could use it to save someone.
Not just that—I think often we think testimonies are things for non-Christians. But I think we all need to hear testimonies all the time. They're encouraging.
Christians need to hear other Christians' stories. It's an encouragement to me and to others when I hear people Jesus has the same someone else—that helps me, too. Stories of God's grace and sustainment are encouragement, reminding me and everyone else of who to look to when tough times come.
Think of Job or Elijah—many who wanted to die, but the Lord kept them. These stories are powerful because they speak to our own experience. They give us hope for perseverance. If they can do it, why can't I?
So let me ask you: Don't only share your story with your non-Christian friends, but share it with your Christian brothers and sisters, too. They all need it.
Share how Jesus has shaped your life—the day you first met him, but also every day since, how he's been with you in the good times and the bad. It can help others keep looking to Jesus.
Share your story of how Jesus sustained you through depression, how he was there for you when you lost that job or relationship, when you got that diagnosis. These are testimonies of God's grace and love. Don't hide them from others.
I know from my own experience that testimonies can be really, really encouraging.
When I was 16 years old, I had pretty much flunked from school. I had failed most of my GCSEs. I was out of education and employment. Very few prospects. I was rattled with anxiety and low moods, going to CAMHS. Prospects were not good. At that point, I thought: Is Jesus really there? Is he worth following? It was a low point.
Why did I share that? Not for sympathy—everything's worked out fine since, clearly. I share that because of someone else. When I was in that pit, someone else pointed me to Jesus.
At that time I was doing a one-to-one with a guy in his 20s, a youth worker. We were in the Bible together, but he had suffered very similarly to me. He was someone who battled intense mental health struggles and self-harm. And he didn't hide that—he actually spoke of that story. But more so, he spoke of Jesus: how Jesus spoke to him and loved him through that.
He shared his story of Jesus' love for him, and I could relate to him. Crucially, he showed me Jesus and how he speaks into every circumstance. He didn't point me to him, but he pointed me to the one who is good.
He used his story, his experience, to speak the words of Jesus. He showed me that it's by God's grace alone that we go on—nothing of our own effort or feelings. That even in our worst circumstances, from a human perspective, God is still good. And he is for us.
I want all of us to do the exact same thing. Share your story. Bless others through your story. Share your story to remind others that Jesus is for weary and weak sinners. It's okay to feel weary in the Christian walk. That is normal.
All of us are called to do this. Use your experiences to share Jesus on the first day of your Christian walk and every day since. Say to others:
"Come and see the man who was with me in every storm and trial. Come and see the man."
The Lord delights to use our stories to build up the church and grow it.
That's exactly what we see in the following verses. He enlarges the church through a spiritual harvest, through the sharing of testimonies and stories.
In verses 31 to 38, the disciples are really confused. Why are they still dithering about in Samaria? They just want to get lunch and go. But Jesus explains that true food is found spiritually.
He has a conversation with them, a cultural dialogue, and he quotes a local saying to them:
"Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35)
Clearly people used that as a phrase to say, "Well, there's always more time, presumably." But Jesus says that saying is dead wrong. The time for harvest is right now.
At this point they probably looked around saying, "Well, no, they're not. It's still four months or whatever." But he wasn't talking about literal wheat. He was talking about the Samaritans. There are people who don't know Jesus, and therefore the field is open. Go and share the good news. Go and reap.
You see, if you look out at the field of the city of London, it is ripe. If you look at the field of your family and your colleagues in your workplace, that field is ripe and ready for spiritual harvest.
Jesus is teaching the disciples and us an important lesson: We must be laborers in the mission field. The Lord will, and does, use us to reap a spiritual harvest.
And that's a great encouragement for all of us, because he speaks about how people will often labor but someone else will reap the benefit. Perhaps you have labored for years and years with someone who doesn't yet know Jesus. And yet tomorrow someone else will come along and reap the benefit. They say one word and that person comes to saving faith.
Or you could be that person. You could be the answer to someone's prayer. You witness to someone and they come to know Jesus, and years and decades of prayer comes true.
The Lord Jesus says, "You are ready to go and harvest people."
We need to see the need for evangelism. We need to see the need of people coming to saving faith in Jesus. If you want to be good evangelists, we need to see that there's a need and speak.
This woman gets busy. She knows she needs to share Jesus, and she goes and tells. She isn't a full-time ministry member or staff but a new believer. Which just shows us that you don't have to be a Christian professional or someone who's been a Christian for 10+ years. You can be a Christian on day one and be an evangelist.
All of us can share Jesus. So get on with the harvest. Labor away in the mission field that you operate in each day.
The priority that Jesus wants us to have is to be busy about his work. We're invited, like the disciples, don't get distracted by bread or lunch—go and do his work. Because when we share our story, it doesn't bring glory to ourselves, but it points people to Jesus.
And we see where this leads when the woman does that: It leads to revival.
The first revival that we read about in John isn't of Jews, but foreigners. The whole town is swept up. Who is this Jesus? Her story points people to Jesus, and his words save.
"Many of the Samaritans from the town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did.' So, when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words, many more became believers." (John 4:39-41)
People's interests are piqued. Some are saved then, but many more come. And because of that, many are saved.
It's interesting—some believed because of her words initially, and many more believed because of his words. The Lord Jesus used many means and ways to bring people to conversion, but it always centers on him. He's the common denominator in all stories.
So when you share your story, you're pointing people to Jesus' words, and it's his words that bring life.
Don't feel like people can only be converted through a 3-2-1 course or Christianity Explored, as good as they are. It can happen gradually as you meet someone one-to-one and just share how Jesus worked in your life.
That's what the Spirit does in this woman. He uses her words to bring the words of Jesus, which bring life. Therefore, all of us should keep doing that.
Maybe you're doing that already, so I just say well done, keep going. If that's something you struggle to do, then let this be the encouragement to step out in faith. Point people to the words of Jesus. Point people to the words of life.
Notice whose words give confidence that he is the Messiah. It's his words:
"They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.'" (John 4:42)
When we share our stories, our testimonies, it's not our words that save—which is actually really, really good. Because if that were the case, that would be a massive burden on all of us. We would worry about getting the right words and saying the right things in the right way. Eventually, we'd be crippled into inaction, thinking it's on us to do it in the right way to save people.
But that isn't the case. Our words are imperfect. We blather. We mumble words. But the good thing is that the Lord Jesus uses feeble and imperfect words to point to the one perfect person who has perfect words.
When we share our story of how God has saved us and how he's gotten us through the trials of this life, it's the words of Jesus that come through and save, not our own.
He is the harvester of the mission field, but we have the privilege of being hired as fellow workers—his farmhands. The Holy Spirit will use your words to speak Jesus's words. He can, and does, speak words of life to those willing to listen.
As I draw to a close, I just want all of us to be encouraged to be like this woman. Don't have perfect words. Don't have perfect confidence. Just share Jesus, and his words will do the work.
You have an amazing story worth sharing because you have an amazing Savior. You've been given eternal life. And not only that, you've been given a close friend who's with you at the beginning, middle, and end. Why wouldn't you want to tell others about that great friend you have?
It is far greater than The Odyssey or any coffee shop. It's far more amazing than a sports team. He is the Savior of the world. Share him.
Say to your colleague: "Come and see the man who has known everything I've ever done and yet has loved me anyway." Speak of the man who was there for you when no one else was. Speak of the man who was there for you when everyone else let you down.
Why? Not to bring ourselves glory or pity, but because the field is ripe for harvest. There are many people, people that you love, that need to hear the words of Jesus. If you love your friends, if you love your colleagues, if you truly do, you must share Jesus with them. Because that is true love—to share the best thing in the universe.
Because only if they hear his words will they receive life. Share your story so that others can hear of Jesus.
Jesus has sent you out as a disciple into the harvest field. So don't be shy or awkward. Well, actually, do be awkward, but just get over it. It's okay. Lord Jesus is with you. Nothing about you makes you unqualified or unsuitable to share Jesus.
Because all of us have been invited in.
Look to this woman's example. She left her jar behind. She left her life behind and said, "Come and see."
Share your story so that others can come and see the Savior who knows you and knows them, who has loved us before we even deserved it. Share your story so others can hear his words and come to saving faith in him.
