The Seeking Saviour

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 28 JUNE 2026 

JOHN 4 VERSES 4 TO 30, 39 TO 42

THE SEEKING SAVIOUR AT SYCHAR

 

Samaria was first established in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 880 BC. Omri was the first man to buy the city. He was the father of Ahab – 1 Kings 16. Samaria served as the capital of the Northern Kingdom comprised of the 10 tribes that separated from the Southern tribe of Judah after the death of Solomon. It was a city that held significant importance politically and for religious reasons. It was associated with the worship of false deities and gods other than the true God. The Northern Kingdom eventually fell to the Assyrians in 722 leading to the exile of many of its inhabitants. Foreign people were brought into the land and they intermarried with the remaining Jews. These people were called Samaritans. They had a complex relationship with the Jews. Samaria is on the northern west bank today. There have been historical tensions and animosity between the Jews and Samaritans even those considered enemies and outcasts. This Samaritan was helping a Jew. Jesus ministered in Samaria. He would have interacted with them despite the prevailing prejudices of his time. This is a challenge to us. We also live in a time of prejudice yet the Lord is showing us through his ministry into Samaria he had no prejudices.

 

We read early on in the chapter “he must needs go through Samaria.” The disciples were with him. I am sure they were wondering what on earth Jesus was doing in going to Sychar because it was in Samaria. ‘Why do you want to go there Jesus?’ Jesus knew exactly why. He had an appointment with a woman who was coming to draw water and she was not expecting to meet the Saviour that day. His encounter with the Samaritan woman at Sychar was significant. This event in John’s gospel highlights Jesus’ acceptance of Samaritans. Sychar was 34 miles from Jerusalem. Sychar means in Hebrew drunken so it gives a flavour of what this city was like. Jesus detoured. He knew the detour other Jews normally took. It was a longer detour that the one Jesus took. He went through Samaria and came to Sychar

 

The contact – verses 3 to 6. There is something very important here that we must bring to your attention. Verse 6 Christ was wearied with his journey. This shows Christ’s humanity. Christ is both God and man, man and God yet he has 2 distinct natures – the human nature and the divine nature. The proof of that is seen in that Christ came through this area and he was weary. He is bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh. Hebrews 2 verse 11 “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,” Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren. Those that he gave his life for you who are saved, Christ gave his life for you and me. We are his brethren and he is not ashamed of us. Are we ashamed of him? He is bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh and he was wearied at this well. The great importance of his humanity – he came to meet us at the point of our need. We could not keep our salvation because we are fallen sinners. Christ came born of a virgin lived a perfect life in his humanity and died and the God man went to the cross to give his life for you and me. We see his humanity here in this contact. He came and met with this woman.

 

The conversation – verses 7 to 15. It was the sixth hour. The Jewish hour cycles meant it was 12 noon. We have experienced that heat in our province recently. We wouldn’t go out at 12 midday. The sun was fierce. Christ was on his journey through that heat and it was now the sixth hour at the well. The temperatures could have been anything from 40 to 50⁰. Stifling hot. Here the Lord had been walking in this heat. Then he reached a well and it was noon and he was weary. Here cometh a woman to draw water. This was strange because the water would have been gathered either at the start or the end of the day. This is very unusual circumstances. The Lord finds himself at the well. Here comes a woman to the well. A surprising meeting for the woman but not for Christ. No accident. This was an appointment. God’s timing is perfect in the providence of God. Here the Lord was not too early or too late. He was right on time. Remember we have an illustration in the Old Testament in the story of Elijah and Elisha. Whenever Elijah met the woman with the barrel of meal outside the city gate she was gathering sticks as he arrived. Here Christ was at the well at this particular time. We see this conversation being struck up. For us as believers we can be encouraged – God works in our lives at the right time. His timing is perfect. Take heart from this story – maybe you have been praying for a loved one, maybe for months, maybe years. The Lord has heard your cries. The scripture declares he puts our tears in a bottle. They are remembered. He will step in at the right time. Here the Lord meets this woman and in doing so he begins with a conversation. “Give me a drink”. The discourse. He reacts with the woman. As it continues the woman is talking of physical water but he is speaking of spiritual water. She doesn’t understand. Verse 10. Maybe you are here and not saved tonight. Maybe you are a stranger to God’s grace and goodness yet from this pulpit tonight is presented to you the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus saves sinners. This man is the man that gives eternal life. The gift of God. The Lord says to her “if you had known you could have asked me.” Look unto him in faith, realise he is the only Saviour of sin. You cannot save yourself. He is the only one who can do it. If you are unsaved coming to this place of worship will not save you. This beautiful building will not save you. You cannot put faith in this church building – only put your faith and trust in a person. That person is presented in John 4. The one who gives the gift of eternal life. Spiritual water from a spiritual well. The only giver of eternal life. No denomination will give that. We are here tonight to worship him. Not seeking to gain salvation. If you are here tonight because of that you must be warned on the basis of Holy Scripture. It is only through Jesus Christ. This woman was leaning into this conversation. Verse 14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Now the Lord had the woman’s attention. She asked for the water – verse 15 “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.”

 

In this conversation we find her confession – verses 16 to 27. We seen the Lord’s contact at the start of this chapter, then the Lord’s conversation, now we see her confession. She had been searching in relationships and in pleasure. She found they did not satisfy. Now she meets the one who can meet her at the point of her need. The God man Jesus Christ. He is the one. She meets him here. Then she confesses “I perceive thou art a prophet.” We find here as this conversation goes on that the woman sees the Lord looking into her heart and life. She realises this is the Christ and we see not only her confession but also her conversion. She left the water pot. So excited having met the Christ she believes in him. He is the Christ. She leaves her water pot and returns to the city. She left it in a sense like leaving her old ways. When the Lord saves us he changes us. Not only does she return but she begins to witness. Remember what it was said of Paul – “behold he prayeth”. This woman is converted. She realises this man is the Messiah. She goes to the city and witnesses of Christ. She takes this information and returns to the city to witness to the men. We read later in verse 39 the woman went back and spoke of her Saviour the Messiah and many believed. This is the challenge to us tonight as we learn the lesson of what this woman did. She witnessed to the men of the city. Many were invited to come out and meet Jesus. There were other towns in and around Jerusalem that didn’t want Jesus but here they begged him to stay. Many more believed because of his own word. Notice the words in verse 42 “the Saviour of the world”.

 

This is a challenge to us that we would speak to others – our friends, our family. Family is hard to make a difference in but we are to do it. The right time, the right moment, the right way to stand for him. What a challenge this is. In verse 35 we have the summing up of this challenge. The Lord speaking to his disciples – a great challenge is in this verse. Often it is spoken of in a missionary context. What a challenge this is to us. In this portion the Lord met the woman and she found the seeking Saviour at Sychar. If you are unsaved tonight look to the Saviour. If you are a believer in Christ look to the fields for they are white unto harvest tonight.