LESSON 2:
In the opening
verses of John chapter four we see several interesting facts
about Jesus.
John writes: "When
therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus
made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus
himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and
departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through
Samaria." John 4:1-4
First we learn that Jesus knew even the
thoughts of men! This is one of the ways John teaches us of the
Lord's omniscience. He knew everything!
Then we learn of
Jesus' magnetism! More people followed Him than followed even
John the Baptist! Our Lord Himself said:
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto
me." John 12:32
Next we are told
that our Lord did not personally baptize anyone! He left that
matter in the hands of His Disciples. Is this not proof that
baptism does not save? Rather the shed Blood of Jesus offered
on the Cross of Calvary, His vicarious Death, saves a lost soul
from hell!
And we even learn
of Jesus' travel habits!
It looks to me
like His moves were based, not on whims or personal desires, but
the spiritual conditions of the day! The Pharisees were growing
to hate Him more and more ... therefore He temporarily left
Judea where they were centered! The less cultured common
people of Galilee would hear Him gladly! Mark 12:37
But the Saviour
here does an unusual thing. The Jews at that time, being so
filled with animosity toward the despised Samaritans, did NOT
ever go through their territory! Instead they would detour
either to the east or to the west and avoid Samaritan lands.
This tactic added many miles and much time to their trips also!
But we are
specifically told that Jesus deliberately intended to go through
Samaria! "And he must needs go through
Samaria."
How unusual!
The verb "must
needs" translates "dei" in Greek, meaning Jesus just HAD to go
there! It was essential! It was the right and proper thing to
do! Urgency to do so had been laid upon Him! It was necessary!
Why?
Again we have
travel plans dictated by someone's spiritual needs!
There was a lost
women there!
She needed the
Lord!
And He was going
to sit by a well-side until she came!
Anyone Who knows
men's thoughts can also know a ladies' thoughts! (We've just
been told by John that Jesus knew what the Pharisees had heard.
Not what they had said ... but heard!)
This woman, when
we see her in Heaven, can truly say, HE CAME TO ME!
But, come to
think of it ... so can we all!
Truly,
"The
Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost."
Luke 19:10
Sometime this
Lord's day thank Him again for saving your lost soul!
Thank Him for
coming to die on Calvary!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3:
Have you ever thought much about Bible
geography?
Usually such a topic does not enter into our
Bible Study efforts!
However, in John 4 we are told that Jesus was
near the city of Sychar where Jacob had given a parcel of land
to his son Joseph. "Then cometh He to a
city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of
ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph." (John 4:5)
In fact, by the well there (Jacob's well)
Jesus met the Samaritan woman and she got saved!
I began to
wonder: "What else happened there?"
Did other Bible
events occur near this well of "salvation?" (Isaiah 12:3 uses
that term! "Therefore
with joy shall ye draw water out of the
wells of
salvation.")
Sychar was about
36 miles from Jerusalem, Jesus' point of origin on this
particular trip. It would have taken Him and His followers
about twelve hours to walk this distance, probably with a
night's sleep breaking the journey.
Sychar is
believed to be the same area as ancient Shechem. Here God
placed one of the cities of refuge! (Joshua 20:7) Think of
that! Jesus is our Refuge ... and here He
saves a lost soul from hell! A walking "City of Refuge" came to
town that day!
Here the
patriarch Jacob has stood according to Genesis 33:18! But when
Jesus came that day the Greatest Son of Jacob stood there!
Jacob was often there seeking his own gain! Jesus was only
there to give to others!
Joseph also
wondered these hills, on a errand from his father, looking for
his brethren! Now Jesus, also on an errand from His Father,
looks for lost brethren too! (Genesis 37:14)
Joshua has been
here, the mighty warrior for our God! (Joshua 8:30) But now
the Captain of the Lord's Hosts stands here ... also the Captain
of our Salvation! But there's one difference between them:
Joshua didn't quite finish his task ... Jesus DID!
Even Joseph's
bones are buried in Shechem (Sychar)! See Joshua 24:32! But
Jesus' bones will NOT be buried anywhere for long! Just three
days and three nights! He arose! He lives eternally! In fact,
He's coming back again some day!
And this is the
area where Dinah, daughter of Jacob, was defiled by a young man
of the city! (Genesis 34) Isn't it ironic (and thrilling) that
when Jesus was in town another woman was not defiled
... but cleansed of all her past sins!
Surely there is
spirituality in Bible geography!
Hand me my Bible
please ... and a map!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4:
Did Jesus ever get tired?
The Bible says He did, physically so!
Read with me John 4:6.
"Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with
his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was
about the sixth hour."
That verb "wearied" (in Greek = "kopiao")
means to grow weary, tired or exhausted. The implication is
fatigue from physical exertion!
In our text here
this little verb is a "perfect" participle. That fact indicates
that Jesus had been tired for some time, likely due to the
long walk from Jerusalem, a trek of 36 long miles!
Did you notice
what I just said?
"The long WALK
from Jerusalem!"
Jesus walked!
In fact, as far
as I can tell from Scripture, He walked everywhere He went
during His 33 plus years on earth ... except once! That was in
Matthew 21 when He rode that little colt into Jerusalem,
fulfilling Bible prophecy!
That means Jesus
walked to every new city!
He walked to
every place where He preached!
He walked to each
needy soul whom He saved!
He walked to
every miracle He performed!
According to Acts
10:38 Jesus "went about doing good!"
He did ... walking as He sought and saved the lost!
Particularly is
this walking seen in Luke's Gospel. Three times Jesus goes
to Jerusalem! As an infant He was carried by His mother and
Joseph to the Holy City. They, walking no doubt, went straight
to the Temple! Then again at age 12 ... it's back to the
Temple! This time Jesus walked. Next Luke records that third
trip to Jerusalem, the main one, where Jesus died on the Cross!
This last trip consumes most of Luke's Gospel, with Jesus again
walking!
Additionally,
Luke records three trips away from Jerusalem! In
infancy, from Jerusalem to Nazareth ... to grow into a young
Man! (Luke 2:39-40) At age 12 Jesus walked back home to "be
subject" to Mary and Joseph! (Luke 2:51-52) And thirdly, after
His glorious Resurrection, Jesus went from Jerusalem toward
Emmaus ... to encourage two downcast followers! (Luke 24:13-15)
Yes, Luke reveals
to us a walking Saviour!
But let me in
closing today describe the two greatest trips the Lord has ever
made! The first one is that long bloody trail that led to
Calvary! He WALKED to the Cross! Without that journey, we all
would have died and gone to Hell!
The second one is
the day He came to you and me ... to save our lost souls from
eternal damnation! (That's what He's doing in John 4 too! He
walked to a well
... to meet a lost sinner woman ... and bring her to salvation!)
Can you today
praise God that He came to you? Then by all means, do so!
Oh yes, there is
a third trip ahead as well! Jesus is coming back again! I mean
even after the Rapture when He calls us Believers away into His
Presence! (After this Point we shall ever be with our Lord!)
Yet at the
literal Second Coming of Jesus to earth I read in Zechariah 14:4
... "And His Feet shall
stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is
before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall
cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the
mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward
the south."
Jesus ... back on
earth!
And what part of
His glorified body is mentioned?
His Feet!
Again, He will
walk the hills and valleys and plains of this old earth!
But no longer as
a Sacrifice for sin ... to be nailed on a cruel Cross!
Now He comes to
rule and reign from the Throne of David ... King of Kings and
Lord of Lords!
And that time He
will not be tired either!
Hallelujah!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5:
Do you remember that great account in the
Gospel of John where Jesus waited by the well? I mean where He
waited for that Samaritan woman to come for her water?
John 4:6 simply says:
"Jesus ... sat thus on the well." Then immediately John
7:7 adds: "There cometh a woman of Samaria
...."
A meeting by the side of a well!
I began to think about that.
The Bible is
literally full of meetings in such places! Meetings by
well-sides!
That's where the
unnamed servant found the bride for Isaac! You may read about
it in Genesis 24:11-14.
Also it was at a
well that Jacob found his wife, Rachel! Genesis 29:2 begins
that account.
Moses found his
wife (a Gentile) by a well also! Read Exodus 2:15-16.
Therefore I find
it totally in keeping with Scripture that Jesus, by another
well, would meet a lost Gentile woman, and make her part of the
family of God by saving her lost soul!
Isaiah 12:3 says
this: "Therefore with joy shall ye draw
water out of the wells of salvation."
Wells of
salvation!
Also notice with
me WHEN this lady came to the well.
"It was about the sixth hour."
John 4:6
Most experts
declare that to be noon, high noon!
The number "six"
in the Bible is often associated with man, particularly lost
mankind. It falls one short of "seven," the perfect number!
And remember that man was created on the "sixth" day according
to the Bible, man who fell into sin!) The "number" of the
coming anti-Christ will be six hundred and sixty six (666) also!
Here's a
sinner lady, coming to Jesus ... and she will be saved!
Noon also is said
to be the brightest part of the day! I would say this: the
brightest part of any life is the moment you see Jesus as the
darling Son of God Who died on the Cross for you! The second
you trust Him as your personal Saviour! The instant you step
out of the darkness of sin into the eternal light of God's great
plan of salvation!
Also let me add
this today. It was by a well that the little lost Egyptian girl
Hagar found the Lord! Really I should say that the Lord found
her! That well was given a name!
"Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is
between Kadesh and Bered." (Genesis 16:14)
Beerlahairoi means "the well of Him That liveth and seeth me!"
That's Jesus I do believe!
If you are yet
unsaved today ... and somehow reading these words, come! Come to
the Well! Come to Jesus, trusting Him to save your soul! He is
able to do so, no doubt!
In John 6:35
Jesus says: "I am the bread of life: he
that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on
me shall never thirst."
Again I say,
come!
He now is not
only by the well of salvation .... He IS The Well
of Salvation!
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6:
It happened at noon.
Jesus, wearied from his journey, sat there to
rest.
Then came the woman, a Samaritan.
What an unusual combination!
And what a strange time, the hottest part of
the day!
The Bible
elsewhere tells us that usually women in that day drew their
water in the cooler evening hours. Genesis 24:11 says:
"And he (Abraham's servant) made his
camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the
time of the evening,
even the time that women go out to draw water."
Why did this lady
come at noon?
Many reasons have
been given through the years.
Maybe because she
was so immoral that the other women of the village had excluded
her from their company. She had known multiple husbands and was
even then living in sin. Therefore she came alone to the well.
Of course Jesus just saves sinners ... so this woman was in the
right place at the right time!
Maybe she was
religious enough (as a Samaritan, worshiping Moses) to want
to go to Jacob's well, by-passing several others
on the way! At least that's what the scholars tell us. But her
religion was wrong and only Jesus could give her the Truth! So,
she's still in the right place at the right time!
Then again maybe
she just wanted some water! Clothes to wash or a meal to cook
perhaps. And the mile and a half walk would do her good too.
But, may I emphasize that she got Water!
Not physical water ... but the Water of Life! So, yet again,
she came to the right place at the right time!
Blessed be noon
... if it's the hour of salvation!
Also notice with
me Who began the conversation that day.
John 4:7
carefully catalogues this information.
"There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto
her, Give me to drink."
Jesus originated
the interview!
He spoke first.
Had He not done
so ... the woman would have never even acknowledged His
presence! "For the Jews have no dealings
with the Samaritans." John 4:9
And that
conversation led the lady to eternal life!
Let me ask you
this today.
When YOU got
saved, Who started that chain of events?
I'll answer the
question too.
JESUS did!
1 John 4:19 makes
this so clear: "We love Him, because He
first loved us."
Or better yet,
"While we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us." Romans 5:8
And while these two
talked of things above ... where were the Disciples?
Why, they were
hungry! "For His disciples were gone away
unto the city to buy meat." (John 4:8) One preacher
quipped: "The Disciples were buying ... Jesus was giving!"
You see, salvation IS a Gift!
Let's stop now
and collect our thoughts.
Does anyone today
remember the TIME you got saved? Was it daylight or night
time? Noon or midnight? Whenever it was ... thank God for that
hour! It was just the right time!
Does anyone today
thank God that Jesus pursued YOU until He found you and saved
you by His marvelous Grace? That He indeed FIRST loved you? Of
course we do! He still makes first moves!
And does anyone
today delight in the fact that salvation is a Gift? Not for
sale! At any price! Jesus already paid it all! On Calvary!
With His precious sinless Blood! "The
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord." Romans 6:23
Studying this
Samaritan woman's salvation experience ought to make us all
praise God what what He did in our lives too!
Don't you agree
with Psalm 68:19? "Blessed be the Lord,
who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our
salvation. Selah."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7:
It is an easily overlooked fact, but John 4:9
presents a critical view of salvation.
There Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman.
Their conversation goes like this: "Then
saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being
a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the
Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
I want to emphasize that little word "how."
Jesus of course
had just asked her for a drink of water.
"Give me to drink," He said.
He asked for
water ... and got an insult!
Sinners always
insult and reject the Lord God Almighty. That is, until the
Holy Spirit brings them to a place of sincere humble conviction!
Also incidentally
note that Jesus did NOT hide the fact that He was a Jew! Perhaps
His manner of dress or physical appearance or even His speech
indicated His nationality. He indeed is of the family of
Abraham ... through David ... then the Virgin Mary! He is God
come to earth ... in a sinless way ... fully qualified to sit on
the Throne of His father David ... and determined to die on the
Cross so lost folks can be saved! He now, after Calvary, is the
Jewish Saviour of the whole world ... of those that believe ...
including Gentiles!
Then the lady
asks her now famous question?
Sir,
"HOW" is it that You ask me for
water?
Of course the
woman is still thinking just about earthly water ... while Jesus
has in mind eternal water ... salvation!
Yes, on the
salvation issue the Samaritan just had to know ...
"how?"
But, folks, HOW
is the wrong place to begin with the subject of redemption!
There ... one
must start by determining WHO!
Before you know
the HOW of being born-again ... you must know WHO does the
saving in the first place!
She ignorantly
asked HOW ... while she should have asked WHO!
And The WHO of
salvation was standing right there beside her!
Jesus is the
Saviour!
And, if you
recall, that's exactly what Nicodemus asked too! John 3:4
records this: "Nicodemus saith unto Him,
How can a man be
born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his
mother's womb, and be born?"
But soon he
learned the Truth of the matter!
Once you
ascertain the WHO of salvation ... the HOW comes into place
rather easily!
In fact, if you
meet Jesus ... well, I'll just let Him explain it. Here He is
praying to His Father. "And this is life
eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3
Again I say it.
Meet the WHO ... and the HOW will care for itself!
Jesus is Grace
and Love and Truth and Salvation personified!
He is God!
Dear reader this
Saturday in June, have you met the WHO of salvation?
The Lord Jesus
Christ!
Here's another
thing Jesus said on our subject: "All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and
him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37
"To Me" ... that's the Who. Jesus
alone saves sinners from an eternal hell!
Truly ... one has
to know the WHO and then he or she will soon know the HOW as
well!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8:
Jesus, briefly at rest, was talking to a lady
by the side of a well one day.
She had walked about a mile and a half from
her village to get some water.
Upon her arrival, Jesus asked for a drink ...
a simple drink of water from the well.
A conversation developed.
Then, suddenly, Jesus turned the lady's whole
world upside down!
He sure can do that!
Jesus turned
Nicodemus' world inside out by declaring
"Ye must be born again!" John 3:7
Listen to what He
said to this woman: "Jesus answered and
said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is
that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked
of him, and he would have given thee living water." John
4:10
Plainly Jesus
insinuates that IF the woman had really known Him ... she would
have been asking HIM for water!
First of all let
me say this. It is plain that the woman is talking about
physical water ... and Jesus is talking about spiritual or
living water! (It was the same with Nicodemus too. Jesus was
talking about a spiritual new birth ... Nicodemus was
interpreting it as a physical new birth!)
To ever be saved,
one has to yield to the world of the spirit! The Holy Spirit!
Jesus again: "It is the spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak
unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
John 6:63
One has to
believe that God is! "He that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6
Secondly, Jesus
here calls Himself the "Gift" of God! He IS salvation! In our
verse under consideration today Jesus is both the Gift and the
Giver! "Lady, if you knew Me (the GIFT) ... you would be asking
Me (the GIVER) for water!"
Every good Gift
comes down from God the Father ... in Heaven! So says James in
his Epistle! (James 1:17) That's Jesus! And Hebrews 6:4 talks
about the "Heavenly Gift!" That's
Jesus too! And in 2nd Corinthians 9:15 Jesus is the
"unspeakable Gift!"
Thirdly, note
Jesus' willingness to give! "Lady, if you'll ask ... I
will give you everlasting water!" He came to save
sinners! He rejoices when one lost soul repents! How willing
is He? "The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
And lastly,
what's this "living water?" It's the Lord's word picture for
salvation! He IS the Water of Life!
Just as water is
necessary for life ... so is Jesus! And as water is a gift from
God ... so is Jesus! Water is universal or world-wide in need
... so is Jesus! Water first descends from Heaven ... so did
Jesus! Water blesses everywhere it goes, fructifying the land
... so with Jesus! Water is constantly active ... never tiring
... so with Jesus! Water is unevenly distributed ... so with
Jesus! (Some places on earth have barely heard!) Water is
miraculously constructed ... so is Jesus! Water exhibits a
triune capability ... liquid, solid and gas ... so does Jesus
(the Godhead)! And there will be no water in hell ... nor will
Jesus be there either!
Have you partaken
of This Living Water?
Do you know
Jesus?
Remember Jesus
said ... "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." John 4:14
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9:
When Jesus met that Samaritan woman in John
chapter four, He left us a classic example of "soul winning" at
its best!
Let me show you how she, a common sinner,
began to learn the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
At first, the woman merely recognized Jesus
as a Jew! A term she used with some disgust it appears!
"Then saith the woman
of Samaria unto him, How is it that
thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman
of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
John 4:9
But , before we
know it, she has begun to see that He is more than just a Jew!
Jesus early on
began to earn the lady's respect!
Soon she's
calling Him "Sir!"
"The woman saith unto him,
Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is
deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?"
John 4:11
That's surely a
step "up!" From "a Jew" to "Sir!"
Then she begins
to discern that He is a "Prophet!" Read with me John 4:19.
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive
that thou art a prophet."
See the progress
she's making?
Yet, once again,
we read she is convinced that Jesus is the very coming Messiah!
"The woman saith unto him,
I know that Messias
cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us
all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee
am he." John 4:25-26
While here she
obviously did not yet call Jesus Messiah ... she by now
is quite ready to believe!
Let me prove
that.
When she got back
to town, she said something critically important.
"And many of the Samaritans of that city
believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified,
He told me all that ever
I did." John 4:39
Consider those
words "He told me all that ever I did."
Compare this last
statement to her saying the Messiah would
"tell us all things!"
She believes
Jesus is the Messiah, the very Son of God!
Incidentally, her
"belief" led to others being saved also!
"Many believed on Him!"
Amazing!
Jesus ... to this
woman ... was first just a JEW ... then SIR ... next even a
PROPHET ... but finally ... THE MESSIAH!
Praise the Lord!
Friend, aren't
you glad today that you really know who Jesus is!
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10:
Jesus once was pointing a lady to salvation.
He had told her about "living water."
Her interest was obviously growing.
Then she made the request:
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me
this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."
John 4:15
There!
Go ahead Jesus!
Lead her to eternal life!
She's "thirsty!"
But ... no!
Jesus did a very
unusual thing. With the woman showing interest ... our Lord yet
brought up one more issue. A critical issue, an essential one
when it comes to the saving of a lost soul!
Let's listen:
"Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy
husband, and come hither." John 4:16
At the exact
point where most of today's soul-winners would have "drawn the
net," the Lord brought up a delicate and complicated issue ...
the sin issue!
We soon find out
what the Lord already knew!
Read with me
again: "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."
John 4:17-18
The woman was
living in sin!
And before the
Lord would let her make some meaningless little "decision" that
would lack depth and clarity, He forces her to reveal her wicked
past.
To put this
bluntly: one must realize he is a sinner ... before he can be
saved!
At the very heart
of salvation is the cleansing from sin!
That's why Jesus
died ... to wash away sin!
Today many seek
to make "saints" out of folks who will not acknowledge that they
were "sinners" in the first place!
That just won't
work!
I believe one of
the first things the Holy Spirit does when He "convicts" the
lost ... is to show them how wicked they really are! Jesus
promised of the Holy Spirit: "And when He
is come, he will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment."
John 16:8
Paul well
balances the truth of sin and salvation in Romans 6:23 where he
says: "For the wages of sin is
death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord."
Yes, Jesus longed
for the lady to "believe," but not on a cheapened scale!
He wants sin to
be discovered ... and spurned ... and forgiven!
That's why Paul
spends so much of the first part of Romans discussing and
proving that we "all have sinned and come
short of the Glory of God!" Romans 3:23
Friend, have you
ever seen your "lostness" ... that you might then see the
beauties of the Saviour?
Remember, God
saves old sinners!
Paul, who called
himself the "chief of sinners" ... became one of the most godly
men who ever lived ... by the marvelous Grace of God!
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost." Luke 19:10
"This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners." 1 Timothy 1:15
I'll guarantee
you this. If this woman got saved, which it appears she did,
she responded to that "husband" situation in her life!
She could have no
longer lived in adultery, with a "man who was not her husband!"
Sin and the
Saviour are opposites!
Reader today,
have YOU ever been lost?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 11:
Jesus, in John 4:13-14, says this to a
Samaritan woman: "Whosoever drinketh of
this water shall thirst again: 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."
These words were spoken by a well near the
town of Sychar.
Our Lord, using the "well" as a picture of
eternal life, hints at never ending power and strength and
blessing!
Isaiah even
speaks of wells in connection with salvation!
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water
out of the wells of salvation." Isaiah 12:3
I once heard a
preacher talk about "buckets" of blessings drawn from the wells
of salvation!
Here's a
"bucket-full" Paul drew one day: "That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation." Romans 10:9-10
And think with me
about this one. "I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians
4:13
Or another
Philippians 4 "bucket" ... "But my God
shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
And maybe get a
long and cool drink from Romans 8:28.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose."
I think you get
my point.
And of course ...
there are thousands of other "buckets-full" awaiting.
Ever since the
day Jesus saved my lost soul, I have been drinking from that
well!
By the way, the
verb "drinketh" in verse 13 above ... "pino" in Greek ... is
framed as a present participle. That means the drinking is
constant! Anytime you desire ... the "flow" is available!
Jesus' wells never run dry!
He got thirsty
one day on Calvary, paying our sin debt, that this Well of
everlasting water might be perpetually open to lost sinners!
(John 19:28 says: "After this, Jesus
knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.")
Also ... the very
fact of "a well that never runs dry" would have astounded the
Oriental mind of this lady. She had never known such a well!
All water sources in the East had times of scarcity. Droughts
were common. But Jesus provides a Well that will never run
short!
Plus this little
fact ... our verses today
use the verbal expression
"springing up" to depict the water's action.
("Whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 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.")
This term is unique. "Hallomai" in Greek actually means to
leap! It's only found 3 times in the whole New Testament. In
both the other cases it describes men who were lame. Each was
healed by the power of the Lord and got up LEAPING and walking
and praising God! This is a dramatic verb! A powerful one!
This water Jesus gives ... leaps and runs and quenches and
saves!
Christian friend,
we have a whole well ... full of such buckets of such refreshing
truth!
Let's spend some
time this hot Summer day enjoying that Water!
Oh, how good the
Lord is!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 12:
Jesus, sitting by Jacob's well, was tired and
thirsty.
Yet He, with nothing to "draw with," offered
a poor Samaritan woman "a well of water springing up into
everlasting life!" John 4:10 tells us:
"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of
God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou
wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living
water." And John 4:14 adds: "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."
A bubbling
vibrant geyser of water!
Now I began to
think about that ... at least about that water Source!
It seems that
everywhere God is ... a great flowing abundant stream of water
appears!
Think with me
about this.
Back in the
Garden of Eden ... there was a river of water. That paradise
was God's first earthly landscape program! In Genesis 2:10 we
are told about that river: "And
a river went out
of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and
became into four heads." Here's a river that made four
other rivers! What water!
And then let's go
to the future earth during the Kingdom Reign of Christ ... after
the Second Coming of our Lord. Both Ezekiel and Zechariah tell
us about it. "And His feet shall stand in
that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before
Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in
the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and
there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain
shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
And it shall be in that day, that
living waters shall go
out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea,
and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter
shall it be." Zechariah 14:4 and 8
Then let's hear
John the Apostle describe our heavenly home! The future
glorious city New Jerusalem, which John saw coming down:
"And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband." (Revelation 21:2)
"And he carried me away in the spirit to
a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the
holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
(Revelation 21:10)
But as the City
got closer John immediately noticed a River!
"And He shewed me
a pure river of water of
life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of
God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on
either side of the river, was there the tree of life,
which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded
her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22:2
There it is!
A River in Eden!
A River in the
Millennium!
A River in
Heaven, New Jerusalem!
And ... a River
in every sinner who believes on Jesus and is saved!
No wonder Jesus
says these words in John 7: "He that
believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of
living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they
that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not
yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified."
John 7:38-39
Everywhere God is
... rivers follow!
Folks, there is
no need to be dry!
In John 5 there
was a lame and paralyzed man ... waiting to get into some
troubled waters ... all in order to be healed! He never made
it! Jesus came by! And what 38 years of effort failed to do ...
Jesus did instantly! This poor soul couldn't reach the moving
waters of Bethesda ... so the Living Waters of Heaven (Jesus)
came His way!
Glory to God!
So ... this
"woman at the well" as we often call her ... came to Jacob's
well thirsty and needy. Yet she left the area that day,
forgetting her earthly waterpot, having been overwhelmed by the
Living Water of God!
One Preacher said
that she came "looking for the well," but left carrying "The
Well" deep within her soul!
She got saved!
Anyone thirsty?
That precious
Water is still available!
In Revelation
22:17 we are told: "And the Spirit and
the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let
him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the
water of life freely."
That's the last
"invitation" in the Bible!
And it's still
talking about That Water!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 13:
The woman who met Jesus at Jacob's Well, near
the little town of Sychar, was quite talkative!
In fact, she was much more so than Nicodemus,
whose story John told one chapter earlier.
She had much to say about nearly every
subject discussed, except one!
Her sin!
When Jesus asked her to go get her husband,
she only said: "I have no husband."
John 4:17
That's the
quickest comment she made!
We don't like to
talk about OUR OWN sin, do we?
At best her brief
reply was ambiguous!
Perhaps she was
even trying to deceive the Lord!
Either way, Jesus
clarified the issue.
"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."
John 4:17-18
By the way, in
John's Gospel ... which emphasizes Jesus as God the Son ... our
Lord knows everything! He knew Lazarus was dead even before
returning to Bethany! He knew how to feed the 5,000 ... before
asking Philip! He knew well in advance about His approaching
arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection! And He even
is said to have known all His sheep ... by name! Yes!
Jesus'
omniscience stunned this lady!
She was bluntly
confronted with her own sin!
She was living in
adultery!
She had collected
"a passing parade of husbands!"
And now she stood
"silently" before the Son of God!
Jesus, being
sinless, had so revealed the woman's wicked past ... that
"her mouth was stopped!"
That was exactly
Paul's goal in using so much Scripture in Romans chapters one
through three!
To prove that all
mankind was lost in sin!
Without any hope
but Christ!
"Now we know that what things soever the
law saith, it saith to them who are under the law:
that every mouth may be
stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Romans 3:19
No one will ever
be saved until he or she stands before the Lord God Almighty ...
silently, knowing he deserves
Hell and all its fire ...
realizing he is filled with sin and rebellion ... and ready to
trust Jesus!
Have YOU ever
come to that point?
Sinful and silent
before the Saviour?
If so ... with
just a bit of true faith added ... He will save
your soul!
Yes, He will.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 14:
When it comes to real soul-winning, the Holy
Spirit is the Expert!
In John chapter four when Jesus spoke with
the Samaritan woman, He first told her of living water. Next He
dramatically exposed her sin (five husbands)! Gently our Lord
was leading her to the "wells of salvation" as described by
Isaiah.
But ... then ... she did something.
She began a discussion about where to
worship.
Let's listen:
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive
that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this
mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men
ought to worship." John 4:19-20
It looks like she
has introduced a "detour" into the conversation!
Instead of
immediate belief unto salvation ... a theological question is
posed!
You see, the
Samaritans had been taught to worship at Mount Gerizim, which
was clearly visible from Jacob's well there. While the Jews
worshipped at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Is this lady
trying to begin an argument? A Jew-Samaritan issue?
I used to think
so.
I have even
preached that she was trying to side-track Jesus.
But, as I've
studied this text in the past few days, I've seen something
anew.
Once the woman
recognized Jesus was indeed "greater than Jacob" (back in verse
12) and was able to give "living water" (verses 10, 11, 14 and
15) ... she wanted to know where to WORSHIP!
Not WHERE to
worship in an argumentative sense, but where to WORSHIP in a
spiritual sense!
Here question
involves a lot more than geography now!
She is beginning
to see that Jesus is God!
A need to worship
is developing!
And that's why
Jesus answers her question so fully!
In fact, He tells
her things right here that I'm not sure He's even taught His
Disciples yet!
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me,
the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet
at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what:
we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the
hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such
to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship
him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman
saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called
Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith
unto her, I that speak unto thee am he." John
4:21-26
Wow!
After all, once a
person truly knows Who Jesus is ... the only proper response
remaining is WORSHIP!
Also note that
this conversation opened with "Our fathers said ...." But now
she wants to know WHAT JESUS SAYS! That's a big change!
Now ... back to
my opening statement today: "When it comes to real soul-winning,
the Holy Spirit is the Expert!"
See what I mean?
The Holy Spirit
has led this lady through the WHERE of worship to get her to the
WHO of worship!
Her "where"
question was normal and logical for one who wanted to get
serious exalting the Messiah!
She just need a
bit more Truth ... which Jesus was about to give her!
Again,
"The woman saith
unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ:
when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Jesus saith unto her, I
that speak unto thee am he."
John 4:25-26
Jesus literally
said to her: Lady, "I AM!"
I have a feeling
that Salvation is about to come to her house ... as it did to
that little short man Zacchaeus long ago!
Truly Jesus, via
the Power of the Holy Spirit, is about to "win" another soul!
(Proverbs 11:30
which talks about "he that winneth souls," uses a verb for "winneth"
that means "to capture, to seize or to lay hold of!" And the
Holy Spirit is adept at such "drawing" of sinners! John 6:44
also says God "draws" sinners!)
What I thought
was a decoy ... may have been the next step in the Spirit's
wooing of this woman, gently leading her to Christ Jesus our
Lord!
What a skilled
and masterful Executive He is!
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 15:
In John 4:24 Jesus used the word "must" in a
critically important statement.
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship
him in spirit and in truth."
That Greek verb is "dei" and means absolutely
necessary!
Obviously one thing Jesus is teaching here is
the fact that there is a right way to worship God ... only one
right way in fact!
It's essential that He be worshiped "in
spirit and in truth!"
"Spirit" being a
reference to the Holy Spirit of God, Who motivates all true
worship. And "Truth" surely is a term here used for the Word of
God, the Bible itself.
Also the number
(number is a verb property that indicates whether the conjugated
forms are singular or plural) of the verbs used here is
significant. In our verse the first occurrence of the word
"worship" (as a participle) is plural, speaking of a body
of believers. But the word "must" is carefully formed as a
third person singular verb ... revealing that true
worship ... even at church ... must be an individual matter!
Be sure YOU
are worshipping Him today, dear friend! Don't be just a passive
member of the crowd!
It is amazing
what Truth Jesus can pack into a short sentence! (It reminds me
somewhat of the power He has packed into a small atom! Jesus is
The Creator you know!)
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship
him in spirit and in truth."
Then I wondered
... are there any other "musts" in John's Gospel? Precious
words framed particularly by the lips of our Saviour?
There are!
Let me share them
with you:
In John 3:7 Jesus
said to Nicodemus: "Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must
be born again."
And in John
3:14-15 Jesus adds: "And as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of
man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have eternal life."
And a "hint" at
how seriously Jesus took His Mission from the Father:
"I
must work the
works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh,
when no man can work." John 9:4
Jesus just had to
win souls also! "And other sheep I have,
which are not of this fold: them also I
must bring, and
they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and
one shepherd." John 10:16
And if His Death
was a "must," so would His Resurrection be!
"For as yet they knew not the scripture,
that he must rise
again from the dead." John 20:9
What a list!
Even more so,
what a Lord!
He took His
Office as Saviour very seriously, even as a necessity!
And that's why
sinners today can be saved ... and go to heaven to be with their
Redeemer ... for evermore!
Praise His Name!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 16:
In John's Gospel our Lord loves to use this
expression: "I AM!"
John 4:25-26, for example, records:
"The woman saith unto him, I know that
Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will
tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak
unto thee am
he."
See it?
"I AM!"
The "woman" of
course is the Samaritan lady who met Jesus at Jacob's Well.
She well knew
that Messiah, the Anointed One of God, was coming some day.
What she did not
yet know was the fact that He stood in front of her that very
moment!
But, don't worry,
Jesus told her!
"I
That speak unto thee
am He!"
The Greek Text
from which our King James Translators worked (the Textus
Receptus by name ... or Received Text) uses this exact phrase:
"Ego eimi!"
Jesus said:
"I AM!"
The verb "eimi"
is in the present tense indicative active 1st person singular
form here. Jesus is! He eternally is! And a billion years
from now Jesus still will be saying: "I
AM!"
By the way,
that's God's great Name: "I AM!"
Messiah is God!
Christ is God!
The Man at the
Well here is God!
Jesus is God!
He is the
"I AM!"
This is the Name
by which He identified Himself to Moses 3500 years ago!
Read with me
Exodus 3:13-14. "And Moses said unto God,
Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say
unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and
they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto
them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus
shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me
unto you."
Again, that's God
the Son!
If you're having
trouble seeing Jesus prior to His earthly birth ... just read
John 8:58 where: "Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was,
I am."
That "I AM"
statement brought forth stones ... to kill Jesus!
"Then took they up stones to cast at him:
but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through
the midst of them, and so passed by." John 8:59
This "I AM"
statement in John 4 brought salvation to a lost sinner lady!
At Jesus' arrest
in John 18, with over 600 soldiers gathered against Him, He
simply spoke "I AM" ... and they all fell backwards under the
Power of His mighty Words! "Judas then,
having received a band of men and officers from the chief
priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches
and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should
come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them,
I am he.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon
then as he had said unto them,
I am he,
they went backward, and fell to the ground." John 18:4-6
Here are Jesus'
"I AM" statement in John's Gospel alone:
John 6:35 ---
"And Jesus said unto them,
I am the bread of
life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on me shall never thirst."
John 8:12 ---
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of
the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life."
John 10:7 ---
"Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily,
verily, I say unto you,
I am the door of the sheep."
John 10:11 ---
"I
am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep."
John 11:25 ---
"Jesus said unto her,
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in
me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
John 14:6 ---
"Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me."
John 15:1 ---
"I
am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."
Wow!
There are 7 of them!
With His
beautiful "I AM" statement ... Jesus finished talking to the
lady! Nothing else is said!
Again here's His
final declaration: "The woman saith unto
him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he
is come, he will tell us all things.
Jesus saith unto her, I that speak
unto thee am
he."
That last "I AM"
was so powerful that the lady ran home (nearly two miles) ...
without her waterpot ... and began telling others about the
Lord!
I truly believe
she got saved!
Also ... if you
count them ... Jesus spoke to her a total of seven
times!
And that
perfect communion from our Lord deeply shot the arrow
of conviction into her soul ... soon bringing faith and belief
in His Name!
She was as much
saved as was Saul of Tarsus!
"And upon this came his disciples, and
marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What
seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left
her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the
men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did:
is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and
came unto him." John 4:27-30
She believed unto
salvation!
And ... more good
news ... Jesus still to this very day saves old sinners!
Are you saved?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 17:
In John chapter 4 a Samaritan woman, lost in
her sins, met Jesus!
I mean she met Him as the Saviour of her
soul!
She got so excited about the Lord!
"The woman then left
her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the
men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did:
is not this the Christ?" John 4:28-29
Look at two or three "proofs" here of her
salvation!
She forgot the
earthly things that brought her to the Well! Her waterpot, left
behind, no longer mattered! She had found Everlasting Water!
She wanted others
to know about Jesus too! She immediately started witnessing,
telling men about the marvelous Son of God!
She re-emphasized
her faith in Christ! "Is not this the
Christ?" The implied answer is a definite YES!
Also note that
she had no doubt about His omniscience either!
"He
told me all things that ever I did!" Once one is saved,
he or she seeks to exalt Christ, not dethrone Him!
But let's look a
little further in this Bible account.
"And many of the Samaritans of that city
believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He
told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come
unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and
he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his
own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because
of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know
that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."
John 4:39-42
The woman got
saved. That was "fruit" for Jesus
that day!
Then "many"
Samaritans got saved! That was even "more
fruit!"
Yet again we are
told "many more" believed too! Now that was
"much fruit!"
And that's the
exact order in which Jesus says it will happen ... according to
John 15!
Watch carefully:
"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit
he taketh away: and every branch that beareth
fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth
more fruit."
John 15:2
First is
"fruit!"
Then ...
"more fruit!"
Again John
records the Lord: "I am the vine, ye
are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much
fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John
15:5
There's
"much fruit!"
Amazing!
Fruit ... more fruit ... much fruit!
Revival has come
to Samaria, of all places!
Also did you
notice that these new believers did not want Jesus to leave?
"They besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode
there two days."
That's another
pretty good sign of true salvation, a genuine and deep love for
the Lord!
Do YOU enjoy
being around Jesus?
And, lastly, like
the proverbial "icing on the cake," the Passage ends with a
clear declaration of the deity and mission of the Lord Jesus
Christ!
"We have heard Him ourselves, and know that This is
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."
John 4:42
The Samaritans
had "believed unto salvation!"
And, sinner
friend, since Jesus is "the Saviour of the
world" ... it seems to me that He could even now reach
down and touch you ... as you exercise saving faith in His dear
Name!
Indeed, as the
old song used to say: "Christ receiveth sinful men" ... and
women!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
