2. Living Water John 4:10-14

3. Review Jesus met the Samaritan woman by the well –He asked her for a drink –She was amazed that He would speak to her –He used the opportunity to speak of living water Jn 4:10-14

4. Questions What is "the gift of God"? –Many say it refers to Jesus –Others believe it refers to the salvation He offers What is the "living water" Jesus offers? –Many say it is a figure for salvation or eternal life –Others apply it to the Holy Spirit, because of Jn 7:37-39 Are the gift of God and the living water two different things, or one and the same?

5. The gift of God Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you...” –Jesus was clearly the person who had said those things Though she didn’t know Who He was, the Christ –But equally clear that the “gift of God” was not Himself (at least not in this context) Rom 6:23 –The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus So Jesus was saying, ‘If you knew of eternal life through the Christ and that the Christ is the one talking to you...’

6. Drinking the living water “...whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” Jn 4:14a –Could this water be the same as the gift of God? Jesus says, “But the water that I shall give will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” Jn 4:14b No, the living water leads to eternal life, the gift So what do we know? –The water must be drunk, is delivered by Jesus, and leads to eternal life

7. Drinking the living water Jn 7:37-39 –Jesus again refers to the living water –John then ties the idea of living water with the Spirit Are we to drink the Spirit? And if so, how? 1 Cor 12:13 –We are all baptized into one body and have been made to drink into one Spirit Does not say we ‘drink the Spirit’, but we ‘drink into one Spirit’ –Further, it begins “For by one Spirit...” The Spirit supplies what we drink; but what?

8. The living water What does the Spirit supply that we drink in and which leads to eternal life? –Jn 16:5-15 The Spirit supplied the truth (Jn 17:17) The word of God (Eph 6:17) When we read and study the Bible, we are drinking what the Spirit supplied – living water –Eph 5:18-21 When we sing, when we pray, when we submit to one another in the fear of God All are part of filling ourselves with the blessings that come from the Spirit The word teaches us how to be saved, the other things help us along that way

9. Thirst-quenching water To be sure we understand the living water correctly, consider what else Jesus said, –“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” Jn 4:14 –“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” Jn 7:37 Does what the Spirit provides quench our thirst? –Mt 5:6 – we hunger and thirst for righteousness 2 Tim 3:16-17 – the word of God quenches that thirst

10. Life-giving water “But the water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” Jn 4:14 –The living water would lead to eternal life, and become a source of water within Does what the Spirit supplies lead to life? –Rev 22:17 The one who hears the Spirit through the word invites others to “Come” –Isa 44:1-5 Like water to a dry ground The Spirit pours out the blessing of God so that people can belong to God

11. Conclusion What was Jesus telling the Samaritan woman? –If she knew God’s plan for salvation through the Christ –And if she realized she was talking to the Christ –Then she could ask for the words of life (living water) And it would not only save her, but become a source of water to others Later she does realize He is the Christ (Jn 4:25- 26), and the words He spoke become a fount of water for others (Jn 4:39) The water, the word of God, is still there for us to drink and to live