Woman at the Well

" Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee." (John 4:1-3, NKJV)

On Sunday evenings we are going through a verse by verse study of the Gospel of John. As of January the 13th we have arrived at the fourth chapter in our study. In chapter three Jesus had drifted out into the countryside of Judea where He encountered John the Baptist. John’s disciples were concerned that Jesus was getting to be more popular than John. John the Baptist replied, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30, NKJV)

The popularity that Jesus began to amass was troublesome because He knew that the crowds of people would want physical deliverance not spiritual deliverance. The people would want to make Jesus an earthly King. This very circumstance occurs in John 6:15. " Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone." (John 6:15, NKJV)

Jesus’ mission was not to save His people from their temporary circumstances of life, but to deliver them from the greatest crises all men face. He came to save us from our sin. "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”" (Matthew 1:21, NKJV)

Join us next Sunday evening as we discuss “Christ’s Witness to the Woman at the Well.”

Fiery Preaching

"Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones." (Luke 3:7-8, NKJV)

John the Baptist did not pull any punches when he confronted his religious opponents. No doubt John would be branded as a “hell fire and brimstone” preacher if he were here today. Although his message was not politically correct, it was theologically correct. In addition, his apparent harshness is an action motivated by love.

These religious opponents of John had developed a system that claimed to be true, but was actually in error. John calls them a bunch of snakes. Not very seeker sensitive! These religious leaders felt that they were part of God’s kingdom because of their ethnic tie to Abraham. John explained that those who do not display true repentance and dependence of God demonstrate that they are not true sons of Abraham.

"just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham." (Galatians 3:6-7, NKJV)
It is not a loving thing to affirm error. Only those people who care about you will tell you that your breath stinks. It is not a loving thing to allow someone to continue down the path of falsehood because you do not want to hurt their feelings.

"let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:20, NKJV)