Divine Encounters with Jesus – “Come and See”

(John 4:4-30) – As a church, we put a LOT of emphasis on what we call "Missions" - that is, the efforts we make to love, serve and reach people who aren't part of the Cape Cod Church family. Today we look at one of Jesus' most famous "divine encounters" to find a model of missional living that we can use to show and tell people "Across the Street and Around the World" about his love.

1. Our Mission Must Be Intentional (John 4:4)

• John tells us that Jesus “had to go through Samaria” on his way back to Galilee from Jerusalem – yet Judean Jews almost never went through Samaria, preferring to avoid it altogether when traveling north and south because of the animosity between Jews and Samaritans.
• The “had to” of Jesus’ journey was his intentional plan to encounter the woman at the well. It was probably the least expected encounter for a Jewish rabbi – talking, alone, with a Samaritan woman with a bad reputation – but it was clearly intentional that Jesus would choose her, in that place.
• As we seek to live out our calling, as a church and as individuals, to be “missional” – that is, to live out our purpose and calling to show and tell others about Jesus and his love for them, we must adopt a mindset of missional intentionality, ready at all times to fulfil our missional purpose.

2. Know What Gift You’re Offering (John 4:10)

• As he often did, Jesus answered the Samaritan woman’s real need and desire, not the superficial questions she asked him. She kept trying to talk about literal water, but he made it clear that he could offer her what she really needed: “living water” – eternal, abundant life in him.
• When we get to the point where we’re ready to tell someone about Jesus, it’s important that we keep it simple and that we know what it is that he offers to everyone who will believe: the gift of life itself. That’s why he came – so that all could have the full, eternal life we were created for.
• Many believers fear sharing their faith because they’re afraid that they’ll be asked hard questions they can’t answer, or they’ll be rejected when they present biblical truth. But the calling is simple: tell the Story of how Jesus offers the gift of life, then tell how that gift has changed your own life.

3. It’s Not About Religion (John 4:19-21,24, 28-30)

• Jesus made the conversation uncomfortable by letting the woman know that he knew that her life was a bit of a train wreck – she had had 5 husbands, and she was living with a 6^th man she wasn’t even married to. Her defensive response: she started talking about religion. But Jesus wasn’t having any of it – religion isn’t the issue, trusting him and worshipping “in spirit and truth” is.
• One of the mistakes we can make when we try to tell someone about Jesus is to allow the conversation to become about religion or rules or behavior. Like the Samaritan woman, folks will quickly “change the subject” to talk about the failures of churches, the “unfairness” of God, or even the historical or scientific accuracy of the Bible. Don’t go there…
• Our job as missional followers of Jesus isn’t to argue someone into faith in Jesus. Our job is simply “show and tell” – to let them see how Jesus’ gift of abundant life has changed our lives, then tell them in the simplest terms possible how they can receive that gift too.
• Once the woman believed and accepted the gift of life from Jesus, her natural response was to tell everyone she could about him. She dropped everything to run to town, shouting “Come and see!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

Isaiah 55:1-3; John 7:37-38; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14-17; James 1:27; Revelation 22:1-2

Video of the Week: Water of Life by Bible Project

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

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1. The message described missional intentionality as a mindset of readiness to show and tell others about Jesus. How would you describe your own readiness to talk about your faith when an opportunity arises – comfortable, cautious, terrified, or something else?  Explain your answer.

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2. John 4:4 says Jesus “had to go through Samaria.” What does it reveal about Jesus that he chose the route most Jews deliberately avoided, and what might that say about where he wants to send us?

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3. Read John 4:19-21 again. The woman tried to redirect the conversation toward a religious debate about worship locations. Why do you think people instinctively turn to arguments about religion (or rules, or behavior, or biblical accuracy) when they’re confronted by the person and truth of Jesus?

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4. Jesus told the woman plainly, “I am the Messiah” — the first time in John’s gospel that he said this openly. Why do you think he chose a Samaritan woman of poor reputation as the first person to hear the Good News about who he is?

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5. The message presented our mission as followers of Jesus as “show and tell” – showing the love of Jesus to others, then telling them about the gift of life he offers. In your view, which of those (‘show’ or ‘tell’) should get the most emphasis as we seek to fulfil our mission?  Explain your answer.

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6. The woman at the well dropped her water jar and ran to tell her village, shouting “Come and see!”  Is there someone in your life right now you could invite to “come and see”?  If so, what would your invitation to them actually sound like?