Believing Because of Signs and Because of the Word

 

Malachi 1:11; John 4:7-30; 39-42 (text)

November 15, 2015 • Download this sermon (PDF)

Congregation of Christ: Nothing has changed in 2,000 years since our Lord Jesus Christ first appeared preaching and teaching in Palestine. In the Gospel of John, Jesus performed so many signs, or miracles as we call them today, that John says, “Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). Today, many people still look for all sorts of signs and wonders in churches and crusades, most of which are staged performances, rather than read God’s Word.

well_bucket2Last Sunday, we studied Jesus’ conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who came during the night so no one could see. Today, we study Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman in the middle of the day. There are similarities to the timing of this meeting at the well. In our previous studies, we saw that in performing miracles, Jesus is both challenging and fulfilling Jewish institutions and festivals. In the wedding at Cana in Chapter 2, he shows that he is fulfilling Jewish purification rites with his coming as the Messiah who would purify his people from uncleanness. Later, he went to the Jerusalem temple during the Passover feast and showed that he is the new and final temple of God. In his conversation with the teacher Nicodemus here in Chapter 4, he showed him that he is far better than all the Pharisees.

Today, we will study how he again demonstrates to the woman at the well that he is inaugurating a far better, true worship of the true God. That he is the only true temple found wherever true believers are present. Also, the Samaritan woman believed that he is the Messiah, the true Prophet, through a sign that Jesus showed her. But the Samaritans to whom the woman testified believed in Jesus because of his Word alone.

Today, our theme is: “Believing Because of Signs and Because of the Word” under three headings: (1) The Sign Given to the Woman; (2) The Word Preached to the Samaritans; and (3) Sign or Word to Believe.

For the rest of the sermon, click here.


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