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June 20,2007; Jesus, Prince of Preachers and Premier Prophet (1 of 12)

Focus Text: John 4.19-24

An astute observer once said, “God had but one Son, and He was a preacher!” Lest we overlook that fact, it should be pointed out that there are no less than seven verses in the New Testament that explicitly state the fact that Jesus was a preacher, or that He preached from time to time (see Matthew 4.17; 4.23; 9.35; 11.1; Mark 1.14; 7.22; 9.60). In addition to these explicit verses there are literally scores of others that point out the fact that Jesus was a preacher. The first seven devotionals in this miniseries will take a look at the character of Jesus as it is revealed in some of His sermons or teachings. Now to that end, we press –

Without a doubt, the most famous of the sermons of Christ was His Sermon on the Mount. However, we will not spend time there – not because there is nothing to be gained – but because there are other less well-know passages that also hold treasures waiting to be mined. The first sermon we will examine had but one listener in the audience (similar perhaps to the case when Phillip preached to the Ethiopian Nobleman in his chariot as related in Acts 8.26-40). The place: Samaria. The occasion: Just an ordinary day. The audience: A Samaritan woman. The purpose: To demonstrate that the saving work of Jesus the Messiah was not limited to the Jewish nation. The result: The woman believed along with many others of her city (see John 4.4-42).

The events recorded in John 4 do not present themselves as a sermon, and arguably, it was not a sermon as we typically think of one. However, the elements of a sermon were in the conversation and actions of Jesus. First, He had an “attention step.” Jesus, a male Jew, asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water and this all the while knowing that the “…Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” (John 4.9). Next, He established the source of authority upon which they could agree; He did this by telling her of personal matters, matters of family, which He could not have known had He not been a prophet. His actions were successful in that the woman concluded, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” (John 4.19). Progressing from that point, Jesus met one of the errors of the Samaritans head on; we explore further!

The astounded woman asked, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain [Mount Gerizim, home of the Samaritan Temple], and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." (John 4.20). Here is where the character and preaching methods of Jesus shone! Perhaps it would have been a dilemma for us, attempting to answer a question which had such emotional import and one which could lead to offences which would not seen be forgotten. Yet, as was always the case, Jesus pulled no punches! He simply said, in so many words, your fathers were wrong and the Jews were right! With love and yet great candor, He met the woman at her place of need thus permitting her to choose for herself whether or not she would believe and obey the truth!

We will continue this particular storyline tomorrow, but observe please for today, that truth was always foremost in the mind of Christ. That is one reason why He was the Prince of Preachers!

Questions:

1. Why did Jesus go through Samaria? Why didn’t other Jews ordinarily travel there?

2. What “secret” did Jesus know about the woman which convinced her that he was a prophet?

3. Where had the Samaritans worshiped? The Jews? What did the Jews say about the right place to worship?

4. Whom did Jesus say was right in the age-old argument about where to worship?

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