27Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." ESV
… Once [the woman at the well] had been born again, instead of being ashamed of what she had done, she blurted out that Jesus knew all about it. This is one of the most important signs that people have truly come to faith in Christ; instead of covering their sin and resenting the subject, true Christians publicly admit their sin—in fact, they delight to do so—in order to show that Jesus is the Savior of sinners. This is how the new birth changes us into witnesses for Christ, and it is because people notice this change that they listen and come. In this way the new birth both causes and empowers our witness to Christ …
Jesus applied this as a general principle: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34). These two priorities consumed His mind and heart: He was committed to acting in conformity with God’s will and to completing the task God had given Him to do. This commitment on Jesus’ part sets an agenda for how we, too, can lead fulfilling lives despite hardships or trials—by committing ourselves to godly living and faithful service to God.
The divergence between Jesus’ focus and our own explains the unhappiness and lack of fulfillment many of us experience, even as Christians. Do you realize that the more self-centered we are, the more unhappy and unfulfilled we are? Are you trying to feast on an unwholesome diet of worldly amusements, earthly success, or sinful pleasure? You will never be satisfied that way! Too many Christians can recite details of all the sit-coms on television but do not know what to say to lead a sinner to Christ. Many others feed richly on God’s Word, but because they do not serve—and especially because they do not witness—they find themselves strangely unfulfilled.
The way to lead a joyful, meaningful life is not to pursue your own pleasure but to do everything to the glory of God. …It means delighting to do God’s will and to serve His kingdom. Above all else, as Jesus shows us, our chief delight should be playing a role in the salvation of other people … What Jesus said should be true of us as well: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (Phillips, 158-161)
We have come to the end of this study of Jesus the Evangelist. Rick Phillips leaves us with a powerful description of Christ as the Savior of the world. He is not just your Savior or my Savior. He is the Savior of all who will come to know God and inhabit heaven. The Samaritans in John 4 make a stunning connection. They understood that this man standing before them, dressed like them, covered with dust like them, was the Savior of the world. They understood this not because he spoke about grand political theory, nor how bad the Romans were, nor how he was going to bring more water to their village. They understood this because he spoke about the unquenchable thirst of their souls. Jesus talked about the sins of the woman at the well (just as the villagers themselves often did), but he spoke with compassion and offered reconciliation. The Samaritans became convinced that this common man who had walked into their village could do something no human could do. He could heal the human heart! He was the Savior of the world.
Phillips then proceeds to challenge us. Do we have the same clear perception of Christ that these ordinary Samaritans did? Is Christ the Savior of the world or is he merely our “get of jail free” card? What is more important to you than telling others about the Savior of the world? Do you fit into one of the two categories that Phillips lists above? Are you preoccupied with the pleasures of this world, especially those that are not sins in and of themselves? Or are you content to know God’s Word yourself, without telling it to your family and to others whom you know?
When there are economic concerns, as there are now, the first instinct is for self-preservation. But on balance that can be a deadly concern. Notice what Jesus says in John 12:24-26:
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Men, do you love this life and its pleasures? If you do, you will lose. To be an effective leader for Christ in your family, you cannot view your commitment to Christ as one of several things you must prioritize. You cannot fit serving Christ into a schedule of sports, the outdoors, business, etc., and still be committed to him. You cannot love this life more than you love Christ. Your life is your most effective evangelistic statement to others, especially to your family. Consider the challenge Rick Phillips makes to you on Jesus’ behalf: what is your “food”?
May your discussions in your groups this week bear much fruit for the gospel of Christ.
We will be on break until January. Merry Christmas!
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