Let us turn to the Word of God. In the chapter we were reading,
John chapter 4, and I want this evening to direct your attention
to the words that we find here in verse 29. John 4, 29, the
testimony of the woman of Samaria, come see a man which
told me all things that ever I did is not this, the Christ." In John chapter 4 verse 29, comes
see a man which told me all things that ever I did is not this,
the Christ. We're told later on of the consequence
of the words in verse 39 and many of the Samaritans of that
city believed on him for the saying of the woman which testified
he told me all things that ever I did and so considering the
words of this woman as she bears this remarkable testimony to
Jesus of Nazareth that he is indeed the promised one, the
Christ of God we're told at the beginning of
the chapter how he must needs go through Samaria well he must make such a journey
of course in a real physical sense because he is leaving Judea
in the south and traveling now to Galilee in the north and to
make such a journey it was necessary that he go through the region
of Samaria but surely we see here that there was another reason
and it was that in the eternal purpose of God because he must
meet with this particular woman and minister to her even for
the eternal salvation of her soul he must needs then go through
Samaria because it was appointed that this woman would come to
a saving knowledge of God's. And there we see the Lord Jesus
dealing with the woman when Christ first comes to to any sinner
to reveal himself he finds them in such a state of ignorance
and helplessness because each and all of us by nature are dead
in trespasses and sins and all that that involves, all that
that implies and so too with this woman, how the Lord speaks
to her He speaks to her of her real needs. He has asked for water, and then he takes opportunity
of speaking of living waters, as we see there in verse 10.
If thou knewest the gift of God, and do it is that saith to thee,
Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would
have given thee living water. Well this is what she really
stands in need of. As he says in verse 14, Whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst,
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life. And so he awakens this
interest really in her heart, she doesn't altogether understand
him. But now we see the Lord going
on to speak to her of what her real need is, she's a sinner.
At verse 16 then he says, Go, call thy husband and come hither.
The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said
unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband, for thou hast
had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband,
in that thou seest truly. And then the response of the
woman, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. There's something
remarkable about this man, he can speak so plainly of what
her a true state is and something of the life that she must have
previously lived he goes on doesn't he to speak to her concerning
God and the very nature of God she's a Samaritan and their religion
of course was very very much a mixed religion it was not that
belonged to the Jews remember after the division of the kingdom
after the death of King Solomon when his son Rehoboam behaves
so foolishly and causes there to be that solemn division when
the ten tribes in the north rebel and make Jeroboam son of Nebat
their king and he sets up his own worship because he doesn't
want them to go to Jerusalem for the great feast of the Lord
doesn't want them to go back down into Judah in the south
and their religion is ever more corrupted after the ten tribes
in the north are scattered under assault from the Assyrians their
religion becomes ever more mixed And so the Lord has to speak
to this woman, not only of herself, but also of God and the nature
of God, who God is. And so we have this conversation.
Verse 22, He says, Ye worship ye know not what. We know what
we worship for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh,
and there is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him
in Spirit and in truth. Well, the woman knows something
of the promise of Messiah. As we see at verse 25, I know
that Messiah's cometh, which is called Christ. When He has
come, He will tell us all things. And then the Lord makes that
remarkable statement in verse 26, I that speak unto thee and then the Lord reveals himself
really the Lord is revealing himself in the way in which he
speaks to the woman the things he says to the woman and so she's
brought to make this remarkable statement when she returns back
to her own city goes back to Saika come see a man which told
me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ? is not this the Christ? she clearly understands him the consequence of what She had
said to him there at verse 25 and his response, she believes
the word. I that speak unto thee am he. The Lord reveals himself. Of
course, that's what we see when we read through the Gospels.
We see Christ continually revealing himself to his disciples. and
to those amongst whom he is ministering and not only the words he speaks
but the mighty works and the miracles that he performs. In
the opening chapter of Mark where we read of him healing the man
with the unclean spirit at the synagogue in Capernaum. What
is the response of those who are there in the synagogue? They
see this miracle and they say, what new doctrine is this? What new teaching is this? There's
something significant about this man. Even one of the Pharisees,
Nicodemus, seems to recognize that fact. As we see in John
chapter 3. Rabbi, we know that thou art
a teacher come from God. No man can do these miracles
that thou doest, except God be with him. That's the word of
Nicodemus said at the beginning of the third chapter here. And
we have it in other parts of the Gospels as well, the raising
of the widow of Nain's son from the dead. And what do the people
say? Why, they recognize that a great
prophet has risen amongst us. This person, this remarkable
person, or the Lord Jesus is revealing
himself and increasingly it's so with his own disciples in
the 16th chapter of Matthew where he's there in Caesarea Philippi
and he inquires of the disciples concerning what people are saying
with regards to himself It's not that he's ignorant of what
men and women are saying, but he will draw his disciples out.
And they report to him the various things that are being said. That
he's Elijah, he's one of the prophets, he's John the Baptist.
Risen again from the dead, and then the Lord asks that question
of the passage. He'll say, you that I am, and
it's Peter. Ever bold, ever impetuous Peter.
They want the Christ. the son of the living God. Christ reveals himself and he is revealing himself here
to this woman and when we think of that wonderful revelation
of course that John has at the beginning of the book of the
Revelation when he's in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and he hears
the voice and turns and he sees the representation of the churches,
the seven golden candlesticks, and one in the midst. And we
have that great description of the glorified Christ. And amongst
other things, his eyes were as a flame of fire. And so here
we see those eyes. His eyes were as a flame of fire. He could see into the hearts
of men. He could see all the history
of the people. That's the amazing thing, of
course, when we think of Him, because He never ceases to be God. Throughout
all the days of his humiliation upon earth, he never ceases to
be the Son of God, equal to the Father, equal to the Holy Spirit,
that God who is truly omnipotent. And so this woman can say to
these men, this man told me all things that ever I did, because
he knows all things. He needed not that any should
testify of man. He knew what was in the hearts
of men, we're told, here in chapter 2 and verse 25. He is the Word
of God. And remember that passage that
we have in Hebrews 4 concerning the Word of God. It is quick
and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints
and marrow, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. That's what's said concerning
the Word of God. A discerner of the thoughts and
intense of the heart. This man knew all the thoughts
and intents of this woman's heart. Now there in Hebrews 4 and that
twelfth verse, we often think of it in terms of the Holy Scripture. And it's true of the Word of
God. God's Word is quick and powerful. It's sharper than a two-edged
sword. It's the sword of the Spirit. but when we see that
statement in that fourth chapter in its context it is evident
that it's not the scriptures that's being spoken of as the
word of God because how does it continue in the following
verse? neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight for all things are naked and
open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do and then the
apostle goes on to speak of Christ he is speaking of Christ as that
one who is the word of God that's quick and powerful a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And of course John
speaks of him quite plainly, doesn't he? Here, as that Word
of God. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made, and the Word
was made flesh. and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth." Oh, He is God, and as God, of course,
He is omniscient. We sang in the metrical version
of the 139th Psalm, and that psalm speaks so clearly of God's
omniscience. All-knowing. He knows everything. Omniscient. He's omnipresent. He's in all places. David speaks
of it. O Lord, Thou hast searched me
and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting
and my not rising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. Thou compassest my path and my
lying down and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is
not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it all
together. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine
hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto
it. Might not this woman of Samaritan
speak in similar fashion of this man, the Lord Christ? Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. He knows everything about me. That's what she's saying.
Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is
not this the Christ? But it's interesting, isn't it?
Because she speaks of the Christ, but she also recognizes that this is a real
man. Come see a man, she says. come
see a man. The reality of his human nature
is here. Of course in his mediatorial
office he is always God-man. And as I said many a time we're
to remember the person. The person is the Lord Jesus
Christ. In that person there are two
distinct natures. But in everything he does he
is God-man. and here we see the wonder of
the Christ in terms of his human nature and as a man he knows this woman and he knows everything about
this woman and he knows her as a man He has such a knowledge of human
nature. He has an experimental knowledge
of human nature. That's what we see here. He knows the things of a man,
the things of a woman. Think of the language of Paul
writing in the second chapter of 1 Corinthians. what man knoweth
the things of a man say the spirit of man which is in him he knows
the things of men and women because he has an experimental he's a
real man he's a real man though he were a son he's the eternal
son of God though he were a son yet learned the obedience by
the things that he suffered says the Apostle in Hebrews chapter
5. He has a wonderful understanding
of humanity. It was the same, was it not,
with the great Protestant reformer Martin Luther when they said
of Luther that he could preach as if he'd been in the heart
of a man. Well if that was true of Luther, how much more was
that true of him who is the prince of all preachers, the Lord Jesus
Christ. he understands the hearts of
men you see we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities but he was in all points tempted
like us we are yet without sin there's nothing of sinful infirmities
in this man but his human nature is so real and so he knows that
fear of God in his heart look at how he's spoken of in prophecy
there in the eleventh chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah
he's mentioned in the opening verses as that one who is a rod
out of the stem of Jesse and a branch growing out of his roots
he's of the line and House of David, isn't it? Jesse, the father
of David. And this is what he said concerning
this one. The Spirit of the Lord shall
rest upon him. O God, give us not the Spirit
by measure unto the Christ. The Spirit of the Lord shall
rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord. And he shall make him of quick
understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge
after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing
of his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor and reprove
with equity for the meek of the earth. And it's a description
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he has that spirit of knowledge
and of the fear of the Lord. He is of quick understanding.
in the fear of the Lord. He has a wonderful spirit of
discernment, really. Oh, that is the truth. In the
days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayer and supplication,
with strong crying and tears he was heard, in that he feared. This man has the fear of the
Lord. He has a quick understanding. in the fear of the Lord and he's
right and true in all his judgments and he discerns the whole situation.
It's not just a matter of his being God and his omniscience, his knowing all
things. No, this is God-man. And how this woman then has to
make the confession and testify of him. Come see a man that told
me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ how the
Lord is revealed to us here but thinking of this this knowledge
that the Lord has this omniscience in a sense he has the omniscience
of course that belongs to God he knows all things and to contrast
the Samaritans woman in the response that she makes and what we find
with the Pharisees. We have mentioned the Pharisees
at the beginning of the chapter, when therefore the Lord knew. The Pharisees had heard that
Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus
himself baptized not, but his disciples. They were always the
Pharisees. I just want for a while to contrast
these two, the Pharisees and this woman, and the way in which
the Lord deals with each of these. How the Lord Jesus exposes the
Pharisees, how the Lord exposes their hypocritical religion,
those eyes as a flame of fire. and of course we have it in the
23rd chapter of Matthew that chapter that's full of woes woe
unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites and it's repeated
over and over woe unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites they're
hypocritical religion and the Lord sees right through it and the more they manifest their
hatred to him, the more we see him exposing them. Now, it's
interesting, isn't it, what we read in the book of the Revelation. We have Christ there in the opening
chapter and that vision that John beholds, the glorified Christ
and those eyes of the flame of fire. Then we have the letters
to the to the seven churches that follow in chapters 2 and
3 and in chapter 2 at verse 18 following we have a letter to
the church at Thyatira and you probably noticed as you've read
through these these two chapters the letters that in each of the
letters there's some reference made to what John beheld in the
vision and with regards to Thyatira it's those eyes as a flame of
fire, those feet like fine brass." In Revelation 2 verse 18, unto
the angel of the church in Thyatira write these things, saith the
Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and
his feet are like fine brass, I know thy works, and charity,
and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and
the last to be more than the first, notwithstanding. I have a few things against thee,
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself
a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit
fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I
gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented
not. Behold, I will cast her into
a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation,
except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children
with death, and all the churches. Now mark this, all the churches
shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts,
and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. All the churches shall know that
I am He which searcheth the reins and the hearts. And there we
have mention in that church of this wicked woman Jezebel. It's
not Jezebel that we read of in the Old Testament. She's spoken
of there in the first book of Kings of course, the wife of
that wicked king Ahab. And Jezebel in many ways is a
remarkable illustration of what hypocritical religion is all
about you see he's writing to a church
and yet this woman is in the church but she's a Jezebel figure and
think of Jezebel how she was a woman who wanted to be seen
as she was a woman that sought to enhance her beauty. We read of her in 1 Kings 9 and
verse 30, she painted her face and tied her hair and looked
out at a window. Interesting statement. Here is
a woman who wants to be seen, who wants to be noticed. She
makes something of herself. But inwardly, of course, she's
full of all wickedness. She's an evil woman. She's an
idolater. She's a persecutor of God's people. She's a hypocrite, really. She's
a remarkable illustration, as I said, of that hypocritical
religion. We're told, aren't we, also in
1 Kings 18, 19, how she supported the false prophets. how the prophets
of Baal would come to eat at her table she supports the false
religionists she even calls herself a prophetess there in Revelation
chapter 2 and verse 20 she wants to make a figure in the church
as it were there at Thyatira And in verse 24, we stopped reading
at verse 23, but if we read the 24th verse also there, we read
of this doctrine, the depth of Satan. The depths of Satan, that
was a religion. It's the hypocrite's religion. And there it's being exposed
because the Lord is that one who can see right through what's
happening there in that church at Thyatira. Job 8 and verse
13 we're told the hypocrites hope shall perish that's what happens to those
whose religion is nothing but an outward show that's what the hypocrites do,
isn't it? they like to make long prayers
in the synagogues and on the corner of the streets they want
to make a display of their religion all that they do is to be seen
of men just like this Jezebel and the Lord exposes them the
Lord exposes the false religionists but the same Lord is the one
who with those all-seeing eyes those eyes which are as a flame
of fire it's such an encouragement to those who are poor and needy
sinners The church shall know that I
am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts. It's the church at Thyatira that
we're reading of. Now there was one in that church
at Thyatira called Lydia. Lydia was of Thyatira we're told,
aren't we, in Acts 16. And what does the Lord do with
that woman? He opens her heart. The Lord opens the heart of Lydia,
and she hears, she doesn't just listen, she hears the ministry
of Paul and Silas. It has an effect upon her. She is brought to saving faith. The Lord opened her heart. What
is the Lord doing here? He is opening the heart of this
Samaritan woman. when he tells her everything
about her life she's brought to that place of conviction she
has to confess there in verse 17 I have no husband and Jesus
says thou hast well said I have no husband for thou hast had
five husbands and he whom thou hast is not
thy husband in that says thou truly and the woman saith unto
him sir I perceive that thou art a prophet or so different you see to the
Pharisees she confesses him to be a prophet
she confesses him to be the Christ But what do we read concerning
the Pharisees? They're always wanting to find
some fault with the Lord Jesus. Look at the language that we
have, for example, back in Matthew chapter 12. In Matthew 12 at verse Verse 22, we read there was brought
unto him one possessed with the devil, blind and dumb, and he
healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and
saw. And all the people were amazed
and said, Is not this the son of David? That's the Messiah,
the son of David. Is not this the son of David?
But When the Pharisees heard it, they said, This Pharaoh doth
not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. And
Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom
divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city
or house divided against itself shall not stand. We knew their
thoughts, but how different, you see, How different this... Those people there refer to him
as the son of David. And the Pharisees say he's the
servant of Satan, he's Beelzebub. He's serving Beelzebub. Very
different. Very different indeed. And this
woman, why she sees that this is a prophet, this is David's
son, this is truly the Christ, the Son of God. Or how she confesses
Him. She confesses Him, she owns Him,
she acknowledges Him. But the Lord and His dealings,
how He deals differently with one and with another. We have
it, don't we, in the third chapter. the language there verse 20 everyone
that doeth evil hath hated the light neither cometh to the light
lest his deeds should be reproved but he that doeth truth cometh
to the light that his deeds should be made manifest that they are
wrought in God He is the mark of the true child of God. He
wants to be examined. He wants to have his profession,
his confession, everything about his religion. He wants it to
be tested by Christ. He wants to know that it's real
and genuine. The Puritan John Flavel says,
false grace is shy of God's eye. It cares not to be examined. All the Pharisees hate the Lord
Jesus Christ. But how different it is with
the godly. Think of Job, the language of
Job. Let me be weighed in an even balance, he says. The gods
may know mine integrity. He is prepared for God to come
and examine him. His friends, so often they are
false friends, they are poor comforters to him. and he has
to appeal to God and he knows that God will be just in all
his searchings of him to say with David, isn't it, in that
psalm that we sang from the end of the psalm, search me O God,
he says and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see
if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting
God's people See, the need of that searching, they would examine
themselves. We're bidden, aren't we, to examine
ourselves. With regards to attending and
partaking at the Lord's table, let a man examine himself. And
so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup, says the
apostle. When we come to the Lord's table,
we examine ourselves not that we can find any qualification
in self but we know that that precious blood was shed for sinners
and we can only come as sinners and confess our sins and seek
that we might find some new gracious refreshment from the Lord himself
again the apostle says to those Corinthians examine yourselves whether you be in the faith prove yourselves know you're
not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except
ye be reprobate and surely the Lord Jesus is very much in this
woman she she owns him she acknowledges she confesses him she doesn't
say to these men here in the text go and see and find out
for yourselves. No, she says, come. She will
take them to Christ. Come. See a man that told me all things
that ever I did. He's not this to Christ. She will take them to him. You can think of the language
of that hymn of John Seneca, 144, Then will I tell to sinners
round, What a dear Saviour I have found, I'll point to His redeeming
blood, And say, Behold, the way to God. All we want to have dealings
with the Lord, we want others to have dealings with the same
Lord Jesus Christ. And this was so with this woman.
And so she brings them, But then we read, don't we, at
the end of the portion, we finished our reading at verse 42, but
there in that last paragraph, verse 39, many of the Samaritans
of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman,
which testified, he told me all that ever I did. But then, here's the great thing,
many more believed because of his own words. And said unto
the woman, Now we believe not because of thy saying, for we
have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the
Christ, the Saviour of the world. All we have to do, we have to
hear him ourselves and know for our own selves. That's Mark of
his sheep, how they know his voice and they follow him. and
He gives to them eternal life. But what a ministry the Lord
has and the effect upon this woman, a despised Samaritan,
so hated of the Jews because their religion was so mixed up
with all sorts and manner of things. But she can say, come
see a man which told me. All things that ever I did is
not this, the Christ. Can we not bear that same testimony
the Lord knows us He knows us better than we know ourselves
but the amazing thing is that though the Lord knows how awful
we are and how dreadful our lives yet the Lord is pleased to save
us because He is ever the friend of the sinners and here as I
said He must need to go through some area because there was this
woman to be met by Christ and to come to know that great salvation
that is in Him. God grant that we might know
it also, and that we might look to Him and confess Him, the man
Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh. By the Lord, bless
to us His truth. Amen.