But to turn back to John chapter
four, I've entitled the message for
this morning. He must needs go through Samaria. The text is verse four, John
chapter four, and he must needs go through Samaria. It was absolutely
binding upon him to go through Samaria. It was necessary for
him to go through Samaria. Going through Samaria was the
shortest route from Judea to Galilee. But a good Jew would avoid that route
in order to avoid Samaria and the Samaritans. You remember
what this woman Said to the Lord in verse nine of this chapter, then saith the
woman of Samaria unto him, how is it that thou being a Jew askest
drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have
no dealings with the Samaritans. But the text does not say he
went through Samaria to get to Galilee, does it? It says he
must needs go through Samaria. It was binding upon him. It was absolutely necessary for
him to go through Samaria. Now, there were other ways to
get to Galilee. This didn't mean he had to go
through Samaria in order to get there, but it does say he must
needs go through Samaria. And it is my prayer that he must
needs go through Lexington. And that he must needs go through
the Todd's Road Grace Church. And that he must needs go to
Todd Nyberg. And I pray that's the prayer
of everybody in this room. Oh, how I need him to come to
me. I want to come to him. I need Him to come to me. He must needs go through Samaria. Why this language? Do you remember
his first recorded words? Said to his parents at 12 years
of age. This is the only glimpse we're
given of his youth. And his parents had left him
in Jerusalem thinking he was in the crowd. And then they find
that he's not with them. And his mother says, behold,
thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And here's his
reply. How is it that you sought me?
Wist ye not, didn't you know that I must be?" It's absolutely
binding to me to be about my Father's business. The only reason the Son of God
must do anything is He must do His Father's. will. He said, I must work the works
of Him that sent me. It's absolutely binding upon
me to work the works of Him that sent me. He said in John chapter
six, verse 38, I came down from heaven. What if I said that to you? I
came down from heaven. You'd say, you're crazy. You're
crazy, you didn't come down from heaven, you're saying your original
existence was in heaven? He said that. I came down from
heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent
me. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me, that of all which He has given me, I should
lose nothing. Before we proceed, who is this
one of whom it is said he must needs go through Samaria? Who is the one represented by
the pronoun he? He, he must needs go through
Samaria. This is the greatest question
you and I will ever face. Who is Jesus of Nazareth? This is the greatest question
you and I will ever face. Who is Jesus Christ? This was. is and always will
be the issue. Who is Jesus Christ? When that's answered, everything
else is answered. Who is Jesus Christ? Well, let me give you the answer.
And I'm gonna answer from the scriptures. Jesus of Nazareth
is God. God manifest in the flesh. First Timothy 3 16 in the beginning
was the word and the word was with God as a distinct person. The second person of the Trinity
and the word was God. Jesus Christ is God. I love saying that. We read in Isaiah 9, 6, unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders.
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Colossians chapter two, verse
nine says, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead in
a body. How mysterious, how glorious. Jesus Christ is the creator.
Jesus Christ is your creator. Jesus Christ is God. I want you to look at this passage
with me in Hebrews chapter one, verse three, verse one, Hebrews chapter one, verse one,
God, you know, this is the only The
book in the Bible that begins with this word, God, who at sundry times and in different
manners, spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath in these last days. Now these last days are all the
days between the first and second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They're the last days. Is it the last of the last days?
I don't know. I hope so, but I don't know. And the Lord said,
no man knows the day or the hour. Uh, when someone makes some kind
of prediction, the Lord's going to come at this time. It's foolish. The scripture gives no recognition
of anything like that, but these aren't the last days. You know,
we read in that Psalm that Steve read my days are as a handbreadth. I don't have long. You don't
have long. He hath in these last days spoken
unto us by Son, whom he hath appointed heir of
all things. The Lord Jesus Christ owns everything. By whom also he made the worlds. Jesus Christ is the creator.
He's the one who said, let there be light. And there was light.
He's the one who said, let us make man in our own image. And the scripture says he upholds
all things by the word of his power. You know why you're breathing
right now? The will of Jesus Christ. He upholds all things by the
word of His power. He is Lord. He's the brightness of God's
glory and the express image of His person. Do you know all you'll
ever see of God is the man, Christ Jesus? He said, he that has seen
me hath seen the father. He's the brightness of God's
glory. The express image of his person
when he had by himself purged our sins. He sat down at the right hand
of the majesty on high. Colossians 1 15 says he's the
image of the invisible God. Now, the issue is not, is Jesus
of Nazareth a man? We know he's a man. He had a
particular birth date. He lived so many years, right
down to the exact second. And he died at a particular point
in time, like every man will. He's the second Adam, just as
much a man as you and I. Look in John chapter four, verse
six. Now Jacob's well was there, Jesus therefore being wearied
with his journey. He had all the physical limitations
that you and I do as a man. He became flesh. Now he never sinned, but he had
all the limitations that you and I do. The issue is not, is he a man? But this man is the God of glory,
the uncreated creator, the only savior of sinners. Now listen
to this, if Jesus Christ is not eternal God, if Jesus Christ
is not the creator, he's the biggest phony. He's the biggest
imposter to ever live. And this book we call the Bible
is a worthless book of no more value than Shakespeare. If he
is not God. Jesus Christ is God. He it is who must needs go through
Samaria. And we've already seen where
he said, I must be about my father's business. This is his father's
business. That is why he must needs go
through Samaria. You see one of his elect was
there. Someone that he chose before time began to be saved. He must needs go through Samaria. One of his sheep was in Samaria. one that he came to live for,
one that he came to die for. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep and other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them
also I must bring. It's absolutely binding for me
to bring. I must bring them and there shall
be one fold and one shepherd He said in that same chapter
in John chapter eight to a group of people that did not believe,
he said, you believe not because you're not of my sheep. As I
said to you, he didn't say you're not my sheep because you don't
believe. He said, you don't believe because you're not of my sheep.
As I said, and do you my sheep hear my voice? I know them. and they follow
me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. He must need to go through Samaria
because that woman at the well was there. I love to think of
Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector.
He had no interest in God. He was a sinful man. But something
happened to him to where all of a sudden he sought to see
Jesus who he was. Now there was a time when he
didn't care. He does now. Why? Because he must need to
go through Samaria. Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus
who he was. But the scripture says he could
not, for he was little of stature. He was trying to look over the
crowd and he couldn't do it. And you know, when you find out,
when you seek to see Jesus who he is, first thing you find out
is that you can't do it. You can't see him. You don't
know. But you know what this man did?
I love the way the scripture points out that he ran ahead
of the crowd and he climbed up into a sycamore tree. So he could
see the Savior pass that way because he wanted to, maybe he
just wanted to know what he looked like, what he was like. He sought
to see Jesus, who he was. He's up there in that tree. The
Lord passes by and he stops and looks up in that tree and says,
Zacchaeus, make haste. Come down for today. I must abide at thy house. It is binding upon me. It is absolutely necessary for
me to abide at thy house. And listen, that wasn't just
for the day, that means forever after that. I must abide at thy
house. You know, one of the things I
love about If you belong to the Lord, he's
going to have you. I must abide at thy house. And he went on to say to this
day, salvation has come to this house in as much as he also is
a son of Abraham. That's every true believer of
the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He came to say he's a
son of Abraham for. The Son of Man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost. He must needs go through Samaria. In Luke chapter four, verse 43,
he said, I must preach the kingdom of God in other cities. They wanted him to stay there,
and I understand that. I wouldn't want him, if he was
here, he is here. I sure don't want him leaving.
But these people begged him physically, don't leave here. He said, I
must. It's necessary for me, it's binding
upon me to preach the kingdom of God in other cities. For therefore am I sent, and
I pray." He's preaching his gospel to somebody here this morning.
You won't do anybody any good if my voice is the only voice
you hear. You'll leave uninfluenced. But if he speaks,
he must needs go through Samaria. And I hope somebody may be wondering,
well, what is the gospel he preached? Well, let's stay with this thing.
Turn to Luke chapter 24 of what he must needs do. Luke chapter 24. This is after his resurrection
and he says in verse 44, and he said unto them, This one who must need to go
through Samaria, this one who is God, the God-man. And he said unto them, these
are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled. It's binding that they be fulfilled. Same word, must needs be fulfilled,
which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets
and in the Psalms concerning me. Now he tells them it was
necessary. I told you this while I lived.
And now I've been raised from the dead, but you know, at least
three or four times, He told his disciples, I'm going to be
crucified. Three days later, I'm going to
be raised from the dead. Of the 12, how many of them were
there waiting? Not one of them. Not one of them. And you know, even his enemies
knew that he made this promise. We read in Matthew chapter 24
where the Pharisee said, this deceiver said while I was yet
alive, after three days I'll rise again. Command therefore
that the sepulcher be made sure into the third day, lest his
disciples come by night and steal him away and say to the people
that he's risen from the dead and the last error shall be worse
than the first. I mean, even his enemies knew he made that
promise and they wanted to keep his grave secure, but the disciples
were not there, were they? There was a woman named Mary
Magdalene who was there, but none of the courageous disciples
were there. Look in chapter 22 of Luke, verse 37. This is right before his crucifixion. Verse 37, for I say unto you, That this that is written must
yet be accomplished in me. Now, before I quote it, look
at the emphasis he puts on the scriptures. It's written. If we don't have
a written revelation from God, all we have is my opinion and
your opinion. What good is that going to do
anybody? But thank God, we have a written revelation from God. And I know that, I remember,
I'd always think, well, how can you know it's, that seems so,
how do you believe something like that? Well, if God can create
the universe from nothing, he can inspire me to write a book
and keep it pure. The Bible. What we think of God
is seen by what we think of the Bible. For I say unto you that this
that is written must yet be accomplished in me and he was reckoned among
the transgressors. That's a quotation from Isaiah
chapter 3 verse 12. For he was reckoned among the
transgressors. Now, that means he was numbered
and counted as a transgressor. That's why he died. Now in his
life, he's the only man to never sin. He's the only holy man to
ever live. As a matter of fact, he couldn't
sin. You know, it was impossible for
him to tell a lie. It was impossible for him to
have an unclean or an impure thought. It was impossible for
him to have a bad motive. He never sinned. I love to think of that. He never
sinned. Yet he was nailed to a cross
and numbered as a transgressor. Why? He bore my sin. My sin became
His sin. Not only did He bear the punishment
of my sin, He bore the sin itself. He bare our sins in His own body
on the tree. That horrible thing. Why do you
think he sweat great drops of blood in Gethsemane before he
went to the cross? Because he knew he was going
to drink that cup and drink my sins into his own body on the
tree. No, he never sinned. Even when
he bore my sin, he never sinned. But this is worse. He was made
sin. Second Corinthians 521 says,
for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The Lord said,
it's written and it must be. He was numbered with the transgressors. Now turn back to Luke 24. Verse 44, and he said unto them, this is
after his resurrection, these are the words which I spake unto
you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled,
which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets
and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures. You know when you
and I will understand the Scriptures? When He opens our understanding.
And not before then. He opened their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures. You know when the
Lord opens your understanding that you might understand the
Scripture, this book becomes a new book. And it's got only
one subject, Jesus Christ and him crucified. He opened their
understanding that they might understand the scriptures. Verse
46. And he said unto them, thus it
is written. There we go again. Thus it is
written. That's the authority. Thus it
is written. And thus it behooved Christ. Now that word behooved is the
same word translated must needs. It is necessary. And look what
it says. This is the gospel. Thus it's
written. And thus it was necessary for
Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day. It was
necessary. It was necessary for Christ to
suffer. Now, why was it necessary for Jesus Christ to suffer? Because it's the purpose of God
to send his son to die on a cross and suffer. In Revelation chapter
13 verse 8, He's called the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. And God created the universe
for the Lamb to come and be slain. This is the very eternal purpose
of God. That's why it must be what God
wills must come to pass. For God to will something and
it not come to pass would be He's not all powerful. That's
never going to happen. He must suffer because this is
God's eternal purpose to manifest himself. You know why he must
suffer? He must suffer because he's guilty. Listen, when Jesus Christ was
hanging on the cross, it was not the innocent being punished. God would never punish someone
who is innocent. The sins of God's elect literally
became his sins. My sin became his sin. He owned it as his own. The soul that sins shall surely
die. As my substitute, he took my
sin and my sorrow and he made it his very own. Why did he suffer? Because the
wages of sin is death. And he bore my sin in his own
body on the tree. Why did he suffer? Because he bore my sin. Now, why was it necessary for him
to be raised from the dead? He said in verse 46, it behooves,
or it was necessary for Christ to suffer. And it was also necessary
for Christ to rise from the dead. Do you know the same reasons
that he had to suffer are the same reasons why he had to rise
from the dead? First of all, he had to rise
from the dead because that's God's eternal purpose. The Lord
did not purpose for him to stay dead. The lamb having been slain
from the foundation of the world is also the lamb having been
raised from the foundation of the world. And he had to come
in time both to die and to be raised from the dead. This is
God's eternal purpose. You know, I love it when he says
with regard to going to the cross, he said, what shall I say? He
said, now is my soul troubled. And who knows what the trouble
he experienced. He said, and what shall I say?
Father saved me from this hour. But for this cause, came I into
this hour. He came to die, and He came to
be raised from the dead. Now, He was raised from the dead
because it was God's eternal purpose, and He was raised from
the dead just as Christ died because He was guilty. The justice
of God demanded His death. He was raised from the dead because
of the justice of God. The justice of God demanded His
resurrection. You see, when He died, this is
the reason This is a difficult thing to think about, but the
reason hell is eternal, because there's never any satisfaction
made for sin. If you suffer 10 million years,
it won't pay the cost. The grievousness and wickedness
of our sin. And the best way I would know
how to explain this illustrate this is you take your child or
the person you love the most, if somebody murdered them brutally,
wickedly, maliciously, and then said, here's $10 million. Will
that pay? No. No. Well, here's a billion
dollars. Will that make up? No. No. You'll never be satisfied. And
that's why hell is eternal. But when Jesus Christ died, something
took place that could never take place. By my death or your death,
he made complete satisfaction to God. The sin was paid for. Christ paid the debt. God says,
I can ask for nothing else. It's all been paid. And the very
justice of God demanded his resurrection and the resurrection of everybody
in him. He was delivered for our offenses
and raised again for our justification. He was raised from the dead that
the scriptures might be fulfilled. I'd like you to turn to Acts
chapter 4. I've got a couple of scriptures I want to look
at in closing. Acts chapter 4. Now, this took place right after the
great sermon on the day of Pentecost. And there must've been a buzz
in Jerusalem. Everybody at least knew or heard
that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead. And then they
saw Peter heal this man who was born lame. And Peter says, rise
up and walk. And he stood up and leaped and
walked. Now, chapter four, verse one, And as they spake unto the people,
the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees
came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people and
preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid
hands on them and put them in hold until the next day, for
it was now eventide. Howbeit, many of them which heard
the word believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand.
And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders
and scribes and anis, High priests, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander,
and as many as were of the kindred of the high priests, were gathered
together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in
the midst, they asked, By what power or by what name have you
done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy
Ghost, said unto them, ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel,
if we this day be examined to the good deed done to the impotent
powerless man by what means he is made whole, Be it known unto
you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from
the dead, even by him does this man stand here before you whole.
This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which
has become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other. For there's none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must. It is absolutely necessary that
we be saved. And when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marveled and they took knowledge of them,
that they had been with Jesus. One last scripture, first Corinthians
15. Now, if you would want to know,
probably in the Bible, the most formal declaration of what the
gospel is, you do well to turn to 1 Corinthians 15 and study
it. He begins this chapter, moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel. And there is a conjunction
before every verse telling us really that the thought is not
over until the 24th verse. There's a conjunction, adding
every thought, building one upon the other. And if you would want
to know what the gospel is, read first Corinthians 15. What a
blessed passage of Scripture it is. That's where He says,
I delivered unto you, verse 3, first of all, that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures. Now, look in verse 24. Then cometh the end. when he shall have delivered
up the kingdom to God, even the father, when he shall have put
down all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign. It is absolutely necessary that
he reign. You see, Jesus Christ is the
Lord and he must reign till he hath
put all enemies under his feet. He must reign. He reigned in creation when he
spake the world into existence. He reigns right now in providence.
He's the first cause behind everything. He's everybody's Lord, whether
they know it or not, he's Lord. And he reigns in salvation. That means he does it. And beloved, he reigns in heaven
and heaven will be beholding his glory and his reign. He must needs go through Samaria. Aren't you thankful? Let's pray. Lord, we ask that you would As you went
to that woman in Samaria, we asked that you would come to
us, reveal yourself to us, reveal to us who you are. Lord, we will not know who you
are unless you're pleased to reveal yourself to us. We ask that you would reveal
yourself to us by your almighty, irresistible, invincible grace. We're so thankful that your grace
saves that it doesn't offer salvation and leave it up to us, but your
grace saves Lord. Move in our midst for Christ's
sake in his name. We pray. Amen.