20/03/2026
Sermon: The Spring of Life-Giving Water
John 4:5–42
Date: Sunday, 8th March 2026
Place: Emmanuel Lutheran Congregation, Gerehu – Port Moresby
By: Elder Sela Gipe
Greetings
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, good morning.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is truly a blessing for us to gather here this morning at Emmanuel Lutheran Congregation. As we come together to hear God’s Word, may the Holy Spirit open our hearts so that we may receive the message our Lord has for us today.
Our sermon today is based on John 4:5–42, and the theme is “The Spring of Life-Giving Water.”
The Historic Background Between Israel and Samaria
Before we look at the story itself, we need to understand something important about the cultural background and the relationship between the Israelites and the Samaritans.
Many years before the time of Jesus, the kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. This story is told in 2 Kings Chapter 17. The Assyrians took many Israelites away into captivity and brought foreigners from other nations to live in the land of Samaria.
These new people mixed their beliefs with the worship of the true God. The Bible tells us in 2 Kings 17:33:
“They worshiped the Lord God, but they also worship their other gods.”
So, the worship of God became mixed with their customs and other gods. The Jews and the Samaritans became deeply divided because of their cultural differences. They did not share common things. They did not trust each other. They avoided each other. In fact, Jews normally would not even travel through Samaria.
But our Gospel reading this morning tells us something surprising. Jesus chose to go through Samaria. Because there was someone there He wanted to meet.
The Encounter at the Well
Jesus arrived at a town called Sychar. He was tired from the journey and sat beside Jacob’s well.
At about noon, a Samaritan woman came to draw water.
Now this was unusual. Most women collected water early in the morning or late in the evening when it was cool. But this woman came in the heat of the day. Perhaps she wanted to avoid other people. Perhaps she carried shame from her past.
Then she meets Jesus and hears something unexpected: “Give me a drink of water.” Jesus said.
This was shocking. A Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman? That did not normally happen.
The woman herself said: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask me for a drink, a woman of Samaria?”
But Jesus was not concerned about social barriers. He was concerned about her soul.
Jesus said to her, “If only you knew what God gives and who is it that is asking you for a drink, you would ask Him, and He would give you life–giving water.”
“Sir, the woman said, you haven’t got a bucket and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water? Jesus answered, all those who drink this water will be thirsty again., but whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again”. The water that I will give him will become a spring which will provide him with life–giving water and give eternal life.
“Sir, the woman said, give me that water. Then I will never be thirsty again, nor will I have to come back here to draw water” Jesus said to her “Go and call your husband and come back”
“I haven’t got a husband, she answered. Jesus said to her, you are right, when you say, I haven’t got a husband. You have been married to five men and the man you are living with now is not your husband. You have told me the truth”
“I see you are a prophet, sir, the woman said. My Samaritan ancestors worshipped God on this mountain but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should worship God”.
“Jesus said to her, believe me woman, the time will come and the time has already come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem”
“God is Spirit and only by the power of His Spirit, can people worship Him as he really is”
The woman thought Jesus was talking about ordinary water. But Jesus was speaking about something far greater. He was speaking about the Holy Spirit and water of eternal life.
From this story, I want us to reflect on three important lessons.
1. The Wrong Well
My dear friends, the truth is this: We all have wells in our lives. Places we go to satisfy our thirst.
But many of these wells are the wrong wells. The world is full of them. Some people look for satisfaction in money. Some look for it in power. Some in alcohol or pleasure. Some in bad relationships.
For the Samaritan woman, it seems her false well was relationships with men. Jesus gently revealed that she had five husbands and was living with the sixth man. Jesus was not exposing her past to shame her. He was helping her see the truth and repent.
I find this interesting part of the conversation. When confronted with her past and present relations with men, she did not shy away but expressed herself with honesty and sincerity. And Jesus said to her, you have told me the truth.
Instantly, she was made aware of her sins, she was convicted by the prophetic word of knowledge about herself. She acknowledged immediately. “I see you are a prophet, sir, the woman said”
Her reaction was sincere acknowledgement that made her receive from Jesus life–giving water. Because only when she faced the truth, she received the living water. And the same is true for us.
Sometimes we drink from the wrong wells. We harbor sin. Maybe we think success will satisfy us.
Maybe we think possessions will make us happy. Maybe we chase things that promise happiness but leave our hearts empty.
But Jesus says: “Whoever drinks of this water will be thirsty again.” In other words, the wells of this world will never fully satisfy us. Only Jesus can quench the thirst of our human soul.
2. Leave Behind Our Jars
There is a small detail in this story that I love. After speaking with Jesus, the woman runs back to her town. But the Bible says something interesting: She left her water jar behind.
Now think about that. Water was the reason she came to the well. So why leave the jar? Because she found something far more important. She came looking for water for her body. But she found living water for her soul.
That jar became a symbol. It was as if she was leaving behind her old life… her shame… her sins…. her false wells.
Friends, sometimes Jesus calls us to leave our jars behind.
Maybe there are things in our lives that we need to let go of. Habits that pull us away from God.
Just like the Samaritan women, we hold our customs and cultural practices into our Church that become barriers to worship true God. Attitudes that harden our hearts. Sins we keep returning to.
Jesus invites us today: Leave the jar behind. Come to the spring of living water.
3. Come and See
After meeting Jesus, the woman did something amazing. She ran back to her town and told the people:
“Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.”
Now think about this. This woman did not have theological training. She was not a religious leader. She was not famous. She simply shared her encounter with Jesus.
And the Bible tells us: Many Samaritans came to Jesus because of her testimony. Isn’t that amazing? God used her simple story to bring people to faith. And friends, the same is true for us. Sometimes we think:
“I am not a pastor.” “I don’t know enough Bible.” “I’m not good at speaking.”
But God does not need perfect messengers. He simply asks us to say:
“Come and see what Jesus has done for me.”
When we share our faith, when we show love, when we serve others in Jesus’ name—God uses that. Because it was never about us. It is always about God.
In Closing
Dear brothers and sisters,
This Samaritan woman gives us a beautiful picture of what it means to be a Christian. Her story begins at a well. In a way, it begins within Us, where Jesus gives the water of life.
She encounters Jesus. She turns away from her false wells. She receives the true living water that leads to eternal life.
And then she goes back into her community to tell others what Jesus has done. That is also our calling. We drink from the living water of Christ.
And then we go back to our homes, our workplaces, our schools, our neighbourhood—to share the good news.
Today we remember this unnamed woman from Samaria. She discovered in Jesus a bottomless well of grace. And through her witness we also hear the truth:
Jesus is the Saviour of the world. As the people of Samaria finally said:
“We have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.”
Jesus Invites Us Today – Come Receive His Life-Giving Water
The invitation of God’s living water appears throughout the Bible.
In Isaiah 55:1 God says, “Come, everyone who is thirsty, here is water.”
In John 7:37–38, Jesus says, “Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and whoever believes in me should drink, As the scripture says springs of life–giving water will pour out from his side"
In Revelation 21:6b Jesus says, “To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it.”
Brothers and sisters,
Jesus is still offering that living water today. Come and drink. Amen! Thanks Be to God.
Let us pray.
God our loving Father, we thank You for Your holy Word that we have heard today.
We thank You for sending Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who offers us the living water that satisfies our deepest spiritual thirst.
Forgive us for the times we have turned away from You and tried to fill our lives with bad things.
Help us, Lord, to turn away from our false wells and come to You, the true source of life. Fill our hearts with Your living water so that our faith may grow strong and our lives may reflect You.
Just like the Samaritan woman, help us also to be witnesses in our families, our workplaces, and our communities. Give us courage to invite others to come and see the goodness of our Saviour.
As we leave this place today, may Your living water continue to refresh our hearts and lead us in the path of righteousness.
We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
