John 3-4 | How Jesus Led People Into The Kingdom And How We Must Join Him

It is our main job and the primary reason a believer is left on this earth. We are called to help those around us into the kingdom of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus modeled this for us constantly. Notice what He did with the woman at the well in John 4.

1. JESUS WENT WHERE THE FATHER TOLD HIM.

"and He had to pass through Samaria" (John 4: 4)

Every "good " Jew would not walk through Samaria because he disregarded the Samaritan people. Jesus broke through these foolish cultural and ethnic barriers. EVERYONE was equally valuable to Him. In fact, Jesus broke three cultural norms: a good Jew never went through Samaria, never talked to a woman, and never cared for an immoral woman. This woman was all three. Jesus went to those with need, with no regard for politically correct steps. He loved everyone.

2.JESUS WENT DIRECTLY TO THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

The Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." (vs. 9-10)

We teach a lot on relational evangelism, i.e., working long and hard to build loving relationships with people. And we should. But Jesus had not known this woman five minutes before he jumped into the gospel. We often wait far too long to share the actual truth of the gospel.

3. JESUS SPOKE TO PEOPLE'S DEEPEST THIRST.

“He would have given you living water." (vs. 9-10)

Everybody without Christ is dying of thirst. They do not have the one thing that really matters, that will satisfy their deepest longings. Only Christ can satisfy this foundational need in people's hearts.

4. JESUS MADE A BOLD PROMISE OF SOMETHING BETTER.

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (vs. 13-14)

Jesus was not afraid to unashamedly offer her an everlasting solution to her problem. And so can we.

5. JESUS KNEW THAT EVERYBODY HAS A SIN PROBLEM, AND THEY NEED TO SEE IT.

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” (vs. 15-18)

No one ever sees their need for a Savior until they realized that they have sinned and that there is a penalty for sin—the penalty of eternal separation from God. We must help people see that each of us are personally responsible for our sin and in need of a Savior.

6. JESUS REMINDED HER THAT GOD WAS LOOKING FOR HER AND HAD A BETTER PLAN FOR HER LIFE.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. (vs. 21-23)

7. JESUS KNEW THAT HE WAS THE ANSWER AND THAT SHE MUST COME TO HIM.

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (vs. 25-26)

There is no other way to salvation. No one can come to the Father except through Christ. We must proclaim this boldly.

8. JESUS LIVED TO DO HIS FATHER'S WILL, AND THE FATHER'S WILL AND WORK WAS TO LEAD PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM NOW!

Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. (vs. 31-35)

As followers of Christ, we lose sight of our primary task. It would be far better for the Lord to take us to heaven, except for one thing: the world is filled with people who do not know Him! And we are the sole carriers of the message that sets people free.

Here’s the question: Will we do as Jesus did? And will we do it today?

Father, thank You for the gospel. Thank You that You have provided a clear way that people can hear, believe, and come into a relationship with You. But Lord, we know that cannot happen unless they hear, and they cannot hear unless we speak. Help me today, to share the gospel unashamedly with everyone I encounter, knowing it’s the difference between heaven and hell, life and death.