Everybody Needs Jesus

In John chapters 3 and 4 Jesus interacts with two very different people. I had always thought of them individually but author Timothy Keller proposed in a book that we should view these two interactions together. First, he has a powerful conversation with Nicodemus, the ultimate insider. This man is a pillar of his community. He is Jewish, part of the chosen people and probably looked down on us Gentiles (non- Jews). He was a Pharisee, which meant he was deeply religious, fully committed to following the law of God. He was successful and accepted, even part of the Jewish ruling council, considered Israel’s teacher. In essence, he was the poster boy for morality. He was also open minded and humble. He came and sought out Jesus, renegade rabbi from backwater Nazareth. The miracles and profound teaching of Jesus had peaked the curiosity of Nicodemus. But there was real social risk to meeting with Jesus so he does it at night.
In contrast, Jesus then goes out of his way to meet with a woman in Samaria; she is the ultimate outsider. She is a Samaritan. The Samaritans were the result of Jews intermarrying with pagans. They also tended to incorporate pagan practices in with Judaism. They were perceived as having abandoned Israel and God, basically traitors and heretics. In addition, this woman was female in a patriarchal culture so she had secondary status because of her gender. And finally she was considered wildly immoral. Over the years she had five husbands and is living with a man when Jesus meets her. Even in our “anything goes culture” a string of five husbands is unusual. And in a culture where women were not typically allowed to divorce this woman also was carrying deep rejection from the men that she had once loved and married. Possibly she faced rejection from the other women in her community as well. Drawing water tended to a be a social event done in the morning with other women. Here this woman comes out in the heat of the day alone. Most likely she is an outcast in her own village.
Now the central character in both these encounters is Jesus. Jesus welcomes the insider Nicodemus and seeks out the outcast woman. He is upfront and direct with Nicodemus, making it clear that he must be born again (John 3:3,7). He strongly indicates to Nicodemus that he is a sinner who needs a new start. The great Jewish teacher must have been stunned. Jesus is quite the bridgebuilder to the Samaritan woman. In that culture a Jewish man, let alone a rabbi, would not speak to a Samaritan woman yet Jesus does. He points out her deep thirst for relationship that she keeps trying to fill with men. He shares that he offers her living water, or ultimate spiritual satisfaction. And in a remarkedly candid way lets her know he is the long awaited Messiah. She is honored and stunned by his self revelation and immediately goes and shares who he is with her village. Bringing back a crowd to meet Jesus.
Whether you feel put together or profoundly broken Jesus offers himself to you. Whether you are millionaire or a complete mess Jesus will meet with you. Whether you are successful or suffering he wants to be your savior. Whether a member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang or the Rotary club serving the community Jesus wants a relationship with you. Jesus Christ rises above our categories and calls everyone to repentance. Right after the conversation with Nicodemus the apostle John writes “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).  

Jesus is for everyone!

Pastor Derek Dickinson
Journey Christian Church