The Saviour Seeks the Sinner
John 4:1-14

In John 3 a man seeks the Saviour; in John 4 the Saviour seeks the sinner. Verse 4 states, "He must needs go through Samaria." The important word is "go." We say, "Come and hear"; God says, "Go and tell."

A small hotel had a modern thirty-story hotel built on either side of it. The owner was about to go bankrupt until he got the idea of putting over his building between the two a large sign simply saying, "Main Entrance." Going after the lost, where they are, is the "main entrance" to getting people into the kingdom of God.

Samaria was a despised place to the Jews. But Jesus knew a lonesome, sin-sick woman was there, so he went. The soul winner knows this world is sin-sick with many lonesome, broken-hearted people who are thirsty for the water of life, and so he goes.

The "must" here is vital. No matter what others say or do, the Saviour must go. Knowing the worth of an individual and the potential of one soul transformed by the power of God made it a must. Christians, knowing that a man or woman down the street or in the shop might be another Samaritan woman or a D. L. Moody who could bring whole cities to Christ, must go also.

Christ's approach was most unusual. He asked the woman, "Give me to drink" (v. 7). It was strange for a man to ask a woman that. Stranger still for a Jew to speak to a Samaritan. Often a different or intriguing approach is effective. On a plane I asked a stewardess how high we were and then if she thought she would ever get any closer to heaven. She was startled and said ~he surely hoped so. What a thrill to see God open her heart right there and see her receive Christ as her own Saviour.

We must seek to create a desire for salvation as Christ did. You can almost feel the emotion in His voice as He said, "If 
thou knewest the gift of God" (v. 10). Tragic, but the world doesn't know. Then He spoke of "living water" and said, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst" (v. 14). This was appealing. She wanted this. Salvation, forgiveness of sins, peace with God and such a wonderful Saviour are appealing. Be sure they are presented that way.