The Only Way to God
A Sermon on John 4:27-38
Originally preached Oct. 8, 1967
Scripture
27¶ And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29Come, …
Sermon Description
In Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, the outworking of God’s great plan of salvation is seen. In this sermon on John 4:27–28 titled “The Only Way to God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unfolds the words of Jesus Christ who boldly proclaims to the woman that He is the living water and the source of eternal life. He says that this is the Father’s mission and the very reason He came into the world. Jesus brought redemption to the whole world by the atoning work of the cross. It is this truth that is at the heart of true Christianity; the Son of God dying upon the cross for sinners. It is only because of this great and glorious work that anyone can approach God as children and heirs. It is only through partaking of Christ, the bread of life, that anyone can come to have true knowledge of God. To reject that Christ came as the Son of God and his deity is to reject the gospel. For only by the redemptive work of Christ on the cross is anyone saved. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, one cannot ever forget that Christ willingly went to the cross in their stead because He knew it was the will of God his Father, and this desire to fulfill the will of God marked not only His death, but His whole life as the perfect Son of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus is always in control of every situation. Nothing happens by accident or interrupts his work.
- Jesus does surprising and unexpected things that go against our preconceived notions. We must be open to following his lead.
- Jesus commands respect and should be approached with reverence and awe.
- Jesus reveals himself as the "I am" - the Son of God, not just a man. He is the sent one who has come from heaven.
- Jesus' purpose is to do the will of the Father who sent him and finish his work - the salvation and redemption of the world.
- Jesus finished the work the Father gave him to do - reconciling us to God through his death on the cross. There is no access to God or blessing apart from Jesus' finished work.
- Jesus took delight in doing the Father's will and saving souls. It was his "meat" and brought him joy.
- Jesus sacrificed himself and put aside his own needs and desires to serve others. He humbled himself for our sake.
- Jesus is infinitely condescending, speaking even to a sinful Samaritan woman. He will never refuse anyone who comes to him in humility and faith.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.