Living Water: Jesus, the Only Way to Heaven

I'm sorry to tell you that you don't hear enough of this these days. The non denominational TV people don't like talking about sin and its ultimate consequence. So they'll tell you you're sick or you're broken in some way that could be fixed, but we are not. Neither was that Samaritan woman. We're dead in our transgressions and sins. And I often asked my confirmation classes, and so what can a dead person do? Nothing. Nothing. Nor could this woman as it was there. We includes the Samaritan woman under God's just judgment and eternal condemnation, and it includes every one of us. This is the full harsh reality of the resultant message of God's law, and it is the reason for hell. [00:45:37] (57 seconds)  #SinAndJudgment

And so they, the typical Jew would have gone down to the Jordan River Valley, gone north in the valley, and then come into Galilee that way. But no, Jesus decided that he had to come this way. Why? To meet this woman. That was his intent all along. He came here. He sent his disciples into town to get food. All of them. Did you need 12 men to go in and buy some food? No. But he sent them all so that he could meet with this woman one on one. [00:42:56] (30 seconds)  #JesusWentToMeetHer

Now, I wanna step away just for a few moments from this central message to explain to you that this is not the water of holy baptism. The water of holy baptism is literal water. It is the earthly element in a miraculous sacrament. Nor is it the water that we talk again when we are encouraged to be born again of water and the spirit. Once again, that's literal water. That is what we can see and touch and experience. This, as Jesus speaks of it, is spiritual water. It's a water that he gives in the gospel that gives us life for now and for eternity. [00:52:15] (37 seconds)  #SpiritualWaterNotBaptism

She knows that he is right and she under she stands before him convicted. So now, for her, she gets it. Drinking the water of life from Jesus was no longer a mere convenience. It has become essential for her to spiritually live. Is not that valid for each one of us? Here we are in this Easter season and we are looking at the fact that Jesus lives as the only way to heaven for us. And so, now we look at this and say, we also stand before God and he knows all our sins. Sins of commission and sins of omission. And we all stand before him convicted. We are also spiritually dead and it is essential for us also to drink this water of life. [00:47:23] (57 seconds)  #EssentialForEternalLife