Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers on the Woman of Samaria

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the most important aspect of the Woman of Samaria's testimony?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the Woman of Samaria's testimony was spontaneous. He states, "This woman's response, and her action was spontaneous. Our Lord didn't tell her to go and invite her fellow townspeople. Nobody else did. She did it instinctively, spontaneously." This spontaneity is crucial because it shows that true Christian witness should come from within, not be imposed as a duty. Lloyd-Jones stresses that "she didn't have to be trained to give her witness" or "trained how to do this personal work." This natural, automatic response is what he believes is characteristic of genuine Christian experience.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the Christian perspective with that of a "seeker after truth"?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "there is nothing that is so removed from the true Christian position as the idea that a Christian is a seeker and a searcher after truth." He calls this "of all contradictions, perhaps the greatest of all the contradictions of the truly Christian position." Rather than merely seeking truth, the Christian is "a man who has found it and he's able to give it." He references Paul's words to the Romans that he was "a debtor" who longed to "impart unto you some spiritual gift." This distinction emphasizes that Christianity is not primarily about seeking but about having received something definite that can be shared with others.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the second explanation for the Woman's actions?

The second explanation Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives for the Woman of Samaria's actions was "her realization of the uniqueness and the glory of this person." He observes that when people meet someone great or important, they naturally want to tell others about it. The Woman recognized something extraordinary about Jesus, saying, "Come see a man, which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?" Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that many troubles in Christianity arise because believers "forget the objectivity of our faith" and become "too subjective." He stresses that Christians must always put "in the forefront...the objectivity, the person" of Christ himself.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the importance of authority in Christian experience?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the first great thing the Woman of Samaria found in her encounter with Jesus was authority. He states that authority "is something that everybody's looking for" in a world "full of problems, full of difficulties and perplexities." People recognize that human authorities are often "assumed and spurious," while Christ speaks with genuine authority. Lloyd-Jones points to the reaction of crowds after the Sermon on the Mount, who were "astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes." This authority gives both "rest of mind" and "peace of conscience," and it's what causes people to follow Christ immediately when they encounter him.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the signs of new life in a Christian?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Woman of Samaria was "aware of new life within herself." This new life manifests as: 1. "New desires within her" for "a new type and a new kind of life" 2. A desire for "purity and a cleanliness, a chastity, a holiness that she'd never known of before" 3. An awareness "that this is possible for her" 4. "A new view of life itself and of your own future" 5. A sense of no longer being "dependent upon the world and its excitements" 6. A consciousness that "though you are still in this world, you don't belong to it" 7. The ability to "look to the future without fear, without alone and without terror" 8. Freedom from being "terrified of illness, sort of death of the grave"

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the relationship between joy and Christian experience?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that the inevitable result of encountering Christ and experiencing His transformative work is "great happiness and a great joy." He emphasizes that "the joy of the Christian and the happiness are always the result" of first meeting Christ and then experiencing what He has done to you, for you, and in you. The "true realization of these things must lead to happiness, must inevitably lead to joy." He contrasts this with mere religiosity, saying, "You may be religious, but if you are religious, it'll be something self-contained. There won't be much joy about it." For Lloyd-Jones, joy is "the peculiar mark of the Christian" and "the final test we apply to ourselves" to evaluate our Christian experience.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones consider the most important event in human history?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "the Christian ultimately, of course, is the person who realizes that the most important thing that has ever happened in this world is the coming of the Son of God into it." While acknowledging the importance of kings, generals, and great historical figures, he asserts that "the event of events was the birth of the babe of Bethlehem." For Christians, "Christ has divided history" and "determines and controls everything." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this perspective should dominate Christian thinking, causing them to see "everything in the light of Christ" and to recognize that "here is the one thing that matters. Here is the sole explanation. Here is the guarantee of the future."