Never be thirsty again

This past Sunday the Gospel reading was from John 4, the Samaritan woman at the well.  I've read or heard various sermons on this text and while each pastor's approach differed, each pastor's message was the same: Christ's cleansing water is unconditional, eternally cleansing and eternally satiating.

John 4:16-17
¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” ¹⁷ The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; ¹⁸ for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

Why would Christ point out the Samaritan woman's sins?  In his commentary, Dr. Paul Kretzmann insightfully explained:

The Lord told her all this, by His omniscience, for the purpose of making her realize her sinfulness, of making her see the depth to which she had fallen. She must become fully conscious of her guilt against the Sixth Commandment and the entire Law before she would have the proper desire and longing for the riches of Christ's salvation. Note: It is always thus when the Lord converts a sinner. At first there are only a few faint sparks of penitence, which would be extinguished without the aid of the Holy Ghost. But then He deepens the consciousness of transgression and guilt, in order that the longing for salvation may be instilled by the sweet message of salvation, by the Gospel. Very often the real battle in the heart of a person begins only after the desire for salvation has been felt. Then Satan tries to drive the sinner into despair. It is then that grace must much more abound. 

In The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, CFW Walther stated similar truths on the purpose of the Law and the Gospel:

These two points must be made: The Law creates a thirst and leads us to hell; the Gospel, however, satisfies the thirst and leads to heaven.  The Law states what we must do, but that we have fallen short of doing it, no matter how holy we may be.  Thus it produces uncertainty in me and arouses this thirst.

"but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  - John 4:14

If your are thirsty for more sermons on this text read Rev. Charles Henrickson's sermon or listen to Rev. Anthony Voltattorni's sermon.