John 4:27-42
Tuesday, 15 June 2021
“Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” -John 4:42
John’s Gospel is unique in many ways of which we see seven signs of Jesus and their accompanying discourses. In Chapter 4 of John we find one of the discourses of Jesus (John 4:1-42), leading to the sign of imparting life to the nobleman’s son at the point of death (John 4:46-54). The sign is a pointer to Jesus- the Life-giver!
Samaritans being a mixed tribe, the Jews did not want to have any dealings with them. They were looked down upon by the Jews because of the difference in their culture and worship. Besides in those times, men wouldn’t speak to women in the streets. In this context, the disciples found it strange when Jesus talked with this Samaritan woman! But Jesus broke the barrier of race and culture to bring life everlasting to a thirsty soul- the Samaritan woman and through her witness, her city being brought to the Saviour!
Jesus Opens Up A Well Of Living Water
This Samaritan woman, an outcast, disliked and marked as immoral (an unmarried woman living with the sixth man in a row) needed a new life! Jesus understood her need and brought opened her understanding to that need. As a result of Jesus’ conversation, she understood God’s love. John 4:13-14 says, “Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Her understanding of Jesus builds up— from a Jew to a prophet and finally to the Messiah and we see her experience the deliverance which springs up as a well of eternal life in her.
Jesus breaks the cultural barrier so that a needy soul would obtain salvation. The delivered Samaritan woman became the proclaimer of the Good News! God still uses women today in building His Kingdom!
The City Brought Alive!
The true testimony of this woman becomes the living water to the city of Samaria. V.29: “Come; see a man who told me all the things that I have done! Can this be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)?” She who was once marked immoral has now opened up to the same people who disliked her which made the people to leave their city and come to Jesus. They believed in Him and trusted Him as their Savior because of what the woman said! Subsequently, on their request Jesus remained with them for two more days and they heard from Jesus. Many more believed in Him and testified: “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” (v.42)
Jesus still reaches out to the downtrodden, the outcasts and the “nobodies” of this world and offers them His salvation!
Transformed Lives
From hearing the Words of Jesus, a person like the Samaritan woman was transformed - a spring of water welling up within her to eternal life. A city like Samaria received the Savior and turned to the living GOD! Jesus’ ministering to those outcasts of the Jewish society (the Samaritans) reveals that all people are valuable to God! Nobody is beyond the reach of Christ! If you too decide to receive Jesus and His Words into your life, you too will be transformed!
In Matthew 11: 28[AMP] Jesus said: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].
Prayer: Lord Jesus, let your well of life refresh me and may it flow to others who need life-everlasting in You! Amen.