We began our study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (see Have You Heard the Good News?). Then we looked into His birth (see The Most Significant Event in Human History),an event in His childhood, His baptism, and His incarnate encounter with Satan (see Being Left behind, Dunked in Water and Confronting the devil).
Next, we watched Jesus make converts out of His first 5 apostles, perform His first miracle, and bring discipline to His Father’s house (see Conversion, Miracle and Discipline). Finally, we listened in on Jesus’ teaching about being ‘born again’ to the Pharisee named Nicodemus (see In and Out of the Water).
Now, we are going join in with Jesus and His apostles as they journey through Samaria.
The Bible tells us that Jesus needed to go through Samaria (Jn. 4:4 NKJV). Most Jews avoided Samaria because they held the Samaritans in disdain for not being pure Jews, but instead were mixed with Assyrians, (a byproduct of the Assyrian conquest of Israel 700 years prior), and they practiced paganism.
It was a divine compulsion that drove Christ to take that route, ultimately, as we will see, to demonstrate that He was the Savior for all peoples. (He had a purpose for everything He did).
Along their journey, they came upon the patriarch Jacob’s well. Jesus rested there and sent the apostles to a nearby town to buy food. Seemingly coincidental, a Samaritan woman approaches the well to draw water. I believe that Jesus’ purpose for traversing Samaria was for this very meeting.
He speaks to her immediately, telling her to give Him a drink. She’s taken aback because this Jew is speaking to her, and she asks Him why (Jn. 4:7 – 9). Jesus answers:
“If you knew [about] God’s gift [of eternal life], and who it is who says, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him [instead], and He would have given you living water (eternal life).” Jn. 4:10 AMP
What is Christ doing here? He’s pursuing her salvation!
The woman asks Jesus the whereabouts of this ‘living water.’ He ignores that question and begins to contrast the water of the well and His living water (Jn. 4:11, 12.):
“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” Jn. 4:13, 14. NLT
The woman’s curiosity was stirred up, so she asks Him for some of His living water. However, Jesus keeps her off balance, until she can absorb the full message that He had for her. How so? He tells her to go fetch her husband. She answers that she does not have one.
Jesus responds by telling her she answered truthfully because, tapping into His divine omniscience, He tells her that she has been married and divorced 5 times and is presently shacking up with another guy. What is He doing? He’s shining a light on her sins, (without condemnation), so that she might be convicted by them.
No one will come to Christ until they first feel the weight of their sins on their soul. Only then will they see the value of salvation.
Then, Jesus speaks no more of her sin. That’s the way Love operates. Christ knows everything that we’ve ever done and what we are presently up to as well. Even if we are working against ourselves through sin, Jesus’ love for us never wavers. He is ready and willing to save all comers.
Because of Jesus’ revelations, the woman now believes that He is a prophet. So, she asks Him what she believes is a relevant spiritual question (and probably wanted to get off the topic of her sin). She asks where proper worship should take place – at the Samaritan place of worship (a mountain), or at the Temple in Jerusalem. He expands her thinking:
“Woman, believe Me, a time is coming [when God’s kingdom comes] when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You [Samaritans] do not know what you worship; we [Jews] do know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews.” Jn. 21, 22. AMP
Jesus is saying that worshiping God will no longer be limited to physical settings. Indeed, it is the state of a believers’ heart that is paramount. He or she can always phone home through Christ. He also points out that Samaritan worship is worthless (being a hodgepodge of Mosaic Law and Assyrian paganism).
Finally, He declares that He is a Jew, and that the Messiah comes from the Jews. Jesus continues:
“But the time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jn. 4:23, 24. AMP
Jesus is saying that the time for worship is now. He also reveals that God is a Spirit, which occupies all space and time, while being independent of both. Thus, He can be worshipped anywhere, at any time. We also see that God is available to all sincere worshipers, regardless of race or ethnicity.
How do we worship in the spirit? Our spirits must become predominant in our lives through being ‘born again.’
Christ has worked His wonder. The woman’s spiritual eyes begin to open, and she expresses her heartfelt desire:
“I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Jn. 4:25 CSB
In response, Jesus throws the doors of salvation wide open:
“I Am the Messiah!” Jn. 4:26 NLT
Consider the compassion of our Savior:
Both the Pharisees and the scribes began muttering and complaining, saying, “This man accepts and welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Lk. 15:2 AMP
Jesus will go to any length to lead someone to salvation.
At that point, the apostles appear, shocked to see that He was speaking to a woman, let alone a Samaritan. She ran into town evangelizing, telling everyone she had met the Messiah.
The apostles try to get Jesus to eat; but He never lets a teaching moment get past Him:
“I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” Jn. 4:32 NLT
His crew are scratching their heads, wondering who it was who brought Him food. Jesus says:
“My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” Jn. 4:34 NLT
So, Jesus is leading them right back to His imperative – save as many souls that are willing – a task far more important than satisfying the flesh. And He tells them the time to do that is now:
“You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” Jn. 4:35 NLT
The moment for spiritual reaping is in full bloom. Jesus has come. And those who help Him in that sowing and reaping will reap eternal rewards of their own:
“The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!” Jn. 4:36 NLT
Jesus and His entourage stayed in Samaria for 2 additional days, whereupon many of the townsfolk received salvation, joyfully declaring:
“Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.” Jn. 4:42 NLT
Amen.
Goodnight and God bless.