which told me ALL things that ever I did...
John 4:29
For over 400 years, there had been resentment and bitter quarreling between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Samaria, and through capture, subdued its inhabitants. As conquerors, they took nearly the whole population to Media (II Kings 17:6), where they were mingled with other people from Babylon, Cuthah, and other surrounding cities/cultures (II Kings 17:24). They never returned to their homeland (they are known as the "lost" ten tribes). Remaining in the country, they inter-married with incoming strangers and lost their right to be called Jews at all. The Jews called the Samaritans "Chuthites" or "Cuthaeans" after one of the peoples whom the Assyrians had brought in to settle there.
After a time, Ezra and Nehemiah and the exiles returned to Jerusalem by the grace of the Persian king. Their first objective was to repair and rebuild the shattered Temple. Although the Samaritans came and offered help in that sacred task, they were contemptuously told their help was not wanted because they had lost their Jewish heritage--they had no right to share in the rebuilding of the house of God. Smarting under such a repulse, they turned bitterly against the Jews of Jerusalem. More bitterness was created between the two when a "rival" temple was founded on Mount Gerizim in the center of the Samaritan territory (which was later sacked and destroyed).
As time passed, history records that a similar invasion (and defeat) happened to the southern kingdom, whose capital was Jerusalem. Its inhabitants also were carried off to Babylon, but they did NOT lose their identity--they remained stubbornly and unalterably Jewish. The hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans was returned with "compounded interest": when Jewish travelers chose the more direct route to Jerusalem by way of Samaria, the Samaritans delighted in hindering them by any means possible.
As Jesus rested there by Jacob's well, a woman of Samaria came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me to drink." This woman said to Jesus, "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
We see four things about our Savior from the seven verses of John 4:3-9:
- Jesus' humanity. He was tired from the journey and needed rest. John's Gospel stressed the diety of Jesus more than any of the other three, yet these verses plainly expose us to the reality of Jesus' humanity: He was wearied from His journey.
- Jesus' sympathy. A "proper" Jewish rabbi would have never "stooped" to speak to a lone woman, ESPECIALLY a Samaritan woman.
- Jesus is the "Breaker of Barriers". The Salvation He offers transcends all socio-economic boundaries. From he (or she) who the world considers the "lowest" to he (or she) held in highest regard, Jesus offers eternal Salvation for their soul.
- Jesus is ALWAYS about The Father's business. Not only does He "talk the talk", He "walks the walk". He has NEVER been about His Father's business in theory only! Even at a well near a city He had been taught in His upbringing was contemptible, and knowing what He (as God) most assuredly already knew about this woman's life, He still chose to speak to her and make the grandest offer that could ever be made: the "living waters of life".
- Jesus' sympathy. A "proper" Jewish rabbi would have never "stooped" to speak to a lone woman, ESPECIALLY a Samaritan woman.
Please know this: the word living in that passage is "zao", which means "to live, literally and/or figuratively". Jesus wasn't speaking only in figurative terms, as in describing some unattainable state. The living He was referring to there meant not only eternal life, but a much higher quality of earthly life. When we genuinely repent of our sins and accept eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, our quality of life (here on this earth) is immediately improved. We "feel" better about ourselves, Amen? Our "outlook" (attitude) improves. We don't "see" people or things in the same light as we once did. Do YOU remember that?
The woman had not yet grasped His meaning, but Jesus wasn't going to leave her "in the dark". She said to Jesus, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? John 4:11,12. Get ready, here it comes: Jesus turned up the "candle power":
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:13,14.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. John 4:15. Wow! What a great idea! To never have to walk that mile round trip out of the city for water again! I have no doubt she thought He was "joshing" (joking with) her a bit--she may well have smiled at Him as she called the stranger's bluff: "Give me this water so I don't have to keep making this trip out here every day!"
Something I want to point out to you: Jesus never indulged in empty, foolish conversation. EVERY thing He did, He did for the Glory of His (our) Heavenly Father. Too many times, we pass up a marvelous opportunity to witness by indulging in light banter instead of focusing on what our words are supposed to be! Jesus had already told her, "If only you knew Who I am...", but she hadn't gotten it. As The Light Of The World stood there that day, His very next words brought her right back to dead center: the stark reality of the state of her life. He said to her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. John 4:16.
Understand, Jesus ALREADY knew the state of her life--He wanted her to realize it, too! You see, Nothing Is Hidden From God, EVER! It is when we enter into the presence of Jesus Christ that we are faced with two revelations: the GREATNESS of God and the impurity and inadequacy of ourselves. It is in His presence that we are appalled at the true sight of ourselves. It is in His presence that we realize, as never before, our sinful state and our GREAT need of Him. It is through the realization of our own faults and failures that we can submit our lives to God by Salvation through Jesus Christ. Until we come to the "dawning" of such knowledge (that we are a sinner in need of a Savior), we will not ask for, nor receive, eternal Salvation!
Do you know who has ALWAYS been the hardest to reach with the message of Salvation? It is NOT the down and out ragged beggar in the back alleys. It is NOT the convicted felon behind prison bars. It is NOT the prostitute on the street corner. It's the GOOD person: he (or she) who says, "I'm a GOOD person. Why do I need to be saved?" They live under the sad mistake that doing good deeds and living a socially-acceptable (and politically-correct) life, will earn their way into an eternal reward with Christ. They believe the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ is only for the weak and destitute, the vile and wretched. Yet, without God, we are ALL vile and wretched! And, without God, we are ETERNALLY lost!
When Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well that day, "Go get your husband and bring him back with you", the woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. John 4:17,18. She must have been astonished that He, a stranger to the area, knew so much about her life! The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. John 4:18. The writer of Psalm 139:1-12 had felt a similar awe:
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with ALL my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.The woman then said to Jesus, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. John 4:20. Understand this: the Samaritans had conveniently adjusted history to suit themselves. They taught that it was on Mount Gerizim that Abraham had been willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. They taught that it was there that Moses first built an altar and sacrificed to God when the people entered the Promised Land (it was, in fact, Mount Ebal; see Deuteronomy 27:4). She had been brought up to believe that Mount Gerizim was "the holy place" and to loathe Jerusalem. Jesus was about to enlighten her: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
What?? Not worship at Jerusalem?? What did He mean? Get this right now: Jesus came to earth to complete God's perfect plan of salvation for ALL mankind, and that by His willingness to obey His Father's Will (being the Supreme Sacrifice for the sins of ALL mankind), there is NO ONE certain geographical location in which to worship God! Nor is the knowledge of God for only ONE race of mankind! Hallelujah! Glory to God!!
Jesus told her, Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:22,23.
Did you get it there? The Word of God came to mankind through the Jews FIRST, but Jesus came to earth to open the door of salvation to ALL nations (peoples), so that WHOSOEVER WILL may come and drink of the waters of life FREELY. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16,17. Whosoever = EVERYone who will. "Everyone" is pas, which means "all, any, every", so ANYONE can come to Jesus.
Jesus had already told her, WHOSOEVER drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14. Praise the Lord, O my soul! WHOSOEVER. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46. WHOSOEVER. Romans 10:12,13 tells us: For there is NO DIFFERENCE between the Jew and the Greek: for the SAME LORD over ALL is rich unto ALL that call upon him. For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Thank You, Jesus!! Not short or tall, fat or thin; not rich or poor, not black or brown or white, not Asian or European or North American--WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!
The woman must surely have been stunned by His words: she said to Jesus, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Even in her religion, she was "expecting" the Messiah to someday appear. It had probably never occurred to her that it could happen as "uneventfully" as it did--there by a well in her very own "backyard" so to speak.
Is that why so many of us live the casual, unrepentant, lack-of-regard for obedience to Christ's commandments that we do? When the terrorist attack on America took place September 11, 2001, the WHOLE world took notice, didn't it? It was a BIG event, was it not? How far would we have to go to find someone who is NOT aware of it? IT got our attention! But 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in lowly surroundings--surely we MUST know of it, we PROFESS to celebrate it every December 25th, don't we? Of course, we all know the truth about that: take away the fat man in the red suit, the commercialization, the partying, the swapping of gifts between people, the tree worship, the gluttony, and the day would be virtually ignored, wouldn't it?
Yet the truth remains: over 2,000 years ago, Jesus came INTO this world. He came for ONLY one reason: to do the Will of His (our) Heavenly Father, which included opening the door of redemption to all who will accept it through salvation in Him. As illogical as it may have all seemed to the "woman at the well" that day, as unlikely the probability that she, of all people, should meet the very Messias that she had been taught to someday expect, when Jesus said to her, I that speak unto thee am he, she accepted it. Verse 28 of John 4 tells us that the woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
Had that been you or me there at that well that day when the woman arrived, what would we have thought? "She MUST be a social outcast, coming to this place so far outside the city. She doesn't have any right to be here! I won't degrade myself by speaking to her!" Sanctimonious lot, aren't we "so-called Christians"?
She left her waterpot, and went into the city, and said to the men there, COME, SEE A MAN, which told me ALL things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. John 4:29,30. Not only did the woman at the well have an eye-opening, life-changing experience that day, but she immediately carried the witness of that experience to others and brought them to see the Savior. How many of us are taking the witness of our "eye-opening, life-changing" experience to others and bringing them to Christ?
You remember when you first got saved: you wanted to tell everyone, didn't you? There wasn't a person you couldn't talk to about it, was there? What happened? How many have you spoken to about our Lord lately?
I invite you, those of you who may "know of" Christ, but don't KNOW Him,
And for those of you who claim to "know" Him, examine the knowledge you have of Him. There is still so much more to know of Him. See Him through study of the Bible. See Him through the witness of prayer and praise and worship. Oh yes indeed,
"Come, See A Man" Copyright © 2002 by Patricia Sikes.
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