John 4, Part 1

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Observation: Jesus knows the Pharisees are asking questions about Him, and He has work to do. He goes on to Galilee by way of Samaria. The Samaritans are despised by the Jews. They have no dealings together, only conflict. Yet as Jesus waits for His disciples (who had gone off to get food) by Jacob's well, a Samaritan woman comes to draw water and He asks her for a drink. She is surprised and tells Him so. Jesus gives one of His crypic replies: "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water." (v.10). She doesn't understand what Jesus is referring to. She thinks He refers to physical water. His answer is still more cryptic - He tells her the water He offers is a "spring of water gushing up to eternal life" (v.14). She still doesn't get it - she asks for this water so as never to have to return to the well. Because He sees her beginning to have faith, Jesus tells her to bring her husband. She truthfully says she has no husband, to which Jesus responds by telling her about the five husbands she's already had, and that the man she is now with she's not married to. She thinks He's a prophet; He tells her He is the Messiah. At this she rushes to the village to tell everyone that the Christ is here.

Application: It took a while before the Samaritan woman understood who Jesus was. Jesus gave her hint after hint, but once He was revealed to her she rejoiced and told everyone. Jesus is patient with all of us; He takes us by the hand and guides us to a deeper understanding of who He is, and speaks to each of us at our own level so that we can grow in our faith. We must rejoice as the Samaritan woman did, because He cares about us on an individual level.

Prayer: Father, I do rejoice, because I see how You treat each of Your children with love, how You discipline us and guide us away from wrongdoing. How thankful I am that You showed me who You are little by little, so that my love for You could grow. I pray You will continue to reveal Yourself to me so that I may see You more clearly each day. In Christ Jesus I pray, Amen.