Read John 4: 28-30, 39-42
The woman at the well has left her water jar to go share the good news she has received with her family, neighbors, and anyone who would listen to her. The town starts to hear and they are intrigued. They want to hear more. They believed her.
It was not enough just to hear that someone could prophetically tell a woman everything she did. That was personal to her. If this is truly a work of God, then it will become personal to each one who hears. They needed to hear for themselves.
Come and see.
Many from the town were determined to discover more about this prophet who revealed Himself to this woman. They each had their opinion of who she was. But it was trumped by the words she brought to them. They could tell a real difference in her. This was worth checking out.
They gathered together and made their way to the well. As they got nearer they saw a group of people by the well. Some recognized some of the men there, for they were just in their town purchasing food. So this man had followers. Maybe this was a good sign.
As they approached Jesus, they put aside the fact that these were Jews. They wanted to hear and learn more. They urged Him to come to their town.
These people were ready to receive this Living Water. They were hungry for the food from the Bread of Life. Inside their hearts, they recognized that there was more to their existence in their lives than what they had experienced. They witnessed that there was more, and they desired to experience it for themselves.
But didn’t they have to get beyond some of the distractions that the world and society placed on their path? At the beginning of the story in John 4: 9, we are told that Samaritans do not associate with Jews.
When we are faced with a new revelation, even a conviction from the Holy Spirit, are we drawn to meet the Lord? Are we ready to have Him come back into our homes so that we can learn more? Or is the stigma of a religious disaster story that others have hammered into our thoughts get in the way? Is there a Jew vs. Samaritan situation going on in our lives that we need to lay aside to hear what we need to hear, to go where we need to go?
This is personal. It’s not about what everyone else is saying or doing. These folks urged Jesus to come to their town to learn more. They wanted to hear for themselves. It was great that this woman brought Jesus to their attention, but they recognized the hunger and thirst that rose in their spirits. That’s what the Holy Spirit is doing with each of us. Our spirits are pricked as we become aware of something much greater than us that will help us individually. It is tailor-made for who we are.
The enemy does not want us to recognize this. He would rather keep us paying attention to the do’s and don’ts of the world’s standards. Beware of that race or doctrine because they have issues. Look at the church, aren’t they a bunch of hypocrites? How can this gospel of Jesus help me when I see people struggling all the time? Distractions.
But it is Jesus that wants to meet with us most of all. Jesus makes Himself accessible to us. He made Himself accessible to this town.
He agrees to go to the town with these people. He invests two days with them. Yes, He invests in them and He invests in us. In the previous verses, He said His food was to do the will of the Father and complete the work assigned to Him. It’s all about the harvest and bringing people into His Kingdom.
The Lord would invest in them and us?
Jesus invested His time with them, listening, teaching, and directing. Then eventually He fulfilled the ultimate purpose for His coming to earth to live among men, to save us all from our sin.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1:15
But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. I John 3:5
…God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering… Romans 8:3
Yes, the Lord invested in all of us, personally. He came into time and gave His life. He gave of Himself so that we could live.
This town in Samaria got the benefit of personally listening to Jesus. How do we today get this same benefit of personal time with the Lord?
In reading John 16:5-16, Jesus is answering this question for us as He directs His disciples. They needed this answer as well, for He was going to leave them. And they would face many trials and challenges once He was gone. We have the same need. The answer is the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Once we believe in Jesus in our hearts and confess Him with our mouths (Romans 10:8-10), the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. He teaches, He guides, He counsels and so much more. We get the benefit of daily instruction. We reap the benefit of Jesus’ investment in us.
And what is the response of the people of the town after Jesus invested His time with them? They no longer believe because someone told them something about the Savior, they now hear for themselves. They now know that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
And what is our response? Have we heard the call of salvation and have a personal walk with the Lord? Do we believe not just because someone told us about God, but because we have a personal experience with Him?
As we conclude the series of blogs about the woman at the well in John 4, may you be encouraged to drink deeply of the Living Water that Jesus provides? May you feast at His table with the many delicacies of food that are available to taste and be nourished by. As Jesus invested His time with the people in Samaria, may you experience the benefit of getting to know Him as the Messiah. He has invested in you too.
