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 the Evangelist continues here in chapter 4 with the story of Jesus and the woman at the well.
Jesus uses the elements of the situation – the well and the water and thirst – to teach spiritual realities. He explains to this mere woman – and a Samaritan at that – the spiritual situation she shares along with all other human beings.
The need of God himself by the presence in our lives of the Holy Spirit.
The woman is clearly interested, or at least curious. She is intrigued that this Jewish man should talk with her, and perhaps flattered. Who knows ?
But we know that she is not intimidated, and that Jesus does not expect her to be. Indeed he knows that she will respond positively.
She does. And she responds in simplicity and honesty. Yes she lives with a man, but no they are not married.
How could he know – and indeed, knowing, why does he talk with her …
In God’s presence, we know – we just know – that there is no room for deceit, for dissembling, for dishonesty, for falsehood.
God challenges, and we know that only the truth will do.
Please note something here especially.
There is nothing out of the ordinary – there are no special spiritual experiences being had.
Just a conversation in the routine of the day; a normal, routine event which God uses in a very normal way.
This stands in stark contrast with the false spirituality being peddled in these faithless days, a spirituality based on feeling the spirit, or spiritual experiences. Physical sensations, or emotional responses.
Such are evil, and the trademarks of darkness…
God our Creator works through the norms of our lives to cause us to see him and his ways.
What else happens here ?
Jesus exposes her sin. He does not condemn; he merely brings it to the surface. She must acknowledge it, and she must recognise it before she can go any further.
So must we in first encountering Jesus.
Only with sin confessed can the way be open to the experience Jesus speaks of here. A spring of spiritual water. That is what God gives and what God must give, because without the presence of God himself we cannot know God and we cannot worship God.
Jesus goes on to say so.
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.
We cannot see God and we cannot know him unless he makes himself real to us by the Holy Spirit.
And that Spirit must be born in us.
And that can only happen when we receive what God says to us, and respond willingly, positively, obediently.
The woman continues with her line of enquiry. She speaks of what she knows about the expected Messiah.
It is as she engages in the conversation, as she continues with the line of thinking he has set up, that she comes face to face with Jesus stating to her that he is the Messiah !
And she receives the statement – the revelation – as true. So true in fact that she goes off to tell others about Jesus.
Having come to the reality of the truth for herself, she cannot keep it to herself but goes off to tell those she knows.
Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ ?
They believe her. The essential first step to coming to meet Christ for themselves. And believing that, they act on that belief and go to see.
The reality of her experience – the testimony she gave of it – communicated itself , at a fundamental, human level to these men. Because belief led to an action [the faith and deeds which James speaks of in his letter].
It was the simple words of Jesus and his reiteration of God’s standards of morality which gave birth to this complete belief both in her heart and the heart of those she spoke to. The complete acceptance of its veracity, and a response of leaving aside all else to go and find the Saviour.
The ultimate meaning of life had arrived. Nothing else could compare or concern them.
They went and found out for themselves. And they themselves confessed him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
WE have heard him ourselves, and KNOW that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world !
Do you receive these words ?
Do you now believe ?
Christianity 