Seeking the Lost
In John 4, we have the opportunity to see Jesus’s ministry with an individual. Most often, the ministry of Jesus is to the crowds and masses, or else to the disciples. Here, however, we see that Jesus has a captive audience of one person, and that one person was the last person whom we would expect to see Jesus hanging out with.
Jesus was passing through Samaria and sat down to take a break while his disciples went to go get food. From there He was approached by a woman of the city who was drawing water from the nearby well. Jesus asks for a drink, and then the conversation begins. The woman in question, who remains nameless throughout this entire interaction, points out that Jesus, a Jew, should never speak to a woman of Samaria. Samaria was rejected by the Jews, and even though it was directly in the middle between to major Jewish areas (those of Judea and Galilee), the common practice was for the Jewish people to go around Samaria, avoiding even having to approach the area. Samaritan people were not among the Jews, according to the Pharisees of the day, and therefore nobody wanted anything to do with them.
More than that, during the conversation, he learned that this woman was rejected also amongst the Samaritan people. This woman wasn’t married once, twice, or even three times, but rather Jesus points out “you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband” (John 4:18). Safely we can say that it was a known fact about this woman. She was lost in so many ways, and here she was conversing with Jesus.
Jesus, knowing all of this, didn’t turn away from her, as some other Jewish leaders would. Rather Jesus gives her a promise. Jesus promises this lost, wretched woman living water. What is this living water? It is nothing more or less than the Word of God accompanied by the Holy Spirit. What would it give for her? Verse 14 tells us that it would give eternal life. The woman then runs off and tells the whole city about Jesus, about this man who knew all that she had done, and this man who is claiming to be the Christ.
Jesus gave to that woman a promise, and her response shows us that she had faith in that promise. She was saved. Today, Jesus gives to you this same promise in His Word. The promise for you is living water, welling up to eternal life. The Lord of all things promises you His Word and His Spirit, to give you faith in His promises. Praise God for His promises. Amen