Dec 27, 2020
Scripture Reading: John 4:1-15
We are naturally hesitant to talk with unbelievers about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. In John 4, we have a wonderful story of the truth of Christ, declared to a woman who was not at all looking for the truth.
Perhaps John means to draw a contrast here, between Nicodemus in John 3 and the unnamed Samaritan woman in John 4. Nicodemus was learned, powerful, respected, and theologically orthodox. This woman from Samaria was probably unschooled, without influence, despised, and theologically unorthodox. Both Nicodemus and this woman were equally in desperate need of Christ and His salvation.
Within the context of drawing water, Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water" (Jn 4:10). Most people, like this woman, do not think in terms of spiritual things. When Jesus kept mentioning living water and not thirsting again, the Samaritan woman thought only in terms of the water from Jacob's well (Jn 4:10,11,13-15).
One of the glorious truths of this passage is that Christ satisfies the thirsting of the human heart. Salvation in Him is delightful to the soul. It sustains us, all our life long, like a spring of life-giving water (Jn 4:13,14). Nothing earthly can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Those desires are infinitely deep and wide (cf. Ecc 3:11). Only the infinite God can sustain our souls with joy, peace, and hope.