~Daily Devotion 12th~

One day the Lord Jesus met a woman at a well who needed this living water and He gave it to her. The woman at the well had a destiny. Jesus wanted to reach her no matter what He had to go through to get to her.


After preaching in Judea, Jesus decided to return to Galilee, but Jesus needed to go through Samaria. This was the shortest route from Judea to Galilee. However in Jesus' day, the Jews, who hated the Samaritans, normally chose a different route to avoid Samaria. But, Jesus needed to go through Samaria to reach a certain woman.



When Jesus reached Samaria He sat by a well to rest while the disciples went into the city. When a Samaritan woman came for water, He asked for a drink. Surprised, the woman could not understand how He, being a Jew, would ask her for a drink.



The woman was shocked that a Jewish man would ask her for a drink. Local custom prohibited public conversation between men and women who were strangers and especially Jews and Samaritans.



She didn't know that this Man was different from all others. He was Jesus, the perfect Son of God, and He loved the Samaritans! As God the Son, He loves everyone, no matter what race or color. The Bible says, "God is Love"



He loves you and me, too. He made you and He loves you much more than you can ever imagine! He created the whole world, the mountains, the oceans the trees, and flowers, everything! He is not only great, but He is holy and pure. Little did this woman know that God cared about her. She had no idea that the One asking her for a drink was Jesus, God the Son. Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world.



The woman misunderstood when Jesus assured her that if she knew who He was she would ask for living water. The woman understood "living water" as that which was at the deepest part of the well. But Jesus spoke about the water of everlasting life which only He could give. Whoever drinks of this water, all who believe the gospel, will be satisfied forever.



Jesus challenged the woman to consider her own sinful condition by instructing her to bring her husband. Before the woman could believe in Jesus as the One who could give her "living water" (everlasting life) she had to recognize that she was a sinner. The Bible says, "everyone is born into this world a sinner." (Roman 5:12). We are not right with God on the inside and that is why we have a "spiritual thirst." We cannot change ourselves. Because you and I are sinners, we want our own way rather than God's way. Can you think of sometimes when we know what is right, but choose not to do it? You and I have sinned and the Bible says the "wages of sin is death" (to be separated from God) (Romans 6:23). You must be willing to admit you're a sinner and that you need the Lord Jesus to give you "living water" Jesus was trying to help the Samaritan woman see that she was a sinner.

(John 4:25)

²⁵ The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”



We will see that she tried to change the subject on Jesus. Do we do that sometimes in our life to keep from doing His will?



The woman tried to change the subject by saying,"Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet." "Our Fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jesus say that in Jerusalem in the place where one ought to worship."



The dispute and hatred between Jews and Samarians probably originated in the separation of the ten tribes under Jeroboam at the time the kingdom of Israel was established. The antagonism increased after the Assyrians carried the ten tribes into captivity. The Samaritans mingled with the Assyrians and incorporated idol worship into Jewish worship, practices that were totally foreign to Jewish feeling and faith.   When the Jews refused to allow the Samaritans to help with the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, the Samaritans took their revenge by erecting a temple of their own on Mt. Gerizim. Hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans had reached extreme by the time of Jesus. The dispute was whether a person should worship God in Jerusalem or Mr. Gerizim in Samaria. Jesus made it clear that the place of worship was not important but that true worshipers would worship in spirit and in truth.



When the woman told Jesus the coming Messiah would explain these things, He said, "I am He." The woman was face to face with the Savior of the world, the Messiah. The Messiah or Christ means "Promise One" from God. Jesus was the One that people had expected since the Old Testament times. The woman knew about that promise; and now He was here, talking with her!   Jesus was the perfect Son of God who would die for the sins of the whole world. He was nailed to the cross by those who hated Him. He gave His blood as an offering for sin, your sin and mine. He didn't deserve to die because He had never sinned, but He willingly took the punishment you an did deserved. He was buried, but He didn't stay dead! He rose from the grave, proving that His sin offering was accepted by our holy God for the sins of the whole world. Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. And the Samaritan woman was face to face with Him!



Immediately the woman believed that Jesus was truly the Messiah, and she excitedly ran to the city to tell other about Him.



We need to get excited and run and tell the world of our Messiah. Let's take a lesson from the Samaritan woman and go tell of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.