By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher
Text: John
4:1-26
John
4:25-26
The
woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ).
“When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus
said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
(NKJV)
Sometimes I look around
at what is happening in the world and scratch my head. The woke culture of our
time asks us to accept the murder of babies for convenience, marriage between
individuals of the same sex, and the superiority of one race over another. As
one woke for Christ through a personal relationship with God through Christ,
these things are an abomination as I lose conformity to the world through transformation
by the word of God (Romans
12:2). However, as Christians, we must remember that Jesus died to forgive
the sins of those caught up in today's wokeness and not fear or shy away from
sharing the truth of the Gospel with them.
When Jesus knew that the
Pharisees heard Jesus made and baptized more people than John, Jesus left Judea
for Galilee but this required going through Samaria (John
4:1-4). The Jews viewed the Samaritans with disdain since they intermarried
with the Assyrians when in exile so Jews would usually avoid going through
Samaria if possible. Jesus chose to go through Samaria and being wearied stopped
in Sychar by Jacob’s well to rest (John
4:5-6). It is here that Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman who came out to
draw water. Jesus asks her for a drink because His disciples had gone into the
city to buy food (John
4:7-8).
The Samaritan woman is
amazed that Jesus, a Jew would ask her for a drink since Jews typically have no
dealings with Samaritans (John
4:9). Jesus answered by telling her that if she knew the gift of God and who
was asking for a drink, she would ask Him to give you a drink of living water (John
4:10). The woman reminds Jesus He has nothing with which to draw water and
asks Jesus if He believes He is greater than Jacob who gave them the well (John
4:11-12). Jesus’ reply tells the woman that those drinking from Jacob’s
well will thirst again, but those drinking the water He gives will never thirst
but shall have a fountain of water within him or her springing up into eternal
life (John
4:13-14).
The woman asks Jesus to give
her this water to which Jesus tells her to get her husband (John
4:15-16). The woman honestly answers by telling Jesus she has no husband to
which Jesus tells her she has had five husbands and the man she currently lives
with is not her husband (John
4:17-18). This causes the woman to perceive Jesus as a prophet and decide
to ask Him a theological question as to where one should worship God (John
4:19-20).
Jesus tells her of a day
coming when people will neither worship God on that mountain nor in Jerusalem (John
4:21). Jesus continues by telling the Samaritan woman she worships what she
does not know with the Jews knowing what they worship for salvation is of the
Jews (John
4:22). In the coming day people will worship God in spirit and truth and
not in any particular place which is what the God the Father desires (John
4:23). Since God is Spirit, He must be worshipped in spirit and truth (John
4:24). The woman tells Jesus that when Messiah, Christ, comes He will reveal
all things to which Jesus replies, telling her he is the Messiah (John
4:25-26).
Even though Jews had
nothing to do with the Samaritans, Jewish men would especially avoid any
encounter with a Samaritan woman when alone. Jesus, Messiah, and Christ was not
like any ordinary Jewish man and therefore did not shy away from this
encounter. The typical Jewish man of Jesus’ time would have seen the Samaritan
woman as one divorced from her five previous husbands and now sleeping around
with a man who was not her husband. They would have viewed the fact that Jesus
did not run away from her based upon what He knew as proof He was not truly
Jewish. Those viewing Jesus’ actions in this manner miss the point that this
encounter is Jesus' opportunity to reveal himself as Messiah to someone needing
salvation (John
4:19-26). Jesus knew who He was and what His mission was.
We must follow the
example of Christ and not shy away from encountering others who may be
undesirable to us because Jesus came to provide salvation for all fallen
humanity. In today’s culture, this may entail encountering someone caught up in
the woke culture of our time. Abortion is a sin for it is the murder of an
unborn baby (Exodus
20:13). Homosexuality is a sin condemned in both the Old and New Testaments
(Leviticus
18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:24-28). As for racism or Critical Race Theory, I
want to ask a question, what race were Adam and Eve? Genesis
1:27 clearly states that God created man in His own image so since we do
not know the race of God, we do not know the race of Adam and Eve. Therefore,
there is no racism with God who sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of all
humanity, including all races (Romans
3:23, 5:8).
The key is learning to separate the sinner from the sin. One
supporting or having had an abortion, a homosexual, or one who is racist has
committed a sin needing forgiveness from God. We must not fear or shy away from
any encounter with these individuals but when we encounter them share the truth
of the gospel with them so they can receive forgiveness like the Samaritan
woman did. All are welcome into our Church services but the Church must not
compromise with sin to accommodate sinners but instead give them an opportunity
to receive forgiveness for their sins through the grace of God (Ephesians
2:8-9).
I want to invite anyone
reading this post who has not prayed for salvation from their sins and to make
Jesus the Lord of their life through the confession of their belief in Jesus as
their Savior to do so now by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23)
and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse
me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe
you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now
declare you Lord of my life.
May the Lord challenge,
convict, and bless everyone reading this post.
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