That's What He Does

John 4:11-26

The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." 

The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

More than one thought going through my head. Of course!

How Jesus reveals Himself to us is amazing. Here the Samaritan woman was standing before Jesus, knowing of Him and telling Him that when He comes He will tell her all things! She does not recognize Him. Then He reveals Himself to her.

One day we might be staring right at Him or hearing from Him but we might not recognize Him. Then one day He might say "I who speak to you am He." Your eyes are opened and you recognize Him. Now I'm not suggesting He will be physically standing in front of you or audibly speaking to you, but it can happen in an instant in your spirit. Words you've heard and didn't understand, or rejected, will one day come to life. Those words may have been repeated many times just so one day will make an impact: Oh, now I get it!  I remember being bombarded by little instances before I was saved. Then one day I recognized He had been setting the stage for my salvation. He's an awesome God.

Yesterday in church our pastor reminded us that God seeks us. Some think we seek Him, but He's seeking us first. It always starts with Him. He created us with the desire in our hearts. He puts the emptiness and need for more there too. Always starts with Him. Some just choose not to heed His call.

Psalm 14:2-3 tells us He looks down from heaven looking for anyone who might seek Him...but there are none! But when He reveals Himself then our seeking can begin. He seeks because of what John 3:16 tells us: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus testifies of and personifies this. He is the a God who loves. He is the Son who gave His life that whosoever believes can have eternal life.

While whosoever includes all people, only some respond. To those who do not, He exacts His judgment...have to clarify that. He loves all, but will place judgment on those who do not accept His call.

He is the living water. He knows all we need and He can satisfy with greater things than what we think we need. When something, or someone, doesn't satisfy anymore, don't we look for something, or someone, new only to find out we still need more? He so loves the world He wants to give us what will satisfy.  That's what He does.

The Samaritan woman didn't understand the feeling of emptiness she had. She thought she had what would satisfy...many husbands. Jesus began to open up her understanding. When Jesus offered living water that she would no longer thirst she misunderstood. She talked of this well she was at providing water in the physical sense. It met part of her physical needs. Jesus offered her more. More.

Jesus says we can only receive from Him, the One who is greater. No other person can offer us what He has. We worship what we do not know. Anything greater than God is a god or an idol. We can go to a banker, an instructor, friend or spouse, food, our job, children, another lover, a doctor, psychiatrist, pastor, priest or rabbi, but none can offer what Jesus can. He frees us from believing all these other things satisfy. We go directly to Him because He knows us.

When we recognize God (meaning we have received Him and know Him) we can begin to worship Him in spirit and in truth. We recognize we've been looking for things that never fully satisfied. Those who know Him can worship in spirit and truth. He seeks us first that we might in return seek and worship Him, and He will give us the living water. Praise God He does that. Praise God for those who respond.

Exodus 20:1-3 - And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt [dryness, want], out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me."