Meeting the Messiah
“Sometimes we need a spiritual jolt of reality to wake us up, and to shake us up, so that we can focus on what is really important, so that we can hear and understand the message God has for us.”
John 4:16-26 (NLT)
“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim where our ancestors worshiped?”
Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!
Reflection
Recently, I found myself acting in a manner I knew was wrong. But I kept right on doing it. God had spoken a gentle message to me, and even though I heard it and was convicted, it did not stop me from doing this thing I knew was wrong.
It was in the form of a tiny, beautiful bird that God delivered a much more forceful message to me about what I was doing. God knew I needed the truth, no matter how much it hurt. My shock quickly turned to shame; my shame turned me to repentance; and my repentance became resolve. I realized God was speaking truth to me, and I made a promise to God to stop doing what I had been doing.
Sometimes we need a spiritual jolt of reality to wake us up, and to shake us up, so that we can focus on what is really important, so that we can hear and understand the message God has for us.
When Jesus confronts the woman at the well with the truths about her life, He is not being cruel or callous. He needs her to understand that He knows her truth. He sees her where she is in life. By being honest with her, Jesus gets her attention, and she is then able to focus on the true message He has for her, that He is the Messiah she has been waiting for.
Interestingly, the woman tries to divert the attention away from herself by showing concern and resentment about her people not being allowed to worship where they want. But Jesus tells her not to focus on WHERE to worship but, rather, to understand that worshipping God “in spirit and in truth” (verse 23) is much more important.
Jesus reveals that it is time for all people, Jews and Samaritans alike, to know that the Messiah is among them. It’s interesting to notice that Jesus chooses her - this woman with messy, sinful secrets - to spread the word about who He is. But this conversation might never have happened if Jesus hadn’t first challenged her to look inside herself and confront her sin. And like the woman at the well experienced, when we confront our sin, turn from it, and turn toward Someone more loving and powerful, it changes our world forever.
Action Steps
Can you think of a time when God caused you to focus on a harsh truth in order to fully gain your attention? Is it possible God tried to reach you in a gentler manner at first, but you weren’t listening? Spend some time in prayer right now and listen for what God has for you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for never giving up on me. You see me as You want me, not as I am. Every day, little by little, You guide me in the direction You want me to go, and I am so grateful for that. Help me, Lord, when I pretend not to hear, to hear Your voice; when I refuse to open my eyes, to see the path You have for me; and when I am silent, to find my voice to praise Your name. Amen.
“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim where our ancestors worshiped?”
Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!
Reflection
Recently, I found myself acting in a manner I knew was wrong. But I kept right on doing it. God had spoken a gentle message to me, and even though I heard it and was convicted, it did not stop me from doing this thing I knew was wrong.
It was in the form of a tiny, beautiful bird that God delivered a much more forceful message to me about what I was doing. God knew I needed the truth, no matter how much it hurt. My shock quickly turned to shame; my shame turned me to repentance; and my repentance became resolve. I realized God was speaking truth to me, and I made a promise to God to stop doing what I had been doing.
Sometimes we need a spiritual jolt of reality to wake us up, and to shake us up, so that we can focus on what is really important, so that we can hear and understand the message God has for us.
When Jesus confronts the woman at the well with the truths about her life, He is not being cruel or callous. He needs her to understand that He knows her truth. He sees her where she is in life. By being honest with her, Jesus gets her attention, and she is then able to focus on the true message He has for her, that He is the Messiah she has been waiting for.
Interestingly, the woman tries to divert the attention away from herself by showing concern and resentment about her people not being allowed to worship where they want. But Jesus tells her not to focus on WHERE to worship but, rather, to understand that worshipping God “in spirit and in truth” (verse 23) is much more important.
Jesus reveals that it is time for all people, Jews and Samaritans alike, to know that the Messiah is among them. It’s interesting to notice that Jesus chooses her - this woman with messy, sinful secrets - to spread the word about who He is. But this conversation might never have happened if Jesus hadn’t first challenged her to look inside herself and confront her sin. And like the woman at the well experienced, when we confront our sin, turn from it, and turn toward Someone more loving and powerful, it changes our world forever.
Action Steps
Can you think of a time when God caused you to focus on a harsh truth in order to fully gain your attention? Is it possible God tried to reach you in a gentler manner at first, but you weren’t listening? Spend some time in prayer right now and listen for what God has for you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for never giving up on me. You see me as You want me, not as I am. Every day, little by little, You guide me in the direction You want me to go, and I am so grateful for that. Help me, Lord, when I pretend not to hear, to hear Your voice; when I refuse to open my eyes, to see the path You have for me; and when I am silent, to find my voice to praise Your name. Amen.
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