“Please stay, to tell us more about Jesus!” This is what all evangelists long to hear. Is this always our sign to stay around, and why did Jesus say no?!
As we close out this bold interview & divine appointment involving the woman of Sychar & our Master, what can we learn about evangelitic witness, from Him, from her, and from the relatively silent & absent disciples?
The woman of Sychar was highly distracted by things of this world, but Jesus continued to present Himself as the living water to quench her real thirst, then make her a fountain of that life for others.
Why is it that Jesus had to go through Samaria? Why didn’t the infamous impurity of that place & those people keep Jesus away? What more can we see about Jesus from this famous interaction?
Jesus publicly praised John the Baptist, hinting as great teachers do that we should strive to be like this “model.” Do you know, specifically, what Jesus found admirable about His cousin?
We should not penalize ourselves due to our “familiarity” with this most famous verse. Rather, we should look more intently into this big verse about a big God, big world, big love, & big faith requiring our big response.
There is an element of offense in the gospel, seen even in one “picture” God gave us of it, the uplifting of the bronze serpent by Moses in the wilderness. But those who are born from above are glad to look up, and to look away from themselves.
Here we see a recorded conversation between two rabbis (teachers): Nicodemus and Jesus. One rabbi came in with flattery which disguised his ignorance about the most important spiritual truths. The other Rabbi shows us how critical it is for all teachers & students to know the regeneration precedes faith if one is to be saved at all & born from above.
This first temple-cleansing by Jesus teaches us much about the rights of the Son, the purpose of the Passover & temple & sacrificial system, ways we reveal our impurity, and the consuming zeal Jesus has for this house & body.
John selected seven of what must have been thousands of Jesus’ signs, to highlight His manifold care & compassion, His power over all that could hinder us, and His obvious divinity.
Christ Covenant Church