WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? — A STUDY OF THE LIFE OF JESUS (9)
John 4: 3-42 SEE HOW JESUS QUENCHED HIS HUNGER AND THIRST
John 4:3-4 "He (Jesus) left Judea, and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria." Because He was hungry and thirsty for souls.
In John 3 Jesus immediately confronted the self-righteousness of Nicodemus who was putting his trust in his heritage as a Jew and in his position as a Pharisee. Jesus essentially said: "Being born a Jew won't get you into heaven so you must be born again." Whereas in this account, we see a non-Jewish, immoral woman and outcast (she came to the well alone versus with the other women in Sychar) who had been looking for love in all the wrong places. With her Jesus builds a relationship based on common ground by sharing His need for water. When we share our strengths we build walls. When we share our weaknesses and needs we build bridges. We see both Jesus' humanity and Deity in this passage.
The lesson from Jesus is to not let the flattery or the importance of the "successful" people (Nicodemus) keep us from confronting them with their need for Christ. And, to not avoid the "losers" in life but in fact build relationship with them communicating love and acceptance. Jesus violated all the rules of the Jews and especially the Jewish leaders in relating to this woman.
Believers and unbelievers have a lot in common and the primary difference is what (or Who) we seek after to meet our needs. Obviously, all people have physical needs such as food and water. But all people also have non-physical, immaterial needs such as love and acceptance, friendship and community, purpose and hope and, though unbelievers may not admit it, forgiveness and grace. Relational evangelism as modeled here by Jesus, works by building redemptive relationships based on common needs as well as offering love and acceptance, friendship, forgiveness and grace to our friend who doesn't know Jesus. Through a growing relationship we also can demonstrate that we have a different purpose and hope: to honor and glorify God (versus self-love and self-interests) and our hope in Him, both to sustain and empower us in this life and for the glory and joy of an eternity with Him and fellow believers in heaven. (See 1 Peter 3:15)
Like Jesus, as we build relationship around common needs (water, etc.) we can testify of how God can meet our deepest needs — "living water", " never thirst again", "inner spring of water welling up to eternal life". Our personal testimony can create an interest or curiosity that may lead others to the Lord.
Jesus, in His Deity, (He knew her past) exposed her sin but without judgment. "What you have said is quite true." The lesson we can learn from the woman is never try to lie to Jesus. He is omniscient. Our lifestyle, vocabulary and integrity and love for Christ, may be what God uses to convict others of their sins and thus their true need. Don't compromise just to fit in and be accepted. When she tried to change the subject to a more generic discussion about religion Jesus went right back to the main point. Life, not religion, is all about worshiping God who is Spirit and thus not confined to any one place.
And the only way to worship the One true God is in truth and Jesus is The Truth personified — the only way to the Father. Jesus said to her, "I am He." The Greek here is "Ego Eimi" the Name for God — I Am. In Christ we have been made right with God and have received the Holy Spirit who enables us to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. And He is "seeking" worshipers as seen in this passage as Jesus "needed to go through Samaria."
John 4:34 ""My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." Notice also that He never had anything to drink. Doing the Father's will is what satisfied Jesus.
main point: we will always be hungry and thirsty deep down until we become worshipers of god. "Worship" - to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand".
Isaiah 55:1-3 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (The things of this world are like junk food). Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live." Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (satisfied)."
Where are you and I, like the woman, still seeking love and hope and purpose in all the wrong places? (See Mark 4:19; 1 John 2: 15-17)