Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." She said to Him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water than I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw."
Message: Eternally Satisfying Water
Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."
What the Lord is Saying: Yesterday, I started Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well in Samaria, after he left Judea, possibly due to the concern that he was gaining popularity and that the Jewish leaders of the day might expose him. As he goes to Samaria, he encounters a woman who we would typecast as an outcast and yet he interacts with her like he would with anyone else.
Jesus has asked her for a drink and her response is not in providing him the drink but rather is wondering why a Jew would be speaking to a Samarian woman. Jesus follows this up by giving an answer that I think says, either you provide me a drink or you should realize that I am different from your average Jew and can provide you something way better than water.
His response is somewhat revealing a mystery. "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." If only she knew. If only she knew who she was addressing. And that He provides a gift of God which is the living water. Jesus gives living water.
And then, like Nicodemus who wonders how he could be born again, this woman does not understand and thinks living water is better water than what she is drinking, but still water. But Jesus clarifies the water that He is offering -- "but whoever drinks of the water than I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
This water is something that will cause her to not thirst again. I think this is an important note about the water because he is denoting the water will spring up to eternal life but also that the water will produce in her a need to never thirst again. All she had to do was ask and He would give. But one does need to ask. Jesus shows that a person needs to ask. A person needs to know they have a need and yet in receiving it is a gift. Jesus wants to give gifts and again, all that he wants is a request. Eternal life is given for asking. It is bestowed for asking. I do not see how from these verses, even the verses in chapter 3 that any thing more could be stated needing to be done to receive this eternal life. Now I do believe we do see that obedience follows receiving the gift. But that is later, right now it is simply asking.
Summary: Jesus lets the Samaritan woman know that living water is eternal life and for her to receive she must ask.
Promise: Take what He is offering and we will never thirst again.
Prayer: Father, thank you for providing this message and the promise of eternal life. Thank you that you want to provide us gifts and all that we must do is ask. It is amazing that it is this easy. It is this simple and yet this profound. It is amazing that so many are too proud to ask. How easy is the gospel message. Lord, direct me to the living water that brings eternal life. Lord provide it to me. I am asking. I want it and I want You. Thank you for this free gift.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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