Thanks Julie, Callie and Tammy for your posts. Callie – your post really challenged me to ask the question, “What barriers or prejudices do I have that prevent me from being able to love those around me?” Julie, I loved your comment about the Samaritan woman needing to see her sin. I recently heard a pastor describe salvation like a person unknowingly standing on the edge of a cliff surrounded by fog. God is the wind who blows away the fog leaving the person aware of where they are. The next action is a natural reaction but is still a choice. Tammy, I love your attention to the differences between Nicodemus and the Samaritan. Man, woman. Jew, Samaritan. Educated, ignorant. High class, outcast. Wealth, poor. Moral, prostitute. But Jesus doesn’t care. He comes to them both. He has come for all. How beautiful. This teaches us so much about God’s love – God’s love isn’t determined by object, it is determined by character – God’s character. This challenges me to examine my love for others – can I love because of my character or more accurately because of God’s character through me or do I only loved based on the attributes of the other person? The other interesting thing is the difference between knowledge and revelation. It is actually the woman who has a better understanding of who Jesus is – even though Nicodemus had much more knowledge, the woman had a revelation and that mattered more than all the knowledge. Although Nicodemus and the Samaritan women are so different they both have the same spiritual need. They are equal in the spiritual sense – they are both lost and both in need of Jesus. One doesn’t need Jesus more than the other, one doesn’t deserve Jesus more than the other. Jesus offers Himself equally to them both.
In all this talk about water and thirst, Jesus is claiming to be the only person or thing that can satisfy human longing. I love the image of the water becoming a spring welling up within us. God fills us, satisfies us, changes us and spills out of us. Many things entice me and distract me. They may satisfy me temporarily but only Jesus can satisfy me forever and fill me to bursting. Why then do I continue to look to other things to fill me?
This week we will do John chapter 5. First we see the third of John’s recorded miracles (the second was the healing of the sick boy in chapter 4). Then we see the Jews get mad because Jesus did this miracle on the Sabbath and even madder because He is claims to be God. This starts the momentum of hate toward Jesus that culminates with His death on the cross. Lastly we see Jesus’ response to the Jews accusations. Remember that the Jews only knew the Old Testament – they only knew God and they are trying to figure out who Jesus is. This chapter again illustrates John’s main purpose in showing Jesus as God’s son and his secondary purposes of detailing Christ’s message and the different ways men can respond to it.
What can we learn about Jesus through this miracle?
Think about the chronology of the events in this story. Which came first – faith or healing? What do you think of that?
Think of what Jesus is claiming in verses19-47. What strikes you? How do you respond?
Have a great week everyone!!!
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