1^st September

“Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see Him, they begged Him to stay in their village. So He did for two more days. . . . . They they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves.””

John 4:39-42

Yesterday we learnt of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. We learnt how Jesus met her where she was at in her life and ministered His love and grace to her. We learned how He spoke a prophetic word to the woman revealing her sinful lifestyle, yet He did so in a loving and kind way, not in a condemning and judgemental way. So great was this word from Jesus, that the woman ran back to the village with great joy, telling her fellow villagers about Jesus.

We then pick up the story again in verse 39. Amazingly, because of the prophetic words of Jesus to the woman, many believed. Even more amazing, was that Samaritan people where begging Jesus to stay in Samaria to continue to teach and share His message with them. So great were Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman, that not only did it radically change her life but the lives of so many others.

Yet the key passage in this whole story is found in verse 42. “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves. Now we know He is indeed the Saviour of the world.” How incredible that Jesus’ few words to the Samaritan woman had such a big impact. Furthermore, Jesus’ own words to them, revealed His true identity as the Saviour of the world.

However, the power of a testimony and the power of a prophetic word can only lead people to Jesus. It is when they meet Him and hear Him for themselves that their lives are completely changed. The Samaritan’s woman’s words only led the people to Jesus, moreover, it was Jesus’ own words, that radically changed their lives, ‘because we have heard Him ourselves‘.

When we encounter Jesus’ love for ourselves, we become a beacon of His grace and His love. It is then our privilege is to lead other people to Christ and let the Holy Spirit fully reveal the character and person of Jesus to them personally.