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42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed [a]the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:42 NKJV
A woman has told her neighbors about Jesus.
But let us look back at the life of this woman and how this particular day unfolded.
It was noon.
The heat of the day finds one woman at Jacob’s well to draw water.
She is not there with neighbors and friends to turn the task into a mini social event, as many women of that time did.
She also didn’t come when it was earlier or later in the day to avoid the uncomfortable higher temperatures. Perhaps, it was also to avoid the more social times.
The woman had quite a past. Thus, it might be that she hopes to avoid being the center of the gossip.
For whatever reasons, this woman is at the well at the heat of this day.
It was the day and time that Jesus was at this well.
He was tired and waiting there for His disciples.
He asks the woman to draw water for Him. Not only did men not speak to unrelated women, Jewish men NEVER had any dealings with Samaritan women.
Jesus tells her that if she knew the gift of God, she would have asked Him for living water.
She, of course, asks about this living water and He tells her that one never thirsts again with this living water that springs into everlasting life.
She asks for this water and Jesus tells her to call her husband. The reply from the woman is that she has no husband and Jesus says she answered correctly for though she has had five husbands, the man she currently is living with is not her husband.
The woman at the well says that she now realizes that Jesus is a prophet. He talks with her about worshipping God and she tells Him that she knows about the Messiah to come.
Here He openly tells her that HE IS THE CHRIST.
At this point, the disciples return and the woman, leaving her waterpot, rushes into the city to tell others that she has just met a man who has told her all she ever did. She asks the men if He could be the Christ.
In her heart, she is convinced her new Friend is Christ. However, she is only a woman, and a tainted woman at that.
She must put the idea into their heads and let them make up their own minds.
Many, however, believed by her word.
Others, many in fact, came to see Jesus for themselves.
They urged Him to stay and many more believed because of the words of Jesus to them.
We are now at our verse of the day from this passage.
The people tell her that they now believe in Christ, not because of what she has said, but because they themselves have heard Him and KNOW that He is indeed the CHRIST, the SAVIOR of the world.
May we believers, go into this world and bring others to Jesus. May their hearts be open to truly hear His Words and believe, and be saved.
How wonderful it is to have a tiny, fractional part in sharing Jesus with this world!!
May WE do the same!!