John 4:6-14 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans). 10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." 11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" 13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
This passage presents a mystery to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ and unfortunately, it remains a mystery to many believers. There is no imperative in the words of Christ; He simply states a fact in response to the woman’s question. Her question was guided by a historical separation of the Jews and the Samaritans. Jesus’ response revealed a promise of a different kind of water; a water; unlike any she had ever known. Jesus said: “10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The woman saw the impractical reality of the situation; Jesus had no pot or rope to drop into the well so that water could be drawn. She then asks Him the most important question of her life; “Where can you get this living water?” Jesus told her that the water He gives would slake ones thirst for all eternity and that it will become a spring welling up to eternal life.
According to Psalm 139:16; everyone’s name is recorded in the Book of Life from before we were born and our days were set down:
Psalm 139:16: “16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.”
This fact does not guarantee us eternal life because the Book of Life is God’s list of everyone ever born and the days of their lives. For eternal life, our name must be recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is possible for our names to be removed from the Book of Life as David pled for God to do: “28 May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous.” (Psalm 69:28)
However Jesus offers this promise “ 4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.” When Jesus acknowledges His believers before the Father, He is recording their name in the Lamb’s Book of Life!
Just as the Samaritan woman was possessive of the well of her ancestor, Jacob; people today hold fast to the traditions of their fathers and the things that they know are real. Holding on to these things puts us in peril of having our names blotted out as recorded by the prophet Jeremiah: “13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13). Our traditions and our possessions cannot provide one moment of life for us. Jeremiah prophesies that forsaking God (Jesus) will be written in the dust (Indicating that it is easily blown away as if it never existed.) and that it can be removed from the Book of Life: “13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.” (Jeremiah 17:13)
Just as Jesus told the Samaritan woman to drink from His well, He is telling us to do the same: “37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38). John went on to explain: “39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:39) It is the Holy Spirit that will flow well up inside of us. It will not be satisfied with us until it occupies every part of our lives to the point that He (Jesus) becomes evident in us to all whom we encounter.
We all have the Same Spirit in us: “13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthian 12:13) It does not matter what denomination, ethnicity, race, nationality or religion we belong to. If we have given our life to Christ Jesus, the same Holy Spirit abides in us.
Jesus by way of the Holy Spirit will guide us to the springs of living water. I hope you see the significance of the plural “springs”; it refers to the spring that wells up inside of every believer: “17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17) There is one Holy Spirit but He has made us all a spring of living water. It is His intent that we be “poured out” as His witnesses: “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Jesus tells us to come. The Holy Spirit is leading us to the spring of living water so that we need not be thirsty again. We are to be poured out but the source of our spring will never run dry so come and come often! Refresh yourself as often as necessary and bring those around you with you: “17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17)
I urge each of you to consider this prayer as a prayer of dedication and rededication;
A W-E-L-L PRAYER!
It is GOD’S Work GOD’S Energy GOD’S Lordship GOD’S LOVE
Lord, I come thirsty. I come to drink, to receive. I receive Your work on the cross and in Your resurrection. My sins are pardoned, and my death is defeated. I receive Your energy. Empowered by Your Holy Spirit, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. I receive Your lordship, for I belong to You. Nothing comes to me that hasn’t passed through You. And I receive Your love. Nothing can separate me from Your love. AMEN
In Christ,
John
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