Eternal Perspective: The Well
For this week's blog, let's take a look at Jesus's conversation with the woman at the well in John 4:4-26. Notice in this conversation that the woman's questions were focused on/in time, and Jesus answered based on her eternity and her personal eternalness.
John 4:4-26 NLT
4 He had to go through Samaria on the way.
5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.
7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
Jesus engages her and He engages all of humanity.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. [b] She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
Jesus changes venues for earthly and temporary to eternal and forever.
11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?
12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
She brings back to time and the earth and insults Jesus.
13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.
14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
Jesus changes venue to the eternal.
15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
Jesus starts a probe into her life lived in and based on time.
17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—
18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
Jesus delivers a Word of Knowledge that lets her know He knows.
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, [c] where our ancestors worshiped?”
She deflects and changes the subject to religion.
21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.
23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Jesus brings her back to eternity and her personal eternalness and reveal His plan for her life.
25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” [d]
She was the only person Jesus told who He is.
There is much to observe and much to learn here from how Jesus’ reality for this lady was based on eternity and on the Kingdom Realm of eternity. We must learn to live and to have our being in the Kingdom Realm of eternity if we are to experience the joy, the pleasure and the success that was planned for us before we were born. We must learn to present and share the Good News based on eternity like Jesus did.
