John 4:39-42 “39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
This particular scripture follows a most familiar passage for many of us: the Samaritan woman in John, chapter 4. It begins with Jesus passing through Samaria on His way to Jerusalem, stopping at a well while the disciples gathered food at a nearby village. It was around noon (John 4:6) and Jesus found His way to this particular location, resting from the heat of the day as a woman approached to draw water from the well.
Jesus took this opportunity to share His story with this woman. He started the conversation asking for a drink, which led to an entire discussion about living water and eternal life. The woman asked several questions after Jesus’ request, that were prompted because of the history between the Jews and Samaritans. But Jesus’ responses intrigued her, wanting her hungry for more. The conversation between the two of them led the realization that the man she had been speaking to for quite some time was the Messiah they had heard about from the prophets of old.
I love this narrative in the bible. Jesus didn’t just start this entire conversation with, “I am the Son of God, believe in Me and be saved. Now get me some water.” He wanted the Samaritan woman to discover for herself who He really was. And in the end, He was able to reveal to her that He was the living water and the path to eternal life. He let her come to this conclusion by speaking with her, letting her ask questions and revealing the answers when she needed to hear them.
When I conduct my bible studies at the county jail or if I am talking to an unbeliever, I like to take the same approach that Jesus did with the Samaritan woman. I ask questions. It is amazing what one question will do to spark a conversation. Often, during these moments of discussion, someone within the conversation (including myself at times) will tell a story. A description of how He has personally made a difference in their life.
John chapter 4 walks us through an entire woman’s story, or testimony. And as we see in John 4:39-42, many other Samaritans came to know Christ because of her story. We as Christians each have a testimony in which we have seen the power of Christ work through us. It could be about the day of our salvation, just like the Samaritan Woman. Or it could be something that happened to us at school or in the workplace. Maybe it is about a situation with your family or friends. God gives us these testimonies to show how He works through our lives as Christians, so that we can share with others.
Atukombe. Lord, I pray that You are exalted through each of our stories. As we share them in Zambia, may You be lifted up and Your glory be revealed. May our testimonies of the way you have changed our lives show Your grace, Your Mercy and Your sacrificial love for each of us. Thank you Father, that You give us the ability to share with others what an amazing journey you have led each of us on through our lives. May we use this to plant seeds so that You may produce the fruit that will abound from it, in hopes that one day they will say ““We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42) In Jesus Name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment