Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet." - Jesus, (John 4:16-18) Jesus had stopped to help a woman by asking her for a drink. We all thirst. This is a basic need. She was taken aback because she was of a different culture than Jesus, and the two didn't interact. He pressed into her objections and told her that if she knew who He was, she would ask Him for a drink, and He would give her a type of water that would cause her to never thirst again. She was incredulous and challenged Him to give it to her. That's when Jesus told her to bring her husband. Now Jesus knew that she was what many would consider to be a dysfunctional and loose woman, because He knew her life. So when he asked about her husband and she said she didn't have one, He knew she was giving the technical answer which was far from the reality. He called her out on it. This was a tricky thing. It could come across as judgmental or embarrassing. But Jesus was neither. He was establishing something. First, He was letting her know that He had the authority to speak into her life because He knew her life inside and out. She recognized this and called Him a prophet. But He was also pinpointing her true desire, and the lengths she had gone to meet it. In that quick exchange He conveyed to her, "Hey... we are all thirsty in life. And we are willing to do extreme things to satisfy that thirst. It is time to quit going to the well of human fulfillment to slake a spiritual thirst. You keep trying to find what you want. You didn't find it in husband #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and you are with the 6th man in that role... how's that working out for you?" Jesus was the 7th man she would end up giving herself to in hopes of finding fulfillment in life. 7 is the number of perfection. She was thirsty. He gave her living water. She didn't spit it out because it revealed her brokenness. She received it, and it changed her life. We are no different than that woman. We seek things to satisfy. We may not have been married 5 times, and are now living with our 6th man, but we have all gone to the wrong well many times. Today, let Jesus be your 7th man. Let Him be your perfect choice. And share that living water with another thirsty soul. You have what... WHO they need. Don't be afraid to share Him. "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” - Jesus, John 12:32 When we think about lifting Jesus up, we often think about singing about Him, or telling about the good things He has done in our lives. And these things are good, They do lift Him up. But originally, when Jesus said these words, He was talking about the fact that He would be lifted up in sacrificial death on a cross. We don't associate mistreatment and unjust death with glory. But that is exactly what Jesus did. He lived a pure life and died a death of propitiation. He lived so we could live, and He died so we could live. He also rose from the dead so we could live. In doing so He conquered life and death. He knew that this series of events would capture the imagination of everyone. Everyone at some point or another has to deal with the prospects of death. And when they do, they look for eternal life. They can find it in Jesus. So the question becomes, are we lifting up Jesus to the people around us? And what Jesus are we lifting up? Is He a fairy godmother Jesus? Is He merely a do-gooder and life-improver Jesus? Or is He the Son of God who through a brutal and humiliating death took our sins to the cross and purchased redemption and eternity with God? The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2) Today, lift Jesus up in your worship, your words, and your walk. If you will lift Him up, others will come to Him. |
AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
March 2019
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