If We Knew

John 4:3–14 NIV

So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The 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.) Jesus 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.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

1st Point: Jesus was and is Intentional

John 4:4–7 NIV

Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”

This story shows what begins as a very ordinary interaction between Jesus and a Woman which is not even given her name. The first thing we notice is that Jesus was intent in being there for this apparently casual encounter with this woman probable considered not worthy of too much attention by his own people.

Besides being there Jesus starts the whole conversation by asking for water.

Jesus is intentional about reaching out to us. In our context

It’s not a coincidence that the book with the written work of Jesus (The bible) is the most: published and translated book in history. It was the first ever to be printed in press.

All the western and middle east culture has some knowledge of and/or have had influence from Jesus Christ.

So it’s not a coincidence that you are here in this meeting right now, at this moment being part of this interaction.

2nd. Point: The Reality of Our Ignorance:

(If She Knew)

The woman sees an ordinary man that oddly engages her, but this man who was Jesus suddenly changes the subject of the conversation and goes from asking something for himself to telling her about about a gift that might be available for her. That certainly captures her attention.

The New International Version Chapter 4

10 Jesus 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.”

Jesus’s transition not only make her interest the subject of the conversation instead of his thirst, but also jumps from an ordinary natural things to new mysterious things coming from God.

Two things revealed:

Jesu’s engagement had all to do with offering this woman knowledge that will give her access to gift from God

Knowledge is power said Alvin Tofler.

She didn’t know. Her ignorance would not allow her access to te gifts.

I this we can all relate to this woman in the fact that we are born naturally ignorants of this that are needed even for our own basic survival, let alone about mysterious things not obvious to the natural eyes that are coming from God.

As we relate to this woman, think about how many times other people have seen us make decisions, go on with life and have thought of us: “if he or she knew.”

How many times have we said to ourselves: “Oh If I knew”

Ignorance is the very thing most of the time separating us from gifts from God. The lack of knowledge of even the existence of those gifts, even more the lack of knowledge of Godly means and ways to those gifts.

Think about this, She is dealing with NATURAL WATER, and Jesus talks to her about LIVING WATER that he who drinks of it will even become a spring of water welling up for eternal life.

It’s like the gift goes well beyond anything she would expect from this casual conversation.

Let’s think about ourselves. How many gifts from God have probably not reached me, or impacted my life, out of my ignorance of even the existence of those gifts, let alone the ways and means God has provided for they to reach me.

God if inviting us today to embrace his knowledge. Jesus said he came to show us the way to the Lord. He is the way to the Lord. His invitation, as he did to his woman in a very intentional way if for us to get to know. So we can change from IF I KNEW to NOW I KNOW.

Let us embrace the knowledge Jesus has been intentional to give us. This knowledge is the key to discover many gifts, starting for the gift of salvation through his sacrifice which guarantees for us to have eternal life.

We need to know that Jesus, as he explained to this woman, is the fountain of living water, the only one that is capable to taking away the existencial thirst in our souls:

The why am I here?

Where did I come from?

Where am I heading to?

3rd. Point: Her reaction to the invitation for receive Jesus’s water: DOUBT.

John 4:11–12 NIV

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

DOUBT IS OUR COMMON REACTION

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

That is our common reaction when we hear of God acting in mysterious ways to bring about those gifts to our lives: HOW IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN? HOW WOULD GOD PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR MY LIFE’S PROBLEMS? I DON’T SEE HOW.

JESUS WAS NOT OFENDED BY HER DOUBT DUE TO IGNORANCE

It’s interesting that Jesus did not get offended by her ignorance. He rather goes on to show her his power in a way that she would necessarily understand that GOD himself was dealing with her.

SHE SHOWED CURIOSITY

Even when our starting point is ignorance, if we are at least curious about what God is willing to reveal to us through Jesus, he will show us his power. Jesus show her that he had the power of knowledge (He is omniscient).

This woman took the little knowledge she had received from the culture about the Christ that would come and opened herself to receive more knowledge, so Jesus revealed to her that HE WAS THE ONE SHE WAS EXPECTING FOR HER SALVATION, FOR THE COMPLETE REVELATION, FOR THE COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE.

4th Point. She valued the Knowledge to the Point of Wanting to Share it with Her People

John 4:39–42 NIV

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. 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.”

Jesus was so intent in sharing the knowledge of the gift of God for this people that he spent two days teaching him.

Not only the Samaritan woman valued the the knowledge brought to hey by Jesus, also many more did the same.

What about us? Do you appreciate the knowledge that brings about gifts from God to our lives.

If you already know that Jesus is the Saviour, do you want more? Are you willing to tell Jesus, stay and give me more?