John 4:15 – The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

John 4:16 – Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

John 4:17 – The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

John 4:18 – For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Hello readers, today I am taking a brief break from Job to discuss the Samaritan woman who had had five husbands in John 4. It’s a wonderful chapter in the Bible as part of the gospel of John, and there’s so much in it. But there’s part of this story that’s always interested me. You see, you start reading John 4 and Jesus is sitting on a well, a Samaritan woman comes to draw water and a conversation between she and him ensues. She’s going to draw water, but Jesus talks to her of the water that he gives which springs up into everlasting life which if taken she (and you!) will never thirst again. We drink water, but we get thirsty and we have to drink again. But Jesus has the water of life, and that never runs out. Permanent never ending sustenance. Perfect quenching of spiritual thirst. So upon hearing this, this woman says give me this water. But Jesus’ reply is strange is it not? Is this how you would answer someone who basically says I want to be saved? Jesus said go call your husband and come back here.

This woman had had 5 husbands! Think about what that means. She wasn’t satisfied in life. Her husbands weren’t getting it done for her. That’s this world for you, it will never give you what only Jesus can. And why do you think Jesus was talking to her the way he did originally? Go back and read John 4 knowing beforehand that this is a woman who clearly hasn’t found what she is looking for in life, she hasn’t found fulfillment even in going from husband to husband. What we really need isn’t found in anything earthly, it isn’t found in pleasure, or achievements, or even in a spouse… it’s found in Jesus Christ. We were originally made in God’s image, perfect and sinless, in perfect relationship and fellowship with our Creator. We were made in his image and thus our fulfillment comes from having a relationship with God, in being like him. We were created for his pleasure, so to live devoid of your Creator is to live and abide in death. The problem is man sinned, and that image was corrupted, we became spiritually dead, we were murdered. Death is the consequence of sin. We can all be like this woman, we go from this to that to this to that looking to scratch that itch, looking for relevance, looking for completion, looking for fulfillment. This meeting was no coincidence… the Bible says he must needs go through Samaria. If you are looking for water OF LIFE, there is a Creator who must needs find you. He knows who is seeking the truth, who has a heart for truth, who is looking for more.

So after Jesus says he’s got the water of life that he gives freely, she says gimme! Did Jesus lead her in a sinner’s prayer? Did Jesus just say believe on me then and there? No he didn’t. But really, she already believed didn’t she anyway? She was sincere, and it just goes to show, don’t ever judge a book by it’s cover. We should see everyone as a candidate for God’s grace, after all that’s what we were and are… so who are we to withhold the grace of God from someone else (Jonah tried to, remember him)? But we would probably turn our noses at such a woman, but she was the woman he must needs go and see. Jesus must go and see her! Crazy! Even his disciples when they came back and saw him talking to her, they were like what’s going on? But there’s a reason Jesus said what he did and why he did … of course there is. She knew her life was wrong, and without the ability to confront the fact you are a sinner and own it and confess it to Jesus Christ, there will be no salvation. Without the ability to get true about who and what you are before God, there will be no solution to your life. Do you have a love of the truth in you? Her sin would be confronted, sin is the problem after all. Jesus’ very name means “He shall save his people from their sins”. That’s why he came to earth. They that are whole have no need of a physician Jesus said. He came not to call the righteous (they don’t need a Saviour if they’ve already got it made!) but sinners to repentance. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, if you are lost, it’s you he’s come for.

We all have sin, and it can be quite confronting. It also goes to show the work of the conscience and the Holy Spirit in someone’s life. She knew the man she was with was not her husband. Her life was broken before Jesus. We are all broken before Christ, broken vessels… but in a broken vessel the light of Christ can shine forth if received. Less of our light and more of his! Fall on Christ and he will save you, but if he falls on you, you’re done. Luke 20:18 – Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Maybe Jesus said what he said to the woman is quite unexpected. She said give, why didn’t he just say here it is? But in asking her to call her husband, he was actually giving her the water of life. The life that Jesus gives is received through repentance of sin and believing upon him. Many people turned away from Christ when he preached because he offended them. She didn’t turn away because his question was hitting close to a mark not welcome, no not at all. But many people never repent of their sin, they want their sin AND the perks of Jesus Christ. As a result, there a many who are not Christ’s at all, there were many people who didn’t have as “trainwrecked” lives as this woman who did not receive Christ at all.

Remember Job’s friends? They felt justified because their lives were in order while his was in tatters. How oh how superior people feel when they’ve got their life in order (so they think) … yet they’re not the ones spiritually growing are they? It was Job was who growing spiritually in the hard times while all his friends did was accuse him and argue fruitlessly and endlessly and talk rubbish really. Without an ability to confront, acknowledge and confess sin, there will be no water of life in your life. Note how it was her that confessed her sin, there was truth in her heart and in her life, that’s why Jesus had found her, because he finds all those seeking truth. She didn’t need someone to force her to confess, to force her to recognize she was a sinner… when the Holy Spirit is working in someone’s life, it’s not a work of man, it’s not trying to coax and coach and disciple someone into being saved and herd them in the right direction, it’s the real deal of salvation. Our hands need to come off the ark … remember Uzzah? Hands off! Let the power of God work, his word is with power. This woman’s ability to see the truth about herself and see clearly… may we all have that love of the truth, because truth was standing and talking with her, Jesus IS the truth, truth is a person. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to accept the truth about yourself, because it’s then that the life of Christ can come into your heart. John 4:26 – Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. He is the one that can, he is the I am, he is the one to go to for the water of life. What she couldn’t find in her five husbands, she found in Christ, and she believed and was saved. And that can be you as well.

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