Timeless Truths: I AM Series #1 - I AM the Messiah

Each I AM describes who Jesus is AND who we are to be.

The woman said, “Well, at least I know that the Messiah will come—the one they call Christ—and when he does, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

John 4:25-26 (Living Bible)

Just like we can’t describe ourselves in a single word, Jesus uses several phrases to reveal who He is.

Four issues are interwoven in the story of “The Woman at the Well” that includes verses 1-42.

     1.    Sexism

     2.   Racism

     3.   Who we are as individuals

     4.   Who Jesus is

John’s Gospel provides many intimate details missing from the other Gospels. If he was present during this story, that might explain the number of specifics included.

The woman is taken off-guard because she is 1) a woman and 2) a Samaritan. Jesus “violates protocol” by 1) speaking with a woman and 2)being in Samaria.

That this event occurs at a well is important. Water was a critical commodity in Judea and Samaria. Everyone knew the value of drinkable water.

• Centuries before this encounter, Jacob’s men dug the well where this story takes place. The origin of the well increases the significance of the exchange between Jesus and the woman.
• In a show of His humanity, Jesus asks for water.
• In verse 10, He responds to physical water by offering Living Water.
• Well water—physical water—is recycled, filtered water. Flowing water is constantly changing. The woman might have thought that Jesus was referring to that when He used the term Living Water.

Regardless of why she didn’t understand the term Living Water . . .

      ·      The woman was seeking stale water from the well.

      ·      She carried frustration, fear, and failure with her water jar.

      ·      The water of the world could not fill those needs then.

      ·      When we come to “that well” today, we find it can’t fill our needs, either.

Jesus offers a Messiah (Liberator) whose Living Water is accepting, forgiving, restoring, and full of hope.

We carry the same stagnant water from the well we’ve come to for years.

We need a Liberator.

During the story, the woman leaves her jar at the well when she runs back to the city. The act is significant because, unlike stagnant well water that’s always the same, Living Water is never the same.

And we are never the same after experiencing it.

 Special thanks to Dr. Scott Peterson, Vice President For University Relations at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University for the central teachings in this series.

Next Timeless Truth: I AM Series #2 - I AM The Bread of Life

Follow me on Twitter: @CRDowningAuthor and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor

My website is: www.crdowning.com

I'd appreciate your feedback as a comment on Blogger!