John 4:13-15 - Lesson #38

Jesus offered the woman at the well an eternal gift of living water - a Spiritual gift from above - but she questioned His sincerity and authority as her eyes remained focused on the physical; "Are You greater than our father Jacob..." (John 4:12). The woman has not been gracious with her words, but Jesus answers her question by continuing to explain the truth of living water.

John 4:13-15
"Jesus answered and said to her, 'Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.' The woman said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.'"

The gift which Jesus brings cannot be compared to anything in the physical world. Those who drink from earthly wells can only be satisfied for a short while and then they thirst again, but those who drink the water of Christ are satisfied eternally. This comparison of thirst certainly speaks to the superiority of the gift which Jesus offers, but it also speaks to the absolute sufficiency. He is not simply saying we will be satisfied longer if we drink His water but that we will never need to drink from earthly wells again because we will never thirst! Old habits may bring us back to the well, but our dependent need has been removed.

Living water from Christ will become a fountain, springing up and bursting forth. When we drink of His water, there will be a new life which cannot be contained. The prophet Jeremiah understood this in relation to God's Word, "like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not" (Jeremiah 20:9). This is the life Jesus was offering and continues to offer today.

The woman asks for some of the water but with a complete lack of understanding - she may even be mocking Jesus with her reply. Even if she is being sincere, her only concern is her physical needs - take away my thirst and my need to keep coming to this well.

No eternal life can flow from a heart filled with selfish motives. Someone once told Jesus, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go" (Luke 9:57), but Jesus identified the selfish motives with His reply, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9:58). In other words, do not follow if you think that comfort and material gain are the result.

What is our motivation in following Christ? If we come for advancement or social acceptance, freedom from pain and sickness or even seeking excitement and change, then we are not prepared to drink. Let's take the time to truly understand His gift of living water. Let's empty ourselves before the One who is eternal and allow His life to fill us and then spring forth everlasting.

At the end of the message you reference that following Christ for social, relieve pain & other issues that we are not prepared to drink from the water. I disagree, I think it God that it is leading us through Social, Pain & other issues to come to him to drink. Should we only come to him at those points in our life, no. But we are not whole sometimes or lot of the times, so come to him through many avenues. Yes, It is wonderful to sit in church or pray at points in our life when our walk is one in the same as Christ. But do not discount those other times when we just come to church because it is a force of habit or someone we know is going to be there. God is still talking to us & reaching us.

Thanks,
M. Green
Michelle

Hi Michelle! You are correct that there are many ways that God will use to draw us closer to Him. Social circumstances and pain are certainly some of those ways. The intent of my comments had to do with those who come to Christ ONLY as a means of solving physical and emotional issues without ever understanding that Christ came to die for the forgiveness of sin. Those who come in this manner are not prepared to drink - meaning they are not prepared to receive the gift of eternal life. There is no Salvation without the belief that Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sin.

I hope this makes sense.