Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
At the well He openly and directly declared to the Samaritan woman that He is the promised Messiah, the Christ, the Redeemer of the world. Before that declaration He laid open her past life of sin to awaken conviction, then turned her from dispute over places of worship to true worship of the Father in spirit and in truth. What was withheld from the self-righteous Jewish leaders was freely given to this despised stranger living in open sin, because her heart was prepared by the Spirit and open to receive light. In Him every parched and fainting soul finds unfailing spiritual refreshment, the living spring that never empties however much is drawn and shared. She believed without demanding a miracle as proof, and at once carried the light to her neighbors until many came and believed, showing that whoever drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life to others.
Well Encounter Context
Jesus spoke the words at Jacob's well at Sychar at noon, after traveling since morning, faint from hunger and thirst with the sun beating upon Him and with no rope or water-jar to draw from the deep well. Though He made the ocean and controls the waters of the great deep and opened the springs and channels of the earth, He shared the lot of humanity and waited for someone to come to draw and depended on a stranger's kindness even for a drink of water. Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies who avoided all dealing and social intercourse, and even His disciples did not think to ask a favor of Samaritans or seek to benefit them. With the tact born of divine love He commenced His mission work there by asking the woman for drink rather than offering a favor, because an offer of kindness might have been rejected but trust awakens trust, and the request stirred controversy in her because Jews thoroughly despised Samaritans.
Before the declaration He spread her past life before her, telling her of her five husbands and that the man she now had was not her husband, awakening conviction of sin. When she sought to turn the conversation from her sin to the religious controversy over worship on the Samaritan mountain versus Jerusalem, He taught about true worship of the Father in spirit and in truth. In this He met a sinner with both condemnation of sin and compassion directing to divine grace. In answer to her confession of expectation that the coming Messias who would tell all things would explain all things, He openly, plainly, directly and freely declared that He who spoke was He, the Messiah, the Christ, the promised one she sought and asked about, the world's Redeemer, giving His own testimony to His identity as Saviour of the world. His words astonished her, yet through the Spirit's conviction she believed they were true.
His words there were positive with no guessing, spoken as one having authority, with voice and words and articulation in perfect harmony with the subject. For an open heart He used no parables but declared plainly, as to the woman at the well, that He is the Messiah. He spoke freely with her in that conversation, offering her the water of life. In offering the water of life and revealing Himself as Messiah at the well, He carried forward and fulfilled the promise in Eden that the Seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head, a work He continues until every soul has been tested and tried.
Open Hearts Receive Grace
She was in an appreciative state of mind, ready to receive the noblest revelation, because she was interested in the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit had been preparing her mind for more light. She had studied the Old Testament promise of a Prophet like Moses and longed to understand it, and light was flashing into her mind as the water of life began to spring up in her heart through the working of the Spirit. He met her individually and opened precious truth to her because He saw her receptive heart and mind. Such a plain declaration of Messiahship could not have been made to the self-righteous Jews, the proud and skeptical religious leaders and learned Jews, toward whom He was far more reserved and did not explain or disclose Himself so distinctly. What had been withheld from the Jews and afterward enjoined upon the disciples to keep secret was revealed to the humble Samaritan woman.
He had come from Judea where His ministry had produced little fruit, rejected by priests and rabbis while even professed disciples failed to perceive His divine character. Yet faint and weary He did not neglect this one stranger, an alien from Israel living in open sin and despised by the disciples, but reasoned with her more earnestly and eloquently than with kings, councillors, or high priests. The lessons given her have been repeated to the earth's remotest bounds. Though she was a sinner, her heart was a new bottle that could receive the new wine of His kingdom and a place where He could establish its precious lessons, just as when He called Matthew the publican and the fishermen, while the scribes and Pharisees were like old dried-up skin bottles that could not hold it. Those who have never heard the truth have hearts more susceptible and open than those who have been in the truth and had evidences yet remain under unbelief.
His plain words astonished her, and through the Spirit's conviction she believed they were true, accepting His claim and announcement with confidence and faith. She trusted His words and the holy influence she felt without requiring a miracle to prove His divine character or demanding a miracle as proof. The disclosure shows His invitation and saving grace are for all people without regard to birth, nationality, station, race, or nation, offered beyond national and religious boundaries and prejudice to all who accept its light. He is Redeemer not of the Jews only but of the world, and His first coming as Saviour must not be confused with His later glorious return, which the Samaritans received while the Jews through pride and expectation of worldly power misunderstood the prophecies. His preaching of the gospel to Sychar showed His love and grace were not limited by race or nation, bringing the message of salvation to Samaritans despite customs that rejected them and showing that those regarded as unworthy may hunger for truth.
He crossed the barriers imposed by Jewish prejudice and Pharisaic custom by free mingling, accepting hospitality, sleeping under their roofs, sharing their food and eating at their tables food prepared and served by their hands, and teaching in their streets and among them. He treated them with kindness, courtesy, human sympathy and social kindliness that recognized the dignity of humanity and drew hearts to Him. So His words fell on thirsty souls with life-giving power awakening new impulses and opening to outcasts the possibility of new life until men longed to be worthy of His confidence, and through Him they received salvation and divine grace rejected by many Jews. The declaration means the world's Redeemer knows the necessities of every soul and supplies spiritual refreshment to the oppressed and languid and to the parched and fainting soul, as the bread of life to be eaten every day and the water of life for all to partake. He is the living spring that never empties like earth's cisterns and pools but remains abundant however much is drawn and given to others, the inexhaustible well-spring of truth and fountain of living water ever since the fall of Adam, withholding His grace and love from none. Wherever hearts are open to receive the truth He is ready to instruct them, revealing to them the Father and the service and worship acceptable to Him who reads the heart, and His mission to reveal truth to seeking souls was more sustaining to Him than food or drink.
Witness Brings Harvest
The moment she recognized Him as the Christ she went at once to her neighbors and townspeople, carrying the light and truth about Him to her countrymen, and her testimony and encounter moved people from the city to come out to hear Him, investigate, and believe, until many Samaritans and a whole cityful came to hear Him, showing how one person helped by Christ can lead others to the Saviour. She believed His word and accepted Him without requiring a miracle, and the Samaritans received the light. She proved a more effective missionary than His own disciples, showing the harvest was right at hand. After the talk He told His disciples to lift up their eyes and look on the fields because they are white already for harvest, and crowds of eager attentive people gathered by labor for souls show the same field white for harvest.
She represents the working of a practical faith that shows how His followers are to sow and reap, for every true disciple is born into the kingdom as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life, the receiver becoming a giver, with grace like a spring in the desert welling up to refresh all, and a life that refreshes those influenced and makes those ready to perish eager to drink. He was the fountain of living water, and that life must also be in His followers. His conversation with one woman at the well shows His personal teaching and ministry were not limited to crowds but met her individually, for though weary He used the meeting to present the truths of His spiritual kingdom and opened precious truth to her because He saw her receptive heart and mind.
His preaching of the gospel to Sychar and visit to Samaria brought the message of salvation despite customs that rejected Samaritans, and showed His love and grace remained unchanged despite rejection. That visit prepared His disciples to take the gospel to Samaria and helped win hearts to receive the gospel messengers, and shows the gospel is for all and those regarded as unworthy may hunger for truth. His self-revelation here is one of the many invitations of mercy and goodness that cut away doubt and questioning about whether God will hear prayer and give mercy, grace, favor, and salvation. Her withholding of water pictures many who withhold from Him the recognition, sympathy and love He hungers and thirsts for in return for His great love purchased with His own blood.
At the well He openly and directly declared to the Samaritan woman that He is the promised Messiah, the Christ, the Redeemer of the world. Before that declaration He laid open her past life of sin to awaken conviction, then turned her from dispute over places of worship to true worship of the Father in spirit and in truth. What was withheld from the self-righteous Jewish leaders was freely given to this despised stranger living in open sin, because her heart was prepared by the Spirit and open to receive light. In Him every parched and fainting soul finds unfailing spiritual refreshment, the living spring that never empties however much is drawn and shared. She believed without demanding a miracle as proof, and at once carried the light to her neighbors until many came and believed, showing that whoever drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life to others.
Well Encounter Context
Jesus spoke the words at Jacob's well at Sychar at noon, after traveling since morning, faint from hunger and thirst with the sun beating upon Him and with no rope or water-jar to draw from the deep well. Though He made the ocean and controls the waters of the great deep and opened the springs and channels of the earth, He shared the lot of humanity and waited for someone to come to draw and depended on a stranger's kindness even for a drink of water. Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies who avoided all dealing and social intercourse, and even His disciples did not think to ask a favor of Samaritans or seek to benefit them. With the tact born of divine love He commenced His mission work there by asking the woman for drink rather than offering a favor, because an offer of kindness might have been rejected but trust awakens trust, and the request stirred controversy in her because Jews thoroughly despised Samaritans.
Before the declaration He spread her past life before her, telling her of her five husbands and that the man she now had was not her husband, awakening conviction of sin. When she sought to turn the conversation from her sin to the religious controversy over worship on the Samaritan mountain versus Jerusalem, He taught about true worship of the Father in spirit and in truth. In this He met a sinner with both condemnation of sin and compassion directing to divine grace. In answer to her confession of expectation that the coming Messias who would tell all things would explain all things, He openly, plainly, directly and freely declared that He who spoke was He, the Messiah, the Christ, the promised one she sought and asked about, the world's Redeemer, giving His own testimony to His identity as Saviour of the world. His words astonished her, yet through the Spirit's conviction she believed they were true.
His words there were positive with no guessing, spoken as one having authority, with voice and words and articulation in perfect harmony with the subject. For an open heart He used no parables but declared plainly, as to the woman at the well, that He is the Messiah. He spoke freely with her in that conversation, offering her the water of life. In offering the water of life and revealing Himself as Messiah at the well, He carried forward and fulfilled the promise in Eden that the Seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head, a work He continues until every soul has been tested and tried.
Open Hearts Receive Grace
She was in an appreciative state of mind, ready to receive the noblest revelation, because she was interested in the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit had been preparing her mind for more light. She had studied the Old Testament promise of a Prophet like Moses and longed to understand it, and light was flashing into her mind as the water of life began to spring up in her heart through the working of the Spirit. He met her individually and opened precious truth to her because He saw her receptive heart and mind. Such a plain declaration of Messiahship could not have been made to the self-righteous Jews, the proud and skeptical religious leaders and learned Jews, toward whom He was far more reserved and did not explain or disclose Himself so distinctly. What had been withheld from the Jews and afterward enjoined upon the disciples to keep secret was revealed to the humble Samaritan woman.
He had come from Judea where His ministry had produced little fruit, rejected by priests and rabbis while even professed disciples failed to perceive His divine character. Yet faint and weary He did not neglect this one stranger, an alien from Israel living in open sin and despised by the disciples, but reasoned with her more earnestly and eloquently than with kings, councillors, or high priests. The lessons given her have been repeated to the earth's remotest bounds. Though she was a sinner, her heart was a new bottle that could receive the new wine of His kingdom and a place where He could establish its precious lessons, just as when He called Matthew the publican and the fishermen, while the scribes and Pharisees were like old dried-up skin bottles that could not hold it. Those who have never heard the truth have hearts more susceptible and open than those who have been in the truth and had evidences yet remain under unbelief.
His plain words astonished her, and through the Spirit's conviction she believed they were true, accepting His claim and announcement with confidence and faith. She trusted His words and the holy influence she felt without requiring a miracle to prove His divine character or demanding a miracle as proof. The disclosure shows His invitation and saving grace are for all people without regard to birth, nationality, station, race, or nation, offered beyond national and religious boundaries and prejudice to all who accept its light. He is Redeemer not of the Jews only but of the world, and His first coming as Saviour must not be confused with His later glorious return, which the Samaritans received while the Jews through pride and expectation of worldly power misunderstood the prophecies. His preaching of the gospel to Sychar showed His love and grace were not limited by race or nation, bringing the message of salvation to Samaritans despite customs that rejected them and showing that those regarded as unworthy may hunger for truth.
He crossed the barriers imposed by Jewish prejudice and Pharisaic custom by free mingling, accepting hospitality, sleeping under their roofs, sharing their food and eating at their tables food prepared and served by their hands, and teaching in their streets and among them. He treated them with kindness, courtesy, human sympathy and social kindliness that recognized the dignity of humanity and drew hearts to Him. So His words fell on thirsty souls with life-giving power awakening new impulses and opening to outcasts the possibility of new life until men longed to be worthy of His confidence, and through Him they received salvation and divine grace rejected by many Jews. The declaration means the world's Redeemer knows the necessities of every soul and supplies spiritual refreshment to the oppressed and languid and to the parched and fainting soul, as the bread of life to be eaten every day and the water of life for all to partake. He is the living spring that never empties like earth's cisterns and pools but remains abundant however much is drawn and given to others, the inexhaustible well-spring of truth and fountain of living water ever since the fall of Adam, withholding His grace and love from none. Wherever hearts are open to receive the truth He is ready to instruct them, revealing to them the Father and the service and worship acceptable to Him who reads the heart, and His mission to reveal truth to seeking souls was more sustaining to Him than food or drink.
Witness Brings Harvest
The moment she recognized Him as the Christ she went at once to her neighbors and townspeople, carrying the light and truth about Him to her countrymen, and her testimony and encounter moved people from the city to come out to hear Him, investigate, and believe, until many Samaritans and a whole cityful came to hear Him, showing how one person helped by Christ can lead others to the Saviour. She believed His word and accepted Him without requiring a miracle, and the Samaritans received the light. She proved a more effective missionary than His own disciples, showing the harvest was right at hand. After the talk He told His disciples to lift up their eyes and look on the fields because they are white already for harvest, and crowds of eager attentive people gathered by labor for souls show the same field white for harvest.
She represents the working of a practical faith that shows how His followers are to sow and reap, for every true disciple is born into the kingdom as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life, the receiver becoming a giver, with grace like a spring in the desert welling up to refresh all, and a life that refreshes those influenced and makes those ready to perish eager to drink. He was the fountain of living water, and that life must also be in His followers. His conversation with one woman at the well shows His personal teaching and ministry were not limited to crowds but met her individually, for though weary He used the meeting to present the truths of His spiritual kingdom and opened precious truth to her because He saw her receptive heart and mind.
His preaching of the gospel to Sychar and visit to Samaria brought the message of salvation despite customs that rejected Samaritans, and showed His love and grace remained unchanged despite rejection. That visit prepared His disciples to take the gospel to Samaria and helped win hearts to receive the gospel messengers, and shows the gospel is for all and those regarded as unworthy may hunger for truth. His self-revelation here is one of the many invitations of mercy and goodness that cut away doubt and questioning about whether God will hear prayer and give mercy, grace, favor, and salvation. Her withholding of water pictures many who withhold from Him the recognition, sympathy and love He hungers and thirsts for in return for His great love purchased with His own blood.