Kelly Day, Director of Coffee Break Bible Study
Kelly Day 0:07
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the word of God. It's Monday, March 6, and this is Kelly Day, Coffee Break Bible Study Director. This week, we're journeying with Jesus towards the cross, stumbling along with the woman at the well in John chapter 4. I'll be reading John 4, 4 through 10.
Kelly Day 0:28
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.”
Kelly Day 1:24
We find Jesus one verse earlier in Judea, on his way to Galilee. Our passage says that Jesus HAD to go through Samaria. At this time, the Jews disliked the Samaritans so much that they would actually go out of their way to avoid traveling through Samaria. So, why did Jesus HAVE to go? I believe it says this because Jesus knew his mission from his father. One of his desires was to make disciples of all nations, so Jesus had to go to this town as part of his following God. When Jesus gets to Samaria, he sits at the well at about Noon (an interesting detail for John to include). If you were to walk to a well with jars of water, what time of day would you go? Most likely not at the hottest time of day - noon was probably not a popular time to draw water.
Kelly Day 2:19
The woman at the well might have been avoiding the other ladies in town, for her life was not all neat and tidy. But, we see Jesus acknowledge and reach out to her. She was clearly taken back that a Jew would speak to her. We see here that Jesus doesn't care about backgrounds, hometowns, or reputations. He cares about the individual, wherever they are at in their life. Jesus doesn't stop there, though. He offers her a gift: to know him and receive living water. What is this living water Jesus offers? It is to never go thirsty again. In verse 14, it mentions that the spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 7: 37 through 39 speaks of living water flowing from within someone, (referring to the Holy Spirit) soon to be given to all who believe in Jesus Christ. In this first encounter, Jesus was with the woman at the well. We see his love and compassion poured out to someone on the outside. He's not just engaging simply to be nice, but to share the gift of salvation with her, a fulfilling life lived in him.
Kelly Day 3:36
Let's pray. Dear Lord our Father, thank you for your free gift to us. Thank you for sending your son to earth as a perfect example of how to live a life with living water flowing from within. I ask that we too can have eyes to see others who you have placed in our paths; to love, have compassion on and share the truth of the gospel with in Christ's name alone. Amen.