Christ's Impact on the Woman (John 4:28-30)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/14/2016 8:14 AM

My Worship Time                                                               Focus:  Christ’s Impact on the Woman

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 4:28-30

Message of the verses:  “28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?" 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.”

We are not told why the woman left her waterpot, but perhaps we can give a guess as to why she left it.  Perhaps it was not full and she did not want to carry it back empty, or perhaps she left it there full so Jesus could get His drink He asked her for.  It is my belief that the waterpot was the last thing on her mind at this time for she was a new person who all she wanted to do was to tell others about the experience that she just had with Jesus.

Next we see that she goes into the city and she speaks to the men in the city to tell them about what happened to her with Jesus.  I believe that this woman did not have to many women friends in this small place where she lived in, and she was more comfortable talking with the men and so she first went to them for this reason. 

John MacArthur writes about this woman stating “So profound was Jesus’ impact on her that she did not hesitate to share the news about Him—even with those familiar with her sordid reputation.  Jesus had read her heart and forced her to face who she really was.  She had already recognized her need (4:15), her sin (4:19), her true condition (4:26) and that He was the source of her eternal life.  Now she eagerly desired to communicate her discovery to other.  Her zeal and enthusiasm provides the clinching piece of evidence that her conversion was genuine.”  My conversion took place in Florida while I was on vacation visiting a friend and my wife was at home due to work, but the first thing that I did was call her and tell her what had happened to me, even though at that time I did not know as much as to what happened to me as I do now, all I knew was that I was different since my encounter with the Lord.

MacArthur quotes Homer Kent to help explain the reason for her more cautious, indirect approach:  “The woman immediately wanted to give testimony to others of what she found.  But she did so with utmost tact.  It would have been unseemly, presumptuous, and probably ineffective for this woman to attempt to teach the men of the city regarding spiritual truth.  Her background hardly qualified her to speak with authority on religious and spiritual matters.  Therefore, her statement to them was phrased in a deliberately cautious way so as not to arouse antagonism.”  I think this statement makes sense because of the reputation that she had with the men and being preachy to them would not have been the best thing to do in her case.

Her question to them was “this is not the Christ, is it?”  MacArthur writes “The Greek construction of that question implies a negative or at least doubtful answer.  The woman described her conversation with Jesus and humbly deferred the question of His identity to the men.” We can believe that the Spirit of God was guiding her words to these men and that because of what she said to them they joined in her excitement in coming out to meet with Jesus.  They wanted to see perhaps what it was that got this woman so excited about who Jesus was.  This was all going on while Jesus was having a conversation with His disciples which we will look at in the next two SD’s, but looking back at our SD from yesterday we realize that Jesus had all of this in control to work out for God’s glory which is why He was on earth.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I suppose that there are times in my life when I am talking to others that the words that I say are prompted by the Spirit and maybe I don’t even realize that He is using me to tell that person something that He wants me to say to them. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Be used of the Lord.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Two mites” (Luke 21:1-2).

Today’s Bible question:  “According to Revelation 19:13, to what was Christ’s vesture dipped in?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/14/2016 8:42 AM