Jesus had many divine appointments, especially with the down trodden, disappointed, and the discouraged. His ministry was to everyone, not just the religious. In the Gospel of John, the Samaritan Woman would meet the Son of God where she was, not in the best parts of town or the elite temples. Divine Appointments catch us unaware and where we live.
A lot of women think they are too damaged to be good enough for Jesus and His Gift of Salvation. The Samaritan Woman succumbed to her life the way it was because she knew no other way. Maybe she saw the way better women lived – I don’t know, but usually we see from a required distance how the ‘other half’ lives as we go about our invisible lives. The world only see us as an example of what NOT to do instead of trying to reach us where we are…unfortunately, such is the Church today. Much of the Evangelical, Protestant and Catholic Church talks a great talk but doesn’t always extend their hand to the needs of others to break the cycle of addictions, single parenting, fornication, adultery, and abortion. The Samaritan Woman accepted her life as it was believing this was all there will be for her. But what she did not know is that Jesus has a Divine Appointment for EVERYONE, including her. And this was her time to meet the LORD.
John 4:3 through to verse 29 will explain and validate how Jesus felt about women that were ‘common’ and seemingly forgotten by society because of their life choices. There are times when we feel that we have been dealt a bad hand, but rest assured that we chose to do the easy thing, the bad thing and unlawful thing before we knew Jesus. It is the fault of the sinner that brought about a bad life…but as I walk through these scriptures, I will be able to show how ANYONE can be used of God if we accept Jesus as Savior.
The Samaritan Woman
“He [Jesus] left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour [noontime]. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:3-7
Jesus NEEDED to go through Samaria; He had a divine appointment with this Samaritan Woman. She was on her way ‘at the sixth hour’ [noontime] to draw water from the well that Jesus sat upon waiting just for her:
- Jesus meets us where we are
- Jesus spoke directly to the Samaritan Woman, He speaks to us because He knows us
- Jesus knew about her life, her choices, her regrets.
“For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” John 4:8-9
The Samaritan Woman did not recognize Him; she did not ‘know’ Him. All she knew was that He was a Jew, maybe because of the way Jesus spoke or looked. She was surprised that someone like Him would speak to someone lowly like her because no one spoke to or even acknowledged people like her:
- Jews knew of the Holy God, but not Jesus
- Samaritans knew many gods, idol worship
- Jews separated themselves from Samaritans, like a caste system.
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10
Jesus is the Gift of God through Salvation. He was given to us as a Sacrifice, not as a prize. We did not earn this, but we do have to ask for it. The Samaritan Woman did not know she had the ability or right to ask for forgiveness of her sins. Because of Jesus’s death on the Cross, we are now able to approach the Throne of Grace because He, who is Sinless, took our place:
- Obedience is key: ‘Give me a drink’
- Living water depicts great gift of salvation
- We have to ask for it!
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?” John 4:11
The Samaritan Woman speaks in the natural. She cannot grasp how to get the water without help with tools, buckets, etc. This verse speaks in the super-natural which gives us a window to how people of the Church, yesterday and today, believes we need more than Jesus for Salvation and Eternity. Society wants to work for Salvation, but Jesus says He did it for you, as He is gently trying to explain to the Samaritan Woman: Christ says we simply have to ask HIM. But I feel as if the Samaritan Woman is still not getting that she is just as worthy for Salvation as any other woman. She has not fallen so far that she cannot have the ‘living water’.
“Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 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.” John 4:12-14
The Samaritan Woman still does not understand His deity and questions His motive. Her hard life questions everything and doesn’t trust much. She knows about ‘Jacob’ who was considered the ‘Supplanter’ or Deceiver. It’s easy to see how people can manipulate scripture just enough to discount God, Jesus and Christianity! Jacob was the Father of the Twelve Nations! But at first, Jacob was the one that deceived to get the birthright. Was she taught this by others or did she come to her own conclusions to justify her lifestyle?
In other words, most times people can’t see past the sinful man to understand the calling that God put on that man [or woman]. We want to see flaws rather than the Hand of God on that person’s life and ministry. Word of mouth flows much faster than Living Water; God uses who He wants to use to HIS satisfaction, not ours.
We are parched – dry, arid – from not being replenished with the living water Jesus offered this woman. His appeal to her was to give up her ‘gods’ for Him and she’ll have eternal life. Why is she reluctant to take this free gift from Jesus? Much like today, people do not take this gift because they are saturated with false gods, false doctrine, a false salvation which equals sure death. Is her reluctance because of ignorance or because she doesn’t think she needs it?
So many of us, before salvation, believe the train already left….that our worthiness is less than stellar for this Holy Gift. NOT ONE OF US IS WORTHY. The Samaritan Woman feels much like the ‘least of these’ or maybe she was almost to the point of giving up; I don’t know. But I do know that many women and men feel that their lives are too far gone for even Jesus and that is simply NOT TRUE.
‘The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” John 4:15-18
As you look at the above scripture, it seems that the Samaritan Woman is unclear of the supernatural but is eyeing the ease of not having to draw or need this water in the well ever again. I wonder because Jesus instantly remarks about her ‘husband’ and the fact that they are not married. Interestingly, the Samaritan Woman does not lie when she confesses to Jesus about this man she is living with, not being her husband. Does she know she needs forgiveness? Does she feel convicted about her living arrangements? Is she aware that she does need a husband – in Jesus?
What a great example of the husband we desire! Jesus came to this woman to give her the way to Salvation to make her clean. Jesus seeks a spotless bride, one washed only in His Blood and not the world’s woes and lies. He showed Himself to a woman that is in need of a real husband, one that will provide for her and protect her.
‘The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” John 4:19-25
When Jesus spoke these truths, the Samaritan Woman is beginning to see His deity. The scales are beginning to fall from her eyes. Jesus explains quickly that she is immersed in false doctrine and needs a Savior, God and the Holy Spirit. You cannot have one without the other for they all work together as ONE. Jesus draws the Samaritan Woman gently BUT firmly.
‘Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” John 4:26
The Samaritan Woman sees in an instant how much time she has wasted on a terrible lifestyle when she could have had this living water the entire time. This woman feels the bondages of her now past life beginning to fall away as she considers this new life she is about to traverse. Her encounter with her new husband, JESUS, is the single thing that can change EVERYTHING.
‘And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” John 4:27-29
The Samaritan Woman went her way without the well’s water she came for. It was more important to spread the good news of the Messiah – the one that told her everything she ever did. She didn’t seem to flinch when she realized not just who He is but what He knew about her; she didn’t seem embarrassed or pained by it, only FREEDOM! What a perfect example of Salvation! We feel the bondage of sin fall away and could almost walk on air! And instantly she wants to tell everyone, as it should be!
SUMMARY
Broken hard living people don’t think they can be forgiven for all they have done whether it is drugs, alcohol, sex outside of marriage, abortion, theft, prison, etc. ANYTHING outside of God is SIN. God knows we are humans given free will by Him; seem ironic? God’s decision to give us free will also came with a Savior to save us from the ‘free will’ decisions we will ultimately make that can destroy us.
Women, in the days of Jesus, were not revered – they were tolerated. Even so, women that lived unjustly were treated like cattle, if that well.
Women trust men. Women are made in such a way to find a life-mate that will take care for them – and in turn women will birth and rear their children and keep the home. But as we trust men, men in turn use that trust against us to gain what they want: taking our innocence away both figuratively and literally. The stain they leave can never be completely washed away even though we scrub and scrub and scrub. Other men see the faint stain and are drawn like moths to a flame. We can’t make the stain go away even with the BEST intentions:
- Only Jesus can wash the stain away, which is SIN
- Only Jesus can make us clean
- We are never too filthy for Jesus to wash us with His Precious Blood that He shed for US.
Is there give and take? Is there middle ground? NO – not ever. There is not on person too dirty for Jesus – He knows everything we have ever done, but He wants us to confess to Him, admit what we have done. Confess to Jesus; He is our Intercessor, our Friend, our Redeemer.
YOU can break the cycle of addictions, single parenting, fornication, adultery and abortion! Women need to admit to wrong living and give it all over to Jesus Christ. Divine Appointments will find you – mine found me at work one day, not at church. Jesus came to my well looking just for ME.
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