Come, see a man

But of course the Lord Jesus was so much more than ‘a man’. The Samaritan woman received a personal lesson in Christology and witness so that, having come into the blessing of knowing the Lord Jesus, she might tell others, v. 29.

What did she learn about Him? His sovereignty was demonstrated in His choice of route to Galilee. ‘He must needs go through Samaria’, v. 4, not because it was the shortest way (devout Jews often by-passed such despised territory) but because it was His will to meet and bless a needy soul. His authority was immediately apparent in His words. Though He spoke to a member of the Samaritan people this was no inter-faith dialogue about the common ground between religions but an uncompromising revelation of truth, vv. 22-24. And yet He was marked by humility,for while John’s Gospel highlights His deity it does not deny His real manhood. He was tired and solicited a drink. His was a sinless but not a super humanity exempted from the sufferings of life on earth. Indeed, to the woman He seemed initially just a travel-wearied Jewish rabbi, v. 6. With gracious courtesy He initiated the conversation, honouring her by making a request, ensuring all was done in privacy (to preserve her from embarrassment), and allowing her time to reply. Personal evangelism is not the same as sermonizing. And He communicated with clarity, gently leading His listener from the known (literal water) to the unknown (eternal spiritual satisfaction found freely in Him).

But, crucially, He exposed her personal sinfulness. Religious she might be; righteous she was not, vv. 18, 20. It was this supernatural revelation of her stained lifestyle that made such an impact, ‘Come, see a man, who told me all things that ever I did: can this be the Christ?’ v. 29 ASV. And who was this Man? He was ‘the gift of God’, v. 10, ‘greater than our father Jacob’, v. 12, the provider of eternal life, v. 14, an infallible prophet, v. 19, the true object of faith, v. 21, and the fulfilment of all Old Testament longings, vv. 25-26. Not the devout Nicodemus but an anonymous Samaritan woman was privileged to hear an unambiguous assertion of the Lord’s messianic identity.