Reflections, Meditations, Exposition and Application from John Chapter Four, #3

John 4:28-29:  So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

In the meantime, while His disciples are wondering, perhaps in a sense of not believing in something they find so offensive as to be unbelievable, or in a sense that their Lord would reveal the secrets of the kingdom of God to other than the Jews – both of which seem plausible here – the woman leaves her water jar, which is an indication of haste, and goes into the town of her people to tell them to come see a man who told her everything she ever did, then – perhaps – reveals that she has not yet fully accepted the truth He plainly spoke to her, by asking “Can this be the Christ?”

Again, she may have fully accepted that truth, and her manner of address could well have been that of a woman in submission to men – and a mean woman at that, by their reckoning, as we have already discussed somewhat – and her question could well be taken as an entreaty for them to go and see for themselves; to judge for themselves whether or not this is the Christ, therefore, she tells them “Come and see;” that is, “come and see for yourselves, do not take my word for it, though He revealed to me all that I am, and has shown me such grace as to even reveal that He is the great I AM, the Messiah we have been waiting for; I do not ask you to accept my testimony on this matter, but invite you to follow me as I go back to hear more from Him, that His words may lay you bare to yourselves, that you may see that He is the One who is foretold, who will heal our wounds of sin, and give us everlasting life.”

Such may well have been her intent in stating how our Lord showed her all things about herself, for in laying the truth bare about her husbands and the man who was not her husband, did not the light of the Lord shine on the entirety of her life?

Such may well have been the intent in the invitation “Come, see;” for we often say to a person, go, look for yourself, but is it not true that the command, which is also an invitation to affirm that which is in question, was not used of our Lord when the disciples asked where He was staying (John 1:39)?

Was this not what Philip said to Nathanael when Nathanael asked if any good thing could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46)?

How may our own invitation to sinners yet unsaved be extended, when we tell them of the goodness of our glorious Lord and Savior, but to invite them to “Come, see for yourselves?”

If we are sure that the Lord has impacted our life; that He has regenerated us and made us know the truth that accords with godliness, could we not extend the invitation in such a manner, instead of merely saying “Go and find out for yourself?”

For the one (Go and find out for yourself) assumes that the person has no guide; yet are we not to be that light of the world which our Savior Himself was, and yet is, as He lives within us?

Are we not, then, those who guide the blind towards the light, inviting them to “come and see,” rather than that indifferent and even offhand comment which assumes no responsibility in the will of the Lord to use us as secondary means to affirm those who are His saints in gaining their salvation?

You see, then, that there is much to instruct us from even the simplest of sentences in our God’s Scriptures, and great indeed is His wisdom and ways, that we could see such from what He so simply states (Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 2:6, 7, 16).

The Samaritan woman has had manifold grace revealed to her, and in her asking of her townsmen this question, we might remark that she would have it verified by that which they observe for themselves from His own words, for she does not tell them to go and see without her, but the language supposes that she herself wishes to return and hear more from this marvelous prophet, this man who is the I AM and Savior, who has declared these things to her. It is, perhaps, noteworthy, that she wishes what she has heard to be verified by others, as well as to hear more of this marvelous Man who has declared He is the Messiah, and in the upcoming verses, I do believe that our Lord instructs her, as well as her townsmen, regarding the truth of His claim and the way into the kingdom of God, as stated in the next verse.

Blessed be the God of our salvation, to whom alone is the glory – Bill