Coming to Christ

I know most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well from John's Gospel in chapter 4, how Jesus in his humanity was wearied with his journey and he sat on the well about the sixth hour and here comes a woman of Samaria dangling a bucket from her hand, as it was her custom to come to Jacob's well at this particular time of day. It was unusual for Jesus to even be there, since the Jews hated the Samaritans because of their intermarriage with foreigners, they were considered to be no longer pure Jews, but Jesus carried no bias with him as he went about seeking to save that which was lost. Jesus knew that the shortest route from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north cut right through the heart of Samaria, so there the Son of Man sits resting on Jacob's well as he watches this woman approach with her bucket in her hand and her head down.

I think it's peculiar that we never know the name of this Samaritan woman. We all know about blind Bartimaeus healed by the roadside, we are familiar with Zacchaeus climbing a tree to see Jesus, but this woman here remains nameless. I feel it's because she represents all sinners in need of a Savior.

She was unaware of her need before she encountered Jesus. Well that all changed when she met him and he began to speak of that living water, that whosoever drinketh of this water shall never thirst again. This morally bankrupt woman had a need for she was weary of her sin and she was thirsty for change.

In verse 15 we read, the woman saith unto him, sir give me this water that I thirst not. Then Jesus does something interesting here. He stops talking about the gift of living water and he puts his finger on her point of rebellion against God.

He says, go call thy husband and come hither. And with great conviction she lowers her head and quietly responds, I have no husband. Then Jesus tells her, thou hast well said I have no husband for thou hast had five husbands and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband.

Their face in Jesus was the transparency of a woman whose life was a train wreck twisted by sin. And friends is this not the case with each of us before we came to Christ for forgiveness of sin? Was not our own life twisted and troubled because of sin? Didn't we like the Samaritan woman try to hide it from ourselves and others and not admit it? But for us to come to Christ the Holy Spirit had to put his finger on the point of rebellion of the sin area of our life where we had put a stake in the ground, so to speak, with a hand-lettered sign like someone would put a keep off the grass sign on the ground to keep people off the grass. We put up a sign to keep God off from an area in our life.

It was our own keep off sign. But like that Samaritan woman who had to be confronted with her sin before she could partake of the living water, we must come to Christ in repentance, confessing we are sinners and own Him as our Savior and Lord. Listen, friend, if you have a keep off the grass sign that stands between you and God, it has to be dealt with.

Jesus paid the price for sin on Calvary becoming sin for us. But we must be honest with ourselves and transparent with God and admit our sin area that is our point of rebellion and come clean with God. We must come to that blood-stained Savior from sin and throw down our shotgun of rebellion at His nail-pierced feet and believe on Him.

Listen, friend, when Jesus was here in His earthly ministry, as He passed through towns and villages, all who encountered Him experienced change. Are you ready to experience change? Are you hungry for God and weary of your sins? Are you thirsty for Christ? Then come to Him and believe on Him. Christ has a pure gospel promise to all who come in repentance and faith in Him.

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Let us pray.