Quest 13
THERE IS LESS DOUBT ABOUT THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SITE OF JACOB’S WELL THAN HARDLY ANY OTHER BIBLICAL SITE.
Consider the dubious locations of
The birthplace of Jesus?
The Garden tomb?
The place of the crucifixion, Golgotha?
Jacob’s Well is in a whole other class
.Genesis 33:18-19 - And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent.
John 4:4-6 - And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.
LEARNING ABOUT INFLUENCE AT JACOB’S WELL
1. The least likely can be the most likely to influence others for Jesus.
Nicodemus (John 3) was a candidate for most likely to be an influencer for Jesus: Member of Jewish Supreme Court and well-respected in the religious community, but not an influencer for Jesus.
The Samaritan woman:
Came at noon (v.6). You generally came in the early morning or late afternoon to draw water. She came when she would not meet anyone.
Had had five husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband (vss. 16-18). This was probably the reason she came at noon.
She appeared to be the least likely to be an influencer for Jesus.
2. Don’t take the sidetracks and dead ends.
The woman wanted to draw Jesus into a discussion about differences:
On race and gender (vs. 9) - The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
On religious differences (vs. 19-20) - The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
3. The issue is the identity of Jesus Christ.
He is the one who gives eternal life (vss. 13-14) - Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
He is the Messiah promised by God (vss. 25-26) -The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
The Resurrection is THE issue today because it validates that he is the Messiah and grants eternal life (Romans 1:4) - …and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
4. Those who need a Savior can be social influencers for Jesus.
People who need a Savior get Jesus. Nicodemus didn’t need a Savior. He didn’t get Jesus.
The woman at the well needed a Savior. She was a social influencer for Jesus (vss. 28-42) - So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
5. Do you have a Savior or do you have a life coach? It makes a difference on influence.
A life coach is someone who advertises he or she can help you improve your life, feel better, and achieve your goals.
Jesus is Savior and calls you to forget your goals and follow him. (Luke 9:23) - “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
