Read: John 4:13-26
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (v. 26)
Have you ever started an “ordinary” conversation with someone you didn’t know, only to discover that you were talking to someone more important than you thought? It can be a shock! That’s what happened between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a village well.
When Jesus asked her for drink of water, she was surprised. In that culture, men did not speak to women, and Jews did not speak to Samaritans. Then Jesus offered her more than water. “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (v. 10). This prompted her to ask some theological questions. Jesus provided answers. She evasively responded, “I know that Messiah is coming . . . he will tell us all things” (v. 25). Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he” (v. 26).
Jesus knew he was this Messiah, who could provide “living water” for eternal life. He was a Jew but said salvation was for everyone, even Samaritans. He was a man but invited women to receive this gift. Look past the surface interaction and hear what Jesus is saying about himself. Just who does he think he is? Based on what he knew about her, the woman was convinced that he was what he claimed to be. Do you believe what Jesus believed about himself?
As you pray, ask Jesus to show you who he is. Is that different from who you thought him to be?
Fred Van Dyke is a conservation biologist dedicated to the care for God’s creation. In this role Fred has served government agencies, private consulting firms, and academic institutions doing research, management, and teaching in conservation science. He is also the author of two books on faith and environmental stewardship.
