Daily Devotions
My Song In The Night (Gospel of John)
我夜间的歌曲 (约翰福音)
Severe Ethnic Tension
Text: John 4:7-10
“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
John 4:7-10
SEVERE ETHNIC TENSION
Racial tensions exist all over the world. No country has been spared. Even in the first century, there were severe ethnic tension between Israel and Samaria.
A WOMAN OF SAMARIA
1. She had gone to a public well in a location called Sychar (John 4:5, 7).
2. It was about the sixth hour (noon) when she went to draw water (John 4:6).
IGNORING ETHNIC TENSION
1. Jesus was there at the well of Sychar when the Samaritan woman appeared.
2. Kindly, Jesus opened the conversation by asking the Samaritan woman for a drink of water (John 4:7).
THE SURPRISE OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
1. She was surprised that Jesus, being a Jew, would ask her for a drink of water (John 4:9).
2. It was well-known then, that “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” (John 4:9c).
LIVING WATER
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’”
John 4:10
1. “If you knew the gift of God”
a. She did not know the gift of God.
i. This is the gift of becoming a child of God (John 1:12).
ii. This is the gift of eternal life.
b. Since she had no knowledge, she had not asked for the gift of eternal life.
2. “And who it is who says to you”
a. She did not know that Jesus was the beloved, only begotten Son of God.
b. She did not know that Jesus could be her Saviour.
c. She did not know Jesus was the Saviour of the world.
3. The request for living water
a.The Samaritan woman could have asked for the living water.
b. It was not restricted to the Jews alone.
c. Even a Samaritan woman could become a child of God.
The salvation God offers is open to anyone and everyone!