The woman at the well discovered that Jesus is the Messiah. John 4: 26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”[1] Jesus will not declare this openly again until the week before His death. The Jewish leadership found this frustrating. John 10: 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” [2] In our 21st-century mindset, we assume that Jesus should state the plain facts.
Mindsets Can Blind
The woman could only assume that Jesus knew her history because He was a prophet. This led to a conversation about the coming Messiah. The Samaritans knew there would be someone who would act as a restorer from the teachings of Moses. They may have also heard of the coming Messiah from John the Baptist.
The Jews had interpreted the prophecies of Messiah and expected a political Savior. They resented the Roman rule and desired to be their own nation again. Thus, they expected a military conqueror instead of a suffering servant. If Jesus had overtly claimed to be the Messiah in Jewish circles, their mindset would have caused them to misunderstand Jesus’ mission. The misunderstanding of what Messiah came for would have limited what Jesus could do in His ministry.
Jesus is I Am
God told Moses that His name is “I Am” in Exodus 3:14. When Jesus used the term “I am” He was saying He is God. In our story, Jesus plainly told us that He is the Messiah. The Gospel writer John records seven symbolic “I am” statements from Jesus to describe who Jesus is.
- I am the bread of life – John 6:35
- I am the light of the world – John 8:12
- I am the door – John 10:7
- I am the good shepherd – John 10:11
- I am the resurrection and the life – John 11:25
- I am the way and the truth and the life – John 14:6
- I am the true vine – John 15:1
Jesus is Our Messiah
The woman at the well wanted the Messiah to come and explain worship. It is of utmost importance that we know who we worship. John’s recorded “I am” statements describe our Messiah. The glory of God broke in at the well and continues for us today. Jesus tells us that He is the answer. We can’t claim to be the answer, but if we believe in Jesus, we can know the One with the answer!
Jesus issued an invitation when He declared He is the Messiah. Will we believe? We have a challenge to respond. He knows us and still reaches out to us despite our shame. He still offers us living water that will satisfy, unlike any earthly water. Respond to Him today. Jesus is the Messiah. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-woman-at-the-well
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 4:26). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 10:24). Tyndale House Publishers.