Gospel Reading: John 4:1-42

It is a story of repentance in which Jesus has a one on one personal encounter with a person whose life changes as a result of this encounter. This story is only found in the Gospel of John. This Gospel reading tells us many things...

Repentance - the Samaritan woman, who was a liar, an adulterer, and a person who had lived an immoral life having five husbands, repents and preaches Christ to her own people. Repentance results in freedom from the slavery of sin, and the Samaritan woman demonstrates her freedom by eagerly telling her own people about Christ, as if she had just been freed from jail.

The love of Christ - the way Jesus deals with this woman was critical in her repentance. Jesus is patient, He does not condemn or accuse, but rather He uplifts and encourages. Jesus was a Jew and Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus shows us that He is here to break the barriers of communication in order to win our hearts. It is Jesus who initiates the conversation and our relationship with Him.

In verses 1-9, Jesus initiates dialogue, in verses 10-15, He tries to gently teach and educate and the Samaritan woman is still hostile towards Him. In verses 15-21, Christ's loving ways begin to have an impact on her, as the woman begins to take a hard look at herself and examine herself. In verses 22-26, Christ teaches her about Christianity and she accepts it, and in verse 26, Christ reveals Himself to her.