Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14 NIV
The Context and Focus:
Jesus was at the well, and there was this woman with a chequered past. She was notorious for the wrong reasons: married 5 times, currently not even with a husband, and then, a Samaritan, who, in the eyes of the Jews at the time, the scum of the earth. As far as the world was concerned, this woman had no business talking to the Rabbi, the Jew who would deliver the kingdom to Israel. It did not occur to most that a Saviour, properly so called, would not matter so much if there were some people who were beyond forgiveness and redemption. What is the use of a Saviour who rejected some people and accepted only those who came from his own tribe or spoke his own language? Whatever drama brought this woman to the well didn't matter to Jesus; what was important was that she needed a Saviour. No matter what the dramas in our lives are, we all need the help of the Saviour. No matter how 'bright' we think the future is, it is not guarantees unless and until the Saviour is a part of it. Have you come to the Saviour for His help? Have you received the free gift of eternal life which He offers to you free of charge?
The Message:
Jesus started with that which was in the hands or life of the woman. She came to fetch water at the well, and Jesus used that familiar link to begin the encounter. Right where you are now, and whatever it is you have in your hands right now, are all that Jesus needs to reach you with His grace, mercy and love. He will not demand from you that which you don't have, and he will not force Himself on you. It is your life to do with as you please, as long as making a choice is concerned. He wants me to offer my body to Him as a living sacrifice, but it has to come of my freewill. Jesus asked her for water, and of course, the usual barriers of race, language and intentions were all raised by the woman, but all that Jesus had to offer was life, full, free and eternal. The woman couldn't understand how a man, with nothing to fetch water with, could be offering her water that would always refresh, but didn't know that the water he was referring to isn't the kind you can labour to fetch from a well, but one that the Spirit of God can birth and sustain in a person's life. That is eternal life: as plain and simple as God could define and present it to all of us.
The Conclusion:
Check out how this life is defined: the water will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. God cannot come into a life and not leave a mark. It is quite difficult to get a definition for 'spring', but one extract online says: "Springs occur when water pressure causes a natural flow of groundwater onto the earth's surface". You may not know what goes on underneath the earth's surface, but you can never deny the evidence that manifests on the earth's surface. Men may not physically see the Holy Spirit, but they cannot deny His presence in a life that has had an encounter with Him. Like the disciples, men could see they were ordinary men, unlearned and unschooled, but men took note that the people around them took note that these men had been with Jesus. His presence and power in their lives could not be denied. It is not just good for this present earth alone; it is valid for all time, even to eternity. I don't just get life at its best down here; I am working and walking towards my eternal reward, which is life with God forever and ever. There is nothing the world can give you that can compare with a life without end. Don't miss it or replace it with the empty promises and gestures the world offers. God's time of favour is here.
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