English
Korean
Spanish
In John 4, we see a woman whose life has been marked by one broken relationship after another in an attempt to find something to satisfy the thirst of her soul. She is desperately seeking something to satisfy her soul but has come up empty time and time again. Yet, through a divine encounter with Jesus, she discovers that what she has been looking for is ultimately found in Him. She drinks the “living water” and is never the same again. What an amazing story of life change through the power of the gospel!
What makes this moment in her life possible is simple—Jesus cared enough about her to take the time to share with her the hope that is found in Himself. You may think, “It’s Jesus—of course He’s going to share with her.” What I love about this passage is that Jesus is described in a way that highlights His humanity. He is exhausted, thirsty, hungry, and sitting by the well resting his weary legs for a few moments. Despite the fatigue of His travels and the busyness of His ministry, Jesus recognized the spiritual condition of this woman and was willing to share the gospel with her.
In this story, we see that the singular focus of Jesus was to proclaim the “good news” of who He is and what He came to do with those who desperately need Him. In v. 31-34, Jesus reveals to us both the urgency of evangelism and the satisfaction that comes when we engage in it. The disciples know Jesus is tired and hungry, so they offer Him food. Notice His reply: “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” In other words, “I’m already full, boys!” The disciples are confused and ask one another, “Who gave Jesus food?” They are clueless as to what Jesus is referencing.
"We must follow Jesus’ example. He did not let His fatigue or busyness cause Him to be distracted from His primary mission. Rather, He seized an ordinary moment and through a simple conversation changed a woman’s life forever.
Jesus goes on to tell them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” What Jesus declares here is that the will of the Father and the work of the Father is for us to engage in personal evangelism. Don’t miss this: evangelism isn’t just a part of our calling as disciples—it’s primary. If we are not engaging in evangelism, we are not walking in the will or doing the work of the Father.
There is a spiritual satisfaction that we experience when we share our faith. When we neglect the call to evangelize, we are subsequently missing out on the spiritual food that brings satisfaction to the soul. We must follow Jesus’ example. He did not let His fatigue or busyness cause Him to be distracted from His primary mission. Rather, He seized an ordinary moment and through a simple conversation changed a woman’s life forever.
Since we are entrusted to shepherd and lead those in our churches, we must emphasize evangelism! We must lead by example, lead through equipping and training our people, and lead through celebrating when we see people bold in their evangelism. Imagine the kingdom impact if our collective body of believers truly embraced our everyday, woman-at-the-well moments. As we pray for revival in our churches, community, state, and beyond, we must recognize both the personal responsibility but also the exceeding joy that comes with connecting people to Jesus.
