part 5 of “Jireh”
A little while ago, we looked at John 3:17. This verse isn’t as commonly focused on like John 3:16. However, the two verses go together. In this post, I want to explore John 3:17 a little bit more and how the verse should make us feel. Let’s look at John 3:17 again...
“God sent his Son into the world not to judge [condemn] the world, but to save the world through him.” - John 3:17 NLT, [NIV]
This verse tells us that Jesus didn’t come to this Earth to point His finger at us. He didn’t come to guilt trip or shame us. He came to save us. This verse provides comfort for me and it should provide comfort for you as well. When I think about how Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, I think about the story of the woman at the well. We find her story in John 4*.
Jesus was headed back to Galilee from Judea. As He was traveling, He had to go through Samaria. A little bit of a side note here, going through Samaria was the shortest route for Jesus to take. However, many Jewish people avoided going through Samaria because they disliked the Samaritan people. But Jesus knew that they needed Him the most and needed to hear what He had to say [1]. But He also was going to meet the woman at the well.
After His long walk, Jesus sat down by the well and it was noon. The woman came to the well to draw water from the well. This was an unusual time to come to the well for water as it was during the heat of the day. When the women came to the well for water it was usually in the morning or the cooler part of the day. Women also usually came in groups to the well for water. So this interesting bit of detail provides us with a description of the woman that Jesus was getting ready to have a conversation with. The woman coming to well alone shows us that she was possibly an outcast in her community [1]. This is supported more as we look at more of her story.
So, she gets to the well expecting to be alone, but instead, she finds Jesus. Isn’t it amazing how Jesus always shows up where we need Him the most? Jesus asks her for a drink. The woman was surprised at this because of the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritan people. Jesus and the woman have a conversation about living water that Jesus can provide her. Jesus tells her to go and get her husband. This is where we find out a little bit more about her story and the possibility of her being an outcast.
“‘Go and get your husband,’ Jesus told her. ‘I don’t have a husband,’ the woman replied. Jesus said, ‘You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!’” - John 4:16-18 NLT
What is amazing here is the response of Jesus to the woman! Jesus doesn’t jump up off the well and scold her for living with a man that isn’t her husband. He doesn’t scold her for being divorced five times. Jesus just continues the conversation and tells her about the importance of knowing Jesus - the Messiah. This was probably a big shock to her. The response Jesus gave her was more than likely way different than the ones she had gotten in the past or even still getting from her community. The woman’s interaction with Jesus rattled her and she ran back into town to tell everyone. The people of the town ran back with her and begged Jesus to stay with them.
Jesus provided this woman with comfort. She was probably very nervous to tell Jesus that she didn’t have a husband and that she had been married five times before. But she didn’t even have to do that! Jesus already knew her story. Jesus was there to point His finger and scold her. Jesus wasn’t there to shame her as so many people had done before. Jesus there to comfort her so that He could use her to start a revival in her town!
Jesus does the same for us as well. Jesus provides us with comfort. He is the source of the kind of comfort we often need. Paul says this in 2 Corinthians:
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT
What do these verses mean?
When I read those verses, I think of the story of the woman at the well. These verses are in that story. Jesus comforted the woman and then she went back into town and told them all about what Jesus had said to her. This comforted them and they all went to see Jesus. The woman, because she was comforted by Jesus the way that she was, was able to then go and express this comfort to the people in the town.
The same goes for us as well. Jesus holds nothing against us. We can come to Him with all of our baggage just as the woman did. Jesus didn’t wave His finger at her and He doesn’t at us either. This comfort allows us to be confident in Jesus and share the comfort that we experienced in Jesus with others that need the same comfort.
Jesus also provides comfort to us when we face any other kind of troubles in our life. Jesus is with us when we go through the valleys of life (Psalm 23:4). Jesus is close to us when we are hurting (Psalm 34:18). Jesus is there to provide us comfort. He always will be.
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*This post references John 4 in a paraphrased form with direct quotes being noted.
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