Listen:  144.1

Yes, I believe He did forgive her and I believe she received the gift of eternal life that day. When the Lord began talking to her He spoke of this precious gift in John 4:10 and 14, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water…Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” An interesting conversation followed that resulted in the woman of Samaria saying, in verse 25, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things.” At that crucial point her heart was ready for the Lord’s revelation in verse 26, “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He.” The proof that she believed the Lord’s words are seen in verses 28-30, “The woman then left her waterpot, and went  her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came unto Him.” Her faith in Christ was confirmed by her confession of Christ before the men of the city and her testimony resulted in their hearts being drawn to the Savior! How precious are the words in verse 39, “And many of the Samaritans of the city believed on Him for the saying of the woman.” But even more precious is what follows in verses 40-42, “So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them; and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of His own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

It’s so important to see that before Jesus went to the cross to die for sinners one had to believe WHO HE WAS in order to be forgiven and to receive eternal life. This is seen clearly in Matthew 16:13-18, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Just as the Samaritan woman believed that Jesus was the Christ and confessed Him as such, so Peter too believed and that grand confession came from his lips, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This truth as to the Person of Christ is so great, that the church is being built on that rock-solid foundation!

In John, chapter 6, the Lord Jesus was teaching men that He came down to earth to give His life in order that men might gain eternal life. This truth was so repulsive to many of His disciples that they quit following Him and in verse 67 He turned to the twelve and asked, “Do you also want to go away? But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (NKJV). Once again Peter makes that grand confession of Christ which brings eternal life to the sinner who believes.

Have you come to believe and know, like the Samaritans, that Jesus “…is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world?” Can you, by faith, echo Peter’s words, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God?”  (144.1)  (DO)