It was a long day for Jesus as He walked to the top of Mount Gerizim. Known as the mount of blessings, it was about 2900 feet above sea level (Deut. 11.26-32). This great mountain was adjacent to Mount Ebal where the curses were read to the people of God and was located in the central Samaritan highlands, overlooking the ancient city of Shechem. It was on this mountain Jesus encountered a woman of Samaria and began His conversation with her. It would be through this conversation, many lives would be changed for the better forever.

Jesus was weary from His journey and decided to sit by Jacob’s well for a bit (John 4.6). A woman of Samaria came to draw water that day and Jesus told her, “Give Me a drink” (John 4.7). From this the persuasion began. Through the process of time, the woman began to ask a very personal question and made a serious observation to Him. It was obvious the Jews and Samaritans had some unresolved issues between them. She told Jesus, “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” (John 4.9). We can learn many lessons from Jesus in that He simply kept the dialogue going and did not get entangled with the small talk.

Jesus answered her masterfully with these words, “If you knew the gift of God [emp. MB], and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4.10). What a powerful response to her comments, as He points her to spiritual things and concepts to focus her thoughts on eternal matters. As the church of Christ, we should do more of this as well. Taking a physical, carnal or everyday situation and turning it to the spiritual is an amazing skillset and somewhat of a lost art. Brethren, this requires us to pay attention to what is being said, and to help navigate our talks in a spiritual direction. It is safe to say, most things in life can be correlated to the spiritual realm.

Jesus would inform this Samaritan woman of the water that would spring one into everlasting life (John 4.13-14). She wanted this water and was willing to do what Jesus said to have it. It would be in her a fountain, that which sprung up with force and benefit. Jesus told her it would spring one up INTO everlasting life (John 4.14). The gift of God must be His Divine word which shows one how to be like Christ and help us to be prepared for eternal life. This woman wanted this water and was willing to further her conversation to learn more about obtaining that great resource. We can learn something from the woman in that we should give people time to consider the information and allow them to reason in their own minds on what to do.

The dialogue continued into how they worshiped God the Father (John 4.21-24). If she knew the gift of God, then she would have known how to worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4.24). The Father was seeking such to worship Him, for even Jesus told the woman these words, “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.” (John 4.22). Jesus emphatically gives her more insight to the gift of God. The Jews having the word of God, taught the Samaritans how to worship and gave them insight to eternal life with God Himself. For this reason God is seeking true worshipers to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4.23-24). This woman would take this message of Jesus, eternal life and worship to the men of Samaria and cause an influx of people to come up Mt. Gerizim to see Jesus for themselves (John 4.39-42).

Furthermore, the message the Lord Jesus taught His disciples was this: you follow Me and build on the work I have done and you will reap the fruit of another’s labor (John 4.34-38). Jesus knew the woman would go and spread the message and that the people would return and ask questions… and they did! He knew His disciples would be intrigued with His labors and ask questions as well. He told them in a masterful way, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4.34). We must be mindful of the gift of God and seek to know what it is as well. His gift is His word that will spring us up into everlasting life. Let us make sure to read, study, meditate and apply the gift of God on a daily basis. Let God be found true.