A woman has a decision to make. What will she do now that she has met Jesus? She had just come to the well for water, not expecting that her life was about to change. This woman, a Samaritan, was asked a simple question: “Please give me a drink” (John 4:7). Not too surprising, except that the man asking the question wasn’t suppose to speak to her according to cultural rules. The conversation that ensued ended with the startling revelation from the man, “I AM the Messiah!” (v. 26). This Samaritan woman has just had a life changing encounter with Jesus himself!

She now did what only seems natural to her, “the woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possible be the Messiah?’” (vv. 28-29). She possessed new truth and knew that others needed to hear it.

When we share about Jesus with others, it is easy to feel like we have to do everything to bring them to a saving faith. We need to have a well crafted presentation, we must make sure to include all the crucial details, and then it is up to our own abilities to see them believe and trust in Jesus. Notice how different that is to this Samaritan women’s words, “Come and see…”

What is striking about this story is that the woman’s testimony was just one part of what the people in the village needed. Her testimony had a great impact, “Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, ‘He told me everything I ever did!’” (v. 39). The other key reason they believed is found in John 4:42, “Now we believe, not just because of what you [the woman] told us, but because we have heard him ourselves.” Her words were important and they indeed played a part in the salvation of many. But more than that, the people in the village came and experienced Jesus for themselves! If you believe in Jesus, you have an important part to play in sharing the truth of the gospel with others but the work isn’t for you alone. Share and lead others to Jesus where they can begin to experience the love of Christ for themselves. Invite them to “come and see.”

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