JOHN 4:1-6
1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
See now how the LORD is a meek and lowly LORD - though He is LORD of all, Creator God and the Word Incarnate - He conducts Himself in such humble fashion. He understood that because His fame was quickly outgrowing that of His predecessor, John the Baptist, He didn't capitalize on it. Instead, He left Judea and returned to Galilee, far away.
Yet no matter where He went, the LORD was always making disciples - and we dare not forget who we are: we are NOT disciples of a church, we are NOT disciples of our pastors, we are NOT disciples of elder saints who have known the LORD far longer than we . . .
We are disciples, followers, students of the LORD Jesus Christ.
We follow Him to His cross where we learn of His supreme sacrifice.
We follow Him where He leads us to our own crosses and learn to deny self.
We follow Him where He lays upon us His yoke which He bears Himself, and we learn of Him the King of Kings, the Supreme Servant, the I AM That I AM, the LORD and Redeemer.
The LORD's objective was never to acquire fame, or prestige. He was on a mission from the Father and was intent on fulfilling His will. We must always bear this in mind, should the LORD prosper our ministry and we begin to gain a following whose numbers begin to swell to an incalculable degree. Followers in those kinds of numbers can potentially sway us - intentionally or not - in directions that are not the Father's will. This is in essence the difference between those who please God and those who become people-pleasers.
And besides all of that potential drama that the LORD left behind, He had an appointment in Samaria.
This entire scenario is being staged beforehand by the LORD; He prepared the way for the encounter, first of all, with this Samaritan woman, and then with the entire village.
Long before we knew Christ our LORD, before we had any desire for Him or inclination towards repentance, He prepared the way for us, because He had foreknown us: there is nothing our Sovereign God does not know about us: every trait in us, every habit, every decision and choice, every path and tributary we take, every response and reaction.
He knows already who will receive Him, and who will not, based upon their response to the beckoning of the Holy Spirit of sinners to come unto Jesus for salvation.
He travels with inspired intent towards the city of Sychar - a place whose name many have identified as meaning, "abode of liars or idolaters and drunks".
See the Holy, sinless, spotless Lamb of God intentionally zeroing in on this city of Sychar. He would no doubt say to anyone who would be indignant at such a meeting, the same thing He said to the Pharisees who found fault with Him because He kept company with sinners:
MARK 2:17
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
It was imperative for Jesus to get to Sychar - and meet with this people group that the Jews (His own people) despised - and that feeling was mutual among the Samaritans as well!
Yet the LORD was breaking down social and cultural barriers and doing the unthinkable - reaching out with His message to those that most Jews would never have bothered to give the time of day to!
There have been many that I have known personally who either live in their own 'Sychar' or worse, once tasted of the good things of the LORD, but then turned back to that sin-city. And I have prayed earnestly that the LORD "must needs" go to their 'Sychar' and have an encounter with them, bringing to them the "living water" that only He can provide!
And now the LORD is at the end of this long journey - He finally arrives and finds Himself weary with His travels. He sits down at the well that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph and rests. Here is God, weary in His humanity, needing rest and refreshment from that well. I can well imagine the noon-time sun beating down upon His sweat drenched brow - when a Samaritan woman approaches.
Divine appointments indeed! We shall continue this next time, and in the meanwhile, let us pray for some divine appointments of those loved ones who are still lost in this world of sin and in dire need of an encounter with the Messiah of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, Whom God has made "...both LORD and Christ..."
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