jesus's testimony to the woman of samaria.
one day, early in his ministry among the jews, jesus "left judea, and departed again into galilee. and he must needs go through samaria. 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. 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.
"there cometh a woman of samaria to draw water: jesus saith unto her. give me to drink. . . . then saith the woman of samaria unto him, how is it that thou being a jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of samaria? for the jews have no dealings with the samaritans.
"jesus answered and said unto her, if thou knewest the gift of god, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. the woman saith unto him, sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? art thou greater than our father jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that i shall give him shall never thirst: but the water that i {36} shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. . . .
"the woman saith unto him, sir, i perceive that thou art a prophet. our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
"jesus saith unto her, woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at jerusalem, worship the father. ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the jews. but the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth: for the father seeketh such to worship him. god is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
"the woman saith unto him, i know that messias cometh, which is called christ: when he is come. he will tell us all things.
the testimony of the people of sychar.
"jesus saith unto her, i that speak unto thee am he." when she heard this remarkable declaration, the woman ran back to the city of sychar and told the people what jesus had said to her, asking them, "can this be the christ?" the people of sychar went out themselves to see jesus, and invited him to stay with them. jesus stayed there for two days, and many believed in him because of his teachings. and when he left them to continue his journey to galilee, the people said to the woman who had first met jesus, "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."
{37} jesus taught always that he is the christ.
this experience of jesus with the people of sychar is full of interest and rich in meaning. we might spend much time in discussing it. but it is not necessary now to consider more than the fact that from the very beginning of his ministry, jesus taught that he was really the christ, the savior of the world. he was not always so successful in getting the people to recognize him—in getting them to know god and jesus christ whom he had sent—as he was here at sychar. when at one time he bore the same testimony in the temple, the priests and the people took up stones and would have stoned him to death, had he not miraculously walked out of their midst. but always jesus taught of himself that he is the christ.
the answer to john.
when the messengers of john the baptist came to him and asked, "art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" jesus answered promptly, "go and show john again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." these things were all signs of the coming of the christ, and the answer was the same as if jesus had said, "yes, i am he that should come; ye need not look for another."
the confessions at the trials of jesus.
it was thus plainly and fearlessly that jesus, at the end of his earthly life too, taught that he was the redeemer of the world. when jesus was haled before the high priest. {38} the high priest demanded, "art thou the christ, the son of the blessed?" jesus answered boldly, "i am: and ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." and to pilate's question, "art thou the king of the jews?" jesus replied, "thou sayest."
and on the way to emmaus.
these answers and explanations are so clear to us now that it seems hardly possible the disciples of jesus did not also understand them. yet it was so; the disciples looked apparently for a powerful, earthly king. when jesus was crucified, they were overwhelmed. for a while they did not know what to make of it. but jesus himself made all things clear. one day, after the crucifixion, two of the disciples were journeying toward emmaus, talking about the strange things that had happened. suddenly, the resurrected savior joined them. because these disciples had failed to understand the meaning of his mission on the earth, jesus said to them, "o fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? and beginning at moses and all the prophets. he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." thus did jesus after his resurrection bear testimony to his teaching that he is verily the christ, the son of god.
how shall we find out christ?
the knowledge that jesus is the christ, is, as we have already learned, necessary to gain eternal life, the greatest of all gifts. but how shall we come into possession of that knowledge? shortly before his {39} death, jesus taught his disciples thus: "i will pray the father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever." and a little later, "when the comforter is come, whom i will send you from the father, even the spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the father, he shall testify of me." so, then, we may gain the knowledge, the testimony, that jesus is the christ, the savior of the world, through the inspiration of the comforter, the spirit of truth. and to be influenced by the spirit of truth, we must ourselves worship in spirit and in truth. sooner or later the testimony must be obtained, for it is decreed that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that jesus is the christ.
the references
john 4:1-42. matt. 27:11.
john 10:24, 25. luke 24:25-27.
matt. 11:3-6. john 14:16.
mark 14:61, 62. john 15:26.
the questions
1. what is the meaning of the christ?
2. what is the significance of christ's ministry at sychar?
3. on what other occasions did jesus publicly declare himself the christ?
4. of what particular value is his testimony to the disciples on the road to emmaus?
5. how is a testimony of the christ to be obtained?
