Will You?

John 4:^25-26 “The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

Jesus was vulnerable, you have to take off the mask, you have to take it off! I want to encourage you to read the entire John 4. It is a beautiful story. I will just go straight to where we are going but read it so you can get the context. Jesus was thirsty on the cross, but that was not the first time He was thirsty. He was also thirsty when He met the woman by the well. Jesus asked the woman for water to drink, and the woman was confused. The Jews felt they were superior, and the Samaritans were inferior to them. The woman could not understand how Jesus could be so vulnerable. You are supposed to be better or at least carry yourself as though you are better than us. But not Jesus. This was not just a Samaritan but a Samaritan woman.

Men typically will not talk to women publicly. Yet Jesus was publicly asking this woman for water at the risk of being seen with not just a woman but a Samaritan woman. The disciples were saying amongst themselves, this Jesus and girls, there He is, talking to another one. We just left Him for two minutes, and He is with a woman. That was what was going through their minds, read that story well. But Jesus ignored all that and was vulnerable. Where am I going with this? When Jesus was vulnerable, Jesus wanted to help the woman. Jesus was showing you and me that before God can reveal things to you, God must prick and tear down your veil. After Jesus had whet her appetite, she began to ask Jesus for the living water He spoke about. John 4:¹⁶ “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.” As a Pastor, in counselling, when I ask probing questions, people’s eyes begin to dart all over the place. They are thinking, should I lie, or should I tell him the truth? Which version should I say, the New King James Version or the New International Version?

I just sit there, and smile, because until you become vulnerable you cannot become valuable. The work remains hidden until you become vulnerable. But this Samaritan woman chose to be vulnerable and to take off her mask. And she said, “I do not have a husband.” Do you know the woman could have responded in many ways? She could have said to Jesus, ‘I should go and call my husband? Okay, I am coming’, and she would have just ran away concluding that this man was crazy. Or could simply have just disappeared and not returned. She probably considered it and chose to be vulnerable. She said, ‘I do not have a husband’ and Jesus said, ‘You have well spoken’. The Samaritan woman could have responded in many several mask wearing ways, but she took off her mask. How did Jesus respond? John 4:²⁶ “Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

She was the first person that Jesus publicly revealed Himself to as the Messiah, check scriptures. Not the Pharisees, or the Sadducees, or the Scribes, why? It is because she chose to be vulnerable. When you stop hiding, you start shining. You need to stop hiding, you need to open your heart and open your life to God and let God help you. When you remove the mask, you see the Christ.

Prayer [song]: I surrender all (2x), all to Thee my blessed Savour, I surrender all. Amen!