Hebrews 4:14-16 (TPT)
So them, we must cling in faith to all we know to be true. For we have a magnificent King-Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who rose into the heavenly realm for us, and now sympathizes with us in our frailty. He understands humanity, for as a Man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin. So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover and the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.
In Old Testament times, the High Priest was largely disconnected from the people. It wasn’t because he was some sort of self-righteous, distant figure. Instead, it’s because his responsibilities kept him in the temple at all times. He was there to mediate between God’s people and God Himself. Once a year, every household in Israel would bring a sacrifice into the temple and turn it over to the High Priest. He would follow God’s ordinance for sacrificing the animal in order to atone for the sin of each household. He didn’t have time to spend a great deal of time with the people seeing their struggles. Additionally, Kings don’t spend a great deal of time with “commoners.” In the same way that our President doesn’t spend a lot of time eating dinner at the house of American citizens, Kings didn’t go to the home of each person and find out how they were doing. They were busy leading the nation.
When Christ came to earth to serve as a High Priest-King for us, he ended that sort of distant leadership. How? As our High Priest, Christ didn’t spend His time hidden away in the temple. Instead, He was Immanuel, God with Us (Matthew 1:23). He walked with humanity, saw the way that they were tempted, suffered the same temptation and illustrated the best way to overcome it. Additionally, as our King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15), He leads by being with us. He is not tucked away in some palace, resting in his rulership over us. Instead, He walks with us, talks with us and leads by example.
We do not serve a distant God. When Christ returned to Heaven after His crucifixion and glorious resurrection, He did so with the promise that the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead would take up His abode inside each of us (John 16:7). We do not have a faraway Savior. Instead, our God is near. Immanuel was more than just another name for Christ, it was a blatant description of God’s method for saving humanity.
The New Testament is full of examples of Jesus turning up in unexpected places to do unexpected things for seemingly undeserving people. However, a story in the fourth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel is perhaps the most beautiful example of a nearby Savior.
The Woman at the Well
John 4
After hearing that the Pharisees were growing uneasy with the crowds that followed Jesus, He decided it was a good time for Him and His disciples to leave Judea. In order to fulfill His divine mission and protect His followers, Jesus decided it was a good idea for them to return to Galilee (John 4:1-3).
John 4:4 (TPT)
And he had to pass through Samaritan territory.
If you just glance over this verse, you probably assume that he “had to pass through Samaria” because it was between Judea and Galilee. From a geographical perspective, you would be correct. However, in ancient times, Jews would take a longer route to avoid going into Samaria. For 500 years, the Jews and the Samaritans had avoided each other due to racial division. Jesus didn’t have to go through Samaria in order to get back to Galilee. Instead, He had to pass through Samaritan territory in order to fulfill a divine appointment.
John 4:8(b) (TPT)
Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.”
Jesus had sent the disciples into the village to buy food. He was tired from the journey, the day was passing by and they all needed lunch. He sat there, alone on the edge of the well in the heat of the day and waited. However, He wasn’t waiting for the disciples to return. Instead, He was waiting for this woman.
John 4:9 (TPT)
Surprised, she said, “Why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water?”
Jesus broke two social customs of the day with one statement. First of all, in order to maintain the appearance of purity, Jewish teachers never spoke to women, even in public unless they were surrounded by trusted friends and confidants. Secondly, Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans. With a simple request for a drink of water, Jesus was establishing that He was more focused on people than procedures.
It’s also important to point out what time of day this interaction took place. The Bible says that it was “in the afternoon” (John 4:8). Women would come to the well to draw water early in the morning or later in the evening. The fact that this woman was at the well in the middle of the day, when there would be no crowd, was very telling.
John 4:10 (TPT)
Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you-you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give to you living water.”
Jesus was establishing the fact that He was a seeking Savior. Instead of waiting for the woman to recognize her need for a Savior, He went looking for her.
After a brief back and forth about the history of racial tensions between Samaritans and Jews and the history of the well, the woman finally recognized that Jesus was offering her forgiveness. However, things seemed to take a dark turn when He told her to go and get her husband (John 4:16).
John 4:17-18 (TPT)
“But I’m not married,” the woman answered. “That’s true,” Jesus said, “for you’ve been married five times and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”
Suddenly, it’s apparent why the woman came to the well when no one else would be there. She was undoubtedly the talk of the town. If she lived in our society, she would be the focus of passive aggressive Facebook posts. There would probably be hashtags about her, thinly veiled by people who wanted to discuss her failed marriages and current living situation.
Isolated and ostracized by society, the woman found solace in another man. However, this Man wasn’t looking for a romantic relationship with her like all of her past partners. This Man wanted to change her life, not her last name.
John 4:26 (TPT)
Jesus said to her, “You don’t have to wait any longer, The Anointed One is here speaking with you-I am the One you’re looking for.”
With that declaration, this woman was forever changed. The One who she was looking for was standing in front of her, ready to offer her the acceptance that she had sought in every other source imaginable. In this moment, Jesus solidified the fact that He was truly a Savior who is nearby. “The Anointed One is here speaking with you.”
Ecstatic, the woman went running back into town to announce His arrival. Shortly thereafter, the rest of the town came to the well to meet this Man. For two days, Jesus stayed in a town that most Jews tried to avoid (John 4:40). By the time he left, many of the Samaritans had placed their faith in this Jewish teacher, not because of the woman’s words but because they had “heard him for themselves” and were “convinced that he really was the true Savior of the world” (John 4:42).
Just like He was close to the woman at the well, He is close to us. We do not have a distant God who cannot be reached. Instead, He is with us, ready to help us with anything we face.
A Closing Prayer:
God, I thank You for being so close to me. Your Word promises that You are with me wherever I go, living inside of me, empowering me. Thank You for Your presence and Your power in my life. In Christ’s name, Amen.