If You Knew The Gift Of God

March 16, 2008

If You Knew the Gift of God

Kathleen Maples

In John 3:25, while John was baptizing people in a place called Aenon, near Salim, Jesus was in the same area, with His disciples. Joh 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. Joh 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

Much had been happening. Jesus had recently been in Jerusalem, upsetting the status quo, marching in the temple with a whip, and running out those who would make merchandise of His people and defile His Father's House. The Pharisees were highly ticked off at Him. He had been working miracles, and people had been helped, healed, and delivered everywhere He went. The Pharisees were losing their influence with the people, and felt threatened by the very One they claimed to represent. This was early on in Jesus' ministry. Now, they were in the countryside of Judea, and people were flocking to Jesus, hearing the truth, and being convicted of their sins, and with repentant hearts were being baptized by Jesus' disciples, near the same area John was also ministering and baptizing in. Water baptism signified a cleansing of the body, from uncleanness. It was a simple immersion of the body in water and showed a man's need for cleansing. It was a forerunner to the heart being cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Up until this point, the Jews had a firm ritual, dating back from the time of Moses, of washing with water, and offering sacrifices at the temple. There was much ceremony involved in the ritual of purification. (See Lev 15 for details and examples, and then remember the little woman with the issue of blood that was healed when she touched Jesus' garment. See also Mat_15:2, Mar_7:3-4. ) The Jews were very devout about washing often, especially the religious leaders. This tells me they were inwardly aware of the uncleanness of their hearts and thought outward cleansing was enough. Although they had the Old Testament law, and the prophets, apparently they did not understand what God meant when He told Ezekiel and Jeremiah He would give the people a new heart, and cleanse them of their iniquities. (Jer_32:40, Eze_36:26-37). Joh 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

Joh 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond

Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. Joh 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

The enemy will always try to stir up division, envy and competition among the

believers. He, knowing the Scriptures, will twist them and present his twisted version to the mind and try to pick apart what is happening and cause division and confusion. I love the way the HCSB puts this: Joh 3:25 Then a dispute arose between John's disciples and a Jew about purification. Joh 3:26 So they came to John and told him, "Rabbi, the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing--and everyone is flocking to Him."

Sound familiar? The disciples found a man who was going about getting people delivered in the name of Jesus, and they rebuked him for he did not follow them. When they complained to Jesus, He said, forbid him not. (Luk_9:49-50) John replies, A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. Amen. We can't be saved, we can't receive help, we can't receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we can't receive anything for the spiritual life on our own, or by our worksit must be given by God. We are absolutely dependent on God for what we get. We do not deserve it, but by His grace, He still wants us to have it. He wants us with Him. John goes on to say, in response to their attempt to incite envy, my joy is in hearing Him, the Bridegroom. I'm His friend. He must increase and I must decrease. In other words, I will not compete with Him. My joy is in fellowship with the Holy One, not works, and the more I learn of Him, the more I prefer Him to myself, the more like Him I want to be, less of me, all of Him. What a wonderful thing. I want this kind of heart... Whoever that Jew was who started this dispute of ritual purification must have went back and reported to the Pharisees what was going on, increasing their irritation with Jesus and John. Joh 4:1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, Joh 4:2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) Joh 4:3 He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. In obedience to the Father's will, Jesus' ministry always stirred up controversy with the carnal and religious crowd. They did not try to understand, they couldn't. They would not hear Him because their hearts were set on earthly things. Now, I found two different maps that show Aenon, and Salim, the two towns just west of the Jordan River was between Samaria and Galilee. Samaria, and the town of Sychar where Jesus would meet up with the little woman at the well, were southwest of the area were this baptizing was going on. Galilee, where the Scripture says Jesus heads out for, is to the NORTHWEST. It was technically, not necessary for Jesus to go through Samaria to get to Galilee, from the countryside near the towns of Aenon and Salim. I looked at that, because it doesn't say in John 3:22 that Jesus was there, but it implies it when it says Jesus went into the Judean countryside, (land, KJV), and John and his disciples "were also" baptizing in Aenon. I began to wonder exactly why when Jesus heard or knew that the Pharisees had been told what was going on, and how people were flocking to Him and being ministered to, why He left. He knew the Pharisees were a confrontational people, proud, and religious, zealous for their traditions and reputation as God's teachers, by right of

their office of being "teacher" which was what the Pharisees were to do, oversee and educate the people about the Word of God. Then I remembered what James said: Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

This would negatively impact the people Jesus was ministering too. Confusion and evil could never overwhelm the Son of God, but it could cause problems in the mind of the people. Besides, Jesus had an appointment to keep with a little lady. I know being full of the Spirit of God without measure, (Joh_3:34) there was a sensitivity to the spiritual realm that most Christians today do not possess. I believe Jesus heard a cry in the heart of a little woman, who had tried many things, and many marriages, to satisfy the longing of her thirsty soul. I know when the Lord hears the cry coming so deep from the heart of people, and it's a sincere and hungry cry, He can't resist it. He understands many times we do not know it is Him alone that satisfy that longing. Let us follow the Savior, the Lord of Glory, as He must needs go through Samaria. He was not interested in debating truth with the religious crowd. He heard a cry in the heart of a woman and He determined to go do something about it. Now, according to the maps, and I consulted several and found of those who did show the location for Aenon, all three agreed, and accordingly Jesus would have had to go out of His way to go through Samaria. John 4:3 says He departed into Galilee, but He headed the opposite direction to Samaria. He went out of His way to meet this woman. He stayed there for two days before heading north back to Galilee. Joh 4:4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

In the original Greek from which this was translated into English, this means He ought to, should, and it was needful-not for Him, but for her, her family, and her city, that He come to Samaria. It's helpful to understand the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans was at best, a hostile intolerance, and why. The Jews despised the Samaritans, looked on them as dogs, because they were a racially mixed people. Please allow me a brief history lesson here, concerning who the Samaritans were. (They came from intermarriages of certain Israelites with the colonists from Babylon and other parts of Mesopotamia and Syria. These colonists had been placed there by the Assyrian kings Sargon II and Esarhaddon, after the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been conquered and the stronghold at Samaria fell to the Assyrians. It resulted in thousands of Israelites being deported away, never to be heard from again, and colonists being chosen by the Assyrians and placed in Samaria along with a governor. Because of their defective devotion to Judaism and their partly pagan ancestry, the Samaritans were despised by ordinary Jews. Because the Samaritans were sometimes hostile, and also the fact that a Jew believed that he could become contaminated by passing through Samaritan territory, Jews who were traveling from Judea to Galilee or vice versa would cross over the Jordan river and avoid Samaria by going through Transjordan, and cross back over the river again once they had reached their destination. The Samaritans often taunted the Jews. They rejected all of the Old Testament except the Pentateuch, and they claimed to have an older copy than the Jews and boast that they observe

the precepts better. The Jews repaid them with hatred. They rejected the Samaritan copy of the law and publicly denounced that Samaritans were of any Jewish birth (John 4:12). - The Samaritan was publicly cursed in their synagogues. - He could not serve as a witness in the Jewish courts. - He could not be converted to Judaism as a proselyte. - He was excluded from the after life." Later when the Temple at Jerusalem was being rebuilt, the Samaritans offered to help but their offer was rejected. As a result they not only tried to prevent the rebuilding of the temple and the city walls but, in the time of Nehemiah, built a temple themselves on Mount Gerazim near Shechem. These disputes resulted in further hostile relations between the Samaritans and the Jews. The Jews, for example, would not allow the Samaritans to sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem and considered marriages between Samaritans and Jews illegal. Also because of the fact that the Samaritans were considered "half Jews" and "a mixed race", many conflicts existed between the Jews and the Samaritans during the time of Christ. The New Testament makes no attempt to hide the immense hostility that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans.---from Bible History Online, http://www.bible-history.com/) (underlines and highlights mine for context)

Knowing all that makes this Scripture even more incredible to my heart. The Lord of Glory went where religion didn't want to go. He ministered to those who religion had already written off as useless. Hallelujah!!!! Consider the animosity that exists today between various denominations, who cannot agree and think the other is wrong and will not fellowship with others who are not of their denomination for fear of being defiled or misled. Oh that God would send the power of His Spirit to smash the division, baptize us all with love, and discernment, and compassion. We would do well to take a lesson here from our Lord. Jesus goes to the city of Sychar, near where Jacob's well is located. He is weary from the journey, and sits down by the well. Some translations say it was about noon, some say it was about six in the evening. That's a moot point because back in these times, the women would usually gather together and go in the morning to get water for their daily chores, of cooking, and washing, and drinking, and again in the evening. Unless they had a cart to put their clay jars on to transport the water, they had to carry them, so I doubt they would be able to carry enough to last the entire day, especially if they had large families, which many did then. On this day, this little woman is alone. She didn't come early in the morning with the other women. She came after they had gone. She came alone, because she was not well liked by other women. They saw her as a threat, and viewed her with contemptuous disdain. How do I know that? Do you think I read too much into the Scriptures that is not said? Well, I consider this woman, according to Jesus had 5 husbands, previously, and was currently "living with" a man she was not married to-scandalous behavior then. He does not refer to her as a widow, either. This part is only speculation on my part, but why so many marriages in a society as religious as Judaism? The only out, according to the law, was adultery, or death of the spouse. I don't know if she'd ever been widowed, but I do know it was not

normal for Jewish women to have so many marriages or live with someone she wasn't married to. Can't you just imagine how the other women treated her? They sure wouldn't want her around their man. She must have been very attractive to have so many husbands. I believe she had a hungry heart and was searching for something she didn't understand. I believe she had a hunger, a thirst, a longing in her heart for fulfillment and satisfaction that would fill that emptiness inside her soul. She had tried to find this in flesh-at least 5 husbands. Still, she wasn't satisfied. Perhaps she was only living with this current man, because she had at last realized marriage was just not making her happy. She had already exercised much more liberty than most Jewish women. Something caused those 5 marriages to end. This must have made her an outcast in religious society, and I'm sure she endured the whispers, taunts and gossip of the women of the city. She had a certain reputation, you know. In their minds, she might as well be branded with a scarlet letter, too. This was a weight she carried on her, because she had been searching for fulfillment and didn't know where else to look, except to flesh. And, you know Jesus-He wouldn't go out of His way to meet up with someone who had no interest, and would not hear. I believe there was a cry of despair, a longing in the heart of this woman for something she couldn't define. Her conversation with the Lord reveals she thought about God, she tried to worship God. She had an earnest desire in her heart for God. She must have, else the conversation she had with the Lord doesn't make sense. Everything He says is for a deliberate purpose. He knew her heart, her thoughts, her desires, her pain, her need and He steered the conversation to get to that need. She approaches the well, thinking no one would be there-and can't you just hear her thoughts-"Oh, no, an uppity Jew. Great. Just great." Well, surely He would have nothing to say to her, and she had nothing to say to Him. I imagine she couldn't help but look at Him as she approached the well to get her water. Everything about Him was in order, to the letter of the law. His garments were just right. His appearance was just right. Yep, a strict Jew. Well, no worry, He wouldn't bother her. He's sitting quietly, and He turns to look at her as she comes to draw water. I bet she felt something stir in her heart as she stared into those Holy eyes. I bet she began to feel nervous, and didn't understand why. She's come here today, carrying a weight on her, likely burdened with her own problems, and hurts, and unmet needs. She doesn't speak first, because Jews and Samaritans just didn't do that. They avoided each other whenever possible. Imagine her surprise when Jesus speaksand remember His Word is like fire (Jer_23:29) and it starts a burning in her heart (Luk_24:32). He asks her for a drink of water. She looks at Him, seeing He has nothing to draw water with-He wants a drink from her cup? Is He crazy or something? She had to be getting suspicious by now. It was just the two of them, and He wasn't abiding by the rules. So, she points out the obvious, and tells Him she's a Samaritan, and you want ME to get YOU a drink? Joh 4:10 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 wouldest have asked of him, and he would have

given thee living water.

If you could understand the gift that God is offering you, and just who I AM that is talking to you, you would ask ME and I would give you living water. Oh, her eyes went wide, I'm sure, with surprise. Perhaps she stepped back and began to examine this Stranger more carefully. Because He just said something that went straight to the root of her problem and no one could have known that. Imagine the guilt she bore, knowing she was unworthy, even by Samaritan law, and how many sacrifices must she have offered, trying to pray to God? She had some serious questions and a serious thirst for God. She responds, a little defensively, with a question. "Well, who are you? Do you think you are bigger than Jacob, my ancestor who gave us this well? I don't see that you have anything with which to back up what you just said. You even asked me to get you a drink, and you have nothing to draw water with yourself. Where are you going to get living water?" (I know I'm paraphrasing, but Oh, I love this Word of God!!!) Jacob means supplanter, deceiver. And that's just what religion does. It's a replacement for the original intention of God. Are You greater than my religion, Lord? That's really what she's asking. When God makes us a promise, how often we look with carnal eyes at the situation and wonder, how can this possibly happen? I don't see any way for this to happen. But He is the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega and with Him nothing is impossible. Our feeble minds can't comprehend His vastness or His power or His love for us. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!! Oh, how we need to learn who He is for ourselves because it's as we learn Him, (Mat_11:28-30) that our faith in Him really grows. You can't trust someone you don't know very well. I can almost see Him smile at her, with patient, loving and kind eyes. He challenges her again. "If you drink this natural water, you will get thirsty again. But if you drink the water I will give you, you will never thirst again. You will find the satisfaction and fulfillment your soul has been longing for. This living water in you will be a well of water, springing up into eternal life." What she had, what she could do, the natural resources she had were not enough. They couldn't satisfy or accomplish. Such conviction and longing rushed through her, I know, because it's on me, now, too. There was an urgent desire welling up in her as He spoke right into her heart. Oh, Sir, she says, please give me this water that I will never thirst again and not have to come here seeking sustenance anymore. I know there has to be something better, something more." (I know, I did it again, but I don't think I'm reading this wrong...and I believe this was in her heart....and He knew it, which is why He visited her. His disciples were gone to buy food, so He could deal with her alone. He didn't want to make a spectacle out of this woman before others-she'd been through that enough. He tells her to go call her husband, and come back, because this isn't just for her, but for her family, too. We know this living water He spoke of was the Holy Spirit of God Himself, flowing, and dwelling in the believer. She says I have no husband. He tells her, true, you don't. You've had 5 husbands, and the one you have now isn't your husband. Very true. He's revealing He knows her, He knows her shame,

her failures, her past, and yet He's offering Her living water, total fulfillment. Imagine-this Jew, knowing her checkered past, still comes to her, and makes her an offer she could not resist, one that was for her own good, and God's glory. Oh, now she thinks He's a prophet. She has questions, things she's confused about and she sees an opportunity to get some things straightened out in her heart and mind by Somebody who would know. There was a long dispute over where to worship. The Samaritans said here, the Jews said there, and both thought they were right. She had a desire to know which one was right-and that reflects a sincere heart. Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Woman was not a derogatory term in His mouth. The word "woman" implies tenderness, and courtesy, not disrespect. (Easton's Bible Dictionary). Woman, trust me, commit yourself to Me and My Word, have confidence in My Word to you. God is a Spirit, and to really worship Him, you must understand you can't do that in yourself. He must give us His Holy Spirit to come live in us, so we can worship Him. Flesh cannot do anything right or acceptable in the sight of God. It's not by might, not by power but by His Spirit (Zec_4:6). We have to have the Holy Spirit to pray, to understand the Word of God, to communicate with God, to worship Him, to serve Him, to love Him, even (Rom_5:5) so that no flesh can take the credit for anything. Like John said-a man can have nothing except it's given him from heaven. Oh, she knows the Scriptures says there's One who's coming who will explain all things. Oh, yes, He's here. He was speaking to Her. He was opening truth to her, just like the Holy Ghost will to us, who is the Spirit of Christ. And she's just marveling, wondrously tickled with this Man, with what He said, and she gets so excited, she goes after her man, and her whole town. She went and spoke to the men, (Joh_4:28) probably because she knew the women wouldn't hear her. But she told them about the wonderful thing she had found! She bore witness of the Truth. She caused others to come to Him. The disciples were probably unhappy about coming this way in the first place, with their religious prejudices and upbringing, regarding Samaria, which is probably another reason He sent them to buy food so they wouldn't interfere with what He wanted to accomplish in the little woman's life. And she said "COME, see a Man who told me everything I did! He answered the questions I needed answers to! He helped me understand the truth!" And they came and they were changed, too. They spent two days hearing Him. This, King of the Jews, went to the Samaritans, and ministered in love, and compassion. He knew only the Holy Spirit is the answer. He knew they couldn't extricate themselves from the mixture, from the inbred sin in their hearts. (Jer_17:9-10) Joh 2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. Joh 4:41 And many more believed because of his own word;

Joh 4:42 And said unto the woman, 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.

They believed, and KNEW He was the Christ, the Savior of the world. He revealed to them what He hid from most of the Jews. Those who are despised by religion, when God moves in, He can teach them things that religious people just can't understand or receive. Simple, yet deep truths. Praise the Lord!!!! If she, who was not a Jew, could ask (and receive) this gift of living water, which He knew He would give her when the Holy Ghost was come, how much more can we, His children, ask for this living water, this river of the Holy Ghost, flowing in and through and out of us to a desperately needy and dark world? He said it was promised to us. This anointed One who sets the captives free, opens the blinded eyes, heals the sick, raises the dead, looses the oppressed and He wants to free His people from religious bondage and misconceptions. We can't ever be good enough, we can't make it to heaven based on our works, habits, or devotion. We reject the world, the evil in the world, the carnal and sensual things of this world, because they would separate us from Him. But we know it's by His grace alone, through faith in His promise that if we come and give our lives to Him, He will save us, keep us, and deliver us, and change us!!! Then none of us can point to ourselves and say we did it. Uh-uh. No way. When we stand before Him, those who make it, we will have nothing to boast of in ourselves. He even had to give us the faith required to believe Him, then HE had to make it a point to go out of His way and visit us, and deal with us, and offer us truth, for us to be saved. Oh, glory to God, no wonder if we get a crown we will throw that thing at His feet-for it is HIS alone. It's all about HIM folks, and there is nothing we can do to make it happen except present ourselves to HIM, in faith, for Him, and Him only shall we serve, not ourselves. He is so precious! He went out of His way for us. He went way above the call of duty and held nothing back. Let us bow our hearts before Him and praise Him who is Holy and reverence Him and thank Him for what He's done, and for the precious gift He is offering us. He knows how much we need the Holy Ghost who is the Spirit of Christ...He knows. Do we know it? Will we prepare ourselves and present ourselves so we can receive? If we don't, we won't make it. I pray this has stirred up a hunger for more of HIM in your heart...it sure has mine. Thank you Jesus for teaching your people...