John 4:39-45 says....

Today's devotional verses are John chapter 4 and verses 39 through 45, which read,

v.39 - From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done."

Our account of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well continues on.  She has left her water pot and run back to town with a message.  It is not a message that glorifies her but rather exposes her.  She says to the town, "I am a sinner.  Jesus told me so."  Jesus didn't tell her how great she was.  Jesus told her that she had told the truth and that she was in a relationship that was not God honoring.  This is her message to the people of the town.  Come see and hear the One who knows everything about you.  Because of this message, the town comes to Jesus to see and hear more of Him.  We usually don't think of this method when we talk about introducing people to Jesus.  "Come and listen to One who will expose your sins that you are trying to hide."

v.40 - So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.

The harvest has come to the disciples.  It is not when they thought a harvest would come or maybe from the fields they thought a harvest would come but it has in the lives of Samaritans, not the Jews, and now rather than later.  The Samaritans were hungry to hear more.  Jesus would stop His travels to give them the Words of Life.  The disciples would watch and listen to Jesus share His life and the words of the Father with those who were considered "outcasts."  This was all training for the future when they would go into other harvest fields that even extended to the enemy, the Romans, coming to faith in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as their Lord over Caesar.

v.41, 42 - Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."

Our salvation comes from the Lord.  It doesn't come from others.  The word of the woman was powerful and used by God but salvation comes from believing in His word for ourselves.  We don't save anyone, only God can save.  All need to come to the conclusion of many of this Samaritan town if they are to be saved.  All need to know themselves that Jesus is the Savior of the world.  Our own testimony can be very powerful but our goal is to bring people to hear Jesus and for them to give honor to Him and Him alone for their salvation.  I am grateful for those who have been my "Samaritan woman" to me.  I am thankful for those who pointed the way to Jesus with their own testimony of their lives.  I am also thankful that God has given me some opportunities to be that "Samaritan woman" to others.  May that be our prayer today to keep bringing people to see and hear Jesus so that they too might believe that He is the Savior of the world.  

v.43-45 - After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

This is a transitional paragraph to set up for the next event in Jesus' life.  Jesus has spent two days with the Samaritans and now proceeds His destination of the region in the north called Galilee.  This is the region He grew up in.  

In contrast to the belief of the Samaritans, the Galileans would receive Jesus but not believe in Jesus.  They would be excited to have this Jesus who did great things in Jerusalem during the feast and maybe hoping He would do some of those things again in their region but it was not to believe in Him but to just receive something from Him.  "What can we get from Jesus rather than giving our lives to Him as the Savior of the world" is the assessment of the Galileans.  Which makes me ask the questions:  Do we just receive Jesus or do we believe Jesus?  Do we just come to Jesus to see what He can do for us or do we come to Jesus to give our lives in service to Him because of who He is?  Are we waiting for the next great miracle or are we willing to die claiming that He is Lord?  Are our hands stretched out to get something from Him or are they stretched up in worship of Him?  I hope I have given enough questions to help us see that there is a big difference between just receiving Jesus as the Galileans did and believing in Jesus as the Samaritans did.  Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, this is a day to believe in You.  We come to the manger scene today to believe in the One who has come to us to save us from our sinners, for sinners we are, exposed by You and Your holiness.  We come not just to receive the feelings of warmth of the manger scene but to bow in submission and belief that the One in the manger is the Savior of the world who has come to die on a cross in our place so that we might stand in His righteousness before a holy God.  Lord, help us to point others to You with our very sinful saved lives so that they will also have their eyes opened by You that You are the Savior of them too.  Amen."

Pastor Adam