“The woman said to him, ‘I do know that Messiah is coming (he who is known as Christ). When he comes, he’ll tell us all things.”’Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he.’” – John 4:25-26
One of probably the most loved portions of Scripture is the account in John 4 where Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman that He meets at a well. When we take a look at that account, it’s explained to us that this woman wasn’t well-regarded in her community. Men repeatedly took advantage of her and he or she was probably drawing water from the well alone at the moment of day since the women of the community didn’t wish to have anything to do together with her. She was used to being treated poorly, but Jesus showed her a type of respect that surprised her.
As Jesus spoke to this woman, He made it clear to her that He alone could satisfy the deepest longings and thirsts of her soul. She was drawing water to satisfy her physical thirst and he or she was going from man to man in her home life because she longed for relational achievement that she believed could only be satisfied romantically. Jesus made it clear to her that her primary need was a relationship together with her Creator. Her mistaken attempts to satisfy the longings of her soul through anything or anyone else would all the time leave her feeling upset.
It was also on this conversation that Jesus entrusted this woman with information He hadn’t publicly revealed to anyone else. Jesus revealed to her that He was the long-promised Messiah. He was God within the flesh on a mission to rescue lost humanity, and He could be completely happy to welcome her into His kingdom and family.
It’s such a good looking account to read. The first person Jesus entrusted this information to was a girl, and he or she went and told her entire community.
We see an identical pattern happening after Christ’s resurrection as well. Who were the primary people to witness His resurrection? Who were the primary people to testify to His victory over death? Scripture tells us this revelation was entrusted to several women.
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the primary day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the opposite Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was an awesome earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and got here and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and have become like dead men. But the angel said to the ladies, ‘Do not be afraid, for I do know that you just seek Jesus who was crucified. He shouldn’t be here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he’s going before you to Galilee; there you will note him. See, I actually have told you.’ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to inform his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they got here up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they are going to see me.'” Matthew 28:1-10
The ironic commonality regarding the account of the lady on the well in John 4, and the account of the ladies on the tomb in Matthew 28 is that within the time period when these events took place, women weren’t considered credible witnesses in a court of law. Yet it was to women that Jesus first entrusted the message of His messianic identity and His resurrection. What a good looking picture of the love of Christ for the ladies He created in His image! What a good looking example of His desire to honor these women whom He called to be a part of His everlasting family!
