When the Lord Jesus came to do the work, He expressed many truths and performed lots of signs and wonders, but very few people could recognize that He was the coming Messiah. However, the Samaritan woman could recognize the Lord’s identity from her short conversation with the Lord. This is not easy. What are her secrets to recognizing the Lord Jesus was the coming Messiah?
According to the records of the scriptures, we can see that: At first, when the Lord Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for some water, she guarded against Him because He was a Jew, since the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. But after the Lord Jesus spoke some words to her, she perceived that He was out of the ordinary, so she called Him Sir. When hearing the Lord Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” she felt that His words had authority and power and couldn’t be said by ordinary people. Then, the Lord Jesus revealed her innermost secrets, saying, “For you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband.” She felt astonished at this because nobody knew the things she did in secret. But the Lord Jesus, who had never met her before, knew all about her. She was sure that that was unattainable by ordinary people, so she considered the Lord Jesus a prophet. Therefore, she spoke about her own confusion and asked Him whether to go to the mountain or to Jerusalem to worship God. The Lord Jesus said, “The hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.” He also clearly told her, “When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” After hearing all this, she recognized that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah. It was because the Lord Jesus resolved her confusion with just a word, and also pointed out to her the path of practice to worship God. This allowed her to understand that when worshiping God, believers shouldn’t rigidly adhere to external formalities, but should worship God in spirit and in truth, and that only praying genuinely and sincerely is after God’s heart. Especially when hearing the Lord Jesus say, “I that speak to you am He,” she rejoiced and became even more certain that He was the Messiah. Thus, she hurriedly went to the city and told the good news to the people there. Though the exchange between the Lord Jesus and her was short, the name by which she called Him changed very quickly. It was because she saw that the Lord’s words had authority and power, and He was able to reveal her innermost secrets and corruption, resolve her problem and confusion, and point out to her the clear way to practice. For this reason, she recognized that the Lord Jesus was the coming Messiah.
The Samaritan woman’s wisdom is a good enlightenment for us to welcome the Lord in the last days. Now is the key moment when the Lord comes. Then, how should we absorb the strengths of the Samaritan woman so that we can welcome the Lord Jesus’ return?
The Lord Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:12–13). “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). And it is prophesied many times in Revelation, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2,3). Revelation says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). We can see from these words that when the Lord returns in the last days, He will speak again to tell us the truths we don’t understand. He requires us to be wise virgins and pay attention to hearing His voice. In this way, we can follow the footprints of the Lamb, go to the wedding feast, and receive God’s salvation in the last days. Therefore, when someone witnesses to us that the Lord has come to utter His word, we should follow the Samaritan woman’s example, and hear whether the word has authority and power, and whether it is able to reveal our corruptions that nobody knows, resolve our problems and difficulties, and point out to us the way to practice. Only if we are able to hear the Lord’s voice, can we have the chance to welcome the Lord’s return and attend the wedding feast together with the Lamb!
