Mensa Otabil - Jesus at Jacob's Well
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Welcome to a brand new week. Beginning today, we are starting a new study, focusing on John chapter 4. I will do this for two weeks, examining how Jesus presented the gospel to a woman often referred to as the woman at the well or the Samaritan woman. We will use this as a lesson for Christians on how to present the gospel to others.
We start with verses 5 and 6 of John chapter 4, where Jesus is at Jacob’s well. He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, being weary from his journey, sat by the well; it was about the sixth hour. John chapter 3 and John chapter 4 are interconnected. In John chapter 3, Jesus meets a man named Nicodemus and shares the gospel with him. Then, in John chapter 4, Jesus meets this woman to share the gospel with her.
In these two chapters, we see how Jesus explains the gospel to different kinds of people. He explains the born-again experience to Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, and now speaks to a woman who is not highly regarded in society. Yet for both of them, Jesus ministered life. The Samaritan woman we will discuss today contrasts sharply with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a respected leader; she is an outcast. Nicodemus is a Jew; she is a Samaritan. He is presumably seen as a moral person, while this woman is viewed as immoral. Nicodemus was learned in religious matters, whereas this woman was quite ignorant about them. Despite their differences-one coming from a more refined environment and the other from a more humble background-both needed the same Savior, and Jesus made time for both.
The location Jesus chose for this encounter was Jacob’s well. This well had been there for over 1,800 years, and people still fetched water from it. Jesus sat there while his disciples went to town. Why did Jesus choose this place? Perhaps he chose it because it was a meeting place, where people gathered. The well was frequented by the women of the city, and sometimes the men would follow them to fetch water. There would usually be people at the well, but at this time, it is noon. Jesus chose to sit there to preach the gospel. We must position ourselves where people are, as Jesus did. You cannot hide away from people and preach the gospel; you must be where they are.
In today’s context, what represents a well for us-or the place where Jesus located himself-could be an office, a marketplace, public transport, or, in the digital age, platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp. This is the well, the place where people gather, where God positions us to share His word. The first note about sharing the gospel with others is where we locate ourselves, how we position ourselves, and which platform we will use. Are we using a well, Facebook, or personal contact in the office? There has to be a place you adopt as your own to share the gospel with others. Imagine what Jesus would do if He lived in our day, with all the tools available. If Jesus were on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Twitter, what would He be tweeting about? What messages would He post? What would He forward to people?
Think about it, and as a Christian, consider whether you are using your well-the platform-well to present the gospel.Let us pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, put me in a place where I can share the message of Your salvation with others. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. That concludes our first lesson for today. We will continue tomorrow to learn more about sharing the gospel with other people. I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.