Christ for All People

JOHN 4:4-10, 27-30, 39-42

GOLDEN TEXT: “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.”—John 4:14

THE title of this lesson is well chosen. Christ is indeed for all people. He is the “seed of Abraham” through which all the families of the earth shall yet be blessed. The interest of the Samaritan woman, and the fact that afterward some of her friends believed, gives evidence of this, especially in the light of the otherwise restricted ministry of Jesus. He instructed his disciples not to go to the Gentiles nor to any city of the Samaritans, and with rare exceptions he adhered to this policy himself.

In the case of the Syro-phoenician woman who sought a blessing from the Master, he said, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto dogs.” (Mark 7:26,27) Israelites in Jesus’ day spoke of Gentiles as dogs. When this Gentile woman said that dogs are glad to eat the children’s crumbs which fall from the table, Jesus observed that for this saying he would grant her the crumb of favor she desired.

The case of the woman of Samaria whom Jesus met at the well was another where he granted a crumb of favor to those outside of the commonwealth of Israel. To understand why Jesus’ earthly ministry was limited in scope it is necessary to remember he came and served at the end of the Jewish age, an age during which God dealt exclusively with the one nation, Israel. Through the prophet, God had said, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”—Amos 3:2

The prophecy of Daniel (chapter 9) reveals that the covenant of exclusive favor to Israel was to continue for a period of seventy symbolic weeks (490 years) from the time a decree would be issued to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. The last of these prophetic “weeks,” or periods of seven years, began at the time of Jesus’ baptism, and he recognized, therefore, that it was not yet the due time for the Gospel to be heralded to all nations. This does not mean, of course, that Jesus did not love the Gentiles, for he came to die for all mankind, and all will yet have an opportunity to benefit from his sacrificial work on their behalf.

We do not know just how fully the Samaritan woman grasped the meaning of what Jesus said to her. She was convinced of his messiah-ship, not by his explanation of truth, but by the fact that he was able apparently to read her mind. She discerned that he possessed powers beyond the ordinary, and was impressed—in fact, convinced—that such a one must be sent of God.

But to us his statement concerning living waters is much more meaningful and important. In this instance water is used by the Master as a symbol of life that flows to the believer and which wells up to supply everlasting life for him and for others. This promise implies much more than merely receiving life for one’s self. A well of water is a bountiful and continuous supply, and while the consecrated followers of Jesus rejoice in this supply, it is not provided for them alone.

Isaiah 12:3 is a wonderful promise to the natural house of Israel, which reads, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” We all recognize Jesus as the great “well” or fountain of life-giving water, but in his statement to the Samaritan woman he is explaining that those who become his consecrated followers will not only receive life from him, but will themselves become “wells of salvation” from which first, Israel, and ultimately all nations, will receive life during the age to come.

In a very special way the Apostle John seemed to grasp the thought that the church of Christ is called to a blessed partnership with him in the work of giving salvation to the world. In his epistle he wrote, “Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son.” (I John 1:3) The Greek word here translated fellowship literally means partnership. Having grasped the significance of this wonderful thought, John records many of the sayings of Jesus which give emphasis to it. Today’s lesson is one of them.

Jesus is the “seed” of Abraham through which all the families of the earth are to be blessed, and his body members share not only the title, but the privileges which it implies. Paul said, “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:8,16,27-29) Using another metaphor the Scriptures tell us that the church becomes the “bride” of Christ, and that then the “Spirit and the bride” will say “Come, … and partake of the water of life freely.”—Rev. 19:7; 21:2,9,10; 22:17

The blessings of Christ’s kingdom will he for all people, and while subsequent to the time of our lesson the disciples were bidden to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, the purpose of this effort has been merely to reach a people—in all a “little flock”—to be joint-heirs with the Master as rulers in his kingdom. These will have the privilege of reigning over and blessing all nations, dispensing life and joy to all who accept and render obedience to the laws of the new kingdom. They are shown in Revelation 20:4 as “beheaded for the witness of Jesus,” and then they live and reign with him.

QUESTIONS:

Did Jesus try to convert the Gentiles in his day?

In what sense will each true Christian be a well of water?

Has it been God’s purpose to convert the world during the present age?

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