He defiled Himself... for me

The encounter with the Samaritan woman was one of the most significant incidents in Christ’s earthly ministry (TASKER, 1960:80). It best illustrates the depths that Christ stooped to accept us and save our souls.

It is interesting that on His way to Galilee, Jesus, being a Jew, traveled through Samaria (John 4:4), despite the fact that any contact a Jew had with a Samaritan was considered defiling under Jewish Law (TENNEY, 1981:54). Further, Samaritans were historical enemies of the Jews because during the time of Nehemiah they opposed the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall (Nehemiah 4:1-2).

As if these two factors weren’t bad enough, Jesus, widely regarded as a Teacher of impeccable integrity, stopped along the way to have a one-on-one chat with a woman, which was taboo; even worse, the woman was a Samaritan.

It still gets worse, the woman was sexually immoral, the type of woman whom King Solomon, the wisest man ever on earth, warned us to avoid like the plague because of her sting (Proverbs 5:1-8). In fact the only reason this woman went to the well alone to fetch water at noon in the scorching sun instead of the morning with other women is probably because she was censured due to immorality. So under the Jewish microscope, Jesus couldn’t have defiled Himself worse than this, even if He tried!

But such is the love of Christ. He touched or was touched by the ‘unclean’ (YANLEY, 1995:153). He even became “[the sacrifice for] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of GOD in Him“ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

What power this love has in its effect on our lives, enabling us to bear fruit to His glory (OWEN, 2006:32); because it is by tapping a Samaritan woman who had been through five husbands, that Jesus led a spiritual revival (YANLEY, 1995:154). Through this woman, Christ singlehandedly evangelized an entire city. A city filled with people who had stigmatized her, yet when she had come to the saving knowledge of Christ, she couldn’t hold her experience back, not even from those she would have considered her enemies.

It is undoubtedly amazing grace that the type of woman Solomon warned could bring death to a man, is the same type of woman Christ touched to bring life to an entire city! It is no wonder that here for the first time in His earthly ministry, and ironically among the Gentiles (non-Jews), that Christ is hailed as the “Savior of the World” (John 4:42).

Bibliography

·        OWEN, J. 2006. The Glory of Christ. London: Grace Publication Trust

·        TASKER, R.V.G. 1960. John. An Introduction and Commentary. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries)

·        TENNEY, M.C. 1981. John. (In_Gaebelein, F.E., ed. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 9. Michigan: Zondervan)

·        YANLEY, P. 1995. The Jesus I Never Knew. Michigan: Zondervan