The Savior of the World

She thought that romance and sex would satisfy the deepest needs of her life. As a result, she went from marriage to marriage and from relationship to relationship. She had been married and divorced five times. And then she was living with a man.

Nowadays, this story wouldn’t be all that uncommon. But in the first century, it was scandalous for someone to live this way. By the time this woman encountered Jesus at a Samaritan well, she had been used, abused, and disillusioned.

Undoubtedly, she was strikingly attractive. But perhaps as the years passed, her beauty began to fade, and as a result, men started disappearing from her life. There wasn’t anyone who would commit themselves to her in marriage anymore. And before she knew it, she had no friends to speak of.

People probably wouldn’t even look at her, much less give her the time of day—that is, until Jesus came along. And He gave her more than the time of day. He went out of His way to speak with her, and He revealed to her the truth of God’s Word. She hadn’t realized it, but she had an appointment with God that day.

One thing we can always be sure of is that God keeps His appointments. He is never late; He is always on time.

It’s interesting to note that the story of this woman in John 4 comes immediately after the story of Nicodemus in John 3. Nicodemus was a religious, upright man who came to Jesus at night, searching for answers in life. Meanwhile, the Samaritan woman was an immoral person whom Jesus sought out.

There are some interesting contrasts between these two individuals. One was a man, and one was a woman. One was very moral, and one was very immoral. Nicodemus was known for his great accomplishments, while the Samaritan woman was known for her great immorality.

At the same time, both had something in common: they were empty, and they needed Jesus. We, too, have a spiritual thirst deep inside us. And there’s nothing in this world that will satisfy this thirst except for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

This serves as a reminder to us that everyone needs Jesus. Sometimes we think that Jesus is only for the down-and-outers. Yes, they do need Jesus. But relatively good people need Him too.

I have found that wherever I go, the answers for the problems of humanity are the same. I have preached in the United States and in several other countries. And everywhere I’ve been, I’ve found that one thing is always true: people are sinful, and Jesus is the answer.

Regardless of someone’s culture, age, race, or gender, they need Jesus. Everyone is empty, everyone is lonely, everyone has a sense of guilt, and everyone is afraid to die. That is something we need to realize.

Jesus is the Savior of the world. He is the Savior of every person, young and old, from the simpleminded to the great intellect. Jesus Christ is the answer.

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