As Jesus was walking through a Samaritan village, He met with a Samaritan woman drawing water from a well. He spoke to her of the "living water" that He offered, exposed her many sinful relationships, and began witnessing to her. At this point, the topic of the Messiah comes up:
The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the town and were coming to him. (John 4:25-30 ESV)
Here we see Jesus meeting with this Samaritan woman, and she is so absolutely amazed at His insight that in her haste to tell others, she even leaves her water jar there at the well. She goes into the town and tells them of this man, of her encounter with Jesus Christ the Messiah, and they begin coming out of the town to meet Him. I can almost see their questioning and even slightly hopeful faces - "The Messiah, could it truly be?" - as they flock to this man to see Him for themselves. A few verses later, we see the result of this woman's testimony:
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." (John 4:39-42 ESV)
Do you see the chain of events? First, this woman who has had a personal encounter with Jesus goes and tells anyone who will listen. She draws them and invites them to meet with this man, to see for themselves. So they meet Him, they listen to Him - and they believe. They have their own personal encounter, and through that, they see that "this is indeed the Savior of the world."
So how did this all start? With one woman who told all who would listen of her own personal encounter with the Christ - she was no priest, she was no woman of righteousness; in fact, she was a sinner - just like us. She was a sinner who was not afraid to share her tale, her own testimony of the One who provides the living water which has the power to become "a spring of water welling up to eternal life." So let's not be afraid to share our own stories - perhaps someone will listen, and decide to meet with this Jesus for themselves, and see that He is indeed the Savior of the world. Never underestimate the power of a testimony.
Blessings,
Andrew
