In going straight from chapter 3-4 of John's Gospel, we see several obvious compelling contrasts between Christ's dealing with Nicodemus and His dialogue with the “woman at the well.”
• Nicodemus was a Jew; the woman at the well was a Samaritan • Nicodemus was a man; she was a woman • Nicodemus came to Jesus by night; the woman came in broad daylight • Nicodemus was learned and of the upper class; the woman was ignorant and an outcast • Nicodemus knew that Jesus was divinely sent; the woman couldn't figure out who this Jewish rabbi was and why he was talking to her
Yet both Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria were thirsting for “something more.” The woman appears to have immediately and joyfully believed on Christ, but for Nicodemus, the proud Pharisee, more time would elapse before he became unashamed to be identified with the lowly Nazarene Who both died and rose again.
There is so much that we can learn from the Master Soul-winner in His encounter with this woman. We should meet and speak to non-Christians personally. We should meet them where they are at and establish a mutual interest. We should stay “on track” and persevere in pressing home the claims of Christ.
But there is one vital lesson here that we might be tempted to overlook – we may win a soul that is not even seeking salvation! This woman came to the well to draw water – as she had so many times before – without any desire for Jesus or for eternal life. So Saul went to seek his father's donkeys and found a kingdom. The lame man at the Beautiful gate of the temple looked for alms from Peter and John, but came away with healing and salvation. May God help us to be soul-conscious!
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Bob Vradenburgh is the senior pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has spent 40 years in full-time Christian service: the first 20 years as a missionary and the past 20 years in the pastorate. Bob’s passion is the expository preaching of God’s Word,...