John 4:1-14

 John 4:1-14

As is often the case there's a powerful message in a little-noticed phrase of scripture. This one sentence can have very profound meaning for us. In verse 4 John tells us “He had to pass through Samaria”. He “had” to! Jesus is God made flesh what can compel Him to do anything? Additionally Jews who traveled from Galilee to Judea had alternative routes that allowed them to avoid Samaria. Going through Samaria was by no means a geographic necessity. In fact, since Jesus and his disciples were baptizing in the Jordan then the route through Samaria was out of the way. The “had to” was not geography.

What was the compelling force that called Jesus to go through Samaria? The expression of necessity is descriptive of the will of God. What took Him to Samaria was that it was what the Father wanted. Did Jesus know He would encounter this woman there? Did He have a foresight of the universal and positive reception of the people of Sychar? Perhaps He did perhaps not but He was responding to the will of the Father  and that is what we need to take away from this verse.

How did Jesus know this was the will of God? Did He interpret circumstances correctly? Was there an inner conviction? Perhaps a voice, dream, or vision prompted Him? We don't know but whatever the means the message got through and that was because of the closeness of the Son to the Father. In Discerning the will of God more important than all other factors is the intimacy with the Father! All other factors or guides can only be meaningful when a disciple is close to the Lord.

“Lord, prompt me to stay so close to You that in every moment I will understand and know Your will.  AMEN”