THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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who knows whom he did bring. Jesus “must needs go through Samaria.” But why must he needs go through Samaria? Some one may say, “ Because it was the shortest route from Judea to Galilee.” But there was a deeper reason, there was a poor, sin ning woman ta be reached, and to reach, her He must take the Samaria route. Jesus was weary, and hungry, and thirsty when- He reached the well called Sychar, too tired to go with His disciples into the city. But as He saw this poof creature coming down the road, all other hunger was for gotten in the hunger to do the will o f Him s who sent Him, and all other thirst was for gotten in the thirst for perishing souls. His first thought was, “ How can I reach and save this woman?” Is that always our first thought, when we see a perishing soul approaching ? Wednesday, April 26 . John 4:7-9. The woman came for a pitcher o f water? she got a whole well full, and a well that she could carry with her wherever she went. This trip to the well was the turn ing point o f her life, and o f -her eternal destiny, because upon it she met Jesus. Jesus’ manner of dealing with her is full o f suggestion to the personal worker. He began with the matter that was uppermost in the woman’s mind, but led by a very short route to the great question. He asked a small favor o f the woman that He might'.fconfer a great one upon her. He took the woman when she was ¿lone, and so she opened her heart to Him. If we would have people open their hearts to us, it is better to deaf with them alone than when in a crowd, or even when one other is listening. This woman had a mean spirit, for instead o f giving a thirsty man a drink, she brings up the strife between her people and His. Indeed, Jesus did not get, the drink He asked for at all, but He got what He desired infinitely more, the woman her self. Thursday, April 27. : John 4:10-14. In verse 10 Jesus tells the woman that
men do not receive it. But the few who_j do receive it have set their seals to this that “God is true.” Not only the thoughts that Jesus gives expression to, but the very words He; speaks are “the words o f God.” Furthermore, He has the, power o f giving the Spirit in full measure and thereby again proves that all His words are the Words of God (v. 34, see R. V .). The Son is the personal object o f the Father’s love, and the Father hath put all things into His hands. The Son is omnipotent and has all authority. Believing on this Son is the one and only way to obtain eternal life, There is no passage in the Bible in which, the way o f life and the way o f death are more simply set forth than in verse 36, “ He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life.” Anyone who really has a continuing, abiding faith in Jesus Christ, no matter who he is or what he has done, and no matter what else he may have ôr may not have now, he " hath eternal life .” Eter nal life is his present possession and he shall never perish, neither shall any one snatch him out of the hand o f the Father and o f the Son ,(ch. 10:28, 29, R. V .). On the other hand, he that putteth not his faith in Jesus Christ ‘‘shall not see life, but the wrath o f God abideth on him.” Nothing that he can be or do will give him life or save him from wrath if he refuses, or fails, to put his trust in Jesus Christ. Tuesday, April 25. John 4:1-6. Jesus’ ministry. touched all classes. In the last chapter it was a Jew, in this a Samaritan, in that a man, in this a woman, in that the “teacher o f Israel,” in this a woman o f bad character. But they both needed Jesus and they both needed the Holy Spirit (ch. 3:3-5; 4:14). There is no essential difference between men, even when external differences are very wide. (Rom. 3:22,,23). In some'respects the bad woman had the advantage o f the good man: she came by day, he came by night; she confessed Christ at once, he was a secret disciple for years; she brought a whole city to Christ, he ’ brought—well,
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