HOW JESUS CHRIST CARES FOR YOU

Armando Borja

How sad it is when you think that nobody cares for you. But it is far more sad to think that people -- who long for love and care -- do not care for the one who really cares for them. That one is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. There are many passages in the Bible that show Jesus took time to interact with individuals, an act that shows he cares. Lets look and learn from one of those passages. The following Bible passage is the apostle John's record of Jesus' conversation with a Samaritan woman.

1. The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2. although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3. When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4. Now he had to go through Samaria. 5. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8. (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9. The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11. “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12. Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” 13. Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14. but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15. The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16. He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17. “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19. “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21. Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 25. The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26. Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he” (John 4:4-26 NIV).

In this passage we can see several manifestations of how Jesus cares. First, Jesus does not allow any barriers to stop him from reaching out to you (vv. 5-9). Jesus is a man; the Samaritan in this passage is a woman. He is holy; she is a sinner. He is a Jew; she is a Samaritan. He is the Son of God; she is a daughter of Adam. Despite the differences, Jesus reached out to her. He did not mind what people might say. He did not allow the culture of that time to stop him from talking to her. What's important to Jesus is to seek them who are lost and save them. Jesus wants to talk with you also in spite of the big gap between you and him. His love for you is too great that no barriers would stop him. Will you let him communicate with you?

Second, Jesus wants to give you the most important gift that truly satisfies (vv 10-33). The water that the Samaritan woman drew from the well could quench her thirst. But, there is a kind of thirst that cannot be quenched by water or any material things. Perhaps she thirsted for love, security, and happiness which several husbands failed to give her. Perhaps she thirsted for the meaning of her life and seek it in earthly relationships. But anything that comes to an end could never truly satisfy and every thing in this world will come to an end. Seeking to fill your emptiness with things of this world will lead you to disappointments. What Christ can give is something that will never run out. A kind of water that when you drink, you will never be thirsty again. A kind of food that when you eat, you will never be hungry again. A kind of life that that when you receive, though you die, you will live again and die no more. And it is not just something; it is also someone. He is God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. He wants to live in you. And let you experience the absolute satisfaction which is out of this world. This is what Christ wants to give you as a gift. Will you let him?

Third, Jesus tells you the truth about your spiritual condition (vv. 15-18). The Samaritan woman, still, did not understand what Christ was talking about. Perhaps, in order to make her understand the gift that truly satisfies, Christ made her aware of her spiritual condition of being a sinner. Our awareness of our sinfulness may create in us a kind of thirst that makes us seek what truly satisfies. This awareness may also create in us a sense of emptiness that makes us seek for answers and find them in Christ. The man whom the Samaritan woman was having an affair with was not her husband. She was living a life just like many in our present age. They look for happiness and love in men, women or in some other things without considering what is right and what is wrong. They just want to satisfy their sinful desires with anything. But, again, anything in this world can never truly satisfy. Instead of facing the truth about her sinfulness the woman deviate the matter to the issue on where to worship God. Just like her, we tend to avoid the light when our deeds are evil in fear that the light might expose them and make us ashame. But avoidance never solves the problem. Christ is telling us about our true spiritual condition, our being sinners, so that we may humble ourselves, grieved over our sins that separate us from God, and ask for his forgiveness. He wants to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And this will happen if we confess our sins. Let the light of Christ expose our sinfulness so that we could confess and repent for he will freely pardon.

Fourth, Jesus tells you the truth about what God desires (vv. 19-24). Jesus did not insist on talking about the Samaritan woman's personal life. Instead, he entertained the issue that the Samaritan woman brought to his attention – the issue on worshiping God. The worship of God is a very important topic and Jesus wanted the woman to have the right focus with regard to worship. Jesus revealed to her what kind of worshipers God is seeking and not the kind of place in which God wants to be worshiped. God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. Worship in the Old Testament was filled with ceremonies and rituals which are just shadows of the one who was to come which is Jesus Christ. Since Jesus had already come, there is no need to dwell on his shadows. There is no need for symbolism, images or a special location to worship God. Worshiping God in spirit and in truth is worshiping God in Christ Jesus who is the way the truth and the life. There is no need for ceremonies and rituals except what the gospel commanded us to do. This is what God desires. And Jesus cares for you that he wanted you to know this.

Finally, Jesus reveals to you who he really is (v. 26). The woman again went to another topic which is about the Messiah. Earlier, Jesus enlightened her on the the subject of worshiping God. She had a prior knowledge that the Messiah will explain to people everything. Perhaps, this time she was asking in her heart, “Could this be the Messiah?” Without hesitation, Jesus revealed to her that he is indeed the Messiah. Jesus is not in the game of “hide and seek” in which he wanted you to have a hard time looking for him. Instead, he is willing to reveal himself to you. Those who ask will receive, those who seek will find, and for those who knock, a door will be opened for them. And the most important thing which you should look for is to know and to have Jesus who gave his life for you. You will never be disappointed if you do. You can find Jesus for he, himself, wants you to find and know him more than you do. Are you looking for Jesus? Do you long for him?

Jesus cares for you. He loves you that he reaches out to you and lets nothing to get in the way. He wants to give you the gift that will truly satisfy. He cares for you that he wanted you to be aware of you spiritual need so that you could ask him to meet it. He shares with you what the will of the Father is. And he is willing to reveal to you more of himself. That's how Jesus Christ cares for you.