# 79 It's Personal

Joh 4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

The Samaritan woman had gone back to the city and told people that she had met a man who “told her all she ever did.” This is key because the Samaritans believed that a Messiah would one day come to them and “tell them all things.” (verse 25) She then simply asked the villagers, “Could this be the Christ?” (verse 29)

Many believed what the woman said and so they went out to the well to meet Him. Once they met Him, they were obviously impressed, and they invited Jesus to stay in the village and He did for two days.

Don’t you wish that two day meeting would’ve been documented for us? What did HE speak of? What did he tell them that cemented the deal for them? When He left, they were convinced HE was the Christ, the Savior of the world!

Whatever He said, I’m guessing it was very convicting. I suspect they all got a personalized dose of the Law, “telling them everything they ever did.” No. I don’t mean that He put the spotlight on each of them personally and exposed them to the rest of the crowd. But as He preached to them in those two days, you can bet more than a few were squirming in their seats.

That’s the beauty of the Law. It is very personal. Even when it is spoken to large audiences, it does its work on each individual heart! How many times have you listened to a preacher and thought he was speaking directly to you? He wasn’t! Rather, it was the Law and the Holy Spirit speaking to you, telling you a part of “everything you did.”

When that happens, you have three options: (1) Blow it off as coincidence. (2) Self correct the problem by obeying the Law in your own strength. Or (3) You can be like these Samaritans and believe that Jesus is the Messiah who came to save the world from their sins.

The Law touches us personally. We agree with the prophet Nathan who told David about his adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband, “”You are the man!”

The Gospel is also very personal. Like the Law, it’s often spoken to large audiences, but it’s only heard by those hearts that have been prepared to receive it!

The Samaritan woman’s testimony aroused interest, but it saved no one. It was only when the people heard Christ for themselves that they believed. The phrase “heard for ourselves,” is important because it speaks of the necessity of a personal relationship with Jesus. That relationship becomes personal when the sinner is spoken to personally by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.

Broken by the Law, and then healed by the Gospel! The message from Jesus to the Samaritans is the same message to you and I. “I know your sins, but I paid for all of them on Calvary. They are forgiven! Receive My forgiveness and be saved!