Jesus Knows All About You

 N.T.#705 "Jesus Knows All About You"

Dec. 31, 2025 

John 4-Part 2 

God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (verse 24)

LET IT GLOW

The Samaritan woman was thinking in terms of the physical. Of course, that is all she knew at the time she began conversing with Jesus. She had even been shocked that a Jew, a man, and a religious teacher would even carry on a conversation with a half-breed Samaritan, prostitute, and a woman. However, Jesus was focusing on her need of spiritual water. 

As Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He sought to help her find a relationship with God (and forgiveness of sins) by giving to her God's living water. (verses 13-14) If only she understood who He was, then she would have been asking Jesus for a drink (of living water, a spiritual new life). (verse 10)

The poor gal was stuck on how Jesus was going to get physical water from the well. He had nothing with which to draw it, much less a cup to use for a drink. Jesus told her the one who drank that water from the well would thirst again, but when one drinks from the water He provides will never thirst again.  That is true, for Jesus is the Savior who provides everlasting life. Only He can quench our thirsty soul. S

... but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (verse 14b)

Folks, have you drank from this well? Is it springing up in you?

If you receive a drink from Jesus, you don't have to come back for another. His living water becomes its own everlasting well. Thirst no more. (Tony Evans)

LET IT GROW

She didn't get it. So Jesus made it personal. He knew her sins that she needed to confess. He told the woman to call for her husband. She admitted that she had no husband.

What were the woman's sins? She had been married 5 times and the man she was living with now was not her husband. Jesus told her that and she thought she was a prophet. He had hit the nail on the head. Then the woman changed the subject to worshiping God. 

The time is now for us to worship God in spirit and in truth, for He is a Spirit and is Truth. (verses 23-24)

The woman knew the Messiah, called Christ, was coming and would tell them all things.

Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He. (verse 26)

She must have believed Jesus to be the Messiah, for she dropped the water pot and went into the city to tell the Good News. 

LET IT GO

Friend, drop everything and come to Jesus. 

He knows your sins, yet He loves you.

He died in your place, taking your punishment, so you can have everlasting life and abundant life now.

Are You Thirsty?

N.T. #704 "Are You Thirsty?"

Dec. 30, 2025

John 4

And He must needs go through Samaria. (John 4:4)

LET IT GLOW

Is your soul thirsty for purpose of life, love everlasting, or importance? Come to the well that never runs dry-Jesus. 

Why did Jesus feel He must go through Samaria? Who was He going to encounter there? Why Samaria, of all places? Let's find out.

Most Jews traveling to and from Jerusalem/Judea and the Galilean area would travel east of the Jordan river in order to avoid going through Samaria. Why? 

The Samaritans were idolatrous half-breeds-ethnically pollute religiously confused, and morally debased. (Swindoll) 

In order to find the answer, we need to look back into the history of the Samaritans:

• After the Jews split into the northern and southern kingdom, the northern kingdom established Samaria as its capital.  
• The Assyrians captured the northern kingdom and took many Jews captives and deported to Assyria in 722 B.C.
• Foreigners were brought into the land to settle and keep peace. (2 Kings 17:24)
• There was intermarrying between those Jews who remained in the northern kingdom and the foreigners resulting in a mixed race called Samaritans.
• The Samaritans were considered an impure race by the southern Jews. They were considered to have betrayed their people and nation.
• The Samaritans set up an alternative center for worship on Mount Gerizim. (4:20)

While there was a long-standing prejudice between Jews and Samaritans, Jesus did not live by such restrictions. He took the shorter route to Galilee. (Don't you think Jesus knew a Samaritan woman in need would be at Jacob's well when He got there? I consider He went that way on purpose.)

[Resource: Life Application Study Bible]

It was necessary for Jesus to go through Samaria.

Isn't it necessary for us to go to our choice house of worship?

Do we expect to meet Jesus there?

LET IT GROW

It was a divine appointment, Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at a well. 

What happened?

• Taking the most direct route to Galilee, Jesus stopped at Jacob's well at Sychar. 
• Jacob had bought this parcel of ground and later gave it to his son, Joseph. (Gen. 48:22) (Falwell)
• Jacob was laid to rest there after Israel's Exodus from Egypt. (Joseph 24:32)
• It was noon when the woman went to the well to fetch water. She avoided getting it in the morning when other women would be there in the morning and evening, for she was an immoral woman. People knew her reputation.
• Here was a Jewish teacher (Jesus) asking a prostitute Samaritan living in sin, and a woman of whom the Son of God asked for a drink of water. (verse 7)
• Were His disciples there? No, they had gone into the city to guy meat, so Jesus was alone with her. (verse 8)
• What was Jesus doing asking her for a drink of water? She was beneath Him as a non-Jew, as a woman, and as a Samaritan. The woman knew her place in society. 
• Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water. (verse 10 NLT)

Let's leave the situation there. Jesus didn't want this woman liker her past lovers/husbands had. 

Jesus gave this woman an extraordinary message about fresh and pure water that would quench her spiritual thirst forever. The Gospel is for every person, no matter what his or her race, social position, or past sins. We must be prepared to share it at any time and in any place. 

In the OT many verses speak of thirsting after God as one thirsts for water. (Psalm 42:1; Isaiah 55:1; Zechariah 13:1) God is called the Fountain of Life (Ps. 36:9) and the Fountain of Living Water. (Jeremiah 17:13) Jesus would bring Living Water that could forever quench a person's thirst for God. Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah. Only the Messiah could give this gift that satisfies the soul's desire. (Life Application Study Bible)

LET IT GO

I like this song:

Like the woman at the well, I was seeking, for things that could not satisfy. And then, I heard my Savior speaking, "Draw from this well that never shall run dry."

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me til I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

Come to Jesus, dear one, and you will find Living Water.

When the End is the Beginning

N.T.#703 "When the End is the Beginning"

Dec. 29, 2025 

John 3-Part 7 

LET IT GLOW

In chapter 4, John continues to write about the ministry of Christ in Galilee. Hey, what happened to John the Baptist?  John was the forerunner of Jesus. He preached to the Pharisees, Sadducees, multitudes, tax-collectors, soldiers, and to Herod Antipas. You may recall the situation which sent John to jail. He condemned the mess in the palace, resulting in John's head on a platter. (Matthew 14) Before that, John proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of God and even baptized Jesus. They were cousins, you know. Yet Jesus didn't go see John before his death. He sent word reassuring John. It was the end of John's ministry and the beginning of Jesus' ministry. John did a fantastic job, don't you think?

I like how Swindoll puts John's purpose-to clear the way, prepare the way, and get out of the way, Jesus is The Way, The Truth, The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. (John 14:6)

Have you come to Jesus? Have your loved ones come to Jesus?

LET IT GROW

To be great like John the Baptist, we glean principles from his life:

1. All leaders serve at God's pleasure. (3:27)
2. Joy comes from serving God, not from one's title or job description. (verses 28-29)
3. Genuine humility calls attention to Christ, not to self. (verses 30-34)

John clutched nothing and released everything to the Lord: his following, his popularity, his will. John learned that God owns it all and deserves all the glory; therefore, we find the greatest joy in fulfilling our purpose: to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever. 

[Swindoll's Insights on John]

We might think what a horrible way to die, but John did not complain, for he knew he was going to heaven.

LET IT GO

Bitterness, jealousy, envy-give it to God.

Let Him change your heart.

Glory to God!

Where Can You Get a New Heart?

 N.T.702 "Where Can You Get a New Heart?"

Dec. 26, 2025 

John 3-Part 6

LET IT GLOW

Is life weighing you down? Come for a new heart today. Let Jesus carry those burdens.

Shall we wrap up what happened as Nicodemus and Jesus conversed? He thought salvation meant performing certain religious exercises and holding to particular religious teaching. Remember, he was a Pharisee, a Sanhedrin, a priestly Jews, and well educated in the Word. He had no idea what was involved in salvation and the evidence of it. 

When one becomes a Christian, believer in Jesus, God gives:

• a new heart so everything becomes new;
• a new mind, like that of Christ, so you think differently;
• new emotions, so you feel deeply about completely different matters. (Experiencing God Day By Day, a devotional book by Henry and Richard Blackaby)

We don't know if Nicodemus was converted or not. Perhaps the Pharisaical teachings were engrained so deeply in him that it was too difficult for him to let go and trust in Jesus as the Messiah-Savior. Perhaps he did surrender to Jesus his heart. One of those things will find out whenever we get to heaven.

What about you, friend? Have you received a new heart, mind, and emotions after coming to Jesus?

LET IT GROW

In verses 22-36, we read John the Baptist's testimony of Jesus:

• He is come from above and from heaven. (verse 31)
• He is greater than anyone else. 
• He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet few believe what He tells them. (verse 32)
• He speaks God's Words.
• God gives Jesus the Spirit without limit. (verse 34)
• The Father loves the Son and has put everything into His hands. (verse 35)
• Anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. 

Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment. (verse 36b)

That is why we witness to the lost and unbelievers. We do not want them to come under God's judgment and spend eternity in hell.

LET IT GO

Jesus, sometimes we grow weary, heavy burdens weigh us down.

Today we need a new heart, mind, and emotions. 

Please forgive our sins and create with me and others the newness of life we once had.

 

Christmas 2025

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Be safe is you are traveling.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

We are so grateful that God has provided a way for us sinners to get to heaven-believing in Jesus as His Son and our Savior!

Every year before our family exchanges gifts, my husband reads Luke 2. It reminds us why and what we are celebrating-the birth of a Savior and King, Jesus Christ.

Such love the Father expressed to us when He gave His most precious gift-His Son.

In His Love,

Linda

Are You a Believer or an Unbeliever?"

N.T.#701 "Are You a Believer or an Unbeliever?"

Dec. 24, 2025 

John 3-Part 5 

LET IT GLOW 

What did Nicodemus learn while speaking with Jesus and about believers?

• Ye must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God, heaven. (verse 3, 7)
• You must be born of the Spirit. (verse 5)
• The Son of man must be lifted up (on a cross) so believers may have eternal life. (verses 14, 15)
• God sent His Son into the world so people can be saved (from the penalty of their sins). (verse 17)
• He that believes on Jesus is not condemned.
• The Light of the world is Jesus Christ, who has come into the world. (verse 19)
• He that does truth comes to the Light, Jesus, and his deed may be manifested to show he is in God. (verse 21)

This is the first of 10 references used to "eternal life" in John's Gospel. The same Greek word (aionios) is translated 8 times as "everlasting life". The two expressions appear in the NT nearly 50 times. Eternal life refers not only to eternal quantity, but divine quality of life. It means literally "life of the age to come" and refers, therefore, to resurrection and heavenly existence in perfect glory and holiness. This life for believers in the Lord Jesus is experienced before heaven is reached. It is participation in the eternal life of the Living Word, Jesus Christ. (The MacArthur Bible Commentary)

Friend, are you ready for eternal life? Where will you spend it-heaven or hell?

LET IT GROW

He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God. ((verse 18)

What did Nicodemus learn about those not believing in Jesus?

• Unbelievers are condemned already. (verse 18)
• Those who do evil hate the Light. (verse 19)
• They love darkness, since Light exposes their evil deeds. (verse 20)
•  They try (in vain) to hide their sinful deeds, and will experience eternal judgment for rejecting the free gift of God-salvation through faith in Jesus as Savior. (verse 20)

Christ concludes their interview with an invitation for Nicodemus to leave his darkness and unbelief and come to the Light. Did Nic take up the challenge and come out of darkness into the Light? The Word does not say.

To "believe" is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in Him that Jesus alone can save us. We trust His Words are reliable; we rely on Jesus for the power to change our heart; we put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. If you have never trusted Christ, as your Savior, let this promise of everlasting life be yours-and believe. People often put their faith in good works, skill or intelligence, money or possessions. (Life application Study Bible)

Jesus told Him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through Me. (John 14:6)

Ask Jesus to forgive your sins today.

LET IT GO

Only Jesus paid the price for me. 

Only His love could set me free.

Nobody else could open heaven's door.

Just Jesus and nothing more.

Glory to God in the Highest!

What a Wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!

Have You Believed Yet?

N.T.#700  "Have You Believed Yet?"

 Dec. 23, 2025 

John 3-Part 4

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. (verse 17)

LET IT GLOW

 Why did God send Jesus into the world? 

It wasn't to bring condemnation, but to bring salvation to the people. Love motivated God to send Jesus to provide for our salvation. We are sinners and condemned to death to begin with, friend. God's grace offers us a way out of spiritual death and punishment for our sins. 

Condemn means decide (mentally or judicially); punish; avenge; sentence to; call in question; to try.

Condemnation only comes to the one who does not believe in the One and Only Son of God-Jesus. Salvation from sin and judgment is free for the taking. (Tony Evans)

It's like a person who rejects the cure a doctor offers, don't blame him when for your fatal illness. 

Have you been saved from the penalty of sin?

LET IT GROW

He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God. (verse 18)

There are two kinds of people in the world:

1. Those who believes in Jesus, put their faith in Jesus, have everlasting life in heaven.
2. Those who have not believed in Jesus and stand condemned already. They are sentenced (condemned) and await only the execution of that sentence. 

Which type are you?

God's love reaches out and draws others in. We see His pattern of true love-self-sacrifice. God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the new life that He had bought for us. (Life Application Study Bible)

Believing in Jesus as your Savior is not just intellectual knowing about Jesus, but it includes trust and commitment to Christ as Lord and Savior which results in receiving a new nature, a change in heart, and obedience to the Lord. (MacArthur)

Are we willing to give up our comfort and security so others might join us in receiving God's love?

LET IT GO

Change our heart, Lord Jesus, into what You want it to be.

Fill us with Your love this week, Jesus.

What a Wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!

Glory to God in the Highest.