I AM HE

Passage: John 4:16-26

Key verse: 26

NIV

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.(A) 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,(B) but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”(C)

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming(D) when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.(E) 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know;(F) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.(G) 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come(H) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit(I) and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit,(J) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ)(K) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”(L)

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ESV

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, (A)call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that (B)you are (C)a prophet. 20 (D)Our fathers worshiped on (E)this mountain, but you say that (F)in Jerusalem is (G)the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, (H)“Woman, believe me, (I)the hour is coming when (J)neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 (K)You worship what you do not know; (L)we worship what we know, for (M)salvation is (N)from the Jews. 23 But (O)the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father (P)in spirit and (Q)truth, for the Father (R)is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that (S)Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, (T)he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, (U)“I who speak to you am he.”

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Go, call your husband (16-20)

Jesus' command revealed her sinful life and her thirst for love. She said, 'I have no husband.' Jesus accepted her answer without rebuking, and pointed out her problem. She had sought to quench her thirst with men's love, but after 5 husbands and one boyfriend, she was still unsatisfied. Her problem was not physical, but spiritual. She saw that Jesus was a man of God, and that he cared about her, so she asked him how to meet God.

2. Salvation is from the Jews (21-26)

Jesus taught her about God. God is Spirit; he is seeking those who seek him. Then he reminded her of a hard fact: God was sending the Savior through the Jews. She didn't like Jews; but she was also waiting for the Messiah. She overcame her human thinking and accepted Jesus. He revealed to her that he was indeed the Messiah.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for seeking to quench my thirst in other things; thank you for the water of eternal life.

One Word: Jesus is my Christ and Savior