Jesus asked this woman for a drink of water, but it wasn’t water He was interested in. He wanted to give this woman eternal life.

God is the greatest giver there ever was. He lives to give. When He asks something of us we can be assured that it is only so He can multiply it and give it back to us.

God is not interested in the water we can give Him. We don’t have anything to offer God that He doesn’t already have. God wants us. And by asking us to give of our time and money or desires, He is really asking us to give ourselves.

Many a person has walked away from God sad, like the rich young ruler because all they could think about was what they would have to give up (Mk. 10:22). All of our achievements and possessions are nothing compared to what God offers us in exchange.

Just as Jesus turned this woman’s attention toward what He had to offer her, we need to focus our attention on what the Lord has given us in Christ. He is no fool who gives up what he can not keep to receive what he cannot lose.

This is an interesting passage of scripture. On the surface, it might look like Jesus was running from a fight. Now that John the Baptist was out of the way (he had been imprisoned), it was inevitable that the Pharisees would attack Jesus.

One thing we can be sure of is that there was no fear on our Lord’s part. On other occasions He demonstrated that no one could do anything to Him if He didn’t allow it (Lk. 4:29-30; Jn. 7:30, 44-46; 8:20, 59; 10:39).

Therefore we can assume that Jesus left because He knew it was God’s will. On another occasion when His half brothers dared Him to go to Jerusalem and confront the Pharisees, He told them that it wasn’t time for Him to go yet (Jn. 7:1-6). A lesser man would have been intimidated into showing His superiority.

Jesus was the most selfless person who ever walked the earth. He did not come to earth for Himself, but for us. If He would have defended Himself, we would have never been saved. The humility of Jesus was surely interpreted by some to be weakness, but in truth it was love. Not love for Himself, but love for a dying world of which He was the only hope.

John spent 30 years preparing for a six month ministry, followed by one and a half years in prison before he was beheaded. Many people would not consider his life very successful, yet Jesus said John was the greatest man who was ever born (Mt. 11:11).

John’s greatness didn’t lie in his own success, but in the success of another. John stirred up the hearts of an entire nation in expectancy of their Messiah. The ministry of Jesus owed much of its success to the work of John. John had prepared a people to meet their God (Mal. 3:1).

In our celebrity conscious society, few people want to be the backup singer or the announcer who introduces the main speaker. We have adopted a mentality that unless we are in the limelight we have failed. That’s not the way the Lord looks at things.

When the Lord passes out rewards in heaven, we may be shocked to see how He evaluates greatness. Many people who did not receive recognition while on earth will shine like the stars in eternity. The Lord will judge our works on what sort they were and not what size they were (I Cor. 3:13).

John the Baptist had spent 30 years in preparation for his ministry. He didn’t enjoy the normal benefits of childhood or adolescence. He lived out in the deserts separated unto God instead (Lk. 1:80).

For approximately six months, he enjoyed success in his ministry like no other man ever had. He started preaching in the wilderness–not the centers of commerce. Still the multitudes flocked to him. He became the most influential man in Israel and even shot the hearts of Roman rulers. Everything was going John’s way.

Then he baptized Jesus and proclaimed Him as the long-awaited Messiah (Mt. 3:13-17; Jn. 1:29). From that time on, the multitudes who once followed John began to follow Jesus in ever increasing numbers (Jn. 3:26). His own disciples left him to follow Jesus (Jn. 1:36-37). This would have destroyed most men.

Yet when he was questioned about this very thing, John replied, “He must increase but I must decrease.” Surely this is one of the characteristics that made John the Baptist the greatest of all Old Testament prophets (Mt. 11:11). Jesus later revealed that “he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Mt. 23:11). John is one of the greatest examples of humility in the Bible. “Before honor is humility” (Pro. 18:12).

Most people focus on the part of this verse that promises us we won’t perish. Although it’s certainly a wonderful promise, it is not the focus of this verse. The primary purpose of Jesus’ coming to this earth was not forgiveness of sins, but to give us eternal life.

Sin separated us from God so Jesus dealt with sin. However, His payment for sin was just a step toward His ultiimate purpose of reconciling man to God. If someone believes that Jesus died for their sins but doesn’t go on to enter into the close fellowship with God that Jesus made available, then they are missing eternal life.

Eternal life is not a length of life, but rather a quality of life. Eternal life is intimacy with the Father and Jesus (Jn. 17:3). Many people have been done a disservice in being told that Jesus came to forgive us of our sins “period’. If it had been all that He did, it would have been wonderful–and much more than we deserved–but much less than what He actually accomplished.

Today, take full advantage of your salvation and go beyond the basic forgiveness of your sins into intimacy with Almighty God.

The Greek word translated “master” here actually means, “an instructor, doctor, teacher”. Nicodemus was a very educated man in religious matters, yet he didn’t have the slightest idea what Jesus was talking about.

Nicodemus’ relationship with God had all been academic. He knew a lot about God, but he didn’t know God personally. Jesus had a union with God that was unique and Nicodemus was intrigued. God was Jesus’ father. This was foreign to Nicodemus.

Jesus had not been educated by man and yet He knew God in a way that the theologians and seminary graduates of His day didn’t. He shocked Nicodemus when He told him that the only way to truly know God was through an experience of becoming born again.

The number one thing that sets Christianity apart from religion is this born again experience. We don’t just have a different doctrine than the others.

We have been born from above. We have Jesus Himself living in our hearts. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. We truly fellowship with God as our father. A man with a born again experience is never at a loss when confronted by a man with an argument.

This was the first time Jesus had ministered in Jerusalem. Multitudes believed on Him when they saw the miracles He performed (v. 23). This looked like a perfect opportunity for Jesus to take these people and use them to spread the news far and wide that He was the Christ. Instead Jesus did just the opposite. He didn’t want people proclaiming His gospel in their own ability.

This reveals an attitude of Jesus which is lacking among many Christians today. Jesus is more concerned with the quality of ministry than the quantity of ministry. In contrast, today’s Christians often feel that “the end justifies the means.”

We take new converts and place them in leadership–which is directly opposed to the Bible’s instructions (1 Tim. 3:6). Many times movie stars or other famous people who have come to the Lord are made spokesmen for the Christian faith. This works to the harm of these people and the Body of Christ as a whole.

Some of you can’t understand why the Lord hasn’t used you, but rest assured the Lord is using everyone who is usable. Instead of looking at the need and begging God to use you, take a hard look at yourself and ask the Lord to make you usable.

Mary knew Jesus as no one else did at this point. The Bible supplies no details of the childhood of Jesus except his trip to Jerusalem at twelve years of age, but it is certain that Mary knew Jesus was no ordinary man. Her request of Jesus to provide the guests with more wine reflects her belief that He could do things others could not.

Her instructions to the servants were, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” This shows that she not only knew Jesus could work miracles, but she knew His way of doing things did not always conform to conventional thought. Sure enough, Jesus told the servants to fill the pots with water and then take it to the governor of the feast.

This defied logic! Everyone there knew the guests wanted more wine, not water. Yet these servants, at Mary’s bidding, did exactly what Jesus told them and the results were wonderful. This miracle would not have taken place if the servants had not done what seemed foolish to them.

The Lord’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). To see His miraculous power in our lives, we must do “whatsoever” He tells us to do regardless of how foolish it may seem. The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Cor. 1:25). Today, whatsoever He says unto you, do it!