Sin Lies Beneath
The Bible doesn’t say this, but it's easy to imagine that the woman at the well (though she's had 5 husbands) has been trying to make it seem as if everything is fine, justifying her actions to herself, to others, to God. She probably had that “only God can judge me” attitude. She was probably a little rough around the edges, because she had to be with what people said to her... and maybe even what she thought about herself sometimes. You can imagine that though she had been trying to talk to God, it just hadn't worked out right... But then she had a moment with the Creator of the Universe.
1. Sin must be Revealed
- At the well, Jesus was purposeful about identifying sin in the life of the samaritan woman.
- When we don’t know Jesus, our eyes haven't been opened to sin.
- While we might understand morality and we might understand right from wrong... We don't understand the gravity of our decisions, and we don't know how serious the wages of sin are. We don't understand that watching a little pornography here and there isn't innocent or that is isn't a victimless sin. You are committing sin against yourself and against the generation that is coming after you if you don't deal with it now.
2. Sin must be Remedied
- Once the sin is revealed by Jesus, we see that the Samaritan woman tries to remedy the sin herself, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” She puts it off as if there is nothing she she can do about it now.
- Jesus reveals himself in that moment, telling her He is the one that can forgive sin.
- Jesus is the answer to all sin. New sin, old sin, sin that is easily dealt with, sin that you just can't get away from - all of it.
- Without Jesus, your sin is a part of you. With Jesus, your sin is apart from you.
- The first thing that must happen after sin is revealed is recognition that it is not a part of you anymore.
3. Sin must be Up-Rooted
- When sin has been revealed to Jesus, we have two options - cover it up or take it out.
- The woman at the well could have said, "I have no idea what you are talking about sir… I’ve never been married. I don't even know what men look like…" But rather she chose to say, "You're right, Jesus, and actually I don't know what to do about it."
- Again, without Jesus, you can't be free of sin. Visually it might be gone; you might blend in at church or school, but the effects of sin are still there - lurking beneath the surface.