Messiah

Listen:

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”  Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”(John 4:25 – 26)

Reflect:

My given name is Audrey-Jean, and means “noble strength-God is gracious”. I loved having a double-barrelled name, but evidently others thought it was too much and when I started school everyone simply called me Audrey. The Jean got dropped, lost, used only by my mum, and even I forget that Jean is part of who I am.

A name we use for Jesus is “Jesus Christ” (or in Hebrew Jesus Messiah) – meaning “deliverer, anointed one”. Christ is not the second part of a double-barrelled name; nor is it his last name! Christ is his title, meaning He was sent by God, anointed by God for the special purpose of deliverer of mankind, the true King who rules in righteousness.

I love the fact that up until this meeting Jesus hadn’t revealed himself as the Messiah – yet he does with this woman, who was probably called many things! We don’t know her story, although we assume and judge her. Jesus knew her story and invited her to salvation. He gave her such a sense of security that she felt safe with him even when her sin was exposed. She looked in his eyes and saw love and an invitation, and her entire life was changed.

Her interaction with Jesus Messiah didn’t leave her with the impression, “He hates me” or “He judges me” or “He doesn’t want me around.” It left her with the impression that Jesus is who he claimed to be: “I am he!” All knew that the Messiah was (and is) for everyone – the hero of life’s story.

Prayer of Response:

Jesus Messiah, our hearts are full of gratitude and joy that you, with all your power, might and majesty, have revealed yourself as righteous, just and kind – to each one of us in a personal, intimate way. Thank you.

Questions to Ponder:

Read Isaiah 61:1-3, which describes the Messiah:
1. What does Jesus Anointed One mean to you?
2. How is he the hero in your life story? 

—Submitted by Audrey Jean Jose
Audrey-Jean is part of the Lifesprings Leadership Team, a conference speaker and Bible teacher whose passion is to get others excited about learning God’s Word.