Jesus the Evangelist
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” John 4:15-19
The Samaritan woman was still unsure about the “living water” Jesus offered her. But she was sure she wanted it! It would seem that the conversation was at a point where Jesus would (should?) carefully explain that living water signified a living relationship with God. Instead, He seemed to change the subject–and in a way that might offend and turn away the woman. He said, “Go, call your husband, and come back here.” Her reply is terse, “I have no husband.”
Jesus’ summary of her marriage history and her current living arrangement, turned the conversation to her personal problem of sin. But instead of being offended, that’s exactly what leads the woman to recognize Jesus as a prophet. Even Samaritans knew that a prophet was a man who spoke God’s word to people – and that that often meant plainly pointing out the particular sins that had wrecked a person's relationship with God.
We also realize that to speak of Jesus as the Savior it is necessary that as fellow sinners we make clear to others that each of us needs to be saved from sin’s guilt and power.
Lord Jesus, lead me to daily come to You for my sin’s forgiveness, so that as a forgiven sinner I might speak to others of Your redeeming love. Amen.