John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that said to you, Give me to drink… I. WHAT IS THE GIFT OF GOD? 1. The truth. The Old Testament gives this thought more than once. So Christ was taking an old illustration and applying it to His gospel. "The old, old story" is the story still. We commonly call this gift revelation. Men could not discover or shape it. Consider — (1) Its realness as contrasted with the shadows and dreams of idolatry and philosophy. The truth of God is a fact. Test it, O doubter! (2) Its finality. Athens, with its thousands of gods, confesses there is an unknown God. In the gospel man gets his soul's desire and is at rest. He has nothing to do but to keep drinking. (3) Its dogmatic character. We wish to reason out and understand, but God's dogmas are all axioms. 2. Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 10:4). Nor does this oppose the first interpretation, for Christ is "the Truth," and pre-eminently "the gift of God."(1) Other good gifts only satisfy certain parts of our nature; this fully satisfies. (2) Others satisfy only for a time; this for ever. 3. The present opportunity. Every invitation and opportunity is a gift of God. This woman embraced it. How many neglect it and lose it! II. HOW THIS GIFT DESERVES THE NAME. 1. To be a gift it must be free. And so it is free and unmerited. The sinner has no resources. You cannot offer to God as purchase money what is His own. 2. That it is a gift appears in the eternity of its plan. God's generosity is shown in His eternal purpose. 3. The fulness of the word appears when we consider how it is pressed on our acceptance. "The word is nigh thee," brought to our very door. 4. The truth of the title given to the living water appears still more clearly when we learn how thoroughly it becomes ours in accepting it. (1) It is absolutely bestowed. (2) It becomes part of ourselves. Our heart becomes not a cistern, but a spring (ver. 14). "Christ in you."Conclusion: The inheritance of this gift brings responsibility. 1. Springs of water are not for beauty, but for use and reproduction. 2. This reproduction is not a thing of constraint, except so far as constrained by the love of Christ. 3. Therefore with joy draw this water out of the well of salvation. (J. J. Black, LL. B.) Parallel Verses KJV: Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. |
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