I Am He

I Am He

Where am I supposed to go when I need God?

The above question was asked by a lonely Samaritan woman struggling by a well in our latest episode of The Chosen. A nameless figure, she occupies an interesting place in history. Someone who was proximate to and active in historical events whom we know nearly nothing about. It’s similar to the question of who fired the ‘shot heard round the world’ at Lexington and Concord that kicked off the American Revolution. We don’t know. These are moments that pass by which are only notable in retrospect. No one present had the foresight to take down names and contact information. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition (Photine), the Roman Catholic tradition (Photina) and the Episcopal Church of the United States (Photini) have all assigned her names which roughly translate to ‘the luminous one’ due to the effect her testimony had. Therefore, we see the impact of Jesus on the life of one woman, to such a degree that we have invented a title for her designated by its effect. Is the power of Jesus only limited to impacting the life of one forlorn and forsaken woman by a well centuries ago? Absolutely not. To encounter Jesus is to be transformed, and that transformation will be evident. His light still shines. “Then Jesus cried out, whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.‘” (John 12:44-46) 

And that’s the funny thing about light, it is that by which things are seen. Thing about darkness is, it cannot exist on its own terms. It is merely the absence of light. “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:2-3) Those who choose darkness are still living in an earth both formless and empty, “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3) It helps us gain an even more complete understanding of John 8:12, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” Much of this episode touched on God’s presence, and the ability of Jesus to truly see us.When he spoke to Simon’s wife Eden, He reassured her that he too saw what she saw in her husband. And in doing so saw her more clearly than those around her. Even in the emotionally torn Nicodemus, it was Jesus who saw clearly what all of His followers missed. Not only who left for them the purse but what it cost the broken man who left it. And of course, the climax of this chapter was Jesus meeting the shunned woman at the well. While she was used to being known, she desperately lacked being understood. And while she was accustomed to glares, sneers, scoffs, and derision, she was wholly unprepared for being seen. 

We desire to be seen but, like the darkness, we cannot control the terms. In our first Newsletter about The Chosen, I Have Called You By Name, we discussed our tendency to self-promote on social media. People put on a show to convince the world to see them only how they wish to be seen. To reiterate, this is not what Jesus offers. To the woman at the well, He saw all of her faults, all of her failings, all of her fallen self. Love does not join in a lie. Jesus refuses to lend credence to the lies we wish we could tell, He sees our ugly truths and loves us anyway! What brought the woman at the well such tremendous joy was not a co-conspirator against the truth, a companion in her fictitious world, but the Truth itself presented plainly. Before he became a Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis wrote about the importance of light as a crime preventative stating that, “Sunlight is one of the best disinfectants.” His point was that under cover of darkness all sorts of perfidy flourished, but fewer criminals felt at ease during the day. It applies to government institutions as well, that more oversight works to restrain corruption. What the woman at the well understood, was that the light of truth, far from being garish or condemning, was liberating and rewarding. We are conditioned to hide away our flaws and failings to cover our shame. Jesus left His abode in Heaven to be lowly born here in the dirt of Earth so that we could understand there is no need for shame. Let’s follow this chain of logic straight from Scripture:

“[R]ather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death–even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8)

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.’” (Romans 10:10-11)

–And the verse Paul was referencing: “So, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.’” (Isaiah 28:)

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

TL;DR- Christ came from Heaven in humility to be among us. He saved us and we are to believe. We cannot save ourselves. He was sent to do so that we may rely on Him completely. In doing so, whatever we did, whoever we were, is gone, replaced by a new creation reconciled with God on His Throne. If you want to know why the Samaritan woman was so ecstatic, that would point toward the reason. 

“Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” (Luke 5:31) We are in luck as none of us are righteous, which means Jesus’ calling is for all of us. Though as The Incredibles villain Syndrome pointed out,“If everyone is special then no one is.” This leaves too many feeling shrouded in the darkness of obscurity. They may very well ask, ‘Surely, God cannot care about me or my petty concerns when there are 8 billion people in the world and with so much chaos going on?’ And under the assumed veil of anonymity sin flourishes, despair spreads, and fear lingers. But a better understanding of God provides illumination. To us the story of the Samaritan woman is only notable in retrospect. But to Jesus it was an appointment, one He looked forward to keeping. “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for the darkness is as light to you.” (Psalms 139:11-12) Where are we to turn to find God? Nowhere, He’s already waiting for you. Leave the darkness of doubt behind you and become the new creation He always planned for you to be. Find the joy of Salvation the Samaritan woman found, that only comes from the light of truth, provided directly by its source. “When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:6) Scripture also tells us that will be the world’s response when He returns in all of His glory. The past is the lens through which we see the present, and the only way to have a tangible hope for the future. Learn from the past to understand the present and gain a hope that springs eternal.

Jordan Williamson