“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water’” (John 4:10 ESV).

Water is life. Without water, everything dries up and returns to dust. All living things need water to live. It was from the watered soil (Gen. 2:6) that “the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Gen. 2:7 ESV).

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, this basic source of life—water—was a focal point of their conversation. Jesus was thirsty, physically, as was the woman, both physically and spiritually (even though she did not realize the latter). Jesus asked her for a drink and used the occasion to teach her about “living water.”

What is this “living water”? At John’s water baptism Jesus was revealed as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29b ESV). Jesus told Nicodemus that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5b ESV). Jesus told a crowd of worshipers: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me … ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37b–38 ESV). And, of course, upon the cross Jesus’ side was pierced “and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:34 ESV).

The “living water” that Jesus graciously gives, to the Samaritan woman and to you, is Himself—His life of perfect obedience, His sacrificial death, His cross-won forgiveness, and His promise of resurrection. When Jesus gives Himself for you, He gives you life itself.

Jesus gives you “living water” in your Baptism. This season of Lent calls us to return to the Lord our God by returning to our Baptism. Once born of water and the Spirit, we daily die to sin and daily rise to new life with our crucified and risen Lord.

“What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever” (Small Catechism, Baptism).

Almighty God, grant that we who have been redeemed from the old life of sin through Baptism into the death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, may be renewed in Your Holy Spirit and live in righteousness and true holiness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

In Christ’s service,

Rev. Randy K. Asburry
Second Vice President, Missouri District