Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
John 4:39-42
As I read this text regarding Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well (to read the whole account, click here), three aspects of her testimony stuck out to me.
She had sinned much. As Jesus pointed out earlier in their conversation, this woman had already been married five times, and the man she was now living with was not her husband.
She knew little about Jesus. At first he was nothing but a stranger to her (John 4:9). Then she perceived that he was a prophet (John 4:19). Soon she asked, “Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29).
She impacted many. Even though her initial testimony was nothing more than “He told me all that I ever did” (John 4:39), a whole town came out to see Jesus, and soon “many more believed because of his word” (John 4:41).
This woman’s testimony reminds us that the power of the gospel comes from God, not ourselves. As John Newton, the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, put it, “I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.”
Matthew Henry observed “how God is sometimes pleased to use very weak and unlikely instruments for the beginning and carrying on of a good work…. Our Savior, by instructing one poor woman, spread instruction to a whole town.”
Never underestimate the power of your own personal testimony!
Speaking of which, I found the graphic at the top of this article on a church’s website page dedicated to helping people to produce their own “MyStory Gospel Tract.” To find out more, click here.