"Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband” (John 4:16–17).
Before anyone can truly come to Christ, they must have a sense of guilt. This is the whole point of verses 15–19.
Jesus told the Samaritan woman of a living water that would quench her thirst forever, but she only thought in physical terms. She didn’t understand that Jesus was offering a remedy for the lost condition of her soul.
To penetrate her blind condition, Jesus did not explain in obvious terms what He meant by living water. Instead, He moved the conversation to move her into considering her spiritual need. Once she realized the peril of her soul, she better understand what Jesus meant by “living water” in relation to her spiritual condition.
Concerning this turn in the conversation, Hendriksen writes, “Does the woman desire living water? Then there must be a thirst for this water. This thirst will not be truly awakened unless there be a sense of guilt, a consciousness of sin. The mention of her husband is the best means of reminding this woman of her immoral life. The Lord is now addressing Himself to her conscience.”
Jesus responds to her questions by asking her about her husband. He knew full well that the woman had no husband, and He knew her history of remarriage, which He soon reveals. The woman’s only response is the curt reply, “I have no husband.” Up to this point she had been rather talkative, but now she is guarded and defensive. Jesus doesn’t let up. He gives her the full blow by exposing her sin. Her only response is to agree and recognize Jesus as a prophet with full knowledge of her immorality.
In a time when we don’t want to feel guilty about anything, this passage holds particular relevance. The Gospel means nothing to our own hearts if we do not admit our sin and guilt before God. Given this fact, anyone who proclaims the Gospel must aim for the conscience. In addition to opening up the benefits of eternal life, sharing the Gospel entails lovingly confronting people with their sin (if not specifically, then at least generally). People need Jesus because they are sinners, guilty before God and condemned to eternal death. Jesus emphasized both the positive and negative aspects of the truth. We must be faithful to follow His example.
Did you confess your sin and guilt when you came to Christ? If not, maybe you have not really put your faith in Him as your Savior. When you share the Gospel, do you talk about judgment upon sin as well as eternal life for faith? As a believer, you still need to confess and repent of your daily sins (1 John 1:8–10).
