Fully Known and Fully Loved

“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
(John 4.29).

I love the story of the woman from Samaria, who met Jesus and was transformed by an encounter with him. She honestly invited her friends, family and co-workers to meet Jesus with the phrase: "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did."

Her encounter with Jesus all came down to Jesus letting her know that he knew all about her, especially the darkest places of her life.

The Samaritan woman had five husbands and the man she was living with wasn’t her husband. Jesus brought up her history of failed relationships to show that he was a more than a prophet. He knew things about her that no outsider should know. Think about what it would be like to be in line at Caribou, and a stranger comes up to you and tells you that he knows your deepest, darkest secret. This woman is confronted with Jesus’ knowledge of her.

Not only does Jesus know everything about her, he also offers her eternal life, and I think this is why Jesus’ knowing her dark side is so important to her.

Knowing everything about her, and especially her sins, Jesus still offered her eternal life. Let that sink in for a moment.

Many people live with the illusion and myth that if they do more good than bad, then they will go to heaven when they die. That’s religion. Again, that is a myth.

But Jesus offers us relationship. Eternal life is not just about dying and rising again, it’s about a relationship with God that not even death can take away (John 17.3).

Jesus offers us a relationship that is based in grace.

We can’t earn it, and the good news is we don’t have to try to earn it, because Jesus has already earned it for us. Jesus offers us eternal life as a gift.

Let it sink in to your heart today. Just as Jesus knew everything about the Samaritan woman, and went to great lengths to bring her eternal life, Jesus knows everything about you, even the darkest places, and he has gone to great lengths to bring you eternal life. With Jesus, you are fully known, and you are fully loved. Let that sink in...

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