Messiah

What is “Messiah” (John 4:25)?
Μεσσιας (Μessias), the original Greek word of Hebrew origin that is translated “Messiah” and found only twice in the New Testament (John 1:41 and above), literally means, “The Anointed One.”

So who is the Anointed Messiah?
The Messiah the Jews were awaiting was somewhat different from the Messiah being awaited by the Samaritans.

Who was the Jewish Messiah?
The Jews were waiting for a warrior Messiah who will defeat the occupying Roman army and free them from Roman rule as King David had defeated the Philistines and as Moses had led them out of Egypt after God destroyed it.

Who was the Samaritan Messiah?
The Samaritans believed only the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) and rejected the rest, including the books that mention King David. The Samaritan Messiah was the deliverer and prophet Moses prophesied would be like himself - “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among you, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all that you requested of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God; neither let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have said is good. I will raise up a Prophet for them from among their brethren, like you, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him” (Deuteronomy 18:15-18) - but he wasn't a military leader like King David.

Is the woman saying that Jesus is the Samaritan 'prophet' Messiah?
She actually sounds dismissive of Jesus. She grasped enough of what He said about the need to worship in Spirit and truth instead of in a given place to know that they are weighty matters, but at least some of what Jesus told her went over her head. She sounds like she is trying to brush Jesus aside by telling Him that she will wait to hear from the Messiah when He comes.

Does Jesus let Himself be brushed aside?
He takes center stage: Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He” (John 4:26).

How could she have responded?
She could have continued to be dismissive, say something like, “Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves here,” and brush past Him.

Is that what she did?
No, she submitted to Him.

How do we know that?
Jesus had told her, “Go, call your husband, and come here” (John 4:16). You will read below that she dropped everything and obeyed Jesus.

Was Jesus telling her that He was just a prophet?
Her response indicates that she understood Him to be more than a prophet.

Did this happen only to this woman?
A day will come when Jesus gets in your face too and in effect declares, “I am your God, Creator, Messiah, Lord and Savior.”

How will you respond?