Personal Encounter Shapes Our Estimation of Jesus

Personal Encounter Shapes Our Estimation of Jesus

3rd JUNE 2026

Christ for Youth International

“‘Come and see a man who has told me everything about myself. He told me all the things that I have ever done! He must be the Messiah!’” [John‬ 4‬:29‬ EASY‬‬]

The refreshing distinction between the Jewish leaders in our earlier devotion and this Samaritan woman is this: the Samaritan woman was open to having a personal encounter with Jesus. She, like the Jewish leaders, knew that a Messiah was soon to arrive on the scene. However, the difference in her knowledge is that coupled with the encounter she had with Jesus, the Samaritan woman was able to arrive at the correct estimation of who Jesus was — the Messiah! The Jewish leaders on the other hand were too rigid, cold hearted and hardheaded to seek for a true relationship and encounter with this same Messiah because He did not look like their version of a Saviour.

The Samaritan woman’s deconstructive journey began in verse 9 where she responds to Jesus’ request for water by saying: “…You are a Jew and I am a woman from Samaria. Why would you ask me to give you a drink? “and it ended with “…He must be the Messiah!” There is a difference between asking question about God or asking God questions and questioning God. The difference is the posture of the heart. One seeks to know more about God through curiosity (Samaritan woman) while the other has made a mistaken conclusion about God through pride and refuses to hear reason (the Jewish leaders). God is not afraid of our questions. The answer to all our questions is in His son Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). In fact, God welcomes our questions — He is a God who wants to reason together with us and mind you He invited us to reason with Him in our sinful states. (Isaiah 1:18)

Our knowledge grows by asking questions and receiving answers and this informs our estimation. A personal encounter with God facilitates that.

Personal encounters with Jesus through the word, prayer, fellowship with the Holy Spirit and other believers helps us to increase our knowledge of who Jesus is bringing us to a place of awe-filled estimation of who Jesus is.

Like the Samaritan woman we will have certainty of Jesus’ nature when we take time to meet Him daily. After all, God promises complete satiety to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. (Matthew 5:6 AMPC)

A personal encounter with Jesus changes everything, it shapes our estimation of Jesus and it unveils our faces so that beholding as in a mirror the glory of God, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. Then we will progressively live lives which truly honour Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Thank You, God, that You count us worthy by Your mercies to have a personal encounter with Your Son Jesus. Help us to continue to seek You so that we will live lives of honour, bringing glory to Jesus. Amen.

Further Reading: John 1:35–49

Bible In One Year: Psalm 63–66

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