The Messiah Has Come
When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well, she revealed a struggle that so many of us still have. She was looking forward to a savior to come and resolve all her problems. She said: “…when the Messiah comes, he will tell us all things.” (John 4.25) She did not recognize that the Messiah had come and was standing right in front of her. When Jesus said: “I who speak to you am he”, the scales fell from the eyes of her understanding and she believed. When she had hope only in a future Messiah, she was lost. It was in seeing that He had come to her that she believed and her life was changed.
In 1944, the Japanese army sent a small patrol of soldiers to the remote Philippine island of Lubana. They had been trained in guerilla warfare and were ordered to keep the island from Allied forces, and, if occupied by the enemy, to never surrender, until liberated by their own army. Lt. Hiroo Onoda led this small troop and when the America forces arrived on the island, this small band of Japanese soldiers retreated into the jungle. Unfortunately, he was never officially told when the war ended. Over the course of time all the members of this patrol either died or ran off, leaving only Lt. Onoda. As a good soldier he continued to obey the orders that his commander had given him. Lt. Onoda finally emerged from the dark recesses of the jungle on March 19, 1972; 27 years after the war had ended. He only surrendered after his original commanding officer went to the island in person to rescind his orders and to officiate his surrender.
Faith came to the Samaritan woman when she realized that the Messiah had come. Mary believed in Jesus’ resurrection after the angel said that he had already risen from the dead. Why wait for what has already been given? Why look forward to what has already happened? Many Jews are still waiting for the Messiah to come, just as many Christians are still waiting for Jesus to do what He has already has done. Why wait to be healed, when the God says in His Word, “…by His stripes you have been healed.” (I Peter 2.24). Why wait to be forgiven when the blood of Jesus has already been shed for the forgiveness of sins? Why wait to be saved, when Jesus already died on the cross for the salvation of mankind?
We need to settle this once and for all. The Messiah has come! The war is over! No need to fight for what has already been won. Jesus does not need to die all over again each time you sin, are sick or distressed. We don’t have to look forward to what has already arrived. All we need to do is receive. Jesus says to us: “…believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11.24) Notice the tense of the verb. “Believe that you have received…” It is like receiving a notice from the post office that a package has arrived. All you need to do is go to the post office and receive it. You don’t have to look forward to the day when the package will arrive. It has already arrived. Just go pick it up.
Over the course of the 27 years that Lt. Onoda was hiding in the jungle, attempts were made to contact him by dropping from the air pamphlets announcing the war’s end, but he didn’t believe in the messages sent to him. He thought it was a trick of the enemy. Don’t be deceived as Lt. Onoda was. Don’t doubt or wait anymore. Believe that the Messiah has come. Receive His forgives and healing now.
Scriptures to meditate on:
I Peter 2.24; Mark 11.22-24; Eph. 1.7; Heb. 7.27; 9.12