Part 4: Come and See
John 4:27–42
She came to the well carrying shame.
She left carrying living water.
And in between those two moments, everything changed.
By the time the disciples returned, the Samaritan woman had experienced something few could understand. Not just a conversation, but a holy collision. Not just a revelation, but an invitation. Her story had been seen, spoken into, and rewritten.
Now she had to tell someone.
“So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’”
— John 4:28–29
She didn’t have all the theological answers. She didn’t even know everything about Jesus yet. But she knew enough to speak.
She had met the Messiah. And her joy could not stay quiet.
She Left the Jar Behind
The detail is small, but powerful.
“So the woman left her water jar...” (John 4:28)
That jar represented her old life. Her daily shame. Her isolation. Her hard, dry rhythms. She had come to the well with an empty container and an empty heart.
She left full. She left changed.
She left behind what she once thought she needed because she had found something far better.
So many of us carry our own “jars.” The things we lean on for survival. The habits we cling to for control. The titles we wear for identity. But when we encounter Jesus, we’re invited to leave those behind.
She walked away from her jar because she had found what her soul was really thirsty for.
From Shame to Testimony
This woman had avoided her community. Now she runs toward them.
She had carried the weight of failed relationships and social rejection. Now she opens her mouth with boldness.
“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” (John 4:29)
She doesn’t deny her past. She doesn’t try to hide it. In fact, she uses it as evidence of grace.
Her past wasn’t her identity anymore. It had become her testimony.
“One ordinary woman, met by an extraordinary Savior, turned a whole town upside down. Never underestimate your story.”
— Jennie Allen
When Jesus becomes the center of your story, your broken pieces don’t disqualify you. They become the places where His power is made visible.
An Invitation That Sparked Revival
The town knew who this woman was. Her story wasn’t a secret. But something about her message rang with sincerity.
She wasn’t preaching. She was testifying.
She simply said, “Come and see.”
“They went out of the town and were coming to him.” (John 4:30)
Later in the passage, we see that her words were just the beginning.
“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’”
— John 4:39
Her witness opened the door. Her courage to speak gave others a reason to come.
And when they met Jesus for themselves, their faith deepened.
“They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves…’”
— John 4:42
This is what every testimony is meant to do. Not to make much of us, but to point to the One who saw us, loved us, and changed everything.
You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Powerful
The woman at the well didn’t go through a 10-step discipleship program before she shared her story. She didn’t wait until she had all the answers or had cleaned up her life.
She simply told the truth.
Jesus had met her. And that was enough.
So many women today hesitate to speak because they still feel messy. But Jesus doesn’t call the already put-together. He calls the willing.
“You don’t have to be healed all the way to begin walking in the direction of healing.”
— Lysa TerKeurst
Your story is not about your perfection. It’s about His power.
You Are Someone’s Invitation
The Samaritan woman’s words may have seemed simple, but they were enough to draw a crowd.
Who might be waiting for your “Come and see”?
You may think your testimony is too small, too messy, or too ordinary. But when God breathes on your words, they carry eternal weight.
Your healing can be the doorway to someone else's. Your story can be the spark that ignites someone else's faith.
God is not asking you to save anyone. He’s just asking you to open the door and point to the Savior.
“Come and see.”
It’s the simplest, truest invitation.
And it can change a life.
Reflection Questions
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What is something you’ve left behind since encountering Jesus? How has it changed your life?
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Who is someone in your life that needs to hear your story? What’s holding you back from sharing it?
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If you believed your testimony could lead someone to Jesus, what would you say?
Practical Application
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Write your testimony in a short paragraph. Not the whole life story, just a simple answer to: “What has Jesus done in my life?”
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Pray over someone in your life who needs to hear about Him. Ask God to give you boldness and love as you reach out.
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Practice saying, “Come and see.” Whether it’s an invitation to church, coffee, or just a conversation, start simple and let God do the rest.
Closing Prayer
Jesus,
Thank You for choosing a woman the world had forgotten and using her to change a town.
Thank You that You don’t wait for us to be perfect before You use us.
Give me the courage to speak, even when I feel unqualified.
Help me see my story the way You see it, not as something to be ashamed of, but as a testimony of Your mercy.
Let my words be full of love and truth.
Let my life say, “Come and see.”
And may those who hear come running to You.
Amen.
This completes our four-part journey through The Woman at the Well: Come and See.
We’ve walked through her encounter with Jesus, her transformation through grace, the reshaping of her identity, and the bold testimony that followed.
If this series has spoken to your heart, would you take a moment to share in the comments how God has used it in your life?
And if you know someone who needs encouragement, healing, or hope, please consider sharing this series with them. You can post it on social media, text a link to a friend, or bring it up in conversation with someone who’s thirsting for something real.
You never know who might come and see Jesus for themselves because you pointed the way.
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