Editorial January 4, 1941 Issue

Preparing the Way

George Shaw Cook

STUDENTS of the gospels are familiar with the incident in the ministry of Christ Jesus when, at Jacob's well, he encountered the woman of Samaria. In the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John it is related that at this time Jesus made the immortal declaration, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." This pronouncement in connection with other illuminating and inspired statements made to the woman at that time, evidently convinced her that Jesus was the Messiah. It is recorded that she went immediately to the city of Samaria, from which she had come to draw water, and summoned the men of the city in these words: "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"

It is further stated by John that, after talking with the Master, the men of Samaria invited him to come into their city, and that he did so, remaining there two days. Presumably he told them of the Christ, Truth, which he had come into the world to reveal to mankind. At the end of those two days, so the record continues, "many more believed because of his own word," not merely because of what the woman had told them.

In Acts we read: "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did." This visit of Philip's to Samaria was made some time after the ascension of Jesus, but it is evident that the seed of spiritual truth sown by the Master upon the occasion of his sojourn prepared the way for Philip and made the Samaritans ready for the healing message which he brought. Philip's journey to Samaria has been referred to by Bible commentators as the beginning of world-wide evangelization and as the forerunner of Paul's missionary journeys.

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"Thy son liveth"
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