July 24, 2025 • 16 mins
The lesser son, desperate for blessing, and man who wrestled with God. Jacob is a symbol of Israel’s struggle for unity with God. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of unity with God.
Today's Bible verse is John 7:38, from the King James Version.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. He who believes in me, as the
Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of
living water. John seven thirty eight. Dear Lord, we know
that we can do nothing in and of ourselves. We
desperately search for purpose and fulfillment in other places, but
(00:24):
we come up empty. You alone satisfy us. From those
that believe in you, rivers of living water flow majestically
from them. You bring refreshment, life, and vitality to all
those who feel parched and starved for meaning. Refresh us today,
Lord Jesus, fill us to the brim and overflowing with
(00:48):
your spirit and your name. We pray, Amen, Thank you
for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another
episode of Store Worries of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Deception, tricks, half truths. All the sins Jacob had committed
to get ahead were catching up to him. He tricked
his father into giving him his blessing, he deceived his
father in law before fleeing with his daughters, and he
cheated his brother out of a birthright. Now his brother,
Esau was approaching with hundreds of men behind him. Years ago,
(01:33):
Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, and now it seemed
the time had come. Jacob prayed to the Lord for mercy.
He sent gifts of penance to his brother, but there
was no predicting what would come of it. Jacob looked
at his family with tears in his eyes. What have
I done? He thought he had acquired so much through
(01:54):
deception and flattery, but now none seemed worth it. His
name was Jacob, meaning heel grapper. Everyone in the land
knew what that name really meant, deceiver. At that moment,
he wished he hadn't lived up to his name. He
looked at his oldest son, Reuben, and held his shoulders.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Keep the family safe, hear me.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Reuben nodded, and the rest of the family departed down
the valley. The further away they were from him, the better.
Jacob waited on a hill overlooking his brother's camp. He
stood over the ledge, unaware of the large figure behind
him waiting to pounce.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Jesus Podcast.
I'm your host Ethan from pray dot com. If this
podcast has blessed you thus far, please take a moment
to leave a comment and review. Doing so will make
sure others discover these life changing stories, and be sure
to download the prey dot Com app to hear the
Bible come to life and make prayer a priority in
(02:59):
your daily life walk with God. The Bible showcases many heroes,
men and women of valor, wisdom, and favor who accomplished
great things. However, as we read the Bible, we discover
that each character is deeply flawed, just like us. Their
lives are imperfect, and their journeys are filled with many
(03:21):
highs and lows. As we look closer at their stories,
we discover that each points us towards someone greater, someone
far more brave, wise, and favored. Today we'll follow a
pillar of faith Jacob. At this point in his story,
Jacob's past has caught up to him. He deceived his
(03:45):
brother and provoked him to wrath. Now he stands at
the precipice of judgment. But before he faces his brother,
he has to wrestle with God himself. Through Jacob's struggle,
we see a glimpse of our own relationships with God.
We're all wrestling with God in some way. We struggle
(04:05):
with doubt, fear, and pride. At the other end of
Jacob's struggle, he receives a new name, and the greatness
of his legacy is established. Let's immerse ourselves in a
cinematic retelling of Genesis chapter thirty two to discover how
Jesus is the greater Jacob.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Jacob stood over the precipice and looked down at Esau's cap.
He wondered what fate awaited him at the bottom of
that hill. Would his sins finally catch up to him,
would his brother respond to his kind gesture? Would God
answer his plea for mercy? Jacob considered these things and
turned around. A man stood behind him, his gaze intense
(04:49):
and challenging. Jacob peered closely at him, but remained silent.
There was something different about him. The ground around him
felt powerful holy. He looked around and suddenly remembered where
he was Maha name, God's cap. Whoever this person was,
(05:10):
he was sent from God, or perhaps he was God.
This stranger walked closer, and Jacob removed his tomb.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
His pace became quicker.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And Jacob began running towards him. They converged into the
dirt and gravel, wrestling to subdue one another. Jacob knew
instantly that he was outmatched, but it did not keep.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Him from straying.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
If this man was God, then Jacob had to fight.
He had to contend and accept the challenge of struggling
with him. Jacob wrapped his arms around the man's legs
and drove him into the dirt. He tried to make
him submit, but the man wrapped Jacob with his legs
and threw him to the left. Jacob released himself and
walked backward. The two of them panted, priming themselves for
(05:54):
another round. Jacob made the first move and launched himself forward,
but the man tripped him onto the dirt and held
him down. As he fought, memories of all Jacob's sins
flooded back into his mind. He wanted God's blessing so
badly he was willing to do anything for it, even lie.
But now as he rolled into the blood and sweat
(06:15):
soak dirt, there was no talking his way into a blessing,
no lies, no religious babble, just him and God struggling
to gain an advantage over the other. Jacob knew there
was no winning, but that didn't mean he would stop.
The two of them wrestled all night. Finally, when the
man saw Jacob would not relent. He placed a hand
(06:37):
on his hip and pumped it down the place. Jacob
shouted in intense pain. It shot through his hip and leg,
but he didn't let go. He grasped onto his leg,
refusing to let him walk away. The man looked at
the sun's rays slowly peeking over the mountains. Then he
looked down at Jacob.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Let me go, the man said, the day has broke him.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Tears streamed down jacob swollen and dirty face.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Never he cried, I won't.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
The man tugged his leg away, but Jacob refused to
let go. Throughout the night, he had come to understand
who this person was.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Please bless me, Jacob said.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
With tears streaming down his cheeks.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
I won't let you go, and tell you bless me.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
A smile appeared on the side of the man's face.
He looked again at the orange shoes of the rising sun,
then back down at the poor fellow clinging to him.
What is your name, the stranger asked, it's Jacob. The
man shook his head and placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder.
Your name shall no longer be Jacob. It shall be
called Israel, for you have struggled with God and prevailed.
(07:43):
Jacob looked up and slowly released his grip.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
What is your name? He asked.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The man wiped the sweat and dirt off his brow
and chuckled. Now, why would you ask me for my name?
He extended his hand to help Israel on to his feet.
He blessed, and then vanished to where he came from.
Israel limped back to the hill's edge and looked down
at Esau's camp.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
It was time to face his brother.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
He limped down to meet Esau and the four hundred
men marching behind him. Israel fell to his knees in
honor of his brother. Esau ran, charging with passion, then
fell to the ground and hugged his brother tenderly. The
Lord had answered Israel's prayers through all the struggle in wrestling,
(08:32):
he had been blessed.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Could you feel the desperate tension from Jacob as he
struggled with his sin and shame? Could you feel the
battling of wills when he wrestled with the Angel of
the Lord. Until this point, Jacob's life had been wrought
with deception and shortcuts. He deceived his brother, father, and
father in law to gain favor in resources. But as
(09:01):
he struggled in the dirt with the Lord, there was
no tricking his way into a blessing. Ultimately, he was
forced into a desperate posture begging for a blessing. This
place of desperation is a place we all must find
ourselves in. We want a blessing from God, but often
(09:21):
we want it on our own terms. We, like Jacob,
must realize that blessing is only ever given on God's terms.
Like Jacob, we can be consumed with proud self reliance.
Jacob was reduced to a place where he could only
hold on to the Lord. Jacob could no longer fight,
(09:45):
and that place of weakness wasn't the worst place to be.
Sometimes we need to feel vulnerable and exposed to truly
experience transformation. God violently shattered Jacob's ego and reminded him
that true blessing can't be gained without humility. Jacob's old
(10:07):
name was more like an insult. It meant trickster, a usurper,
or deceiver. But Jacob's new name was noble. It meant
someone who struggles with God and shares in his victory.
Now we will go on to a different time but
the same place where another person wrestles to be vulnerable
(10:27):
with God.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Jesus leaned his back against the well and used his
hand to block the scorching sun of high noon. The
well was dug by Jacob himself long ago. It was
a sacred monument in a sacred place, causing all to
remember the significance of Jacob's faith in God. As Jesus pondered,
a woman approached carrying a bucket of water on her hips.
(10:51):
Her forehead was sweating and her face was somber. It
was awed for a woman to draw water in the
middle of the day. Usually all the women traveled together
before the son's harsh glare. Whoever this woman was, she
was an outcast among the other women. Jesus moved to
the side so she could draw water from the well.
(11:11):
As she poured water from the well into her bucket,
Jesus asked.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Would you mind giving me something to drink?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
The woman paused and looked at Jesus, perplexed. You are
a Jew, she said sharply.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me
for a drink? Aren't you breaking a dozen laws? Chows
are not supposed to talk to Samaritans, let alone a
Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Jesus shrugged and leaned over the well, looking down.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
If you knew the gift of God and who I am,
you would have asked me to give you living water.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
The woman peered at Jesus skeptically, Sir, you.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
Have nothing to draw from this deep well. Where do
you expect to find living water? Our forefather, Jacob dug
this well long ago with his sons. Are you saying
you are greater than jacobub.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
A satisfied smile curled upon Jesus's cheeks. He gestured to
the well and said Jacob was great.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Indeed, he dug this well for a good purpose. But
whoever drinks from this water will become thirsty again. They
will need to come back again and again to draw
from it. But whoever drinks the water I offer, I'll
never thirsty again. It will become a well springing up
(12:27):
to eternal life.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
The woman's skepticism turned to desperation. She had to spend
most afternoons drawing water in the hot sun to avoid
the other women.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Please give me this water so I don't have to
come here again.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Jesus responded kindly, saying, of course, go get your husband
to return here so I can show both of you.
The woman immediately took a step back and looked off
to the side. I don't have a husband, she mumbled. Jesus,
keeping an unthreatening demeanor, responded, you are correct to.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Say you don't have a husband.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
The fact is you've had five husbands, and the man
you currently live with isn't.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Your husband at all.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Jesus's frankness disarmed the woman. She chose not to respond
directly to his statement and instead shifted the conversation.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
I can see that you are a prophet. It makes
sense that you are here. Our ancestors worshiped on this
very mountain, but you Jews claim that the temple in
Jerusalem is the place to worship.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The woman did not know it, but she was quietly
wrestling with God. Jesus was engaging with her, gently, trying
to pole repentance and conviction out of her so she
could experience freedom. She tried to mask her insecurity with
religious babble, but Jesus planned to free her from herself.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Believe me, Jesus said.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
A time is coming when people won't worship here on
the mountain or in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Now a time is coming.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
When true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Those are the people God seeks out for himself. The
woman's hands shook and her eyes were shitt She felt
uncomfortable with her guilt, yet was drawn to talk more.
It was a divine wrestling between her spirit and flesh.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Well, when the Messiah comes, he will explain those things
and settle those debates, I'm sure, the.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Woman sighed, with a bit of somber hope in her voice.
Jesus looked at the woman intently and said, I the one.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
You have been speaking to anything.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The woman's eyes widened as understanding flooded her mind. She
was speaking to the one she had been hoping for,
The one who could redeem her and set her free
from her own sin and shame, stood before her, smiling.
She would never be the same. She ran to her hometown,
gathering everyone to behold the one who had given her
(14:45):
new hope.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Are you saying you are greater than Jacob? That's the
question this woman at the well posed to Jesus. She
had no idea who she was speaking to at the time.
We know that Jesus is not only greater than Jacob,
but he's the one who wrestled with Jacob on that
sacred hill. Jesus is the one who gave Jacob his
(15:10):
new name and reconciled him with his brother. Like the
woman at the well, Jacob struggled with pride and self reliance,
needing transformation. Jesus came to rid Jacob and the woman
at the well of their self reliance. Just as Jesus
wrestled with Jacob that fateful night and gave him a
(15:31):
new purpose, he also brought transformation to the woman at
the well. He slowly and lovingly revealed himself to her,
and she would never be the same. Like Jacob and
the woman at the well, we must struggle with God
to realize he alone is in control. Our attempts at
(15:52):
self righteousness, satisfaction, and blessing all fall short. When we
humble ourselves and cry out to God for blessing, He's
swift to restore. He is swift to restore, redeem, and
resurrect us. Jesus humbled himself on our behalf. He died
on the cross and rose again so that we might
(16:14):
be transformed. Like Jacob, Jesus wants to give us a
new blessing and purpose. He wants to take away our
sin and shame. He's done that in my life, and
he can do that in yours. In this way, we're
certain that Jesus is the greater Jacob. Join us next time,
(16:35):
as we hear the redemptive arc of one of Jacob's sons,
we'll see that through his life, all things work together
for the good of those who love God and are
called according to his purpose. Next episode, we'll discover that
Jesus is the greater Joseph
Let us pray. He who believes in me, as the
Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of
living water. John seven thirty eight. Dear Lord, we know
that we can do nothing in and of ourselves. We
desperately search for purpose and fulfillment in other places, but
(00:24):
we come up empty. You alone satisfy us. From those
that believe in you, rivers of living water flow majestically
from them. You bring refreshment, life, and vitality to all
those who feel parched and starved for meaning. Refresh us today,
Lord Jesus, fill us to the brim and overflowing with
(00:48):
your spirit and your name. We pray, Amen, Thank you
for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another
episode of Store Worries of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Deception, tricks, half truths. All the sins Jacob had committed
to get ahead were catching up to him. He tricked
his father into giving him his blessing, he deceived his
father in law before fleeing with his daughters, and he
cheated his brother out of a birthright. Now his brother,
Esau was approaching with hundreds of men behind him. Years ago,
(01:33):
Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, and now it seemed
the time had come. Jacob prayed to the Lord for mercy.
He sent gifts of penance to his brother, but there
was no predicting what would come of it. Jacob looked
at his family with tears in his eyes. What have
I done? He thought he had acquired so much through
(01:54):
deception and flattery, but now none seemed worth it. His
name was Jacob, meaning heel grapper. Everyone in the land
knew what that name really meant, deceiver. At that moment,
he wished he hadn't lived up to his name. He
looked at his oldest son, Reuben, and held his shoulders.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Keep the family safe, hear me.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Reuben nodded, and the rest of the family departed down
the valley. The further away they were from him, the better.
Jacob waited on a hill overlooking his brother's camp. He
stood over the ledge, unaware of the large figure behind
him waiting to pounce.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Jesus Podcast.
I'm your host Ethan from pray dot com. If this
podcast has blessed you thus far, please take a moment
to leave a comment and review. Doing so will make
sure others discover these life changing stories, and be sure
to download the prey dot Com app to hear the
Bible come to life and make prayer a priority in
(02:59):
your daily life walk with God. The Bible showcases many heroes,
men and women of valor, wisdom, and favor who accomplished
great things. However, as we read the Bible, we discover
that each character is deeply flawed, just like us. Their
lives are imperfect, and their journeys are filled with many
(03:21):
highs and lows. As we look closer at their stories,
we discover that each points us towards someone greater, someone
far more brave, wise, and favored. Today we'll follow a
pillar of faith Jacob. At this point in his story,
Jacob's past has caught up to him. He deceived his
(03:45):
brother and provoked him to wrath. Now he stands at
the precipice of judgment. But before he faces his brother,
he has to wrestle with God himself. Through Jacob's struggle,
we see a glimpse of our own relationships with God.
We're all wrestling with God in some way. We struggle
(04:05):
with doubt, fear, and pride. At the other end of
Jacob's struggle, he receives a new name, and the greatness
of his legacy is established. Let's immerse ourselves in a
cinematic retelling of Genesis chapter thirty two to discover how
Jesus is the greater Jacob.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Jacob stood over the precipice and looked down at Esau's cap.
He wondered what fate awaited him at the bottom of
that hill. Would his sins finally catch up to him,
would his brother respond to his kind gesture? Would God
answer his plea for mercy? Jacob considered these things and
turned around. A man stood behind him, his gaze intense
(04:49):
and challenging. Jacob peered closely at him, but remained silent.
There was something different about him. The ground around him
felt powerful holy. He looked around and suddenly remembered where
he was Maha name, God's cap. Whoever this person was,
(05:10):
he was sent from God, or perhaps he was God.
This stranger walked closer, and Jacob removed his tomb.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
His pace became quicker.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And Jacob began running towards him. They converged into the
dirt and gravel, wrestling to subdue one another. Jacob knew
instantly that he was outmatched, but it did not keep.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Him from straying.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
If this man was God, then Jacob had to fight.
He had to contend and accept the challenge of struggling
with him. Jacob wrapped his arms around the man's legs
and drove him into the dirt. He tried to make
him submit, but the man wrapped Jacob with his legs
and threw him to the left. Jacob released himself and
walked backward. The two of them panted, priming themselves for
(05:54):
another round. Jacob made the first move and launched himself forward,
but the man tripped him onto the dirt and held
him down. As he fought, memories of all Jacob's sins
flooded back into his mind. He wanted God's blessing so
badly he was willing to do anything for it, even lie.
But now as he rolled into the blood and sweat
(06:15):
soak dirt, there was no talking his way into a blessing,
no lies, no religious babble, just him and God struggling
to gain an advantage over the other. Jacob knew there
was no winning, but that didn't mean he would stop.
The two of them wrestled all night. Finally, when the
man saw Jacob would not relent. He placed a hand
(06:37):
on his hip and pumped it down the place. Jacob
shouted in intense pain. It shot through his hip and leg,
but he didn't let go. He grasped onto his leg,
refusing to let him walk away. The man looked at
the sun's rays slowly peeking over the mountains. Then he
looked down at Jacob.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Let me go, the man said, the day has broke him.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Tears streamed down jacob swollen and dirty face.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Never he cried, I won't.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
The man tugged his leg away, but Jacob refused to
let go. Throughout the night, he had come to understand
who this person was.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Please bless me, Jacob said.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
With tears streaming down his cheeks.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
I won't let you go, and tell you bless me.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
A smile appeared on the side of the man's face.
He looked again at the orange shoes of the rising sun,
then back down at the poor fellow clinging to him.
What is your name, the stranger asked, it's Jacob. The
man shook his head and placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder.
Your name shall no longer be Jacob. It shall be
called Israel, for you have struggled with God and prevailed.
(07:43):
Jacob looked up and slowly released his grip.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
What is your name? He asked.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The man wiped the sweat and dirt off his brow
and chuckled. Now, why would you ask me for my name?
He extended his hand to help Israel on to his feet.
He blessed, and then vanished to where he came from.
Israel limped back to the hill's edge and looked down
at Esau's camp.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
It was time to face his brother.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
He limped down to meet Esau and the four hundred
men marching behind him. Israel fell to his knees in
honor of his brother. Esau ran, charging with passion, then
fell to the ground and hugged his brother tenderly. The
Lord had answered Israel's prayers through all the struggle in wrestling,
(08:32):
he had been blessed.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Could you feel the desperate tension from Jacob as he
struggled with his sin and shame? Could you feel the
battling of wills when he wrestled with the Angel of
the Lord. Until this point, Jacob's life had been wrought
with deception and shortcuts. He deceived his brother, father, and
father in law to gain favor in resources. But as
(09:01):
he struggled in the dirt with the Lord, there was
no tricking his way into a blessing. Ultimately, he was
forced into a desperate posture begging for a blessing. This
place of desperation is a place we all must find
ourselves in. We want a blessing from God, but often
(09:21):
we want it on our own terms. We, like Jacob,
must realize that blessing is only ever given on God's terms.
Like Jacob, we can be consumed with proud self reliance.
Jacob was reduced to a place where he could only
hold on to the Lord. Jacob could no longer fight,
(09:45):
and that place of weakness wasn't the worst place to be.
Sometimes we need to feel vulnerable and exposed to truly
experience transformation. God violently shattered Jacob's ego and reminded him
that true blessing can't be gained without humility. Jacob's old
(10:07):
name was more like an insult. It meant trickster, a usurper,
or deceiver. But Jacob's new name was noble. It meant
someone who struggles with God and shares in his victory.
Now we will go on to a different time but
the same place where another person wrestles to be vulnerable
(10:27):
with God.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Jesus leaned his back against the well and used his
hand to block the scorching sun of high noon. The
well was dug by Jacob himself long ago. It was
a sacred monument in a sacred place, causing all to
remember the significance of Jacob's faith in God. As Jesus pondered,
a woman approached carrying a bucket of water on her hips.
(10:51):
Her forehead was sweating and her face was somber. It
was awed for a woman to draw water in the
middle of the day. Usually all the women traveled together
before the son's harsh glare. Whoever this woman was, she
was an outcast among the other women. Jesus moved to
the side so she could draw water from the well.
(11:11):
As she poured water from the well into her bucket,
Jesus asked.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Would you mind giving me something to drink?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
The woman paused and looked at Jesus, perplexed. You are
a Jew, she said sharply.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me
for a drink? Aren't you breaking a dozen laws? Chows
are not supposed to talk to Samaritans, let alone a
Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Jesus shrugged and leaned over the well, looking down.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
If you knew the gift of God and who I am,
you would have asked me to give you living water.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
The woman peered at Jesus skeptically, Sir, you.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
Have nothing to draw from this deep well. Where do
you expect to find living water? Our forefather, Jacob dug
this well long ago with his sons. Are you saying
you are greater than jacobub.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
A satisfied smile curled upon Jesus's cheeks. He gestured to
the well and said Jacob was great.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Indeed, he dug this well for a good purpose. But
whoever drinks from this water will become thirsty again. They
will need to come back again and again to draw
from it. But whoever drinks the water I offer, I'll
never thirsty again. It will become a well springing up
(12:27):
to eternal life.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
The woman's skepticism turned to desperation. She had to spend
most afternoons drawing water in the hot sun to avoid
the other women.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Please give me this water so I don't have to
come here again.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Jesus responded kindly, saying, of course, go get your husband
to return here so I can show both of you.
The woman immediately took a step back and looked off
to the side. I don't have a husband, she mumbled. Jesus,
keeping an unthreatening demeanor, responded, you are correct to.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Say you don't have a husband.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
The fact is you've had five husbands, and the man
you currently live with isn't.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Your husband at all.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Jesus's frankness disarmed the woman. She chose not to respond
directly to his statement and instead shifted the conversation.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
I can see that you are a prophet. It makes
sense that you are here. Our ancestors worshiped on this
very mountain, but you Jews claim that the temple in
Jerusalem is the place to worship.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The woman did not know it, but she was quietly
wrestling with God. Jesus was engaging with her, gently, trying
to pole repentance and conviction out of her so she
could experience freedom. She tried to mask her insecurity with
religious babble, but Jesus planned to free her from herself.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Believe me, Jesus said.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
A time is coming when people won't worship here on
the mountain or in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Now a time is coming.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
When true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Those are the people God seeks out for himself. The
woman's hands shook and her eyes were shitt She felt
uncomfortable with her guilt, yet was drawn to talk more.
It was a divine wrestling between her spirit and flesh.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Well, when the Messiah comes, he will explain those things
and settle those debates, I'm sure, the.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Woman sighed, with a bit of somber hope in her voice.
Jesus looked at the woman intently and said, I the one.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
You have been speaking to anything.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The woman's eyes widened as understanding flooded her mind. She
was speaking to the one she had been hoping for,
The one who could redeem her and set her free
from her own sin and shame, stood before her, smiling.
She would never be the same. She ran to her hometown,
gathering everyone to behold the one who had given her
(14:45):
new hope.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Are you saying you are greater than Jacob? That's the
question this woman at the well posed to Jesus. She
had no idea who she was speaking to at the time.
We know that Jesus is not only greater than Jacob,
but he's the one who wrestled with Jacob on that
sacred hill. Jesus is the one who gave Jacob his
(15:10):
new name and reconciled him with his brother. Like the
woman at the well, Jacob struggled with pride and self reliance,
needing transformation. Jesus came to rid Jacob and the woman
at the well of their self reliance. Just as Jesus
wrestled with Jacob that fateful night and gave him a
(15:31):
new purpose, he also brought transformation to the woman at
the well. He slowly and lovingly revealed himself to her,
and she would never be the same. Like Jacob and
the woman at the well, we must struggle with God
to realize he alone is in control. Our attempts at
(15:52):
self righteousness, satisfaction, and blessing all fall short. When we
humble ourselves and cry out to God for blessing, He's
swift to restore. He is swift to restore, redeem, and
resurrect us. Jesus humbled himself on our behalf. He died
on the cross and rose again so that we might
(16:14):
be transformed. Like Jacob, Jesus wants to give us a
new blessing and purpose. He wants to take away our
sin and shame. He's done that in my life, and
he can do that in yours. In this way, we're
certain that Jesus is the greater Jacob. Join us next time,
(16:35):
as we hear the redemptive arc of one of Jacob's sons,
we'll see that through his life, all things work together
for the good of those who love God and are
called according to his purpose. Next episode, we'll discover that
Jesus is the greater Joseph
Host
Zak Shellabarger
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