John 4:14b
“Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
There is a danger in reading a passage too closely: it is possible to lose sight of the larger context. There is also a reward in reading a passage under a microscope like we are doing here: There are hidden treasures in each passage that can be missed if one passes by too quickly.
In this case, Jesus is having a conversation with someone that kind of reminds me of my college days. I don’t know if it was the age group I was with, or the “age” I was living in (post-60’s) that was the driving force behind these conversations but they often left me wondering who was talking about what?!
In this situation, the woman likely thought she was talking with a lunatic until Jesus pulled the “I know everything you have ever done” card on her. Here she is talking about water while Jesus is using the same words but clearly talking about something else.
Q: Explain how a spring of water can “…well up to eternal life.”
Water is the basis for life. It is a great metaphor for eternal life. Jesus is life and thus He is living water. Wells run dry, but His is one that never runs dry and provides for eternity.
Agreed. It also harkens back to Old Testament use of water metaphors or illustrations – Mosaic and prophetic in particular come to mind.
….and sometimes it feels like the week of living water is spilling over in this life (before eternal life)
This passage intrigues me because of the use of the word, “welling.” It is not commonly used these days and could be understood to mean ‘filling up’ or ‘rising up inside.’ Sometimes we might read that tears “welled up” in her eyes, or we might say that feelings “welled up” inside, but I think the usage is still fairly rare.
Since we are sitting at a well with Jesus and he talks about water “welling up” my mind is filled with a picture of a well, a deep hole, with water down inside. But that is not the intent of the text. Other versions of the NIV and the KJV refer to the water “springing up.” The underlying Greek “hallomai” can mean “to leap” or to “gush up.” Thinking of it this way suggests that Jesus is talking about something much more active. When I think of a spring of water leaping up or gushing up it sounds like a lot of water!
If Jesus means that the water he gives becomes a spring of life vigorously bubbling up within a person and spilling out everywhere, then the picture he is painting becomes one of abundance! Abundant life overflowing, refreshing, unending. I like that picture a lot!
Streams in the desert. Overflowing for eternity.