Word Made Flesh:: John 4

Today I have 4 different meetings with people. Met someone at a coffee shop. Met someone over lunch. Had a phone meeting and a meeting in someone's office. They've been in my calendar for a week now, so I've known they were coming. I was looking forward to each of them because I really, really enjoy meeting with people. I love hearing about how people are doing and the things they are passionate about. I learn something new or create a new connection of ideas that I've never connected before every time I meet with someone. 

I didn't walk into any of these meetings with the thought they could change my life. 

They were going to be good. They were going to be fun. They weren't going to take the course of my life in a new direction. 

Have you ever had a meeting that did that for you? The direction and expectations that you had for your life changed radically from before the meeting to after the meeting? 

Usually you don't know those meetings are coming. They catch you by surprise. You think you are going to talk about one thing and something totally different happens.

Maybe you get told that your position has been eliminated in the company. 
Maybe you are offered a new job in a new state. 
Maybe you are told that your parents love you and each other vey much, but they're getting a divorce. 
Maybe you are told that the test results are positive. 

When the trajectory of our story changes course it feels like everything is upside down. Positive and negative news both cause a disruption that make us re-evaluate our lives. We find out a lot about the foundation of our peace, hope and trust when our circumstances change radically. 

In this message we're looking at a very good and very disruptive meeting that Jesus had with someone that very few people thought he should be meeting with.  The fact that we know the story today hints at the impact of this meeting that started with two people and has sent our a ripple effect to hundreds of millions of people ever since.