John 4:1-42 presented a story about an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. It begins this scene as Jesus and his disciples travel northward through Samaria. When Jesus arrived at Jacob's well in the city of Sychar, he was weary from his journey:
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John — although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water from the well. When she drew near, Jesus asked "Will you give me a drink?". This is striking for two reasons:
- Jewish people did not have dealings with Samaritan during Jesus' time.
- Jewish men did not speak to women in public.
Here is some Bible commentary for context:
Samaritans were viewed as a result of intermarriages between earlier Hebrews of the northern kingdom of Israel and the Assyrian settlers in Israel following the captivity of the northern kingdom in 722-21 B.C. The Samaritans had their own brand of religion - a mix of Jehovah worship and heathenism. This led to much animosity between the Jews and Samaritans. What Jesus did would be considered highly unusual for the time. But we know that Jesus valued everyone, including women (think of Mary Magdalene). He called every person he encountered according to their purpose. He did not care for the animosity between the Jews and Samaritans. In short, he did not fall prey to social norms.
Jesus Christ Challenged the Samaritan Woman
When Jesus asked this woman for a drink of water, he challenged the best of her morality. It was understandable to be resistent to helping someone we have a grudge against. Yet Jesus appealed to her kinder instincts, despite their conflicting cultures (John 4:9 KJV):
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Jesus seized this opportunity to raise the stakes of this conversation to the heavenly domain (John 4:10 KJV):
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Jesus spoke of a gift, dorea (Greek), which signified a free gift. He also mentioned a living water, which was significant to people living in sin.
This shocked the woman, who changed her tone immediately (John 4:11 KJV):
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
At the point, the woman still believed Jesus was speaking of the water in the well (John 4:13-14 KJV)
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
In this statement, Jesus emphasized that he was not speaking of the water in Jacob's well anymore, but rather he was speaking of a bountiful fountain in the form of eternal life, i.e. salvation. Jesus was the Bread of Life. Only He could lay the crops for eternal life. The woman was now fully intrigued, and asked Jesus for this water.
Sin Exposed
The Samaritan woman had need for salvation, and she also had a knowledge of God. Christ took this opportunity to gently expose her sin (John 4:16 KJV)
Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
To this, the woman replied that she did not have a husband (John 4:17-18 KJV):
Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The point Jesus made was that she was in a sinful relationship and she needed salvation that only he, Jesus, could offer.
It was a startling revelation to the Samaritan woman, who immediately realized that Jesus was greater than she thought (John 19-20 KJV):
The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Here, the Samaritan woman addressed the long-standing controversy between the Samaritans and the Jews as where worship was to be rendered. The Samaritans contended for Mt. Gerizim, while the Hebrews for Jerusalem.
Jesus was quick to point out that the external location does not matter. Rather, that worship was spiritual in nature (John 4:21-24 KJV):
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus was making a grand statement about salvation here: God had been working on a plan to save mankind through the Hebrew nation. Jesus teaches about the Spirit and Truth. He is the Savior of the world. He alone held the water of life. Jesus declared that true worshipper who belonged to God as his redeemed children and would receive the God's revelation.
The True Messiah
By this point, the Samaritan woman already concluded that Jesus was a prophet. To the Samaritans, the term prophet was closely associated to the coming Messiah. She knew that the hour is coming when the Messiah would arrive. She addressed this point directly (John 4:25 KJV):
The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
The Samaritan woman had not yet deciphered that Jesus was the Messiah, but she did believe:
- In the promise of the Messiah. She knew the the Messiah is coming.
- That the Messiah had not yet come.
- The Messiah would be a teacher, and not a conqueror.
Jesus took this opportunity to reveal his true identity (John 4:26):
Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
The Samaritan woman, leaving her jar, went back to town to spread the word about Jesus. This is a pure statement of faith. She knew now that Jesus Christ was the messiah, the Savior of the world. She knew He held the Spirit and the Truth. Only He could give eternal life. Jesus teaches that people are not defined by their sin. The Samaritan woman set aside her sin, and began working toward God's mission. This is the quintessential essence of living a Christian life.
Word of the Messiah Spreads
The Samaritans believed the woman's testimony. Her confession regarding her past was so explicit that she became a compelling advocate for the credibility of Christ. This was very telling in a time when woman could not act as legal witnesses. But her testimony was so powerful it transcended all social boundaries.
Conclusion
Testimonies are powerful. They are so powerful that they exceed all social conventions. In the case of the Samaritan woman, Christ knew her sins but also loved her and reached out to her. God has a bigger plan for you, and He uses all people to His means. Pray to God to uncover what His purpose is for you today.
I hope you enjoyed reading this breakdown of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
