Picture a hot afternoon in ancient Samaria. Jesus, weary from travel, sits at a well, where a chance encounter with a Samaritan woman changes everything.
The Reading: John 4
World English Bible1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
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2 (although Jesus himself didn’t baptize, but his disciples),
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3 he left Judea, and departed into Galilee.
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4 He needed to pass through Samaria.
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5 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.
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6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
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7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
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8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
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9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
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10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
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11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water?
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12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?”
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13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,
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14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
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15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.”
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16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
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17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’
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18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.”
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19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
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20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
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21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.
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22 You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
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23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers.
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24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
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25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.”
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26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.”
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27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?”
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28 So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people,
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29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”
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30 They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
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31 In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
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32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”
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33 The disciples therefore said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
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34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.
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35 Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.
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36 He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
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37 For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’
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38 I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
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39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me everything that I did.”
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40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days.
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41 Many more believed because of his word.
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42 They said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
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43 After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee.
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44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
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45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.
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46 Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.
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47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
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48 Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”
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49 The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
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50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
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51 As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!”
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52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.”
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53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house.
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54 This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.
What This Chapter Is Really Saying
A Journey Through Samaria
In John 4, Jesus leaves Judea and heads to Galilee, taking a route through Samaria - an area typically avoided by Jews. At a well in the town of Sychar, he meets a Samaritan woman who comes to draw water. Despite the cultural norms of the time, Jesus engages her in conversation, breaking social barriers.
The Gift of Living Water
He asks her for a drink, sparking a dialogue that reveals deep spiritual truths. Jesus tells her about 'living water,' a metaphor for the eternal life and satisfaction he offers. At first, the woman is confused, questioning how he could provide this water since he has nothing to draw from the deep well. Jesus explains that while regular water only temporarily quenches thirst, his living water can provide eternal satisfaction, leading to life that never runs dry.
A Revelation and Transformation
As their conversation deepens, Jesus reveals knowledge about her life - she's had five husbands and is currently with someone who isn't her husband. This revelation prompts the woman to perceive him as a prophet. She shifts the conversation to the correct place of worship, to which Jesus responds that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and truth, no matter the location. Eventually, he reveals to her that he is the Messiah, leading to her excitement and her rush back to the town to share her experience.
The Impact on the Community
The woman's testimony leads many Samaritans to seek Jesus. They invite him to stay with them, during which he teaches them for two days, resulting in many more believing in him. The chapter closes with Jesus returning to Galilee, where he performs a miracle of healing a nobleman's son. This event demonstrates Jesus' authority and solidifies faith among those who witness it.
Why It Matters
Breaking Barriers
One powerful lesson from John 4 is Jesus' willingness to engage with those society often overlooks. The Samaritan woman, marginalized by her past, finds acceptance and truth in him. Jesus teaches us that love and grace transcend cultural boundaries and prejudices.
The Living Water
Jesus' offer of living water symbolizes the spiritual fulfillment that only he can provide. In our busy lives, we often seek satisfaction in temporary things, yet true contentment comes from a relationship with Christ. This chapter invites us to reflect on what truly quenches our thirst - are we seeking out the 'living water' Jesus offers?
Sharing Our Story
The woman's encounter with Jesus transforms her into a bold witness for him. Like her, we are called to share our stories and experiences of faith. You can find a church near you through Sancta to join a community where you can grow in faith and share your story with others.
Faith in Action
The nobleman's faith in Jesus' words reminds us of the importance of belief in action. He didn't need to see signs and wonders to believe; he simply trusted in Jesus' promise. This challenges us to trust in what we cannot see and to have faith in God's word in our lives.
Coming Up Next: John 5
In the next part of our journey through John 5, we'll witness a miraculous healing at the pool of Bethesda. Prepare to see how Jesus challenges the norms of the Sabbath and brings hope to a paralyzed man.