John 4 The woman at the well
1-4 This is the background for this story - he must needs go through Samaria...
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
It’s like we are in Genesis: he’s journeying and stops at a well.
About the sixth hour - noon.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Jesus had to wait for someone to come to the well. Someone? He was there for her.
Give me to drink - sounds rude to our ears but I don’t believe it is, for she takes no offense to his manner.
9 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.
She is surprised that he spoke to her at all! She recognized him right off as a Jew.
10 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.
This is precisely why Jesus sat down at this well, to speak to her.
If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee – If you only knew. He could’ve just said, “Hey, I’m Messiah and I have eternal life for you” but He is stirring her curiosity.
he would have given thee living water – the term refers to running water but this is clearly a play on words, he means water that gives life.
11 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?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
from whence then hast thou that living water? – her curiosity is aroused as well as her sarcastic wit – You have nothing to draw with, just how do you plan to get me water?
Art thou greater than our father Jacob – this well has served us for many generations and you, a helpless man who has to ask me for water, you have better water??
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 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 a word, Yes! What a wonderful promise! Just reading this is like a drink of cold water. “I asked you for a drink from this well, if you ask me I will give you a well on the inside, it will give you everlasting life and you will never thirst again.”
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
“I’m in!” But she has missed something, her thinking is still carnal.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
What?? What does this have to do with living water? Rather than correct her misunderstanding he changes subjects. Somebody needs to talk to Jesus about how to witness, instead of ‘reeling her in’ he changes subjects? What??
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband.
Oooh, the entire tone of this conversation has just changed. Can you hear the surliness in her voice? She was interested, but not any more. What is Jesus after?
17 Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
And here it is! What is he doing? He is pointing out her sin, but not in a mean, hurtful way, he is letting her admit it herself. He is also telling her that he knows her heart.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
She is impressed – this is not just some wandering Jew, he is a prophet. But what does she do here? She quickly moves the spotlight from her life to religion: “Where is the real place to worship?” People do this all the time.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Now Jesus begins to talk plainly: “Your question is irrelevant. Worship is not tied to a place.”
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Why does Jesus press the point? He is eliciting repentance - her thinking about spiritual things has been wrong so she must have a change in her thinking.
23 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.
the hour cometh, and now is – ‘where’ doesn’t really matter, only ‘how’
in spirit and in truth – in spirit as opposed to a place; worship involves external things (singing, praying, giving, preaching etc) but begins on the inside, in the heart. in truth, according to the revelation of God in Christ: we approach the Father through the Son; and according to His Word: He has told us what constitutes acceptable worship; we are not free to just make up whatever we want. Sincerity is no substitute for truth, nor is form for spirit.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This is a powerful truth, God is a spirit. But this probably means, God is spirit. This is His essence. I am spirit, soul, and body. God is spirit.
“God is a Spirit - This is one of the first, the greatest, the most sublime, and necessary truths in the compass of nature! There is a God, the cause of all things - the fountain of all perfection - without parts or dimensions, for he is Eternal - filling the heavens and the earth - pervading, governing, and upholding all things: for he is an infinite Spirit! This God can be pleased only with that which resembles himself: therefore he must hate sin and sinfulness; and can delight in those only who are made partakers of his own Divine nature. As all creatures were made by him, so all owe him obedience and reverence; but, to be acceptable to this infinite Spirit, the worship must be of a spiritual nature - must spring from the heart, through the influence of the Holy Ghost: and it must be in Truth, not only in sincerity, but performed according to that Divine revelation which he has given men of himself. A man worships God in spirit, when, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, he brings all his affections, appetites, and desires to the throne of God; and he worships him in truth, when every purpose and passion of his heart, and when every act of his religious worship, is guided and regulated by the word of God.” (Adam Clarke)
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Jesus has confronted her with her lack of living water, her failure to worship the right way, and her misunderstanding of God. This is her last refuge – “Well, I know that Messiah is coming.” Which being translated is, “I’m not a dummy.”
He will tell us all things – “I known what you’ve said, but when Messiah comes he will settle this [question of where to worship] once and for all.”
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
“Yes, he will. And I am he.” Isn’t it neat that while Jesus spoke in parables to so many in Israel, to this woman he speaks plainly, “I am the Messiah.”
What an encounter she had at the well that day! She went to get water, just like she did every day, and
she meets the Messiah!!
This is truly the best encounter at a well in the whole Bible!!! Jesus told her plainly who he was (I that speak unto thee am he, the long awaited, promised Messiah) and what he offered (whosoever drinks 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). Amen! And in this encounter he tells us a lot about God: God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. This is awesome!!
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