Jesus Breaks Down Cultural Barriers

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John 4:1–9 (ESV)

1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

Some interesting details in vv.1-6 that help set the stage of this conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman.

Many scholars believe that Jesus’ leaving this area could have been influenced by John the Baptist’s arrest...

Which is believed to have taken place at this time.

Jesus, not being His time to be arrested or to be further investigated by the religious leaders...

Would have left the area to continue His work of ministry.

As well, we have this interesting phrase in v.4...

John 4:3–4 (ESV)

3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria.

Remember He was in Galilee and He left Cana for the Passover in Jerusalem.

But, we immediately notice...

And He Had To – Geographically or Providentially?

What are we being told here?

Are we being told that the only way to Galilee was by traveling through Samaria?

No, that cannot be.

Due to the hostility between Jews and Samaritans...

Not only could it be dangerous to travel through Samaria as a Jew...

But, there were other preferred routes that Jews would take not only to avoid danger...

But, to avoid being around the Samaritan’s, whom the Jews felt were unclean.

Those Jews who were more zealous in their religious behavior preferred the alternate route...

Rather than go through Samaria and risk being among the Samaritans.

So, it wasn’t a necessity due to geography.

So, next we want to ask how is this word used in John’s gospel...

It’s used ten times in John’s gospel...

Listen to how it is used every other time...

John 3:7 (ESV)

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

John 3:14 (ESV)

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

John 3:30 (ESV)

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 4:20 (ESV)

20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

John 4:24 (ESV)

24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 9:4 (ESV)

4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

John 10:16 (ESV)

16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

John 12:34 (ESV)

34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

John 20:9 (ESV)

9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Every single time this word is used by John in this gospel...

John is using it as an obligation to the Divine will.

So, Jesus had to go through Samaria...

Not due to geographical reasons...

But, due to the Divine will of God.

Now, let’s continue...

John 4:5–6 (ESV)

5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

So, we have some more information that is helpful for us to understand what’s about to take place within the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

There are some pretty big names here...

Which gives detail to some important historical sites that carry rich cultural and religious tradition.

They are near the field that Jacob.

Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, who would later have his name changed by God to Israel.

—> Father to the twelve tribes of Israel

—> Whose lineage, the promised Seed would come through.

Joseph, Jacob’s son, who God used to preserve His people through severe and lengthy drought.

The land that was bought by Jacob and where Joseph was buried was here/

The well that they were about to draw water from was dug by Jacob for his won use, his family’s use, his livestock...

And, to this day was still being used for the benefit of the people.

So, traditionally and culturally, this is a pretty important area with great historical significance.

Now, you’ll remember that I mentioned a different route to Galilee...

One in which you could not have to pass through Samaria.

Why would you do that?

What kind of animosity was alive and well in Jesus’ day?

Let me give you some background to this ethnic and cultural animosity...

Jews vs. Samaritans

After the death of Solomon, the Kingdom split.

The Kingdom of Israel was the northern kingdom.

The Kingdom of Judah was the southern kingdom.

The northern kingdom crowned Jeroboam king in the town of Shechem, which is Jesus’ location in this passage at hand.

There were numerous battles between these two kingdoms.

Later in the history of the northern kingdom...

Assyria defeated them and took the people of the northern kingdom away as captives.

We’re told in 2 Kings 17 that this happened to them because of their sin of idolatry against God.

—> following false religions

—> sacrificing their children as burnt offerings

After the captivity of the northern kingdom...

The King of Assyria resettled the land of the northern kingdom...

With a blend of people Assyria had conquered…into Samaria.

And, there ended up being a blended religion in which they followed their false gods and practiced idolatry...

And, they blended Judaism with it.

So, it was a false worship that filled the land of Samaria.

It had a form of Judaism, with no real essence of Judaism.

And, all sorts of paganism lived out in every day life.

You may remember, later, after the return of people from the kingdom of Judah from exile...

Zerubbabel of the Kingdom of Judah was permitted to start rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem.

Well, the people from Samaria came down and asked to help.

They were not allowed to help.

Those of the Kingdom of Judah did not permit it.

They wanted nothing to do with these mixed-ethnic idolators.

And, hostilities became embroiled again.

The second temple in Jerusalem was built in the early years of 500 BC.

Around 400-300 BC, the people of Samaria built a temple of their own...

On Mount Gerizim.

The animosity heightened as those in Samaria claimed that Mount Gerizim was the proper place to have the temple...

And, worship God.

This also led to those in Samaria to reject all OT books and prophets except...

The Pentateuch (Torah - 5 books) and Moses.

They rejected anything and everything that spoke to the Davidic covenant, the Davidic dynasty...

As those books pointed to Mount Moriah in Jerusalem rather than Mount Gerizim in Samaria.

So, you can sense the animosity of:

Our Temple vs. your Temple.

Our Mount vs. your Mount.

Our Bible vs. your Bible.

Jesus will clarify in this passage who was right...

But, at least we can get a sense of the animosity between them.

To top this animosity off, around 120 BC, and Maccabean leader of the southern kingdom…John Hyrcanus 1 led a military campaign against Samaria and destroyed the temple on Mount Gerizim.

So, you can sense the ethnic, cultural and religious animosity between these two groups.

Now, with that background, let’s read...

John 4:7–9 (ESV)

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

So, it’s noon in the heat of the day.

Jesus and the disciples have been traveling the terrain in this heat.

The disciples split off to go get some food...

And Jesus takes a rest at Jacob’s well...

He’s thirsty.

Now, let’s think about what is being taught here...

The Humanity of Christ

John has taught us in great detail the divinity of Christ...

John 1:1–3 (ESV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:29–30 (ESV)

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

But here, John teaches us the meaning of the Word became flesh.

The eternal Son of God took upon Him human nature.

He assumed a human nature prepared and made holy by the Spirit of God.

The Divine nature perfecting the human nature.

He gave the seed of the woman personhood.

Christ had a true body, meaning he experienced hunger, being tired, being thirsty, etc.

Christ had a rational soul, meaning He had rational emotions.

Christ possessed human characteristics in addition to His divine characteristics...without changing the Divine.

Everything Christ experienced, in His humanity, He did so with the full measure of the Spirit, without sin.

And, here in this passage we see the humanity of Christ expressed in his being tired from His journey.

And, desiring a drink to quench His thirst.

So, He is the God-Man. Truly God. Truly Man.

Now, I want us to see one thing before we take the Lord’s Supper...

Jesus' Love for His Sheep Goes Against Cultural Thought

A first century reader would expect that after we read...

John 4:7 (ESV)

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water.

That it would read, “So Jesus immediately removed Himself from her presence.”

John 4:27 (ESV)

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman,...

The disciples are thinking this will be scandalous.

John tells us what they wanted to say, but they withheld it...

John 4:27 (ESV)

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

The disciples are like, what are you thinking?...

Not only is she considered unclean to Jews...

But, this could be scandalous.

Of all people, a Rabbi in this day and age was extremely aware and cautious of the Culture Traditions, Taboos...

And, take care to respect them.

Hence, Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night.

But, here is the reality for Jesus...

He was not loyal to traditions if they violated God’s Word.

He did not fear or chase after the opinion of the culture.

Jesus came to do the will of the Father.

The ethnic animosity says don’t minister in that neighborhood.

The cultural animosity says don’t speak to women.

The religious animosity says she’s unclean.

The taboos of the culture say, “leave her in her sin.”

Don’t risk becoming unclean for sake of ministry.

But, Jesus, the eternal Son of God knows the cultural opinions, peer opinions, what the talk on the street may be...

And in spite of it...He shows through His behavior...

None of those things matter, when it comes to the truth of the gospel.

His mission is to bring blessings to the Nations.

To call His sheep out from every tribe, tongue and Nation.

The wall of separation is being dismantled.

Unclean is being made clean.

Jesus lives out the truth, Let God be true and every man a liar.

Let’s Think About This...

Are we praying for situations like the one at Jacob’s Well?

Are we looking for opportunities like this?

Do we understand that the only thing that makes us Holy is God?

Reading your Bible doesn’t make you holy.

Attending church doesn’t make you holy.

Your vocation doesn’t make you holy.

Your hobbies don’t make you holy.

Where you live doesn’t make you holy.

Only God can make you holy and keep you holy.

So, are you going to unholy people and telling them about the One who can make them holy?

Are you going to the “unclean,” understanding that they cannot make you unholy, and pointing them to the One who can make them clean?

Or are you taking the long route around “unclean” people in hopes that you won’t be made unclean because your hope in staying unclean is in your self and your rules?

Our belief in who makes us holy and who keeps us holy will impact the way we live our life.

Make sure that your hope is in, and only in, Jesus Christ…

Who came to make His people holy and keep them that way, forevermore.

Closing Prayer

Lord’s Supper

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—> Ted & Erica Chao (Charlotte & Caleb)