John 4

Introduction

John 4:1–9 “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria. 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. 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. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 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.”

In Jesus’ 3 1/2 year earthly ministry, the first year was spent in Judea. John is the only Gospel writer to include any details related to Jesus’ Judean ministry. In John 4, Jesus leaves Judea for Galilee, which is where He spends the bulk of His earthly ministry. Standing between Judea and Galilee was Samaria.

In John 4:4 “And he must needs go through Samaria,” John narrated that Jesus needed to go through Samaria. If Samaria was between Judea and Galilee would not this be assumed?

There was enormous hatred between the Jews and Samaria that went back several centuries. In 722 B.C., Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom was Israel and the smaller souther kingdom was Judah. In 722 B.C., Assyria defeated the northern kingdom. In order to maintain control of defeated kingdoms, the Assyrians removed half of Israel’s population and deposited them throughout other kingdoms that had been defeated. And, replaced them with people from other defeated kingdoms. The Assyrians hoped the language, cultural, and religious differences would complicate a unified rebellion against their rule.

Eventually, the Israelites they were left behind in Israel married the migrants that were transplanted into their land. This marriage compromised culture and religion. The marriage formed a new culture and people called the Samaritans. Primarily, the Jews that lived in Judea and the Jews that remained fixed in Judaism hated the Samaritans. They viewed them as traitors. By the time we get to the first century, the Jews hated the Gentiles because they were heathens and unclean people. In face, before entering Israel’s territory from Gentile territory, they would shake Gentile dust off their sandals. However, their hatred for the Samaritans was greater because they saw them as traitors to the faith.

Therefore, even though going through Samaria to get to Galilee from Judea was a more direct way, often the Jews avoided Samaria, made their trip longer because of their hatred for the Samaritan's. So when John narrates that Jesus had a need to go through Samaria, we need to pay attention.

Ray Stedman - This direct route from Judea to Galilee was about 70 miles, or two and a half days' walk. But many of the Jews chose not to go through Samaria. They traveled the hot desert road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and up the Jordan valley. Thus, because of the terrible prejudice that prevailed against the Samaritan people, they journeyed almost twice the distance on a much hotter and more uncomfortable road. But our Lord cut right through that ignorant, narrow-minded prejudice and went through Samaria.

“Must” - not optional but needful. The same word that Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:7 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

The question is why did Jesus have a need to go through Samaria?

On one hand, Jesus is God and in His deity, He has no needs. He is completely self-sufficient.

On the other hand, in His humanity, He did have a need. The need that John narrates is not similarly to the need that people have for food and water. There is something deeper more pressing and important the food and water.

Later, in this story, Jesus said: John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

The needs that Jesus had was to do the will of His Father in redeeming the lost:

John 6:37–39 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”

His purpose was to glorify the Father - John 17:4 “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

They stopped at the capital city of Samaria named Sychar.

In particular, at a well.

Jesus is alone.

It is the 6th hour. That is 6 hours after sunrise.

A woman shows up to get water. She is alone.

Jesus asked this woman for water - John 4:7–9 “There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 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.”

By tradition, a rabbi would not speak with a woman in public, not even with his own wife. It was also very unusual for a Jewish person of that time to ask a favor or accept a drink from a Samaritan’s cup. Jesus’ request genuinely surprised the woman.

There was a trace of sarcasm in the woman's reply, as if she meant, "We Samaritans are the dirt under your feet until you want something; then we are good enough!" Jesus paid no attention to her flippancy or to her bitterness.

The conclusion of the introduction

Jesus’ purpose was to do His Father’s will and His mission was redemptive.

Nothing happened coincidently during the earthly ministry of Jesus. In fact, nothing happens coincidently.

Ephesians 1:11 “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

Proverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.”

Jesus has living water

John 4:10–14 “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. 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? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 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.”

Defining living water - John 4:10 “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.”

Living - Zoe

Jeremiah 17:13 “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.”

To ask means that you are thirsty for living water. The plague of society is not their lack of being thirsty. Whether America or China - people are thirsty. The plague is people are not thirsty for living water. George Sanders suicide note: “Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.”

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

In the ancient near east a fountain of living waters - an artesian spring - was something special. It was a constant supply of good, fresh, life-giving water that came to you! In ancient Israel, water was a lot of work, but a fountain of living waters brought it right to you.

John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

The woman’s curiosity:

He made her curious about the things of God (If you knew the gift of God);

He made her curious about who Jesus is (who it is who says to you).

He made her curious about what He could give her (He would have given you living water). (From David Guzik)

The woman at the well asked two questions:

How are you going to give me living water - John 4:11 “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?”

You have no water source

You have no way to get water.

Are you greater than Jacob who dug this well - John 4:12 “Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?”

The impact of the living water - John 4:13–14 “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.”

Jacob’s water - you will thirst again. Even though you continually drink it.

Living Water will eternally quench your thirst - Even though it is a one time event that happens in regeneration.

The effect of this water does much more than simply satisfy the thirst of the one who drinks it. It also creates something good, something life-giving in the heart of the one who drinks it.

Fill My Cup, Lord

Like the woman at the well I was seeking For things that could not satisfy And then I heard my Savior speaking, “Draw from the well that never shall run dry.”

Fill my cup, Lord I lift it up, Lord.

Come and quench This thirsting of my soul

Bread of Heaven, Feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up And make me whole.

He does not answer the first question.

Thirst for Jesus

John 4:15–27 “The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. 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 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. 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. 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 saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?”

She wants the living water - John 4:15 “The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”

She redefines the purpose of the water - Living water’s design is not to quench physical but spiritual thirst.

She disguises the problem - The problem is not going to the well. The problem is the reason she goes to the well at noon and by herself.

Jesus creates a thirst for Him - John 4:16–18 “Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. 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.”

People, in their natural state, do not desire Jesus of the Bible.

People wants a Jesus that fits their narrative not a Jesus that defines their narrative.

He creates a thirst by unlayering her sin.

Brian Bell - "He pulls out a full length mirror, forcing her to take a good hard look at herself!"

“Christ has different doors for entering into different people’s souls. Into some, he enters by the understanding; into many, by the affections. To some, he comes by the way of fear; to another, by that of hope; and to this woman he came by way of her conscience.” (Spurgeon)

“I am persuaded that the right account is found, in viewing this command, as the first step of granting her request, ‘give me this water.’ The first work of the Spirit of God, and of Him who here spoke in the fullness of that Spirit, is, to convince of sin.” (Alford)

The living water’s power is to quench the thirst of the soul.

Is not to make you more healthy, wealthy or popular.

Souls after death will go to Heaven or Hell based upon their condition.

Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Therefore, Jesus addressed her sins and her pain.

Her life was a miserable chain of unfulfilled relationships.

The person you are with now is not your husband - someone else

Because of her lifestyle she is despised by the respectable people in the community.

Based upon His knowledge the woman thinks Jesus is a prophet from God. But she does not confess that she has sinned!

In fact, she sidesteps her dilemma by addressing to assumed safe areas for her:

Worship - John 4:20 “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

She wanted to debate Jesus on where to worship as opposed to her sin.

Jesus answers this statement of finality:

The focus of worship is not geographical - John 4:21 “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.”

You worship a false god. The Samaritans accepted the first 5 books of the OT not anything else. Not much different than the Sadduccees in that regard. They picked and chose what they wanted from God’s word and rejected the rest. Meanwhile adding to God’s word vain religious concepts of false gods - John 4:21 “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.”

True worshippers worship the Father - John 4:23–24 “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.”

There is such a thing as true worshippers and false worshippers.

True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.

Why is it “spirit and truth” and not the other way around? Spiritually alive because God is a spirit. You are concerned about spiritual realities, not geography.

Truth - God does not have a relationship with lies.

The reason she needs the living water is so that she can worship God in spirit and truth.

I am waiting for Christ - John 4:25 “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.”

You would not know good if if walked up a but your nose off.

You would not know if it hit you in the face.

Jesus says: “I am He” - John 4:26 “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”

Thirst for Jesus is when He reveals Himself in light of your sin.

What do you think I have been doing

The woman’s response

John 4:28–30 “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.”

An example of John 3:8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

There were four walls: There is a religious wall, a gender wall, a racial wall, and a moral wall. Yet our Lord found a way through all of them. He found her … and then she found Him!…

Her confession: Jesus is the Christ!

The Samaritan woman was so impressed by the love of Jesus that she now sought out her fellow villagers, even when they had treated her as an outcast before. “If she had avoided the company of her fellow-citizens before, she was a changed woman now; she must seek them out and share her news with them.” (Bruce)

Guzik - Jesus displayed so much love and such a sense of security that she felt safe with Him even when her sin was exposed. It’s important for the followers of Jesus to give people today a safe place to confess their sin, repent, and put their trust in Jesus.

Conclusion

Kent Hughes - It is a spiritual imperative that we have ministering hearts. Having an enlarged heart will equip us to serve others.

1) Only through Jesus can we obtain and receive eternal life: “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13–14; cf. John 14:6).

2) Jesus’ ministering to those outcasts of the Jewish society (the Samaritans) reveals that all people are valuable to God and that Jesus desires that we demonstrate love to everyone . . . including even our enemies (John 4:7–9; Matthew 5:44).

3) Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:25–26; 1:41; Matthew 27:22; Luke 2:11).

4) Those who worship God, worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24; Psalm 145:18).

5) Our testimony about Jesus is a powerful tool in leading others to believe in Him: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world”’ (John 4:39–42).

Lord, cleanse me from all prejudice, Remove its subtle lie; Then help me share Your love with those For whom You came to die. —Fasick