The Samaritan Woman

Conversations with Christ:

The Samaritan Woman

(John 4:1-30)

Logan Peters

Compiled From Allen Webster’s Notes

Introduction:

1. It is interesting to notice how every person who encounters Jesus is never the same as when he/she first interacted with Him.

2. This shows that the word of God can still change lives today.

3. The conversation between Christ and the Samaritan woman is more than just a pleasant conversation; it is a master class from Jesus on how to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

4. Jesus was always thinking about souls and desired to save everyone He encountered.

5. In this conversation, we can learn from Christ about evangelism, worship, and the source of satisfaction.

I. The Gospel Is For All (John 4:1-6).

A. The timing of this account is extremely important.

1. The Samaritan woman came to the well at the 6th hour of the day, or around Noon.

2. This is the middle of the day and in the hottest part; the women would normally go early in the morning or the evening to avoid the harshness of the midday heat.

3. Her being there at this time and alone likely suggests shame of her lifestyle choices (living in fornication as noted in verses 17-18).

B. Jesus teaches a lesson about the importance of how the gospel has no boundaries.

1. Jews and Samaritans had a long-standing feud and had nothing to do with one another (2 Kings 17:24-41).

a. Our Master blatantly ignored these social norms to reach lost souls.

b. You have a Jew speaking with a Samaritan, a Jewish man speaking to a woman in public, and a holy man talking with a. sinful person.

2. Evangelism has no boundaries.

a. Christ told the apostles before his ascension to heaven that they would cross uncomfortable boundaries (Acts 1:8).

b. No matter the geological, ethnic, social, or personal boundaries that exist, we must search high and low for souls that are seeking Christ (Luke 14:23).

C. Jesus brings to her attention her sin without confronting her (John 4:16).

1. When she admits she had no husband, Jesus commends her honesty and reveals that He knew of her current situation–living with a man in fornication (John 4:17-18).

a. Rather than shaming her, He led her to acknowledge her need.

b. He confronted her sin with grace and exposed the sin without damaging the sinner.

2. May we all learn to have this same truth and love when we are focused on teaching others (Rom. 3:23-24; Eph. 4:15).

a. We cannot expect people to be where we are in our faith.

b. Every individual is different and needs teaching from the point where he/she is.

c. Should we start with heavier subjects of doctrine for a person who has never read the Bible, or should we begin in a place to help that person build a foundation?

II. The Spirit of Worship (John 4:19-24).

A. In the time of Ezra, the Samaritans tried to frustrate the restoration of Jerusalem, and when driven away, a temple was built on Mount Gerizim like the one in Jerusalem to rival the Jewish temple (409 BC). Their worship was set up like the Jews, with many alterations, and the first high priest was a man Nehemiah expelled (Neh. 13:28).

1. The answer to her statement would have been that the Samaritans should have worshipped at Jerusalem, but Jesus sought the opportunity to teach her of His kingdom.

2. In Christ’s kingdom, there is no preference for location, but it is solely dependent upon a person’s attitude and the doctrine.

B. There are four possibilities for our worship (John 4:24). Our worship has…

1. No spirit, no truth.

a. Wrong attitudes and wrong actions.

b. Selfish worship and incorrect acts of worship.

2. Spirit, but no truth.

a. Good attitudes and wrong actions.

b. Good intentions of worship, but still having incorrect acts of worship.

3. No spirit, but truth.

a. Wrong attitudes, right actions.

b. We are participating in the correct acts of worship, but our attitudes are not in line with God.

4. In spirit, in truth.

a. Right attitudes, right actions.

b. This is the only form of acceptable worship to God.

C. God desires and commands worship (Matt. 4:10), God only accepts a kind of worship, and our worship can be in vain (Matt. 15:9).

1. Our worship must consist of the right attitude–spirit (Heb. 12:28) and be done in the right way–truth (Eph. 5:19; Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:1-2).

2. True worship emphasizes that Jehovah is the object of our worship (Matt. 4:10; cf. Rev. 22:9).

3. It is our privilege to worship the Almighty God who saved us (Rev. 4:11)!

III. The Living Water (John 4:7-15).

A. The masterful Teacher used this woman’s physical need for water to display a deeper, spiritual application.

1. Christ shifted the conversation from physical to spiritual (John 4:10).

2. He caught her attention, but she did not understand what Jesus’ point was.

3. He was speaking in a figurative sense while she was focused on the literal and physical.

a. The physical water would only have short-term satisfaction for the human body.

b. The water he offered would quench thirst in an eternal sense (John 4:13-14).

B. The living water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, who can satisfy every soul (John 7:37-39; Eph. 6:17).

1. The promise of the Messiah is everywhere in the Old Testament (Isa. 65:13-14).

2. Whoever partakes of the gospel (Holy Spirit-inspired writings) and obeys it shall never lack but will be more than satisfied.

C. There is an art in this account of building a bridge between one’s physical needs to his/her spiritual needs.

1. The Samaritan woman soon realizes the need to change the direction of her life.

2. We, too, can turn everyday conversations into discussions about eternal matters, following Jesus’ example.

3. We listen, ask questions, offer hope, and pray for wisdom in these situations (Jam. 1:3).

Conclusion:

1. What is the result of this kind of interaction and teaching?

2. This woman turns from her life of sin and begins to lead others to Christ (John 4:28-30).

3. This woman was completely changed after her interaction with Christ.

4. Our hope and aim are that those we interact with will see Christ in us, and that we can teach and show them a better way of life.

5. We can take this account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman and use it as a blueprint for evangelizing our community.

6. Are we ready to be like Jesus and take control of our opportunities, or will we shy away from teaching others?