Study in the Book of John

Brief History of Samaria

Northern Kingdom defeated by Assyria in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:6)

Jews taken and were integrated with other nations and eventually became a mixed race people (Jewish/Gentile)

Assyrian King resettled conquered Jews in Samaria - capital Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 17:24)

John 4:1–6 ESV

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 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.

Question #1

What was the relationship between Jews and Samaritans?

Answer

Hated each other

Worshipped at Bethel

Accepted only Genesis – Leviticus

Rejected Prophets

Rejected by Jews

Luke 9:51–56 ESV

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.

John 4:7–9 ESV

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 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.)

Question #2

Why was the Samaritan woman surprised by Jesus talking with her (vs. 9)?

John 4:10 ESV

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

John 4:11–14 ESV

The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Knowing Jesus = Knowing Truth = Obtaining Living Water

Natural water satisfies temporarily, it is earthly, natural, and temporal.

Living water satisfies completely and without end.

Whoever drinks natural water will eventually die, it only keeps him alive for so long. Whoever drinks the spiritual living water will never die.

Jesus is the Living Water We drink Him in by believing and obeying His Word.

John 4:15–24 ESV

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Question #3

What was Jesus’ method in witnessing to the Samaritan woman?

Answer

Contact - He found a way to enter into the conversation by asking for water

Challenge - Jesus seized on the opportunity to talk to her about the "living" water.

Confirmation - Demonstrating the proof of what he was talking about 

Conversation - He conveyed the good news

Question #4

Explain John 4:24

Answer