We need a Drink

Sermon Text

John 4:27–30

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,

29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

Who was the woman

Samaritan

Samaritans—the name given to the new and mixed inhabitants whom Esarhaddon (B.C. 677), the king of Assyria, brought from Babylon and other places and settled in the cities of Samaria, instead of the original inhabitants whom Sargon (B.C. 721) had removed into captivity (2 Kings 17:24; comp. Ezra 4:2, 9, 10). These strangers (comp. Luke 17:18) amalgamated with the Jews still remaining in the land, and gradually abandoned their old idolatry and adopted partly the Jewish religion.

After the return from the Captivity, the Jews in Jerusalem refused to allow them to take part with them in rebuilding the temple, and hence sprang up an open enmity between them. They erected a rival temple on Mount Gerizim, which was, however, destroyed by a Jewish king (B.C. 130). They then built another at Shechem. The bitter enmity between the Jews and Samaritans continued in the time of our Lord: the Jews had “no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9; comp. Luke 9:52, 53). Our Lord was in contempt called “a Samaritan” (John 8:48). Many of the Samaritans early embraced the gospel (John 4:5–42; Acts 8:25; 9:31; 15:3). Of these Samaritans there still remains a small population of about one hundred and sixty, who all reside in Shechem, where they carefully observe the religious customs of their fathers. They are the “smallest and oldest sect in the world.”

Easton, M. G. (1893). In Easton’s Bible dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers.

Contempt for Women

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman.

The disciples astonishment was not only because of the non-intercourse of the Jews and Samaritans, but also because it was unusual for a Jewish teacher to converse with a woman in a public place. Women were not to be saluted or spoken to in the street, and they were not to be instructed in the law.

Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & customs of the Bible (p. 514). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers.

The Woman is Thirsting:

Marriage is the means of beginning the family, and the betrothal is the first real step toward the actual confirmation of marriage between two people.

Staats, G. (2008). Jewish Domestic Customs and Life in Interpreting the Gospels (p. 33). Gary Staats.

Why is she thirsty:

Hurting: Society has condemned her for living the best way that she knows how to.

Abandoned: She has no one to defend her or look out for her.

According to Rabbinical law certain formalities were requisite to make a betrothal legally valid. These consisted either in handing to a woman, directly or through messengers, a piece of money however small, or else a letter,1 provided it were in each case expressly stated before witnesses, that the man thereby intended to espouse the woman as his wife.

There was also a third mode of espousal—simply by cohabitation, but this was very strongly disapproved by the Rabbis.

Edersheim, A. (n.d.). Sketches of Jewish social life in the days of Christ (pp. 150–151). London: The Religious Tract Society.

Loveless: She has sought love through a sexual attraction rather a commitment to journey of intimate unity

Empty: She has been giving and giving without being filled.

Why were the disciples dry:

Over confident-They had a gang war mentality

Selfish- Redemption and Messiah. In the OT redemption is closely linked with the messianic hope. From the time of the exodus on, God is revealed as a deliverer. The hope of redemption is very strong during the captivity. The prophets constantly spoke of God as redeemer or deliverer. This hope was fulfilled ultimately through God’s anointed one or Messiah who would be of the line of David (Isa 9:1–6; 11:1–9; Jer 23:5, 6).

The messianic hope grew stronger during periods of exile and persecution. In fact during the long centuries of persecution, this hope of a messianic deliverer was stronger than ever. This period, generally called the intertestamental period, lasted about four centuries and extended from the last of the prophets until the time of John the Baptist and Jesus.

OT Old Testament

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Redeemer, Redemption. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, p. 1828). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Her engagement with Jesus

Jesus meets her in a dry place.

Dry place-place where there is a dearth or lack of resources.

Examples of dry places

Finances: At times we are looking for our financial institutions to fulfill us instead of God. 6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers38 of the field grow; they do not work39 or spin. 6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Mt 6:28–29). Biblical Studies Press.

Health

Relationships-

12:28 Now58 one of the experts in the law59 came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus60 answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 12:30 Love61 the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’62 12:31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’63 There is no other commandment greater than these.

58 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

59 tn Or “One of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

60 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

61 tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).

62 sn A quotation from Deut 6:4–5 and Josh 22:5 (LXX). The fourfold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.

63 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Mk 12:28–31). Biblical Studies Press.

Self-Image

Our Fears

The Samaritan woman at the well is a figure from the Gospel of John, in John 4:4–26. In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic traditions, she is venerated as a saint with the name Photine (Φωτεινή also Photini, Photina, meaning "the luminous one" from φῶς, "light").