THE WOMAN AT THE WELL. REVISED.
John 4:1-42.
1. THE OCCASION (John 4:1-4).
Jesus had been preaching in Judea, and His ministry was proving to be even more successful than John the Baptist’s. The religious authorities were somewhat disturbed at the number of converts that the disciples of Jesus were baptising. It was in these circumstances that our Lord decided it was time to return to Galilee, where He had been brought up. To get there “He must needs pass through Samaria” (John 4:4). In other words, there was somebody there whom He “must needs” meet.
2. THE PLACE (John 4:5-6).
Passing near a city called Sychar, Jesus grew tired and thirsty. He stopped by a well for rest and refreshment. The one who is truly God is thus seen to have taken upon Himself all the limitations of a true humanity. He was capable of hunger and tiredness, pain and death, for it was to bear our infirmities that he had come into the world.
3. THE ENCOUNTER (John 4:7-26).
This woman came to the well alone, “at about the sixth hour” (John 4:6). Perhaps her style of life met with the disapproval of her neighbours, and she felt compelled to collect her water at a time separate from the other women. Whatever the reason, she was to have a one-to-one encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ which would change her life, and that of her community, for ever.
His disciples had gone to the city to buy food (John 4:8), and Jesus was resting by the well, perhaps redeeming the time by praying for the people who lived there and for this lone woman who now came into His sight. It is always good to keep our minds occupied with prayer and praise and pious thought when our hands otherwise have no work to do.
By His appearance, the woman could tell that this stranger was not one of her people, the Samaritans, so imagine her surprise when suddenly He spoke to her (John 4:7)! After all, the Jews had no dealings with their neighbours in Samaria, nor men with women. Thankfully all these dividing walls of ethnicity and gender are broken down in the Church of our Lord: ‘for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28).
(i) Jesus said to the woman: “Give me a drink” (John 4:7).
Considering who Jesus is, it is incredible that He should ask us for anything. Yet here He asks the woman for a drink.
But the woman instead entered into theological debate with Jesus. How easily we are distracted from the business of being right with God, confusing religious debate with what God is saying to us.
(ii) The woman asked Jesus, “How is it you ask me?” (John 4:9).
(iii) Jesus answered, “If you only knew who I am, you would have asked me for living water, and I would have given it” (John 4:10).
It is Jesus who offers the gift of eternal life, what He here calls the “living water.”
(iv) The woman asked, “How can you? Are you greater than Jacob?” (John 4:11-12).
(v) Jesus answered, “Whoever drinks this water will thirst again. Whoever drinks the water that I shall give him shall have eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
(vi) The woman’s response was, “Sir, give me this water” (John 4:15).
The woman is beginning to believe, but is still thinking in human terms. But the gospel is not just about the earthly benefits we may hope to receive, but about eternal and heavenly things.
(vii) Jesus told the woman, “Call your husband” (John 4:16).
(viii) The woman answered, “I have no husband” (John 4:17).
(ix) Jesus’ response was, “I know!” (John 4:17-18).
It is well that we realise that God knows all things. We cannot hide our deepest darkest secrets from Him.
(x) At this point, the woman acknowledged that Jesus must at least be a prophet (John 4:19). But He is much more than that!
(xi) She asked about the place to worship God, which was an area of contention between the Jews and Samaritans (John 4:20).
(xii) Whilst not allowing her error about the place of worship, for the Jews were in the right (John 4:21-22), the Lord explained the spiritual nature of true worship (John 4:23-24).
(xiii) The woman professed to be awaiting the enlightening of “the Messiah” (John 4:25).
There is a time for waiting, but now He has come.
(xiv) So Jesus plainly told her, “I that speak unto thee am He” (John 4:26).
4. MISSION TO SAMARIA (John 4:27-42)
Whilst the disciples were amazed to find Jesus in conversation with a Samaritan woman, she “left her water jar and went into the city” (John 4:27-28).
Perhaps in the excitement of discovering who the Lord is, the woman forgot why she had gone to the well. Or perhaps she left the water jar, realising that nobody had drawn any water for the Lord yet. Whatever the reason, she was able to race back to the city with her exciting news.
What had struck the woman about Jesus was that He knew everything she ever did (John 4:29). She had come to realise that He was quite likely more than a prophet: could He be the Christ? She had no husband to discuss these things with, so she went and proclaimed the good news to the people of her city. Her message was simple, as had been Philip’s to Nathanael (cf. John 1:46): - “Come and see,” to which she added, “Is not this the Christ” (John 4:29).
The Samaritans heard what the woman had to say about Jesus, but wanted to encounter Him for themselves (John 4:30).
“In the mean while His disciples prayed Him, saying ‘Master, eat” (John 4:31). So, while the woman was full of the joys of her new found faith, the disciples, with the best of intentions, were preoccupied with matters of the flesh.
Jesus, too, was spiritually engrossed in His mission, and replied, “I have meat to eat that you know not of” (John 4:32). Ministry provides its own nourishment when we are busy about the Lord’s business in doing good to never-dying souls.
The disciples had not reached this stage as yet, and wondered if anyone had brought Jesus food? So Jesus clarified the matter: “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish the work” (John 4:33-34). Such is the love of God toward lost sinners that He counts it His meat to do what He must in order to make possible their salvation.
Jesus quoted a proverb about the harvest. Looking up from the well, Jesus pointed the disciples to a rare sight. Distinguished by their white turbans, He could see many Samaritans approaching. “Lift up your eyes,” said Jesus. “See how the fields are already white for harvest” (John 4:35).
“The fields” are the fields of the world, to which the Lord would soon be sending His disciples. Samaria was just one field, but the scope of His mission is ‘Jerusalem, all Judaea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth’ (cf. Acts 1:8).
Continuing His reference to the harvest, Jesus indicated how the reaper “gathers fruit unto life eternal.” There is joy amongst all who have been involved in the great harvest work of the gospel when the harvest of souls is finally gathered in, and so “that saying is true, One soweth, and another reapeth” (John 4:36-37).
“I sent you to reap that whereon ye have bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours” (John 4:38). In other words, the disciples were going to reap what the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist had sowed. The prophets had declared that the Messiah was coming, whereas the disciples were to declare Him as come.
“And many of the Samaritans believed” on account of the witness of the woman who so enthusiastically ran to the city and called them to Him. The Samaritans asked Jesus to stay, and for two days He remained, teaching them the way of salvation. “And many more believed because of His own word” (John 4:39-41).
The woman did well. We too must realise who Jesus is, submit to Him, and proclaim Him to others.
We must not merely be satisfied with the testimony of others, but must test out these things for ourselves. Then we will discover that Jesus is indeed “the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42).
Then we will be enabled to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) as He promised the woman at the well.
