Have you ever been in a really awkward situation with someone, and you didn’t know how to respond?
I recall when I lived in Kentucky that a man was walking near our street and just kind of yelling in pain. When I went to speak to him, his face was bloodied and beaten. At first, I thought he was drunk, then I figured he was just really upset. I learned that he had been beaten up, so I offered to call the police. He didn’t want the police involved, so I didn’t know what to do. It was an awkward situation. Finally, he said he was just going to walk away. I said to him, “You might want to get your jaw looked at . . . I’m pretty sure that it’s dislocated on one side.” Then, we parted ways. It was an unusual encounter.
Have you ever had an unusual encounter with someone like that?
Well, in today’s passage, Jesus has an unusual encounter with a woman. Unlike my story, there was violence involved, but it was unusual.
Today, we’re going to learn about a well, a woman, and a worshiper.
Before we do, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to bless us.
(prayer)
Ok, let’s walk through today’s passage and notice four realities from this passage.
First, . . .
I. Jesus is thirsty.
I always like to have a drink with me. Coffee in the morning; tea for lunch and dinner; sparkling water throughout the day. I don’t like being thirsty.
Jesus was authentically human, so He would thirst as the rest of us do.
Let’s read about it. Look at verses 1-9:
1 When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), 3 he left Judea and went again to Galilee. 4 He had to travel through Samaria; 5 so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
“Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.
9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
First, we’re told by John that Jesus left Judea because the Pharisees learned He was baptizing more disciples than John the Baptizer.
Here’s the reason: The Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) were giving John a hard time for the work he was doing. Jesus was doing even more work, so it stood to reason that they would give Jesus a hard time also.
A time would come later for Jesus to debate with the Pharisees, but that time had not yet come, so He withdrew from Judea.
We’re told that John went from Judea to Galilee. We have that here on a map for you.
Here’s Judea and here’s Galilee. These are both regions, not cities. There’s another region in between these two called Samaria.
The people didn’t have planes, trains, and automobiles back then, so they often traveled on foot.
So, since Jesus was human, as we are human, He was naturally tired and thirsty from the long journey from Judea to Galilee.
So, Jesus stopped at a well in Samaria, no doubt looking to rest and get a drink.
Then, in verse 7, a woman enters the story; a Samaritan woman (which should be expected in Samaria).
Now, let’s pause here and learn a little something about Samaritans and women in that culture.
First of all, women were not well respected in the ancient world. They were vulnerable and not valued as they should be.
Further, it would have been taboo for a Jewish man to be in communication alone with a woman.
Secondly, this woman was a Samaritan.
Jewish people considered Samaritans a mixed breed. They were descendants of the Jews from the northern part of Israel, who were scattered during the Assyrian conquest several hundred years before the time of Jesus. Those Jewish refugees married refugees from other countries, and then settled in the region of Samaria. To the Jews, the Samaritans were considered an impure people.
Here’s the other thing: The Samaritans knew that Jewish people didn’t like them very much. So, the Samaritans didn’t like the Jewish people very much either.
So, the woman said to Jesus, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?”
Let’s see where the story goes next.
Next, we realize that . . .
II. Jesus is intriguing.
This woman asked Jesus why He was asking her for water. The response of Jesus captured the attention of the woman.
Let’s see what He said. Look at verses 10-15:
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”
13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well, of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
15 “Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”
Remember, the woman asked Jesus why He was requesting that she give Him a drink.
Here is Jesus’ initial response: “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
That’s intriguing, right?
Instead of answering her question, Jesus says something that surely captures her attention and makes her think.
In fact, she doesn’t really understand what Jesus is saying.
Remember, back in Chapter 3, when Jesus told Nicodemus that you must be born again, Nicodemus asked, “How can these things be?”
Now, when Jesus says that He would give this woman living water, she replies, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket.”
Jesus goes on without even addressing the bucket statement. Instead, He says, “ . . . whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again.”
Jesus said that those who drink from this water will have eternal life!
Well, that’s intriguing! Not only could this woman’s thirst be satisfied, but her eternity could be changed. However, she’s not quite convinced yet.
I have another story from when we lived in Kentucky. We had a neighbor across the street who was into some drugs, and probably some mental illness. One day, he walked across the street to tell me that the government was spying on him. I was like, “Dude, the government is spying on all of us; don’t worry about it.” However, he was like, “No, no; there are cameras under my house that are taking pictures of all of my activities.” Now I’m at the point where I think that if the information he gave me is true, then I’m intrigued. So, I simply replied to him, “Show me the cameras.” Turns out, the guy was just high; there were no cameras. I was intrigued by the idea of what he said, but I wanted some evidence.
This Samaritan woman was intrigued by what Jesus said, so she said (in verse 15), “Sir . . . give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”
She’s intrigued, and she wants to learn more.
How does Jesus respond?
Well, . . .
III. Jesus is direct.
Look at what Jesus says in verses 16-22:
16 “Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.”
17 “I don’t have a husband,” she answered.
“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’ ” Jesus said. 18 “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.
Jesus says two very direct, and potentially somewhat offensive, statements to this woman:
1. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”
2. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know.”
3. “. . . salvation is from the Jews.”
Have you ever had someone who could say something to you that would usually be offensive, but something about that person strikes you in a way that you’re not offended by what they said?
I think this is what is happening here. Jesus is very direct with this woman. He’s not trying to offend her. It seems as if Jesus is trying to draw her in for something greater.
Jesus is essentially saying to her that it’s not about the water or the well, it’s not about her husband, it’s not about this mountain or that mountain, it’s about her as a worshiper.
Jesus says to her that salvation is from the Jews. Here’s what that means:
The way of being saved from our sins and gaining eternal life is found in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is the God of the Jewish people, and by the way, the God of the entire world.
What’s more, she didn’t know it yet, but the woman was talking to the very one who could bring her eternal life.
She knows that something is unique about Jesus. After all, she said, “I can see that you are a prophet.”
However, Jesus is much more than a prophet.
That takes us to the final reality that we see:
IV. Jesus is Messiah.
Let’s read the final few verses. Look at verses 23-26:
23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
Jesus has already spoken to Nicodemus about the work of the Holy Spirit. He told Nicodemus that we must be born of the Spirit.
Now, Jesus says, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
It’s about the place of worship. It’s not about our past. It’s not about prophets. It’s about having a true relationship with God, which takes place in a spiritual way by a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God.
When we are truly changed, then we can truly worship God in Spirit.
We must worship in Spirit and in truth.
This lady clearly didn’t understand all that Jesus meant. However, she did remember something about worshiping God.
The Samaritans had a lot of similar beliefs to the Jews since they had a partial Jewish background; she remembered about the Messiah coming.
She probably remembered that the Messiah would help people enter into God’s kingdom. She probably remembered that the Messiah would help people worship God.
So, the woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
I imagine she may have meant, “I don’t understand everything about worshiping God. I don’t understand everything about what the prophets taught. I’m not sure I understand everything you’re saying to me now. However, when the Messiah comes, He’ll explain all things.”
However, verse 26 changed everything for this woman, and it changes everything for you and me: Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is the Anointed One of God.
Jesus was the one who could give her the truth.
Jesus was the one who could put her in touch with the Spirit of God.
Jesus was the one who could help her never thirst again.
Jesus is the one who could give her eternal life.
Here’s the reality: Jesus can do all that for you as well, as He’s the only one who can.
That takes us to our bottom line:
Bottom Line: True worship and true life are found in the true Messiah.
The Jewish people (and the Samaritans) were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah who would make all things right, who would rescue them, and who would put them in touch with God.
Little did this woman know that the Messiah was right in front of her, asking for a drink of water.
It was as easy as that.
Listen: It’s as easy as that for you, too.
Jesus is standing in front of you, ready for you to receive Him as the Messiah, the one who can rescue you from your sins, give you eternal life, and lead you to living water which will quench your spiritual thirst forever.
Revelation 3:20 says, “See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Will you drink the living water that Jesus offers? Will you enjoy the heavenly feast that Jesus has waiting for those who follow Him?
Weekly Challenge: Ask the Spirit to give you the truth.
Ask the Holy Spirit of God to fill you this week in an unusual way to help you discern the truth.
Can you trust Jesus?
Can you follow Jesus?
What is the next step that Jesus wants you to take?
How can you truly know God?
How can you truly serve God?
Do you want to know the truth? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth this week.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.
