For I am Building A People of Power

John 4:1-26

Jesus and

the Samaritan Woman

Jesus left Judea to continue his journey going north to Galilee. And He had to go through Samaria. There were harsh racial and cultural conflicts between Jews and Samaritans. Jews normally avoided Samaria by first going east to Jericho then north, following the Jordan Valley.

But Jesus had to go through Samaria because ‘the hour’ had now come. By divine appointment, Jesus had to move into the world beyond Israel and meet up with a Samaritan woman there. This woman lived in isolation, separated from her community. Jesus was compassionate toward outcasts.

Jesus came to a town in Samaria named Sychar. Jacob’s well was also there. Jesus was tired and He sat down there by the well, about noon-time, in the bright day light.

Due to the heat, it was customary for the women to draw water in the early morning or evening. However, a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water at noontime. And the disciples were away in town buying food. 

Jesus spoke to the woman, “Please give me a drink.”

The woman was surprised because social taboos would keep a Jewish teacher like Jesus from speaking to her.

She said, ‘What! You are a Jew, asking for a drink from me, a woman, and a Samaritan?’

But Jesus answered her, ‘If only you’d known God’s gift, and who it is that’s asking you for drink, you‘d have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’

The place had no rivers and thus no living water. However, Jesus was speaking symbolically. The woman misunderstood Jesus’ words because she was still in darkness.

She said, “But sir, you haven’t got a bucket! And the well’s deep! So how were you thinking of getting living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, with his sons and his animals?”

Jesus then answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the water I will give them won’t ever be thirsty again. The water I will give them will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said, “Sir, give me this water! Then I won’t be thirsty any more, and I won’t have to come here to draw from the well.”

Apparently, the words of Jesus were misunderstood by the woman in a physical and selfish manner. If she were given the kind of water that she requested, she would further escape from the crowd, and consequently she would be thirstier and lost!

Of course, Jesus would not grant her such water. To overcome her spiritual barrier, Jesus addressed her sin prophetically. Jesus said to her, “Well then, go and call your husband and come here.” The woman replied, “I have no husband.”

Jesus replied, “You are right when you say you have no husband! The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the one you have got now is not your husband. You were speaking the truth!”

Jesus saw right into the heart of the woman and knew what was going on. This nameless Samaritan woman had lived an irregular married life and was currently in a sinful situation. She was lonely, rejected and was having an identity crisis. She knew her life was in a mess, and she knew that Jesus knew all that.

Jesus knows your needs too. He accepts you for who you are. When you are avoiding the crowd, feeling lonely, Jesus is on your “Samaria” to lead you out of your helpless predicament, but you must first be convicted and repent.

The woman did not immediately leave. She replied, “Well, sir, I can see you are a prophet …. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

Jesus replied, “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You worship what you don’t know. We worship what we do know; salvation is indeed from the Jews. But the time is coming -- indeed, it is here already! The true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes; this is the type of worshippers that God the Father is looking for. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

What is the meaning of “worship the Father in Spirit and in truth?”

Jesus had come; Jerusalem and the temple lost their theological importance! True worship occurs as God’s Spirit reveals God’s truth and reality to the worshiper. Jesus Christ is the Truth (14:6). Only those who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and who obey the truth, and thus in Jesus Christ, could worship God in an acceptable manner.

The woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming, the one they call Christ. When he comes, he will tell us everything.

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?’

Leave Your Water Jar and Come to Jesus in Faith

Jesus’ affirmation challenged the Samaritan woman to respond to Him immediately. She placed her faith in Jesus Christ and was converted on the spot. Interestingly, she even left her water jar at the well, and then rushed into the town and shared her faith with the Samaritan people.

From ‘water’ to ‘living water’, then to ‘worship God’; from addressing Jesus ‘Jew’, to ‘sir’, then to ‘prophet’ and finally to ‘Christ’; we can see the Samaritan woman experiencing a progressive understanding of Jesus. She also underwent a ‘leap in faith’!

She had carried the water jar from afar to draw water at the well. But now she left the jar. This indicates that she had put down her burdensome past and pursuit of the things of the flesh. She had found the ‘living water’ which could truly quench her thirst.

Similarly, today, we may be also carrying the heaviness of life: loneliness, rejection, criticism, slander, hard work yet no reward, identity crisis, or loss of direction in life. ‘Water, treasure, fame or any earthly things’ are just unable to quench our real thirst. Instead they may make the condition even worse.

Today let’s leave our ‘water jars’ and turn to Jesus. Only He can give us the ‘living water’ which is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will quench the longing in our soul, enabling us to keep a close relationship with God. Such is the relationship, where human sins are forgiven, the weak gets support, the ignorant receives light, the sorrowful becomes comforted, and the lost receives guidance. Such is the kind of abundant life with living water pouring in; a new chapter of life that awaits you.

Let God’s People

Be Connected

The woman left the water jar behind, yet she herself was transformed to be a living vessel carrying people to Jesus! She used to avoid the crowd, and now she became the first evangelist to the Samaritan people.

Many Samaritan villagers responded to the call of the woman and left the town and came out to Jesus. Some of them believed in Jesus because of what the woman said in evidence about Him.

And they also asked Jesus to stay with them. And He stayed there two days. During that short time, Jesus’ words produced fruit in the Samaritans' lives. Many more believed because of what He said and they professed, ‘We know that he really is the one! He is the saviour of the world!’

Jesus is indeed the world’s saviour. Salvation is to reach outside Judaism to be embraced by the world. Now with this incident in Samaria, the process of reaching out has begun.

Conclusion

At first, we see a distorted picture of estrangement, loneliness, criticism, condemnation, identity crisis and rejection. In addition to that, we see that people were bearing the burden of life and alienated from God. But at the end, we see a huge contrast; a beautiful picture where joyful, dynamic, inspiring individuals and group in solidarity were established.

The woman first responded to Jesus' words in faith, and her life was transformed. Then she returned to her people, proclaiming the gospel. As a result, she was connected to her people.

And then the Jews and Samaritans were also connected, overcoming hostility and breaking down the barrier of race, class and historical wound. And finally, all the people were connected to God.

Application

Jesus is here today to challenge us to respond to Him, to be His disciples. Discipleship is not about mystical experience. It is not just about spiritual feeling or knowledge of the mind. It is about God’s people: individual and community, stepping out in faith to connect with others and testify to others concerning the Gospel.

In this way, we will become a powerful community, overcoming human sadness, condemnation, bitterness and alienation; and bear the fruits of the Word.

Let’s all participate in small groups. Through small groups gathering we can connect better with other members of the Body and testify to others concerning the Gospel.

We cannot practise faith privately but we have to join with others in solidarity to witness for Christ, learn and proclaim the Word, and carry out God’s works. If we do that, God will surely bless us to be a community full with love, joy and peace and power!