THE SAMARITIAN WOMAN AT THE WELL

1. JESUS COMES TO A WELL IN SYCHAR OF SAMARIA.

John 4:5-7 ⁵ So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.  ⁷ A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. (NKJV)

2. THE JEWS IN JESUS’ TIME, DESPISED THE SAMARITANS.

·        When the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (722 BC), they exiled almost all the Jewish population, removing them from the land. All those left behind were the lowest classes of society.

·        These intermarried with other non-Jewish peoples who came into the region, and the Samaritans emerged as an ethnic and religious group.

·        The Jews in Jesus’ time despised the Samaritans, disliking them even more than Gentiles – because they were, religiously speaking, “half-breeds” with a mixed faith. 

3. JESUS SPEAKS WITH A SAMARITAN WOMAN.

John 4:7-9  ⁷ A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. (NKJV)

APPLICATION: (i) By tradition, a rabbi would not speak with a woman in public. It was also very unusual for a Jewish person of that time to ask a favour or accept a drink from a Samaritan’s cup.  (ii) Jesus showed that the way to gain a soul is often to ask a service of that person.”

John 4:9 ⁹ Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 

APPLICATION:

·        (i)  For many reasons, this woman would have been despised by most of the religious leaders in the days of Jesus. She was a woman, a Samaritan, and a woman of questionable reputation. 

·        (ii) The woman was impressed by the friendliness of Jesus. It was unusual for her to hear a kind greeting from a Jewish man.

·        (iii) WE, OURSELVES NEED TO SHOW KINDNESS TO THE POOR & DISPISED.

4. JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT LIVING WATER.

John 4: 10-¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 

WHAT IS THE LIVING WATER?

·  (i) JESUS IS THE LIFE GIVING “LIVING WATER” Revelation 22:1-2: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.

·        Living Water and Living Worship – Living waters will come when there is Living Worship!  Living water is in His Hand and Living worship is in your hand.

·        John 4:10-11 “If you knew the gift of God ……. He would have given you Living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing (the woman was looking  to His Hand) to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?” Jesus could have satisfy her with the well waters but He satisfies her with Living Waters. God satisfies while He supplies the Living Water.

·        (ii) This living water is the spiritual fulfillment and eternal life that Jesus provides to those who believe in him.

·        (iii) Just as water is essential for physical life, Jesus is the essential source of spiritual life for those who trust in him. 

APPLICATION:

(i) Everyone needs to drink water regardless of our condition.

(a) A man’s face may be unwashed, but yet he can drink; he may be a very unworthy character, yet he can drink.

(b) To drink is to receive - to take in the refreshing faith in the Word of God. (Spurgeon)

       (ii) Drinking deeply from the well of living water is a daily practice, continually drawing from the well that never runs dry and never  thirst again as we drink from Jesus a fountain of water will spring out from our inner man.

John 4:13-14  Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (NKJV)

 

APPLICATION: THE BLESSINGS AND PROMISES FOR THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE LIVING WATER:  We

(i)   Receive eternal life & escape the final judgment

(ii)  Become the children of God

(iii) Can boldly come directly to God in prayer (Hebrews 4:16)

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!