Jesus with the woman at the well

Introduction

This story, in John 4: 1 - 42, is a fascinating one that raises many questions for us the reader. In this brief study guide we will look at some of these questions, attempt to answer them, and then apply the lessons they teach us.

When reading any story in John’s Gospel we have to remember the final verse of the book, John 21:25:

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

As with all the gospels they are biographical accounts, biographies are written by a process of selection and arrangement. This final verse of the book indicates this. It also tells us that the stories which are included are considered the important or noteworthy ones. This applies to the story we are looking at here; Jesus in Samaria.

As we start out on this study we have to ask why is Jesus in Samaria?

“Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee

Now he had to go through Samaria.”

John 4: 1-4

In the opening three verses we see that Jesus is headed for Galilee, and it says he “had” to go through Samaria. This small word “had” is important, did Jesus have no choice? Was there no other route and this was a simple geographic necessity?

Source: https://www.conformingtojesus.com/images/webpages/israel_at_the_time_of_jesus_christ_1.png

This map shows us that while travelling through Samaria is the most direct route it is possible to avoid Samaria entirely when travelling from Jerusalem to Galilee. According to the Interpreter’s Bible it was more common for travelling Jews to avoid passing through Samaria:

“The bitter rivalry between Jews and Samaritans led to violent attacks upon stragglers in the trains of pilgrims journeying from Galilee to the temple feasts at Jerusalem. … … For this reason the alternate route by way of the Perea was popular”

(The Interpreter's Bible Vol 8, 1978, p519)

In fact in this passage, v9, we see that Jews and Samaritans don’t mix. If we look in Luke 9: 51-56 we see this goes even further, in this passage the disciples are ready to call down fire on a Samaritan village that did not welcome them, not the reaction Jesus teaches, or one they would have had in a Jewish village. In fact we see in Matthew 10: 5 that Jesus instructs his disciples not to go into a Samaritan town. From a travelling point of view then we see that Jesus did not have to go through Samaria, and it would have been more common to take another route.

So geographically Jesus did not have to go this way. So the fact that he “had” to does suggest another reason. Read John 4: 34:

“"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

Jesus is doing the Fathers will.

Personally I also think that this encounter was in his mind, this encounter with the woman at the well. Why meet this woman? Why have this conversation? To attempt to answer these questions we will look at the following ideas:

1. Breaking down barriers

2. Bringing real freedom

3. Revealing who He is

4. Planting the seeds of a future revival

5. Explaining real worship

Breaking Down Barriers

We can more fully understand the significance of Jesus being here when we consider this passage in light of Genesis 33. In that story we see Jacob and Esau restored and the barrier between them removed.

As part of this story we see Jacob camp at Sechem and set up an altar. While “Jacob’s well” (John 4: 6) is not mentioned in Genesis 33, or elsewhere in the Old Testament, this is most likely the place (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob%27s_Well).

Jesus is now here, at this well. There is a barrier in place. Jews and Samaritans do not mingle (John 4: 9). Simply sitting and asking for a drink is dismantling the barrier between Jews and Samaritans, and between men and women.

There is a more personal barrier to think about. The woman is out at the sixth hour, at midday. This is not the time for fetching water. She is hiding from her community, there is a barrier between her and the people of the Sychar. Jesus, by talking with her, is starting to bring the barrier down.

Personal Question

• What barriers have you put up that you need Jesus to break down?

Bringing Real Freedom

In this brief conversation the topic shifts very quickly.

The woman is talking about water to drink, in verse 9. In verse 11, after Jesus introduces living water (verse 10) she is still thinking about water to drink. She is still thinking about the well, and the barrier between Jews and Samaritans; v11 “... ‘You have nothing to draw with…’”, she obviously has something to draw water with, but the barrier she mentions in verse 9 is still very real.

We need to consider the water further, we see the difference spelled out by Jesus in v13-14:

v13 “...this water…” This is just water, the word here is just about water to drink.

v10 “...living water…” This, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary 1997, is “emblematic of the maintenance of spiritual life in perpetuity”.

The key difference is the word “living” that Jesus used in verse 10. In verse 14 He spells it out for the woman, “... The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

We see this again in Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:17. The offer of living water to drink, how does this lead to real freedom?

As we read on, the woman's reply indicates her surface desire and the root issue is revealed. In verse 15 she is looking for a complete escape from village life. We’ve already seen that she is drawing water in the heat of the day, she is hiding. Here, in verse 15, she wants to hide more, wants to sneak about no more. Living water, she thinks, means no more thirst and she is thinking in physical terms. No more thirst means no more well, no more well means no more sneaking around. This means no more chance of having to confront the other woman of the town, a freedom from her shame. At least that it is the thinking evidenced by verse 15.

She understands her surface problem, and she is asking for a surface solution.

Jesus, however, deals with the root, bringing her real freedom.

The conversation must have been a tough one for this woman, and we'll unpack more of it in the coming sections but for now consider verse 15 “help me stay hidden”, a cry to not confront her shame, and verse 29.

The freedom she receives has its first expression in v28-29. She goes to the town she has been hiding from to declare Jesus. Notice how this action is her choice, it is her heart response to Jesus. Jesus doesn’t send her, the disciples don’t instruct her. Her new found freedom bubbles up. There’ s no more shame, no more fear. In verse 42 we see that other people in the town talk to her. She is now living in real freedom. It is so much better than the fake freedom she asked for.

This is the power of the living water. This is real freedom. The living water is only a foretaste, remember that Vines described it as “... spiritual life in perpetuity”.

• Perpetuity: The state or quality of lasting forever. Or a bond or other security with no fixed maturity date.

This freedom is very real, very lasting, and holds the promise of the future. Just as the Holy Spirit is given as a down payment, promising and committing to more in the future (see Ephesians 1: 14) so is this living water.

Personal Question

• Where am I hiding?

• Where am I seeing only the surface issue?

• Where do I need Jesus to deal with the root and bring real freedom?

Revealing Who He Is

Throughout the gospel of John there are 8 “I AM” statements:

• 6: 35: “I AM the bread of life”

• 8: 12: “I AM the light of the world”

• 8: 58: “... before Abraham was born, I AM” (possibly the most profound of them all - https://davidbahn-reflections.com/2016/09/28/the-eighth-i-am-statement-in-johns-gospel/ )

• 10: 9: “I AM the gate”

• 10: 11: “I AM the good shepherd”

• 11: 25: “I AM the resurrection and the life”

• 14: 6: “I AM the way the truth and the life”

• 15: 1: “I AM the true vine”

Each of these statements is profound and declares who Jesus is. Each is made to a member of the Jewish community or Jesus’ disciples. Here, in this conversation with a Samaritan women we see the very same construct in verse 26 “ἐγώ εἰμι”, or in its anglicised form “Ego eimi”. In most English translations it gets lost and we read

“Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he” ” (John 4: 26)

This is Jesus declaring to a Samaritan woman that He is the Messiah(verses 25-26). Not only that but with the same phrase structure, “I AM”. That, in its reference to Exodus 3: 14, causes outrage elsewhere.

This conversation comes after Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 where Jesus hints at the fact He is the Son of God. Here He is stating it clearly. This is the first such declaration by Jesus in the gospel of who He is.

The Samaritan woman wasn’t expecting any conversation when she set out to draw water, let alone this conversation. Jesus does not exclude her, doesn’t shun her but reveals who He is and offers her real life in Him.

Personal Question

• Where have we excluded ourselves from Jesus’ plan?

Planting The Seeds of a Future Revival

As we’ve already seen, the woman goes and tells the people- from whom she is hiding -about Jesus (verses 28-30).

Skipping over the conversation between Jesus and His disciples (verses 31-38) we see that many Samaritans believe in Jesus, verses 39 - 42.

This encounter, this sudden 2 day mission trip is likely to have become part of this town’s oral history. In the moment we see some fruit, “...many became believers.” (verse 41 )

We also need to look in Acts 8: 4-8. The followers of Christ have been scattered. Philip goes to Samaria. There is an outpouring of God. Reading on through Acts chapter 8 we see a revival described in verse 11 as Samaria is accepting the word of God. There is a lot more in this story in Acts 8 that we could unpack, maybe another study is needed there.

What does seem clear to me is that Jesus planted the seeds of this later revival in this encounter recorded in John 4.

Returning to our passage in John 4 let’s look at verses 31-38; the conversation Jesus has with His disciples about food. In this conversation Jesus is talking about the sower and the reaper working together. He is also saying that His food, His “meat”, His sustenance comes from playing the part His Father has given Him - verse 34.

In verse 36 we see Jesus saying it is harvest time. This is true for us now. We can also see that the roles can be carried out by different people, verse 36. So we may sow and others may harvest. Jesus here is sowing. And He sees some first fruits. It is Philip in Acts 8 who sees the harvest gathered in.

To me this is another reason why Jesus “had to go through Samaria” (verse 4) and why John has included this encounter. What is interesting is that Jesus spends 2 days in Sychar, Samaria and only the conversation with the first woman is recorded. This conversation is Jesus doing the will and work of the Father, speaking truth and bringing freedom.

Personal Question

• Where is God calling you to sow?

• Where do you believe God is saying it is time to harvest?

Explaining Real Worship

Now we come to Jesus’ explanation of worship. Here again we see Jesus removing barriers.

Verse 19-20 The woman believes Jesus is a prophet sent by God. Her concern remains; Jews and Samaritans are different and their worship is different. Jesus addresses this head on. What is interesting is He doesn’t say the Jews are right or the Samaritans are right. Nor does He gloss over the fact that up to this point the Jews have been God’s chosen people.

V23: The temple or the mountain, neither will be important.

V22: The Samaritans worship what they don’t know, the Jews worship what they do know.

At the end of verse 22 is the phrase “.. for salvation is from the Jews”. It is “from”, not just for. This is a hint towards Jesus’ revelation in verse 26, as well as a way of removing the barrier between Jews and Samaritans, and between Samaritans and God.

If neither temple nor mountain are important for worship, what is true worship? Clearly it is not about location.

There are 2 key words used here in verse 21-24:

• spirit

• true and truth

We are going to take a closer look at these together. We’ll look at the Greek words and the meaning and we’ll try to address the following questions:

1. Is the order of these words important?

2. What is the impact of truth on our spirit?

3. What truth must we hold tightly in our heart?

Before we dig into those questions we really need to look at the word “worship”. Without an understanding of this word the rest of the discussion is somewhat moot, or at best we may not be talking about the same thing.

There is nothing here that says worship is songs. To be clear we can worship with song, Psalm 150 makes it clear that we should use music, Colossians 3: 16 indicates that we should sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. So while singing is an important aspect of worship and a good way to practice worship my point is that music is not the definition of worship. If we make music the definition of worship we will miss out. When we look at the Greek word we see more of what worship is.

Proskuneo

This comes from 2 words, pros - toward, and kuneo - to kiss.

Worship, then, is to come toward to kiss. Some scholars indicate that this is like a dog licking it’s master’s hand; it is affection from a place of relationship. It also carries with it the meaning of falling down before someone to kiss their feet. Again it is intimate and serving of the other.

The usual English definition of worship “to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god” (dictionary.cambridge.org) is helpful too, but it has the emphasis on showing and misses out on intimacy.

Real worship is, I believe, an act of intimacy. You have to move yourself toward God and be vulnerable with Him. Jesus also, in these verses, points out that we should worship what we know, verse 22. As we mentioned before Jesus is making a distinction here in order to remove the barriers. I think it is important to consider the word “know”. It will become clear as we continue this study that we ought to worship what we know. So what does it mean “to know”?

The root of the word is “oida”, meaning a fullness of knowledge, a divine knowledge. (Vines 1996).

This is very freeing. As we look to worship more we can ask God for a revelation of who He is, we can ask for more divine knowledge.This will lead us to worship more!

This coming in reverence and awe, as we see in Hebrews 12: 18-24, is real worship. It is genuine; it is, as Jesus says, in spirit and truth. It is worship fuelled by knowing God, and worship that leads to knowing God more.

Personal Question

• Have you short changed yourself in making worship just action with no intimacy?

• Do you need more divine revelation of God to fuel your worship?

Is the order important?

The phrase is well known and often quoted, but is the specific order “spirit and truth” important? Does it matter? Is that the order?

Here is the order of these words in the passage:

• V16-18: Be true with Jesus, be genuine. This is where we must start from

• V23 : we worship out of a place of being genuine

• V23 & 24: spirit and truth - we come as we are being open and honest. Then our innermost part is open to God, open to receive His truth, our spirit connects with God and His truth, His objective reality spurs on our own worship. This aletheia is the reality at the basis of appearance.

In order to understand this further I think it is important to look at these two words, the original Greek words, and their meaning in this context.

Spirit - Pneuma

I think this refers to a couple of different things, based on context.

Verses 23 and 24 “...in spirit and in truth”

Here ‘pneuma’ is referring to the innermost part of us, where we perceive, reflect, feel and desire. When we read Grudem, Systematic Theology, we note that this is about location. Jesus is saying worship will not be confined to “on the mountain”, or “in Jerusalem”. Rather, worship will be in you, in your innermost part.

“This means that true worship involves not only our physical bodies but also our spirits, the immaterial aspect of our existence that primarily acts in the unseen realm.”

(Grudem, W. Systematic Theology, 1994. p1010)

We see this sort of worship from Mary in Luke 1: 46-47: “My soul magnifies the Lords, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”

We also see in verse 24 the phrase “God is spirit”; this can be a little more tricky. Some English translations have this as “God is Spirit”, capitalizing “Spirit”. Reading the Greek there is a lack of a definite article. Therefore, I think the more accurate translation is “God is spirit”. Some authors prefer this to be “Spirit” as it means we are talking about the Holy Spirit. Doing so here would be nice, neat almost. However, we must be careful not to read what we want and to always read what is there. So, in the phrase “God is spirit” what does pneuma mean?

It is likely to mean wind or breath, invisibile, immaterial and powerful (see Vine Expository Dictionary 1996, p 1075). God is free, God is powerful. God can be your innermost part. Contrary then to many cultures of the day, and many religions today, God cannot be seen or imaged. He cannot be bound by our imagination.

The Interpreter's Bible summarises this for us:

“The main thought here is that the highest part of man’s nature should be attuned to God, who is spirit, and that his worship must be based upon the reality of the God whom he approaches in devotion.”

(The Interpreter’s Bible vol 8, 1978, p528)

Truth - Aletheia True - Alethinos

• Aletheia: objective reality lying at the basis of an appearance

• Alethinos: genuine

There are some key concepts here that really help us understand what Jesus is saying. Before we look at “spirit and truth” we need to consider “true”.

In verse 18 Jesus tells the woman she is being genuine, “what you say is true”. He also highlights her omission, she speaks what is true but not the full story. In sharing her full story with her Jesus is showing her that she is still welcome. He is not chasing her away. He is accepting her. This revelation, this being genuine and real with Jesus, starts the conversation on worship and leads to Jesus’ “I am” statement in verse 26.

Even though it is a small part of the conversation this shows us how vital it is that we are genuine with Jesus.

The other use of alethinos comes in verse 23 “... when true worshippers...”, genuine, real, honest, worshippers. This is hot on the heels of questions about where to worship; mountain or temple. Jesus answers with neither and He starts His answer with “... when true worshippers…”.

This is what we are to be, honest and genuine in our worship acknowledging our past but coming to Jesus who loves and accepts us, and who brings us to the Father.

In considering aletheia we do well to return to the quote above:

“[our] worship must be based upon the reality of the God whom [we approach] in devotion.”

There is an objective truth, God is truth, and we must learn more and more about God, and must connect more and more to God. As we worship with our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) we will connect to God more, know more of the truth of who He is. That will fuel this real, genuine, honest worship in the unseen realm, in our innermost being.

To return to our question, is the order important?

When we consider these words, and their order, not just in the phrase “spirit and truth” but in the passage as a whole I think the order is important. We start with being honest with God and move from there into worship.

Personal Question

• Where do you need to be more genuine with Jesus?

• What do you need to share with Him?

What is the impact of truth on our spirit?

What we see in verses 28-29 is the impact of truth. It is real freedom. When we allow the truth to work in and on our spirit we are no longer held back by shame, no longer afraid of what others think or say.

Free to declare truth, she declares to her community the truth of her encounter with Jesus, she is no longer ashamed of everything she has done, and she asks the town to consider the question “Could this be the Christ?”.

If we look at another conversation Jesus has, we’ll see this spelled out (John 8: 31-41, especially verses 31-37). This passage is famous and is often quoted:

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8: 32.

Here “know”, or ginosko in the Greek, is to recognise and understand. Jesus is talking to the Jewish leaders who know the scriptures but do not recognise the truth. In fact they are ready to kill the truth, verse 37.

The important part for our current discussion is “free”. This means “free in a civil sense, no longer in bondage or slavery” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary 1996, p460).

So knowing the truth, receiving the truth, and understanding the truth brings real freedom, often we can stop short. We can read the truth in scripture, even know it in our hearts but until we ask God to help us understand it, it doesn’t bring the freedom it can. Freedom is the impact of the truth on our spirit. Freedom to connect with God, to worship Him, and to know Him more.

This is why studying the word of God is so important. It is His truth written down for us to read, to study, to meditate on. We can ask Him to breathe life into us through His word. As that happens we will grow in freedom.

Personal Question

• Where do you need freedom? Bring this before God and let His truth set you free.

What truth must we hold tightly in our heart?

Worship is a coming to God at our innermost level. It is connecting to Him with our spirit. Keeping this connection enables the living water to well up, this in turn keeps the connection open. It is the highest aim of man to be attuned to God and to worship Him in response.

We do not need to hide our shame from Jesus; He already knows everything. He lovingly asks us to bring it to Him. He swaps it for freedom.

This freedom inspires worship. Worship deepens our relationship and keeps us connected to God.

This is the truth to hold to; Jesus loves us and wants to replace our shame with freedom. Worship is our response. A response that flows in all areas of our life. It may be sung, individually or corporately. We also worship as we work, as we serve others, as we make our home, and raise our kids. We worship as we help others. Worship; that coming to God in adoration, the intimacy of knowing and being known; should be our daily life, our heart response to the God who loved us first.

Personal Question

• How can I worship, and connect with Jesus today and everyday?