John 4:1 Samaritan Woman - For The Glory of Jesus

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Samaritan Woman

Jesus and His disciples traveled through Samaria to arrive at Galilee. He stopped at a well and a Samaritan Woman came in the early afternoon to draw water.

This is a Bible Study. Have your own Bible handy to look up the references mentioned.

If you do not have a Bible, I invite you to go to BibleGateway.com or another online Bible.

John 4:1-26

1. Jesus’ disciples were baptizing more disciples that John the Baptist.

2. It was Jesus’ disciples who baptized, not Jesus.

3. “Because the Pharisee were trying to incite competition between Jesus and John the Baptist (John 3:25-30), Jesus left Judea and started north for Galilee.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 299)

4. “He could have taken one of three possible routes: along the coast, across the Jordon and up through Perea, or straight through Samaria. Orthodox Jews avoided Samaria because there was a longstanding, deep-seated hatred between them and the Samaritans.” (Wiersbe, 299)

5. Sychar. “This town is probably identified with the modern village of Askar on the shoulder of Mount Ebal, opposite Mount Gerizim. A continuous line of tradition identifies Jacob’s well as lying about one-half mile south of Askar.” (MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. [Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005], 1363)

5-6. “These verses refer back to Genesis 48:22 where Jacob bequeathed a section of land to Joseph which he had purchased from the ‘children of Hamor’ (cf. Genesis 33:19).” (MacArthur, 1363)

6. Wearied from His journey [NKJV]. “Since the Word became flesh (1:14), He also suffered from physical limitations in this humanity (Hebrews 2:10-14).” (MacArthur, 1363)

Samaritan Woman

The sixth hour. “If John used Roman time which started reckoning from 12:00 P.M., the time would be about 6:00 P.M.” (MacArthur, 1363)

I have always heard the time was about noon.

“The time notation ‘the sixth hour’ if reckoned from 6 A.M. would mean that it was about noon—the period of the day in the Mediterranean world when it is hot and people are ready for their siesta break. (Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. [Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002], 201)

But an interpretation for verse 8 states that: “It is noon and His disciples have gone to the city to buy food.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 389)

I will let you decide what time it was.

7. “While Jesus was resting at the well, a Samaritan woman came to draw water. The arrival of the woman set up a crisis for traditional Jewish custom of the day. Not only did the Jews avoid contact with the Samaritans but Jewish men avoid speaking with women in public—even their own wives.” (Borchert, 202)

“She is obviously a dissolute woman…He asks a favor of her. He appeals to her sympathy—He is thirsty and asks for a drink.” (McGee, 389)

Disciples in City

8. “Since the disciples had gone into the city to purchase food, it is obvious that the Jews did have some ‘dealing’ with the Samaritans, so John was not trying to exaggerate.” (Wiersbe, 300)

9. “Twice she refuses His request. She’s rude here, and insolent, impudent, and impertinent—she tosses her pert and saucy head. She makes this racial distinction. It is said that the Samaritans would sell to the Jews, but they wouldn’t drink from the same vessel with them.” (McGee, 389)

Living Water

10. “She was in for a surprise because instead of his original request for water, Jesus suggested that she might want to ask for ‘living water’. If she had comprehended who he was, she could ask for living water.” (Borchert, 203)

“His teaching was rooted in an Old Testament perspective on God’s dealing with his people (cf. Isaiah 1:17; 55:1-3; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8).” (Borchert, 203)

11. “As Jesus spoke, listeners often thought he was dealing with the physical or mundane level of reality when in fact his words pointed to the spiritual or eternal level of reality.” (Borchert, 203)

“This woman was concerned about how He would obtain this water, instead of simply asking Him to give her a drink of it.” (Wiersbe, 300)

12. “Although there is no Old Testament text that relates Jacob to this well, it was part of the region’s tradition. The woman’s question, therefore, of whether Jesus was greater that their ancestor Jacob, who provide the historic well, raised the issue of common ancestry of Jew and Samaritan.” (Borchert, 204)

“The question provided the perfect opening for Jesus to press his evangelistic message to the woman.” (Borchert, 205)

Thirst

13-14. “To paraphrase His reply: ‘Whosoever continues to drink of this material water (or anything the world has to offer) will thirst again. But whosoever takes one drink of the water I give will never thirst again.’” (Wiersbe, 300)

“Jesus makes it clear that He is not talking about water in Jacob’s well…People ‘are constantly looking for the physical, not the spiritual satisfaction. But now Jesus has created a desire in this woman’s heart for the spiritual water.’” (McGee, 389)

15. “The woman, like Nicodemus (3:4) did not realize that Jesus was talking about her spiritual needs. Instead, in her mind, she wanted such water in order to avoid her frequent trips to Jacob’s well.” (MacArthur, 1363)

Call Thy Husband

16. “What the woman heard next was the surprise of her life because Jesus related her need for water to ethics of her sexual activity.” (Borchert, 205)

“In order to make it possible for the woman to receive the living water about which Jesus spoke, it would be necessary for her to deal with the tragic nature of her sinful life.” (Borchert, 205)

What do you need to deal with in your life?

“The only way to prepare the soil of the heart for the seed is to plow it up with conviction. That was why Jesus told her to go get her husband: He forced her to admit her sin. There can be no conversion without conviction. There must first be conviction and repentance, and then there can be saving faith.” (Wiersbe, 300)

17. “‘I have no husband’ was the shortest statement she made during the entire conversation! Why? Because she was not under conviction and her ‘mouth was stopped’ (Romans 3:19)”. (Wiersbe, 300)

18. “She was living conjugally with a man who Jesus said was not her husband. By such an explicit statement, our Lord rejected the notion that when two people live together it constitutes marriage. Biblically, marriage is always restricted to a public, formal, official and recognized covenant.” (MacArthur, 1863)

19-20. “However, instead of listening to Jesus, she tried to get Him on a ‘detour’ by discussing the differences between the Jewish and the Samaritan religions. It is much more comfortable to discuss religion than to face one’s sins!” (Wiersbe, 300)

Worship The Father

21. “Jesus once again revealed her spiritual ignorance: she did not know who to worship, where to worship, or how to worship! He made it clear that all religions are not equally acceptable before God, that some worshippers act in ignorance and unbelief.” (Wiersbe, 300)

22. “The only faith that God will accept is that which came through the Jews. The Bible is of Jewish origin, and our Savior was a Jew. The first Christians were Jews.” (Wiersbe, 300)

23. True worshipers. Jesus’ point is that in light of His coming as Messiah and Savior, worshipers will be identified, not by a particular shrine or location, but by their worship of the Father through the Son…True worshipers are all those everywhere who worship God through the Son, from the heat (cf. Philippians 3:3).” (MacArthur, 1364)

24. In spirit and truth. “The word spirit does not refer to the Holy Spirit, but to the human spirit. Jesus’ point here is that a person must worship not simply by external conformity to religious rituals and places (outwardly), but inwardly (‘in spirit’) with the proper heart attitude.” (MacArthur, 1364)

25. “In spite of her ignorance, there was one truth this woman did know: the Messiah was coming and would reveal the secrets of hearts.” (Wiersbe, 300)

26. “Our Lord’s response to her statement was, literally, ‘I that speak to thee, I am!’” (Wiersbe, 301)

Do you want this spiritual water?

References

In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.

Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004

Bridegroom The Harvest

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