Following the Lord Jesus Christ: #14 A Fountain of Living Water

Let’s walk a little further down our chosen path to follow Jesus and his disciples out of Judea into some very interesting territory. What prompted him to make this move? God worked within him to move out, at least in part, because of a popularity contest. Not only did John the Baptist’s disciples notice that Jesus allowed his own disciples to baptize in water (see Following the Lord Jesus Christ: #13 He Must Increase), but the Pharisees then heard rumors of Jesus gaining more followers than John.

 Return to Galilee

John 4:1-4 [NKJV]:
Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 
(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 
He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 
But He needed [it was necessary] to go through Samaria.

After the Passover, Jesus and his disciples had remained in the area of Judea for a while, maybe a month or so. But when he found out somehow that the Pharisees had heard of his growing number of disciples, he decided to go to Galilee. And the scripture tells us that it was “necessary” that he go through Samaria.

Most Judean and Galilean travelers would travel between the two provinces by taking the longer route east of the Jordan River to avoid Samaria altogether. The history of Judean animosity toward the Samaritans dates back to 732 B.C. when the Assyrians first invaded the kingdom of Israel and its capital in Samaria (II Kings 16:7-9; II Kings 17:6).

Since that time, those of Assyrian bloodline, pagan religions, and political allegiances, had all mixed in with the 10 “lost tribes” of Israel. In contrast to their northern neighbors, the remaining two tribes in the kingdom of Judah remained somewhat independent until the Babylonian captivity around 586 B.C.

In Jesus’ time (due to the occupation of Israel by the Romans) the often bitter dispute between the Samaritans and the rest of the Judean population was somewhat subdued, but still simmering. In spite of this, Jesus decided to go through Samaria. He was not bound by the popular social, racial, political, or religious views of the day. He always did the Father’s will.

Passing Through Samaria

John 4:5,6 [NKJV]:
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

Jesus sat down to rest by Jacob’s well in the Samaritan city of Sychar around noon. The Old Testament does not mention this specific well, but it does describe the plot of ground that Jacob gave his son Joseph. In Joshua 24:32, we read that Jacob bought this parcel of land from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem (see also Genesis 33:19,20; Genesis 48:21,22). The ancient city of Sychar lay close to Jacob’s well in the fertile valley between Mt. Gerizim (where the ruins of the Samaritan temple had lain since 110 B.C.) and Mt. Ebal. Modern day Samaritans still worship in this area.

Meeting a Woman of Samaria

Wearied from his morning hike to this well outside the town about a mile or so, Jesus asked a woman there to draw him a drink of water from the well. His request lay generally within the socially acceptable customs of asking a woman for help on his journey. But to ask a Samaritan for a drink would draw grave disapproval from many a Judean.

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

This woman of Samaria observed that the man at the well was a Judean, possibly by the way he dressed, or his accent when speaking. She was clearly startled by this request because, as the gospel writer explains, the “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” Little did she realize how surprised she would soon be as the conversation continued with the savior of the world!

Living Water

John 4:10 [NKJV]:
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.”

Jesus, the Son, God’s perfect gift to the world, always saw the supernatural reality of God’s love in His Father’s creation of the world around him. Yet, not having the same spiritual eyesight, the woman could not understand what he was offering her. 

John 4:11,12 [NKJV]:
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well [phrear – a dug well or pit] is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well [phrear – a dug well or pit], and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

Attempting to understand what he was saying, she reverted back to all she knew about drawing water. She did have a sense that Jesus was a very unusual man, so she asked about his water source. Could he possibly be greater than Jacob? Jesus didn’t reply to the “greatness” issue at that point, but patiently continued to explain.

John 4:13-15 [NKJV]:
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 [pēgē – a fountain or spring] of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

The woman knew only about a well (phrear), a pit dug deep enough into the earth to reach a source of underground water. But Jesus spoke of a spring (pēgē), a fountain of water with an unending source of supply that would most fully and completely satisfy forever the thirstiest traveler crossing the long, dry desert of the soul. Of course, the woman would desire this water, she had grown quite weary of traipsing to the well, tired of hauling her waterpot each day.

A Prophet

Jesus had piqued the woman’s interest, painted a picture for her of what he had to offer, and she was ready for it. At this point, he had not only told her how to receive such a gift, but he also authoritatively established his credentials to make these astonishing claims.

John 4:16-19 [NKJV]:
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 
for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

Yes, she was speaking with a prophet. But Jesus wanted to show her that he was truly more. The woman had a desire to worship God in the proper way.

True Worship

John 4:20,21 [NKJV]:
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

The Judeans and Samaritans had only known about worshipping God in a physical place on earth. Jesus and the woman were talking together in full view of Mt. Gerizim, where the ruins of the Samaritan temple lay. But Jesus directed her to a full, true way to worship God from any location on earth.

John 4:22-24 [NKJV]:
You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

As he taught her about true worship, Jesus spoke of God as “the Father,” the first time as noted in the gospels. Previously he had mentioned “my Father” twice, first when he was “about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49), and then when he declared, “make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise” (John 2:16). Both of those times he was talking about the temple, where God was worshipped. Here for the first time, Jesus talked of “the Father.” God could be a Father to any and all who worship Him in spirit and truth. For further information see Pentecost: Worship, God’s Dwelling, and Fire.

John 4:25,26 [NKJV]:
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

The woman rightfully remembered that the promised Messiah must come before these things would be understood. How thrilled she must have been when Jesus simply told her that he, himself, was the Messiah, the long-awaited Christ.

Meat You Know Not Of

In that full-to-bursting moment of the woman’s growing realization that the savior was right in front of her, Jesus’ disciples showed up. They had no idea of the incredible conversation that had just transpired between Jesus and the woman. But they did have their common suspicions. The woman was so excited, she went directly to the city with the news of the man at the well.

John 4:27-33 [NKJV]:
And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 
“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 
Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

The disciples acted like a stereotypical mother: “Why is he talking to a woman? He hasn’t eaten. Eat! Did somebody bring him something to eat?” But once again, Jesus was focused on the true, spiritual realities of life. And again, he taught his disciples about the truly spiritual matters before them.

A Time to Reap

John 4:34-40 [NKJV]:
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 
And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 
For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 
I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 
So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 

Engaged completely in his Father’s will, Jesus did not worry about having enough food to eat, or about pleasing people, or about getting credit for all the work he had to do, or about how many would believe him. He worked, he rested, he taught, he prayed—all according to the Father’s timing. At this point, Jesus had not even begun his public ministry! And yet, upon hearing of him from the woman at the well, a crowd of people had come out to see him.

This is Indeed the Christ

Many of the Samaritans believed simply because of the woman’s testimony, but others needed to hear more. When these interested newcomers urged him, Jesus and his disciples stayed with them two more days.

John 4:41,42 [NKJV]:
And many more believed because of His own word.
Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

Reaching out to one Samaritan woman, perhaps the most unlikely recipient of his message of salvation, Jesus shared God’s one and only true and living way to a glorious life in eternity with the Father. Many believed in that day. And since that time, many more have believed and trusted in the Son of God so that this same powerful statement of truth rings in our hearts today: “This is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world!”

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