John 4:1-26

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus crosses the social and religious barriers of His day in order to reveal Himself as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman. While traveling through Samaria to Galilee, Jesus came to the city of Sychar and stopped at Jacob’s well about noontime (John 4:3-6).  While Jesus’ disciples were in the city buying food, He met a Samaritan woman and asked her for a drink (John 4:7-8).  The meeting is providential.  Typical Jews despised Samaritans and had no dealings with them.  Rabbinic teaching stated that Samaritan women were perpetually menstruating and were therefore ceremonially unclean at all times.  The Samaritan woman was surprised that Jesus spoke with her and Jesus used the opportunity to reveal Himself as the Messiah and to offer her the gift of eternal life—presented as “living water” (John 4:9-14).  The Samaritan woman misunderstood Jesus’ offer as referring to literal water (John 4:15).  Jesus then revealed her past—but not in a condemning way—and the woman perceived Jesus as a prophet (John 4:16-19).  Perhaps feeling uncomfortable discussing her past relationships, the Samaritan woman changed the subject by comparing Jewish and Samaritan worship (John 4:20).  Jesus explained that salvation is from the Jews (John 4:21-22) and that an hour is coming—and had come—in which people will worship God in spirit and truth, not in a physical location or falsehood (John 4:23-24).  The Samaritan woman comments that Messiah is coming (John 4:25), and Jesus plainly reveals that He is Messiah (John 4:26).