*John 4:1-42
Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman about living water, reveals his identity to her, and her townspeople come to believe in him.
- Encounter at the Well:
- Jesus and His disciples journey from Judea to Galilee, passing through Samaria.
- Near the city of Sychar, Jesus sits by a well while His disciples go into the city to buy food.
- Conversation with the Samaritan Woman:
- A Samaritan woman comes to draw water from the well, and Jesus asks her for a drink.
- This request surprises her, as Jews typically do not associate with Samaritans.
- Living Water Dialogue:
- Jesus responds by telling the woman about “living water” that He can provide, which will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
- Misunderstanding and Revelation:
- The woman misunderstands Jesus’ reference to physical water and requests this “living water” to avoid the labor of drawing water from the well.
- Jesus reveals her need for spiritual water, exposing her past and current marital status, which astounds her and leads her to recognize Jesus as a prophet.
- Discussion on Worship:
- The woman raises a theological question about the proper place of worship, Samaritan temple or Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
- Jesus explains that true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such worshipers.
- Recognition of Jesus as Messiah:
- The woman mentions her expectation of the Messiah, and Jesus reveals His identity to her, saying, “I who speak to you am He.”
- Woman’s Testimony:
- The woman leaves her water jar, goes into the city, and tells the people about her encounter with Jesus, inviting them to come and see Him for themselves.
- Response of the Samaritans:
- The Samaritans come out to Jesus, urged by the woman’s testimony, and ask Him to stay with them.
- Many Samaritans believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world after hearing His words.
- Duration of Stay:
- Jesus stays with the Samaritans for two days, teaching them, and many more come to believe in Him because of His word.
4:1 When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 4:2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 4:3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4:4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
4:8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 4:30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
4:31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
4:32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
4:33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
4:37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
4:40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
4:41 And many more believed because of his own word; 4:42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.