SCRIPTURE: JOHN 4
JESUS TALKS WITH A SAMARITAN WOMAN (vs. 1-26)
Jesus came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus sat down by the well to rest. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus asked her to give him a drink. the Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink” (v. 9). Jesus answered:, ” If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (v. 10). The woman said: “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” (v. 12). Jesus answered, :Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v. 14). The woman asked Jesus to give her the water. Jesus told her to go and call her husband and come back. But she said she had no husband. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. Theo fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (v. 18) The woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem”. Jesus declared, “Believer me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (vs. 21-24) Theo woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us..” (v. 25). Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.” (v. 26)
MANY SAMARITANS BELIEVE (vs. 30-42)
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. So, when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them and he stayed two days. sands because of his words, many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (v. 42)
JESUS HEALS THE OFFICIAL’S SON (vs. 43-54)
After two days, Jesus left for Galilee. When they arrived, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast for they had been there. Once more, he visited Cana in Galilee where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. Jesus told him, “unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe” (v. 48). The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (v. 49) Jesus replied, “:You may go. Your son will live.”: (v. 50)
The man took Jesus’ word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “:The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” (*v. 52). Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed. This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.
THOUGHTS:
Jesus’ deepest desire was for the salvation of the sinful Samaritan woman. He revealed Himself to her and she believed in him. Her life was changed and she immediately shared the good news with others.
The Samaritans were a mixed race of the Jews and people in Samaria. The pure Jews hated the Samaritans because they felt that their fellow Jews who had intermarried had betrayed their people and nation. The Samaritans had set up an alternate center for worship on Mount Gerizim while the Jews had the Temple at Jerusalem. The Jews did everything they could to avoid traveling through Samaria. But Jesus nevertheless took a shorter route through Samaria.
Most people went to draw water from Jacob’s well. One day, this Samaritan woman came. Since he was a sinful woman, no respectable Jewish man would to her. But Jesus shared the Good News to her no matter what her race, social position of past sins. Since Jesus crossed all barriers to share the Good News, we should also be prepared to share the Good News at any time and any place.
When Jesus was talking about “Living Water”, He was saying that he would bring living water that could forever quench a person’s thirst for God. Jesus is the Messiah and only the Messiah can give this gift to satisfy the soul’s desire. Our hungry souls need the living word, Jesus Christ and His written Word to be satisfied.
When the Samaritan woman discovered that Jesus knew all about her private life, she quickly changed their subject to the place of worship. But Jesus directed the conversation to a much more important point. The location of worship is not as important as the attitude of the worshipers. It is not where we worship but how we worship. Is your worship genuine and true? Do you have the help of the Holy Spirit?
The “food” that Jesus was speaking was his spiritual nourishment. Aside from Bible study, prayer and attending church services, spiritual nourishment also includes doing God’s will and helping to bring his work of salvation to completion. We are nourished not only by what we take in but also to what we give out for God. Jesus refers to completing God’s work on earth.
The Samaritan woman shared her experience with others. Despite her reputation, many took her invitation and came out to meet Jesus. Do not hesitate to share the gospel even if you have past sins that you are ashamed of. God can change you and when people see these changes, they will become curious and interested to accept His Word.
The government official walked 20 miles to see Jesus and addressed him as “Lord”. He has faith that Jesus could heal his son. He believed and obeyed Jesus by returning home. As a result, he and his whole family believed in Jesus. If you believe that Jesus can take care of your problem, you have to live as though Jesus can do what he says.