John Chapter 4- Jesus and the Samaritans

John 4

Overview:

This story  is about our need for  “living water.” The Samaritan woman has always had her full of well water, which is stagnant and leaves her thirsty. Jesus is offering “living,” or running water. What he is really offering is God’s Holy Spirit. This will become more evident in John, but what he is getting at is the need to have God’s Spirit for life (we saw this in John 3 that we need Spirit filled rebirth).  When Jesus changes us he fills us with “living water,” and that  new water needs to push out the stagnant water that we have always filled ourselves with. For this Samaritan woman it becomes clear that she keeps going back to the well of relationships with men to satisfy her, but she is constantly left unsatisfied. Jesus is offering her different water that will so fill her that she won’t need to find herself in a husband anymore.

The Samaritan woman has tried to find love in all the wrong places. Because of her choices, she lives in shame and isolation(drawing water at mid-day to avoid interacting with others). But after her encounter with Jesus, she’s never the same. Jesus offers her living water and he also exposes her secrets. Through gentle questioning Jesus helps this woman recognize her thirst so she can receive the true satisfaction her heart craves. A new woman emerges from this encounter, and the once isolated person becomes the first missionary, shouting her testimony to all who listed.

This story also shows us what Jesus thinks about the social and cultural dividing walls  that we put up in societies. He believes that his gospel-the living water that he has- is the most important thing and this living water will be available to everyone! He is talking to a woman of ill repute, who is also a dreaded Samaritan. She doesn’t understand him at first and then as she begins to understand  she makes excuses and brings up trivial religious discussion. Jesus is not deterred by any of these things. He loves this woman and wants her to come to love and worship God in spirit and in truth.  Jesus wants this woman to know Him and the living water that he brings. He will not be deterred by anything. Her sin does not bother him, nor her gender, nor her ethnicity, nor her excuses.

Key Terms:

-Samaritans: The land of Samaria was at one time part of the nation of Israel. When Israel was conquered by Babylon most Jews were taken into exile to other nations, but some Jews were left to care for the land. Other conquered nations were also displaced from their homeland and moved to the land of Israel. This is an ingenious plan to help avoid revolts and uprisings. If you could mix up the conquered nations and have them intermingle you squelch national pride, defense of land and  ethnic solidarity.  The remaining Jews and people from other nations intermarried. Thus when the Jews returned from exile there were people already living in their land who were half-Jews and half-Gentiles. The “pure” Jews saw the Samaritans as people who didn’t stay pure and caved to their foreign enemies. By Jesus time it was well known that Jews and Samaritans did not get along. The Samaritans had their own  land which was right in the middle of Israel with Israel both below them (Jerusalem area) and above them (Galilee where Jesus grew up) called Samaria. Jews from Galilee would have to either pass through Samaria to get to Jerusalem or the would take a longer route on the other side of the Jordan river to avoid Samaria all together. Usually they went the longer route to avoid the Samaritans. Jesus takes his disciples right through Samaria.

-Living Water:  This is one of the metaphors that Jesus uses to get at his work or renewal and new life.  Water is a major them in John and throughout the scriptures to describe the work of God. Water is a fundamental human need and Jesus shows others (particularly this woman) that he has the true living water. We have already seen Jesus baptized in water and with  Nicodemus the need for rebirth in water and spirit. Here Spirit and water are placed together again as this living water is the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion question:

Are there times in your life when you feel empty? What do you try to do to fill yourself up when you feel this way? Does it work?

Text Questions:

-Read verses 1-15: Pretend you are this woman. What do you think about Jesus after this first encounter? What would you think of him as a person? Is he strange, intriguing?

-Read verses: 16-26:

  - Why does the  Samaritan women responds the way she does?

  -How does Jesus respond to her excuses? Why does he respond this way?

  -How would you feel if Jesus told you all about your past?

-Read verses 27-38:

  -Look at verse 34-38. What do you think Jesus is getting at by all this talk of work and harvest? Try to

   explain these verses to us.

  -Read verses 39-43:

  -Why do you think this woman and then many other Samaritans respond so enthusiastically?

Reflection Questions:

This story is all about people needing “living water.” The Samaritan woman has always had her full of well water, which is stagnant and leaves her thirsty. Jesus is offering “living,” or running water. When Jesus changes us he fills us with “living water,” and that  new water needs to push out the stagnant water with which  we have always filled ourselves. For this Samaritan woman it becomes clear that she keeps going back to the well of relationships with men to satisfy her, but she is constantly left unsatisfied. Jesus is offering her different and “living water” that will so fill her that she won’t need to find herself in a husband anymore.

-Can a relationship with a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife fully satisfy you and give you everything you need in life? What can it give you? What can it not give you?

 -What are other things that we are thirsty for in this life? Can getting these things give us living water? Why or why not?

 -What do you think is this “living water” that Jesus gives you (does Jesus tell us in the story)? What does he give us that is so different and better than what we can get anywhere else?

-This woman when she encounters Jesus is changed in a big way. She was a social outcast, then meets Jesus, believes he is the Messiah and an hour later she goes and tells everyone about Him. She becomes this first great missionary.

  -Have you had an encounter with Jesus like this woman? If so try to describe it.

  -How has encountering Jesus changed your life? What’s different about your life after meeting Jesus?