Context
After beginning his public ministry, Jesus immediately faces opposition from the Pharisees. As a result, Jesus leaves Judea and is headed toward Galilee and decides to pass through Samaria on his way. This was somewhat uncommon for a Jewish person to travel through Samaria as there was bad history between Jewish people and Samaritans. However, this was the most direct route and Jesus is making a profound statement to the Pharisees by going through Samaria and ministering to the woman at the well.
This is also placed next to Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus very intentionally. The contrast between Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria could not be more profound. We know who Nicodemus is and he is a man of importance and great significance. Yet he responds somewhat tepidly to his encounter with Jesus. The woman of Samaria is almost anonymous, we don’t know her name and she doesn’t seem to have any great importance, yet she responds to the encounter with Jesus almost immediately.
Observations
Jesus approaches every situation with great intentionality. In doing something as ordinary as getting a drink of water, he sees the need of every person he encounters and offers himself to this woman at the well. Jesus is at once challenging and disarming, he displays a beautiful example of speaking the truth in love and getting to the heart of another person’s longings.
Jesus chooses to use the imagery of water deliberately not just because he is thirsty, but because it has a rich Old Testament history. Isaiah 55 and Jeremiah 2:13 are in the background of the language that John is using to describe this encounter, and ironically, this was a portion of Scripture that the Samaritans did not regard as God’s Word. At the same time, the concept of the LORD providing water to his people is a part of the shared heritage of Jewish people and Samaritans due to the wilderness wonderings recounted in Numbers 20:10-13.
Meaning
The meaning of this encounter is very clear: Jesus is the Messiah who brings eternal life for all who “drink” from the “water” that he offers. Jesus satisfies every longing of our soul and is completely and totally sufficient for eternal and complete salvation. Another message that is communicated clearly in this passage is the ministry of reconciliation that Jesus is embarking on. Both Jew and Samaritan will now worship in Spirit and Truth rather than the divided worship that was taking place with the Jews worshipping in the Temple on Mount Moriah and the Samaritans worshipping at Mount Gerizim. Instead of these two different Mounts, Jesus made the radical claim that he brought the two together and worship was now in Spirit and Truth.
Questions
What stands out to you about how Jesus approaches the woman of Samaria?
What is different between this encounter and the encounter with Nicodemus?
Why does Jesus ask the woman to call her husband? How does he tie in the woman’s life context to who he is and what he is offering her?
What might be some reasons for the woman’s very strong response to Jesus versus Nicodemus’ more lukewarm response?
How does your own sin reveal places in your life that still have longings (thirst) that Jesus has not quenched? How have you experienced Jesus satisfying the longings in your life?