John 4:1–45

ANNOUNCE JESUS, THE SOURCE OF NEW LIFE
John 4:1–45

Announce the Need for New Life (7–10, 13–15)

In this beautiful story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, John again shows that Jesus is the Son of God and the only One who is the Giver of life. In John 3, Jesus deals with Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, powerful and theologically trained. In John 4, Jesus deals with an unnamed woman, a Samaritan, and a moral outcast.

However, both needed Jesus, the Source for new life. The woman comes to the well alone at noontime, even though women usually went to the well in groups and either earlier or later in the day in order to avoid the heat. Maybe she isolated herself because of her lifestyle (16–18). And even though there were suspicions and animosities between the Jews and the Samaritans, Jesus not only talks to her, but is willing to drink from her water jar.

But Jesus is not interested in the physical water, he wants to give the Samaritan woman “living water.” The simple meaning of the phrase means fresh, running water from a spring.

Jesus uses the phrase here metaphorically, to point to God’s supply of mercy, grace and His transforming power. In the Old Testament, the people have forsaken God and “dug their own cistern, broken cistern that cannot hold water” (Jer. 2:13). Ezekiel looks forward to a time when “living water will flow out of Jerusalem” (Ezek. 47:9). The water Jesus speaks about is directly connected with eternal life and it is a never-ending source of life. This water cannot be bought — it only comes from Jesus.

Announce Your Testimony of New Life (28–30)

The Samaritan woman believed that Jesus was the Messiah because He knew the smallest details of her past (17–18). Her admission in verse 19, “I believe that you are a prophet,” can also be translated, “I believe that you are the Prophet,” a definite messianic reference, acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ. There is profound symbolism in what follows.

The woman abandons her old water jar, which can speak of her renunciation of old ceremonial forms of religion in favor of worshiping in spirit and in truth. She is now eager to tell others about the Messiah, who can change lives by giving living water. Many times we commit the sin of silence. We know where the living water is, and yet we choose to be silent while millions of people die of spiritual thirst. The Samaritan didn’t commit that sin. Rather, she tells everyone about Jesus.                   

Announce the Results of New Life (39–42)

As a result of the woman’s ministry to her own village, many Samaritans believed. The fact that the Samaritans asked Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, to stay with them, was extraordinary, and points to their conviction that indeed Jesus was the Messiah. Initially, they believed because of the woman’s testimony, but after hearing Jesus themselves, John tells us that many more believed. They believed that Jesus was “the Savior of the world.” Salvation needs to be personal.

I grew up in a country where Greek-Orthodoxy was the national religion. If you were born in that country, and in a Greek-Orthodox family, then you were considered to be a Christian. The Bible, however, teaches us that we are born in sin, and not in any particular religion.

And because we are born in sin, we need to be saved from sin. The Samaritan woman needed to believe herself, as do the people to whom she witnesses. Faith in Jesus Christ must be personal. The parent cannot believe for the child, and the child cannot believe for the parent.

When John wrote the Gospel that bears his name, some understood that the Roman emperor was the Savior of the world. The Samaritans in John’s Gospel, however, believed what we all need to believe, that Jesus alone is the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 24).