John 4:1-26

4:4-7 | The woman had been married and divorced four times (4:18) and was living with another man; yet Jesus, knowing all this, still reached out to her.

4:6-8 | Jesus was tired; He was thirsty; He was hungry. The Bible consistently portrays both the full humanity and the full deity of Jesus Christ. In Him, the redeemed have a High Priest who can be touched with their needs, feelings, and weaknesses, for He has felt it all in His own heart and life (Heb. 4:14-15).

4:10-14 | Jesus offered the woman living water. At first, she almost certainly understood this to mean fresh water as opposed to stale cistern water. But it soon emerged that Jesus was talking about the Spirit that leads to life. This invitation mirrors the Bible’s final invitation (Rev. 22:17). Those who drink of this water will be forever satisfied.

4:10-11 | Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman illustrates the evangelistic impact of listening. By paying attention to what the unsaved say, Christians may receive exactly the cue they need to initiate a spiritual conversation.

4:12 | According to Jewish legend, Jacob was able to fetch water from this deep well without any implements. Since Jesus had no bucket or tools with which to draw water, the woman probably had this legend in mind when she put forth her sarcastic question. Little did she know that Jesus was about to prove that He was, in fact, greater than Jacob.

4:16-18 | Jesus gently confronted this woman with her immorality. Until she was willing to face her sin, she would not understand His offer of living water.

4:23-24 | The Samaritans had plenty of spirit, but because they only read teh Pentateuch, they lacked the full truth. The Jews had all the truth of the OT, but they were unaware of the Spirit’s role in worship. True worship involves the heart.