READ: John 4:1–30: But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life … God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
In the eyes of the Jews, Samaritans were despised: a mix of Jew and Gentile. Yet Jesus also seeks them out. He Himself starts the conversation at the well. This is striking, because the person is a woman—and a Samaritan at that (see v. 27). Jesus uses the well water as a starting point to speak about living water: the gifts of true and eternal life through the Holy Spirit.
At first, the woman doesn’t understand Him. She still thinks He’s talking about regular water (v. 15). Then Jesus intervenes by revealing that He is a man of God—a Prophet—by exposing her sinful past (vv. 17–19).
However, the woman doesn’t yet confess her guilt. Instead, she changes the subject and starts a discussion about the differences in how Jews and Samaritans worship.
But Jesus uses this to lead her toward recognizing Him as the Saviour. That is the goal of every conversation in His earthly ministry. He points to the temporary differences in worship and to what lies ahead: the time is coming when the location of worship will no longer matter. What will matter is true faith. That true faith is still lacking among the Samaritans (v. 22), but the Holy Spirit will change that.
Worship will then be in truth and spirit, when genuine faith is present. It will no longer be tied to place, ancestry, or ceremonial practice.
Then the woman understands this is connected to the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, who will declare all things (v. 25). When Jesus reveals that He is the Christ, she hurries—leaving her water jar behind—back to the city to tell the good news!
Why is water a symbol for life?
Sing: Ps. 36:2