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1. The Conciliation of the Lord – vv. 7--9
   
   
1. As we saw in the previous section, Jesus had broken with the "tradition" of the Jewish people and traveled directly through Samaria on His way to Galilee.
2. The reason that "He had to pass through Samaria" was that He was to announce the provision of God for salvation to the people of Sychar.
3. The opportunity to announce this provision came through dialogue with an outcast – he sought out the lowest person of the city to be the recipient of His good news: "there came a woman of Samaria to draw water . . ."
1. It was an usual hour for a woman to be drawing water – around noon ("the sixth hour) – demonstrating that this woman did not come at the normal time.
2. This may be because she was not accepted as part of the general community – being an outcast due to her living in open adultery – cp. vv. 17-18
4. Hence this woman was both a Samaritan and an adulterer – making her a very unlikely candidate for the honor of being the recipient of God’s announcement of His provision.
5. "Jesus said to her ‘Give Me a drink.’" – opening the door to dialogue by providing an opportunity to establish rapport with the woman.
6. Jesus had predetermined the situation of being alone with this woman in order for there to be no distractions – "for His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food."
7. She couldn’t believe that this Jew would first of all be there, second that he would talk to her, and third that He would drink out of the same vessel as she would – all of which were against the "traditions" of the Jews in this day – "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?"
8. The prejudices that existed between Jew and Samaritan are clearly in mind here: "(for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans)"
9. All of this demonstrates again how that Jesus Christ meets sinners where they are and announces His provision of grace.
   
   
2. The Clarification of the Need – v. 10
   
   
1. The response by Christ is designed to initiate curiosity on the part of this woman – "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you ‘Give Me a drink’ . . ."
2. This woman does not yet know who Christ is – but He piques her interest with a riddle of sorts.
3. In essence, he states "you don’t know who you are talking to or what He has to offer you. If you did, there would one thing on your mind – to receive what he has to offer."
4. He then capitalizes on their location by addressing the issue of the availability of "living water" – "you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
5. The idea of "living water" provides a double take:
1. It can refer to the "spring-water" that bubbles up from the ground – in this location it was 100 feet down at the bottom of Jacob’s well; or,
2. It can refer metaphorically to something else – that which would quench the deep thirst and emptiness that a life of sin invariably produces.
6. Hence, Jesus clarifies here where the real need exists – not in the quenching of his temporary thirst – but in the quenching of this woman’s spiritual thirst.
7. Jesus comment about "If you knew who you were talking to you would ask of him …" indicates that Jesus knows that this woman is vexed over her spiritual condition – and capitalizes on the idea of her "thirst."
   
   

1. Our Inability to See the Provision in Christ – v. 11
   
   
1. So often men stumble because of their inability to see how God can provide forgiveness and salvation to them.
2. Here we see the woman question the ability of Christ to give her "living water" because of the obstacles present, and a perceived lack of resources to overcome those obstacles.
3. "She said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep’." – indicating that she had missed the perception by Christ of her spiritual need and was still focused on the physical, temporal need.
1. The "spring water" in Jacob’s well was 100 feet down – and remains so today.
2. Looking at Christ, she saw no bucket and therefore concluded that He could not possibly obtain water for her.
3. Instead of recognizing the need she possessed for His assistance, she continued to believe that He needed her help to get the water.
4. So many of people today feel the same thing – that God needs our help to provide the "living water" that each one needs.
4. She continues and states: "where then do You get that living water?" – she seems completely perplexed – and what this stranger is saying seems absurd to her.
   
   
2. Our Inability to See the Preeminence of Christ – v. 12
   
   
1. She then goes on to question His credentials – "You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?"
2. Clearly she perceives that this stranger is someone special, but can’t quite place it – she’s pondering who He is and what he has to offer her.
3. However, as long as she attempts to compare Christ with other men – regardless of how lofty those men are – she will remain disoriented and confused as to the claims of Christ.
4. She begins to perceive that Jesus must be referring to water other than what is available in the well of Jacob – water that Jesus is saying is better – but does He really consider himself able to provide something better than what was provided by Jacob – that had been sweet and fresh for almost 2,000 years?.
   
   

1. The Perpetual Alleviation of One’s Soul – vv. 13-14
   
   
1. Jesus responds to her question by directly asserting superiority of what He has to offer her – "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst."
2. Whereas Jacob’s well is amazing in its provision because it has repeatedly satisfied the continual thirst of men for 2,000 years, the water offered by Christ satisfies quenches the thirst of the soul once forever!
3. He states that the deepest longings of the soul are forever alleviated through this water by means of an "artesian-like" provision that bubbles forth within each individual - "but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
4. In contrast to the water she was focusing on – to which she had to come daily for refreshment, the water provided by Christ was not external so that you would not have to travel to a spot where you can gain refreshment – it is in you.
5. The provision of this "living water" results in "eternal life" – cp. John 6:35
   
   
2. The Prospective Acquisition of One’s Salvation – v. 15
   
   
1. When the soul craves this kind of refreshment, one can be sure that God’s provision is being applied: "The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw’."
2. Although this woman has yet to realize of what Christ is speaking, her heart is being drawn by what Christ is saying.
3. She is interested in benefiting from something that is superior to what she had always thought adequate – the water from Jacob’s well.
4. So many men feel that what they had always known or what they had always been doing is adequate – only to find out differently.
5. When a person is confronted with the superior way of Christ – the crucial moment is defined by how they respond – "give me this water" or "I’ll continue on in the way I’ve found adequate."
6. How do you respond?

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