Summary of Context: John 3:22-36
3:22–23 John baptizing at Aenon.
3:24 John not yet imprisoned.
3:25 Dispute over “purification” – one of the implications of John’s baptism, and understood as purification by John’s critics.
3:27 Nothing received except as given from Heaven.
3:28 “I am not the Christ.” “I have been sent before him.”
3:29 The friend of the bridegroom is not the one getting married. He rejoices with his friend.
3:31–36 Appears to be John the Evangelist’s (the writer of the Gospel) commentary on these events.
He who comes from above is over all. No one receives his testimony. He whom God has sent utters the words of God. For he gives the Spirit without measure.
General outline of Chapter 4 (from D.A. Carson John)
Narrative verses 1–26
Exposition verses 31–38
Demonstration 28:30, 39–42
John 4 has “great cohesion.” What was the source of this account? What is most interesting is that the disciples, the eyewitnesses, were not present. This account could have come to the disciples through the report of Jesus himself, or it could have come from the woman, or those with whom she spoke when she told them about the things Jesus had said to her.
Notice the appearance of water in the account. See John 2:6; 3:5; 4:10.
Jesus reveals that he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises regarding the Messiah.
John’s disciples and Jesus’ disciples both practiced water baptism. The overlap of the two groups may explain why it was that Jesus departed Judea and returned to Galilee. He left the work of preparation with John, and he began the work of fulfillment.
John was at great danger in the southern region. He would soon be arrested and executed.
John’s doubts. The strong testimony of John the Baptist in the end of Chapter 3 must be compared with the Synoptic report of John’s doubts and request for assurance that Jesus was the Coming One. See Luke 7:18–36. He sends his disciples to Jesus to confirm his identity. Jesus tells them to report to John what he has seen Jesus do.
John 4:4 the Trip to Samaria. Many contemporary sermons have emphasized that Jesus would not have gone through Samaria because it was the land of the sect of Judaism that was rejected by the Jews, spoken against in the Mishnah, and vilified by most of the Temple-attending Jews of the day. But the fact is that a journey from Judea to Galilee would have almost always taken the Samaritan route. It was the shortest route and many ancient authorities have made note of the common and accepted practice of traveling to the north and to Galilee through the land of the Samaritans.
Often it is cited that Jesus needed to go this way because of his encounter with the woman at the well. But taking an established and common route is not exclusive of also wanting to proclaim the message of redemption and “living water” to the Samaritans. It is to be noted that this mission to the Samaritans was soon closed off (see Matthew 10:6), and that the disciples wanted to call down fire on Samaria (Luke 9:52ff). It must be added that Samaria was the focus of Philip’s evangelism after Pentecost. He traveled there (Acts 8:4-8) and experienced a great reception of the Gospel message. In the encounter in John 4, Jesus was asked to stay for a few days and many were said to have believed in him as a result. The testimony of the Woman at the Well was confirmed by Jesus’ own words. The cities of Samaria, at this time were receptive and directly impacted by the ministry and miracles of Jesus. Then Jesus turned to the Jews again, then after the Cross/Resurrection, he turned again to these people in evangelism. The promises to Jacob (Israel) may have been fulfilled (to some great extent) in his mission to Samaria. Jacob’s well located about 1/4 mile South of the town, and Joseph’s tomb (just a few hundred yards north of the well), remind us of the promises of God to these patriarchs.
Promise to Jacob (and his offspring):
“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
(Genesis 26:3-5 ESV)
Walkthrough of John 4
Verse 5 Sychar is the modern ‘Askar near Mounts Ebal and Gerizim near the Jordan River, on the eastern part of Samaria, at about the mid-point of the region. Sychar stands just between the two mountains.
Verse 6. Jacob’s Well is clearly known and one of the few places in ancient Israel that there is no confusion or lack of clarity about its identity and location. The Greek text uses two words, (pege) Spring – see verse 6, and (phrear) Cistern/ well– see verses 11 and 12. This was a well with a stream and with a dug-out cistern to contain the water. Jacob’s well has these features today.
Verses 7-8 The woman came alone. This is another case where sermons may contribute to misunderstanding. One sermon being preached and published and it repeated in a thousand ways. The commonly repeated assumption is that that Woman at the Well is a repeatedly immoral woman. The notion is commonly repeated that she was immoral, having had five “husbands” perhaps none of them legitimate, and that she continued that practice up to the point of her conversation with Jesus.
The text reports that she had five husbands. It is conceivable that she was married five times and that each of her husbands died. The Jewish Mishnah, forbade a widow to marry more than three times (perhaps to give other widows an opportunity for numbers two or three). She could have been divorced five times, or some combination of divorce or widowhood. We do not know.
It is often assumed that her coming alone to the well was because of her shame or the mistreatment she was receiving from the other women who would come to the well with her. Her coming alone was seen to be a protection from the gossip or a relief from reminders of past failures. But none of it can be proven.
Her testimony to the town seemed to be spontaneous. She appears to have wanted her friends and relatives to come and see the Messiah. They were not resistant in any way. They even praised her to her face for her testimony (apparently in the presence of Jesus, see 4:32). She did not seem to be a pariah to her people, indeed, far from it.
It is good not to repeat the inventiveness of others. Some of the details of the accounts are sparse and it is well not to go beyond what is written.
It is clear that her current arrangement with her lover was not permitted. She was living with someone who was married to another. “The one you have now, is not your husband” (4:18) may be implying that he was someone else’s husband. Certainly, she was not married to the man she was living with. That was the chief objection of Jesus, not her five previous marriages. He was telling her, that he was aware of her life and that he knew it in detail. There was no need to lie about it (see Exodus 20:16, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”)
Verse 10 – “for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” The suggestion of D.A. Carson is “For Jews do not use dishes the Samaritans have used.” (See NIV footnote). Samaritans were so despised by the religious leaders in Judea that the Mishnah forbade any contact with thee Samaritans (see Mishnah, Niddah, 4:1). This explains a bit more of the surprise of the Woman at Jesus’ request for water. He would have to share a driving vessel with her.
Living water. See Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV):
“for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Verses 11–12 “Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well?”
From the Samaritan Pentateuch: The Messiah (whom they called Taheb), “water shall flow from his buckets,” which is an adaptation of Numbers 24:7. See F.F. Bruce (John, 105).
Carson (John, 221) Jesus spoke to her “deepest needs, greatest sin, hopelessness, guilt, despair, need.”
The Old Testament background for the water and the well.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants. (Isaiah 44:3 ESV)
… they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them. (Isaiah 49:10 ESV)
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat! (Isaiah 55:1 ESV)
Verse 15. The Woman in thinking purely of natural, material water, not spiritual water, living water. But though she didn’t understand, she was willing to play along with what may have seemed to her as a bit of a “game.” “Sure, I’ll bite,” we’d say.
Verse 16. The Woman does not yet grasp who Jesus is. He asks her a question.
Verse 17. She is evasive — “I have no husband.” Jesus is not very polite when he confronts her. He does speak the truth. He plays no games with people.
She replies with objection about the place of worship. F.F. Bruce comments, “There are some people who cannot engage in a religious conversation with a person of a different persuasion without bringing up the points on which they differ” (Bruce, 108, cited in Carson, 222).
Verse 21. Jesus replies in three points.
- The coming destruction of worship in both Jerusalem and Mt. Gerazin, is upon them.
- Salvation comes from the Jews, not from the Samaritans.
- The nature of true and acceptable worship is by means of the Spirit and truth.
Verse 21, “Believe me …” is not an invitation to faith, but a declaration of the truthfulness of Jesus’ statement.
Verse 26, “I who speak to you am he.” Jesus removes any question about his claim to be the Messiah of God.
Verse 27. The return of the disciples concludes the interview. She leaves her water-pot and goes and immediately tells the people of her town about Jesus.
Verses 39 and 41 The faith of the Samaritans came in two stages. First they believed because of the testimony of the Woman at the Well. But then, subsequently, they believed because of their interaction with Jesus. They believed in him.
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