John 4:1-10
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
We are told Jesus "had" to go through Samaria...It was part of God's plan...Jesus had taught Nicodemus, a Pharisee, in chapter three of John things about heaven and earth...These teachings to Nicodemus, would have brought up many questions...The Pharisees knew Jesus was increasing in popularity and gaining more disciples than John the Baptist...So, when Jesus realized this, He left Judea and went into Galilee...The Pharisees were asking about Jesus and following His teachings, at this point they (the Pharisees and Jesus) do not appear to be in opposition...Later they (the Pharisees) do become an opposition to Him...Jesus leaves at this time and avoids any confrontation or more questions from the Pharisees...
Jesus arrives at Sychar around noon...It is a hot time of the day...Normally no one would be at the well at this time of day... Also, normally the women would draw their water in the mornings and no other one would be there...The woman Jesus meets is an adulteress...She was probably coming out at noon to avoid the other women at the well, because of her reputation...Normally, a Jew, like Jesus would not talk to a Samaritan...But Jesus, who loves all of us, talked to the woman...This was all a part of God's plan, to give all people the living water...
The sinful Samaritan woman asks "How can you ask me for a drink?"...The Jews in Jesus day despised the Samaritans...Jesus responds to her, if you knew the Scriptures and you knew the Messiah was asking for a drink, you would be revealed much and would know you are in the presence of the Son of the living God...The Samaritan woman was learning more about God and His Son...She was learning what God had in store for her life...How exciting it would be for her to see the Messiah...
God loves all people...Both the Jews and Samaritans worship the God of Jacob...They have quite a lot in common, but prejudice and differences in the past had separated the two groups...God's kingdom accepts all and brings prejudice and differences together...God wants all of us to love his neighbor (who has sinned, as have all of us)...This is part of God's plan...