{"id":3842,"date":"2019-08-22T02:36:38","date_gmt":"2019-08-22T02:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=3842"},"modified":"2019-08-22T02:36:38","modified_gmt":"2019-08-22T02:36:38","slug":"jesus-at-jacobs-well-john-41-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/jesus-at-jacobs-well-john-41-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus at Jacob’s Well; John 4:1-14"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and\u00a0baptizing more disciples than John<\/span>\u00a02\u00a0<\/sup>(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),<\/span>\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup>he left Judea and departed\u00a0again for Galilee.<\/span>\u00a04\u00a0<\/sup>And he had to pass through Samaria.<\/span>\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup>So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field\u00a0that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.<\/span>\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup>Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus,\u00a0wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.[a<\/a>]<\/sup><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

7\u00a0<\/sup>A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her,\u00a0\u201cGive me a drink.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup>(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)<\/span>9\u00a0<\/sup>The Samaritan woman said to him, \u201cHow is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?\u201d (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)<\/span>\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus answered her,\u00a0\u201cIf you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, \u2018Give me a drink,\u2019 you would have asked him, and he would have given you\u00a0living water.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a011\u00a0<\/sup>The woman said to him, \u201cSir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?<\/span>\u00a012\u00a0<\/sup>Are you greater than our father Jacob?\u00a0He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.\u201d<\/span>\u00a013\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus said to her,\u00a0\u201cEveryone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,<\/span><\/span>\u00a014\u00a0<\/sup>but\u00a0whoever drinks of the water that I will give him\u00a0will never be thirsty again.[b<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0The water that I will give him will become\u00a0in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n

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As we move into chapter 4, I want you to hold on to the continuity of the gospel writer\u2019s themes. One of the big themes, really in the first 3 chapters, was that of water. We\u2019ve seen baptism, purification waters, water into wine, being born of water and spirit, and now here that theme of water continues as we see Jesus at a well of water discussing living water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 4: Why did He have to pass through Samaria?<\/p>\n

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A lot of people say that Jesus had to pass through Samaria, because He had a divine appointment there with the woman at the well, and it was providence pulling him through Samaria. As a Calvinist, I certainly would agree, because I believe that every appointment is a divine appointment. I believe all the writers of Scripture would assume that as well. I think the gospel writer\u2019s intent in saying that Jesus had to pass through Samaria was mainly a geographical statement, though we of course would not deny providence. People often say that the Jews always went the long way around Samaria because they hated the Samaritans so much. While some did, many Jews, despite the hatred, passed through Samaria. Afterall, the disciples had no problem going into the town to buy food, and they weren\u2019t attacked or thrown out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who were the Samaritans and why the animosity?<\/p>\n

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After Solomon\u2019s reign, Israel splits into two kingdoms. The northern region established a capital that developed the name \u201cSamaria.\u201d This northern kingdom was taken captive by Assyria in 722 B. C. Most of the tribes of Israel were removed out of that area. However, there was a good amount of Jews who were left there in what would be known as Samaria. Not only that, but other non-Jews were brought into that region. So, they then began to intermarry as you can imagine. Eventually, the Jews who were in captivity returned to that area and of course tensions arose because the other Jews there had intermarried, and then would become known as the Samaritans. Eventually the Samaritans there stopped worshiping at Jerusalem, and established their worship at another mountain. They also considered only the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, to be the Word of God, and rejected the rest of Scripture. So they were heretics, and they intermarried with the other nations, which they were not to do. So, there was great conflict between the Jews and the Samaritans for these reasons. Understanding this helps us understand the significance of Jesus conversing with this Samaritan woman, who, as we will see next week, was not only a Samaritan woman, but an adulterous one at that.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Woman Arrives, verse 7<\/b><\/p>\n

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I like what A. W. Pink says, \u201cShe chose this hour because she expected the well would be deserted. But, in fact, she went to the well that day, at that time, because God\u2019s hour had struck when she was to meet the Savior.\u201d You can try all you want to avoid Jesus, by avoiding His people, avoiding church, things of that nature, but when the divine hour strikes, you can be alone no longer. Jesus is there, for He seeks out His own. And He does not fail to find that which He seeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When Jesus tells the Woman to give Him a drink, I believe He has more than simply physical water in mind. We recognize that Jesus is speaking of Spiritual Living Water in all the surrounding verses, but leave this one just to mean physical. But this also has an underlying spiritual intent. If Jesus is telling the woman to give Him a drink of spiritual water, it is clear that she could not do so. Jesus is showing the woman that she has nothing to offer Him. He is showing her, her need. Jesus did not just turn the conversation to a spiritual one in verse 10, but it started with His initial request. And when it is clear that she cannot give Him a drink of living water, Jesus has laid the foundation to offer to her what she lacks with what He only can supply.<\/span><\/p>\n

Essentially this is like a law and gospel presentation here. He\u2019s giving her the law, she is exposed as incapable of fulfilling it, and in comes the gospel: \u201cI\u2019ll give you, what I ask of you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is such a wonderful model for evangelism that we do well to follow, practice, and implement.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If the Woman Knew, verse 10<\/b><\/p>\n

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I love what John Gill says, \u201c…for such who truly know Christ, the worth and value of him, and their need of him, will apply to him for grace, as they have encouragement to do; since all grace is treasured up in him, and he gives it freely, and upbraideth not; and souls are invited to ask it of him, and take it freely\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t we, so often, act similarly to this? We\u2019re so busy running around trying to take care of our own lives and handle all our problems on our own. We even come into church wanting to hear practical ways we can handle things in our life better, yet we are ignoring the well of life sitting right in front of us, in the bread and wine. If we really knew the gift of God in His Son Jesus Christ, we would be going to Him and asking Him for a drink, and throwing ourselves at His feet, receiving grace from His hand. The gift of salvation is not us serving and doing things for God, it is God serving and doing the greatest thing for us through Christ. Each and every one of us are weak and insufficient sinners, who have no hope of salvation apart from humbling ourselves to simply receive from Christ, and allow Him to give to us, and we simply receive from His hand. If you truly knew the gift of God, you would have asked Him for a drink, and He would have given it to you. He would give it you! He would not withhold it from you or tell you to try harder on your own. He would give it to you. Let Him serve you. Let Him give to you. You would if you knew.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Jesus Questioned, verse 11-12<\/b><\/p>\n

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Here, Jesus is questioned. One of these questions is quite profound, and it does not get enough attention. She asks: \u201care you greater than our father Jacob?\u201d<\/em> Some people will say that she is asking these things mockingly and some say she\u2019s asking genuine questions. We don\u2019t know. There isn\u2019t any real indication in the text. So we can just take the question at face value, as it seems Jesus does. So, \u201care you greater than our father Jacob?\u201d<\/em> In other words, she\u2019s asking, \u201cDo you have a better place to draw water? This well was good enough for Jacob, and are you too good for this water? Do you have better water than this?\u201d<\/em> This of course is precisely what Jesus would have her ask. She has fallen right into His apologetic hands. \u201cAre you greater than our father Jacob?\u201d \u201cWell, now that you mention it\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Jesus, Greater than Jacob, verse 13-14<\/b><\/p>\n

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What Jesus says in verse 13 and 14 is the answer to the woman\u2019s question in verse 12, \u201care you greater than our father Jacob?\u201d<\/em> In short, the answer is yes! Let\u2019s see why.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Jesus talks about \u201cliving water\u201d He is not making up something new. He is using terminology familiar to the Old Testament (although the Samaritans rejected the prophets, Jesus does not give up that ground for his authority. He stands on it, despite their rejection of it. Because it\u2019s authority is not dependent on its acceptance. This is a great example for us, in standing on God\u2019s word as authority in apologetics and evangelism. We don\u2019t give it up, just because someone does not accept it). So what prophet spoke of living water? There\u2019s multiple places, but I\u2019ll just give you one. Jeremiah 2:13, God says, \u201c…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.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus is saying, \u201cI give living water, that you have rejected for broken cisterns that hold no water!\u201d<\/em> If you want this living water, throw out your broken cisterns and pots and vessels! The idea of the term \u201cliving water\u201d is that of flowing water, an ever flowing spring of water. Which, as the woman is thinking more carnally here, that is what she would of thought of. \u201cJacob gave us this well. And it was good for him. Where is this spring of water you speak of? Are you greater than our father Jacob?\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus answers by contrasting what they [Jesus and Jacob] have provided. Jesus doesn\u2019t just say yes, but He demonstrates how He is better than Jacob.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Contrast Jesus and Jacob<\/b><\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s take a moment and contrast Jesus and Jacob.<\/span><\/p>\n