RELATED: 5 Faith lessons from the woman with the issue of blood. In the book of Acts, after Jesus' ascension into heaven, his apostles carried on his work in Samaria and to the Gentile world. In the end, Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the womans testimony (John 4:39, NRSV). At this point, Babylon had given way to the Persian Empire. This aspect of her life is certainly worthy of us imitating Like all women in Israelite society, the Samaritan woman too had to face derisive attitude and conceptous treatment. Because of His magnificent sacrifice, our life should exalt His name (Matthew 5:16). Types of Giving in the Bible, Examples What is Giving in the Bible? Jesus replied to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life. 15 The woman *said to Him, Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water. John 4:10; 13-15. Ashamed. She models a way of doing this with both conviction about what she has learned in the past and also openness to discovering new things about what God is doing in the world. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Tired, He sat down at a well. There is no moving forward until you can clean up the immediate mess around you. What Does It Mean That "Your Life Is Hidden with Christ"? But after meeting Jesus, she was soooo happy that she lost her shame. Jesus stayed two days, teaching the Samaritan people about the Kingdom of God. Salem Media Group. To avoid running into the other people of the village. Samaritan woman was blessed to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. He shall never thirst he shall never want that which will abundantly satisfy his souls desires; they are longing, not languishing. Only God knows the fullness of her life and ours, but regardless of what her former life might Next, the Samaritan woman went to draw water from the well at noon. Jesus wants to satisfy the deepest longings of our soul through a loving relationship with Himself. Jesuss mention of the future raises her hopes for the coming Messiah. Why did Jesus stop to talk to her? The following are some outstanding characteristics of the Samaritan woman: She was an observant woman (John 4:9). Interpreters cel-ebrate John 4:4 -42 as a story of hope for all sinners, even those women who sin in the same way the Samaritan woman did. Then in church a few weeks ago, we meditated on the verses of Jesus encounter with this woman from John 4. Samaria was a dessert town and the heat of the day was not the time to be filling up the jars of water. The second of the characteristics of the Samaritan woman has to do with her social status. When he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he. - John 4: 24-26. This was a. fulfillment of the prophecy (Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6) Fact #3: Mary was poor and was raised in a small, remote village called Nazareth. Drawing water alone in the heat of the day could only indicate one thing. Required fields are marked *. Colossians 1:19-20 says: For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.. This is the movement of all disciplesgrowing in faith through relationship with Jesus and moving outward to use our gifts for the sake of the world. Rev. She could also be a second wife, a role which was also socially acceptable but not considered of the same status as the first wife. By the 20th century the Samaritan population dwindled to fewer than 200 individuals, but it grew steadily to about 800 in the 2010s. This, in and of itself, was uncommon for Jews to do, as Samaritans were part Jew and part Gentile, and greatly disliked by both parties. fastest and most direct, though it required travelling through Samaria. The human tendency is to judge others because of stereotypes, customs, or prejudices. when He spoke of Himself having living waters (John 4:10). The Jews thought that God could only be worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus believes the same for you. She goes immediately and tells her family and friends. She has been married 5 times and currently lives in unrepentant sin by living with her boyfriend ( John 4:16-18 ). Jesus becomes such a treasure to us, as He had become to the Samaritan woman, that we cant stop ourselves from telling others about the joy He has bestowed in our life (John 4:28-30). This fact suggests that she did not have any women friends which only happened if nobody wanted to be associated with her. The following are some outstanding characteristics of the Samaritan woman: She was an observant woman (John 4:9). her life. This led to further ill-will as the two sects were established in the land in opposition to one another. Jesus and the woman discussed their views on worship, and the woman voiced her belief that the Messiah was coming. This woman came for water at an unusual hour and she came alone. 2) Salvation comes only to those who confess and repent of their sin and desire forgiveness. (John 4:29, ESV). So, there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:4-8). You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. Second, she was a Samaritan woman, and the Jews traditionally despised Samaritans. He cannot be the Messiah, can he? (4:29). Here we see Jesus reveal Himself as the Messiah to a woman that, from the cultures standpoint, he shouldnt have even been talking to. And many believed because of her testimony (v. 39). RELATED: 7 Powerful faith lessons from the prodigal son. Up to this point, she was searching for fulfillment in things that only left her wanting more. Found. Excited by what the woman told them, the Samaritans came from Sychar and begged Jesus to stay with them. From the fall of the rebellious northern kingdom of Israel, to a mixed idolatrous religion, to a people group hated by the Jews, the Samaritans had a rocky history. She was a receptive woman ( John 4:13-15, 21-25 ). As we reflect on the woman at the well and what we have observed in her story, there are a few lessons that can be applied. She unashamedly invited others to know Jesus. One of his most famous parables is that of the good Samaritan. Biblical scholars tell us that the well was the gathering place for the women of the town, to share the latest news at the cool parts of the day. Many blessings to you as God fills you with His purpose. The Bible mentions plenty of stories about Samaritans, and the hatred between Jews and Samaritans features prominently in the Gospels. [Jesus asked,] Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?, The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him.. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. A knowledge which explains her astonished reaction and unbelief (v. 9). When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink. We are called to daily take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-26). There is a lot that we could dig into within this discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. And that means hes always wanting to hear from us. Years ago as I pondered this poor soul we know as the Samaritan woman, I thought this is who I am, rejected, abandoned, full of shame, and longing for a drink of living water, but not even knowing what it was I longed for. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.. Lets take a deeper look into Gods Word. The Samaritans, being a mix of already spiritually corrupt Israelites and pagan foreigners, created a religion for themselves that the Jews considered heresy. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. conversation. To be kind is so rare nowadays with all the prejudice and racism painting our lives. Just as the Samaritan woman did not fully understand who Jesus was at first, we also need Jesus to open our eyes to the reality of who He is (Psalm 146:8, Ephesians 4:18). It really is timely because America is recognizing women this month. Several hundred Samaritans still live in Israel and continue to practice their faith centered on the Pentateuch and Mount Gerizim. The Samaritan woman knew what it was like to be dealt some bad blows in life but she did not use that as an excuse to be rotten to others. All of us need to repent of our sins and leave them in the past; then, with our mistakes behind Father, there is not greater transformational power than an encounter with you. Jesus said to her, You are right when you say you have no husband. The other thing was that the Samaritans used only the first 5 books of the Hebrew holy book. Then he helped her to understand what it meant to truly worship God. When she discovers his identity as the Messiah she leaves her water jar, much like the disciples left their nets, and becomes an effective evangelist to her community. She went back to Do you dismiss certain people as lost causes, or do you see them as valuable in their own right, worthy of knowing about the gospel? He made Himself known to her, as He must to all who truly come to know Him. Stuck in sin. Weary from the countless times we have been rejected, hiding in certain areas because of shame, thirsty for living water, oftentimes we come to the well of religion, the well of an empty relationship, the well of work and striving in the heat of the day, hoping others wont see or recognize us. can be observed from the language of the scriptures, that she did not understand what Jesus meant In summary, Jesus was trying to avoid controversy with the religious leaders over his ministry. 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