John 4:10-24 CSB
Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would ask him, and he would give you living water." [11] "Sir," said the woman, "you don't even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this 'living water'? [12] You aren't greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock." [13] Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. [14] But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life." [15] "Sir," the woman said to him, "give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and come here to draw water." [16] "Go call your husband," he told her, "and come back here." [17] "I don't have a husband," she answered. "You have correctly said, 'I don't have a husband,'" Jesus said. [18] "For you've had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." [19] "Sir," the woman replied, "I see that you are a prophet. [20] Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem." [21] Jesus told her, "Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. [22] You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. [23] But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth."
Drawing Water
For many of us, it can feel dreadful or even scary to enter a church building for the first time—or to return after a long absence spent chasing the things of this world. Like the Prodigal Son, we find that the world’s “twinkling lights” of sin draw us in, only to turn on us and leave us destroyed. The powers of darkness truly want to kill, steal, and destroy. When we finally turn back toward God, we often walk through the church doors expecting the roof to fall in on us in judgment. Yet, in Luke 15, we see the reality: the loving Father doesn’t wait for a lecture; He runs to us the moment we turn for home, and all of heaven rejoices.
This is exactly what we see in the woman at the well. She came to Jacob’s well at midday specifically to avoid the haunting eyes and the whispers of those who built themselves up by tearing her down. She thought she was going for a chore—to fill her water bucket—but she found she was not alone. More than that, she came face-to-face with the Lord.
At first, she was concentrated only on her physical need for cool, refreshing water. But Jesus, who knows the heart, knew that this precious creation of God had strayed into a life that was leading to destruction. When He first asked her for a drink, she confused His spiritual truth with her physical water bucket. Jesus gently opened her eyes to a need deeper than the things of this world—things that make us happy for a short time and then disappear. He offered her something so powerful that she would never again have to chase worldly desires to find fulfillment. He offered a contentment that springs up from the inside, leading to eternal life.
In our society, and even in our churches today, divorce and broken relationships are rampant. This woman had five husbands and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. To the world, she was a scandal; to the Lord, she was a precious soul. When she realized this Jewish “carpenter’s son” knew her entire history, her perspective shifted. She saw Him as a prophet and began to ask the questions that had long divided her people. This is the same question we ask ourselves today: Where should we worship?
Jesus used this moment to show that the biggest miracle isn’t just knowing someone’s past—it is finding the source of life. This life is available to everyone of every nation. He explained that the time had come for worship to move beyond a specific mountain or a certain building. Our loving Father makes salvation available to every person in every nation. This is the same truth the early church realized in Acts 11 when they said, ‘So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”
Jesus made it plain that both the Jewish and Samaritan forms of worship were lacking if they were just about location. God is seeking those who come to Him from the heart—those who worship in Spirit and in truth. As we reflect on this encounter, we see Jesus focusing on three things for this woman: She needed to know about the free gift of eternal life. She needed to understand the true identity of Jesus—that He is more than a prophet; He is the Christ, and she had to ask for this living water. She had to believe that Jesus was not just a historical figure, but the very source of life itself.
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever felt like the “Prodigal” entering a church, expecting judgment but finding grace instead? How did that change your view of the Father?
- Why do we often try to satisfy our “spiritual thirst” with things that only last for a little while (the “twinkling lights”)?
- What does it look like for you to worship “in Spirit and in truth” in your daily life, away from a church building?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You that You are a seeking God. Thank You for meeting us at our “wells”—those places where we try to hide our shame. We confess that we have often chased after things that don’t satisfy. Give us the courage to ask for Your living water today. Wash away our guilt and help us to worship You from the heart, in Spirit and in truth.
Amen.
