THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
[John:4:1-42 [1] When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, [2] (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) [3] He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. [4] And he must needs go through Samaria. [5] Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. [6] Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. [7] There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. [8] (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) [9] Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. [10] Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. [11] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? [12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? [13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: [14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. [15] The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. [16] Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. [17] The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: [18] For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. [19] The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. [21] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. [22] Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. [23] But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. [24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. [25] The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. [26] Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. [27] And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? [28] The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, [29] Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? [30] Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. [31] In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. [32] But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. [33] Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? [34] Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. [35] Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. [36] And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. [37] And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. [38] I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. [39] And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. [40] So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. [41] And many more believed because of his own word; [42] And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. ].
“Let him that is athirst come” (Revelation 22:17).
The Well
Perhaps few of us have ever seen the wells they used to have before the pump with the handle came into use, or the faucet we turn on and off today. When we have plenty of water we do not stop to think how good it is to have it. But to the one who is in a country where it is hard to get good, clean water it is very important. We read that Abraham always built an altar and dug a well when he stayed in a place any length of time. Both were very important.
During the war the soldier boys often suffered very much from lack of water, especially if their planes fell where they could not get clean water to drink. Sometimes they wanted water more than they wanted food. Jesus knew how necessary water was.
In some countries they dig wells that sometimes are not very deep, perhaps only 20 or 30 feet deep. There they tie a bucket to the end of a rope and lower the bucket into the well by a handle on which the rope is wound. Then the handle is turned and turned until the rope is wound back on the handle and the bucket full of water is at the top of the well.
Jesus at the Well
One day Jesus was very tired from walking and from talking to people and teaching them. So He stopped to rest at a well. It is thought that this well was one that Jacob had dug many years before. It was about 100 feet deep. It can still be seen today.
While He sat there resting, a woman came with her water pot upon her head and perhaps with her rope to let her bucket or jar down into the water. Jesus asked her to give Him a drink. Then He told her that if He gave her a drink He would give her a drink of water that would keep her from ever being thirsty again. She could not understand what kind of water that could be. She told Him that the well was deep and He had nothing with which to draw the water -– no rope and no bucket. She wanted to know how He could give her water to drink. Then He told her about the water He had to give -– forgiveness for her sins and power to live right. He called it “living water.” He said that if she drank of that water she would never thirst again. Then she knew that He was Jesus. She went to her home and told many people about Him, and they came to see Him and hear Him tell the things they needed to hear.
No doubt, Jesus knew that that woman would come there to get water and He wanted to tell her some things she needed to know. Jesus is always looking for those who want to see Him and want Him to help them. We should thank Him and love Him with all our hearts that He does that. We believe that the woman at the well did love Him for all that He had told her and had done for her.
1. Why was Jesus sitting on the well? [John:4:6Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
].
2. What were the first words Jesus said to the woman? [John:4:7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
].
3. Did the woman at first know who Jesus was? [John:4:10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
].
4. Of what kind of “water” was Jesus speaking? [Isaiah:12:3Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
]; [Revelation:21:6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
].
5. What was the testimony of the Samaritan woman after she met Jesus? [John:4:39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
].
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