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Jesus left Judaea and headed for Galilee. Lets take a few minutes and see what we know about Galilee. The area that was called Galilee at the time of Christ was given to the Tribe of Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali and Issachar. These tribes never completely subdued the land from its original inhabitants. Because of it's geographical location, it was continually in the path of advancing armies that sought to take Jerusalem. Many times its inhabitants were led away in captivity and Syrians, Greeks and Babylonians were brought in to take over the land and as a result, through intermarriage, the races were mixed. There were very few pure Hebrews in the area of Galilee or Samaria. This, however, did not destroy their faith or religion. However, they were looked down upon by those of pure race in Judaea. It was in this atmosphere that Jesus and 11 of His disciples were raised. Judas was the only Judean and the only one missing at Pentecost. Mary Magdalene was a Galilean and Jesus appealed to these people who had more liberal views and less prejudices. We as Christians today are indebted to the Galileans because it was here that Christianity got it's best start, it's most sincere advocates and it's most missionaries. Jews, today, are indebted to Galilee because after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Orthodox Jews sought refuge in Galilee and there set up schools and synagogues and thus preserved their tradition and religion.
So Israel. at the time of Christ, was divided into three areas. Galilee, on the north, Samaria, in the middle, and Judaea on the south. Samaria was the area that was given to the tribe of Ephraim at the time of the division of the land of Canaan. As with Galilee, it was never completely subdued by it's new inhabitants. It to was subject to repeated invasions which resulted in a mixed race of people who were primarily devout Jews. It, along with Galilee, made the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Many great Prophets came from Samaria, Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Hosea. In contrast to Galilee, Jesus often avoided Samaria because of it's worldly materialistic outlook and usually took the foot paths along the Jordan to get from Galilee to Judaea. In the early years after the ascension of Christ, many Christians who were persecuted in Judaea, fled to Samaria. Philip preached there and won many souls to Christ, healing many and bringing great joy to the people there.
Judaea, often called Judah, was the southern most providence of Palestine at the time of Christ. Originally it was given to the tribes of Judah and Simeon and a little bit of the southern side of Benjamin. Small in area, it was the location of most of the important events in the life of Christ. His birth, baptism, temptation, His betrayal, His trial, crucifixion and resurrection. In it was located the Holy City of Jerusalem and it's people, for the most part, remained orthodox in faith and pure in race until after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. and for this reason, they looked down on the people of Galilee and Samaria. Jesus found it extremely hard to break down the self righteous and hypocracy of these people.
With this background, let us look at the events of this chapter, events that occurred in one of only two times that Jesus went into Samaria. Jesus had been in Judaea and had been very successful, the Pharisees were aware of this and Christ, realizing that they were planing trouble for Him, departed Judaea for Galilee by way of Samaria. Jesus went around Samaria most of the time and we see in Matthew 10:5, that He forbid His disciples from entering any city in Samaria and on this occasion does not enter the city nor work any miracle.
On this occasion, Jesus decided to go through Samaria instead of the usual route along the Jordan River. He arrives at the City of Samaria about the 6th. hour ( 12 noon ). They stop at a well outside the city where Jesus remains while His Disciples go into the city for food. The well was known as "Jacob's Well". As Jesus waits, a Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water. When she does, Jesus asks her for a drink of water. What appears to us to be a simple request for water had many complications that we must know about in order to understand the full impact of this request.
It is obvious that even this woman is not pleased, but rather disturbed, that Jesus does not follow the tradition of His people and she expresses this to Him, "How is it, that you a Jew, would ask me, a Samaritan, for anything?" Notice that Christ chooses to ignore the question and takes the opportunity to reveal something of His nature and mission to her. She saw him as a Jew seeking water, Jesus would have her to see Him as The Christ offering her "living water"(eternal life).
He tells her that if she had known who He was, she would have been the one doing the asking and He would have given her "living water". But here, as with Nicodemus, we see the inability of human understanding to comprehend spiritual things without guidance of the Holy Spirit for she cannot understand what He is offering only that He appears to have no means of obtaining water. The well was a gift from God to Jacob, she considered it to be a gift from Jacob. We sometimes wrongfully call the messengers of God's gifts the donors.
Jesus attempts to explain to her the difference between the "water" that He offers, water that will quench your thirst eternally, and the water from the well. Convinced that Jesus was able to give her something of great value but not understanding what, she asks for the water that she might not ever thirst again.
The discussion turns to her spiritual needs. The change of subject was not made to take away from the ground work that He had laid concerning eternal life but rather to help her see her need for it, perhaps to awake her conscience, certainly not to embarrass her. It seems that she had, over a period of time, 5 husbands and the man that she was currently living with, was not her husband. Notice how discretely Jesus enters on the subject, "Go call your husband." The woman rightfully answers, "I have no husband." Jesus, not wanting to crush her spirit, hastens to add, "You have spoken truefully, you have no husband." This was said in such a way as to convince her that he knew, before she answered, that she had no husband and probably knew about her other husbands.
By now she considers Him to be at least a Prophet so she brings up a question that has bothered Samaritans for centuries, "Where should they worship, in Jerusalem, as the Jews contend, or on Mt. Gerizim, as the Samaritans contend?" Jesus answered the question in no uncertain terms, "Woman, believe me, the hour has come when you shall worship God neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem," and hastens to add that we must worship God in "spirit" and "truth", the emphasis being on the "state of mind" not on the place. Notice what is commanded here:
Notice the things that had been discussed so far.
The last subject to be discussed with this woman was the "Messiah". She believed in a Messiah and believed that He was coming. She believed His mission was one of enlightenment, that He would tell them all that they wanted to know about God which they now did not understand. This belief was rarely found in Israel as most believed that the Messiah's mission was to establish Israel again as a world nation, to usher in a "Messianic Age". Then Jesus declares to the woman that He was The Christ, the promised Messiah. Only one other time did Jesus declare Himself to be the Messiah, the Son of Man, and that was to a blind man after he had made him to see (John 9:37). Up to this point in His ministry, He had used miracles as a means of declaring Himself, but here He uses both the miracle and the spoken word, the miracle of "His knowing all about her", and the declared word of His identity.
Remember, at the beginning of this event in the life of Christ, Jesus had sent the Disciples into the city to get food. When they return, they find Jesus talking to the woman. They appeared to have been concerned about this. Was she not a woman, was she not a Samaritan, and they too recognized her getting water in the middle of the day which indicated she was somewhat of an outcast, but they had forgotten that Jesus had come to save sinners and break down barriers that had long existed.
While they were discussing her, she departed and returned to the city, in haste, perhaps, hoping to find some friends and bring them back before Jesus moved on. In her haste, she left behind her water jug, perhaps as a courtesy that they might have a means of drawing water. In the city she tells all that she had seen and heard, how she had found and talked to a man who told her all that she had ever done. "Can this be the Christ?"
Notice her first act was to tell others. Notice, also, that she does not attempt to tell them that she believes that He was the Christ, instead, she asks the question to create thought and curiosity, then she invites them to come and see for themselves. Considering her position in the community, she does not get involved in arguments or attempts at persuading them, she only creates in them the desire, for whatever reason, to go out and see Him, and many went out to the well to see Jesus.
Meanwhile, before these people arrived at the well, the Disciples had returned with food and tried to get Jesus to eat. He appeared to have no appetite, perhaps, they thought, someone had brought Him food before they got back. But that was not the case and he attempted to explain this to them as His desire for His work far overshadowed His need for food. His "teaching" of the woman and obvious expectations of those who would come to Him as the result of her testimony, had fulfilled His needs.
Then Jesus attempted to teach the Disciples and install in them this zeal for others, for soon they must take up this mission. He stressed three things:
Notice the effect of the testimony of the Samaritan woman, remember, that she was not only a woman who should not speak in public but she was also a woman of "ill repute". Many of the people of the city believed on Him because of the testimony of this woman. God often uses the most unlikely, the weakest of witnesses. Notice that eloquent speech was not necessary, only sincere presentation of the facts.
Those that came out to see and listen to Him, asked Him to stay longer that they might learn more and that others might learn of Him, so Jesus stayed for 2 more days. What He said or did those 2 days is not recorded, but whatever it was, their lives were never the same again, "Now we believe, for we have heard Him ourselves." "We are satisfied and assured that He is The Christ." It is one thing to follow another's invitation to "come and see", but it is something else to experience for ourselves the assurance that Jesus is The Christ. So now we see here how the "seed" of the Gospel was sown in Samaria.
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