John 4:3-8 (WEL) He left Judea and went back to Galilee. 4 But it was necessary for him to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a Samaritan city, called Sychar, near the piece of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Therefore, Jesus, exhausted from the journey, sat by the well. It was around the sixth hour [noon]. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.” 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)
V3 He left Judea and went back to Galilee.
Jesus now leaves rural Judea traveling north into Galilee.
V4 But it was necessary for him to go through Samaria.
The Greek word for necessary is G1163 δεῖ dei, which means necessary as in an event, a ministry, an opportunity, something that must be done. Jesus, knowing all things, knew about the Samaritan woman, her needs, and her heart. Jesus seeks the lost. Compare Luke 19:10, Matthew 18:11, and Matthew 11:28.
Praise God for His love for people to be saved.
Principle: Are we sensitive to taking time to share the Gospel with someone?
V5 So he came to a Samaritan city, called Sychar, near the piece of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Sychar is better known by its Old Testament name of Sychem (Shechem).
AlterAI: “The city of Sychem—more commonly referred to in historical and biblical texts as Shechem—occupies a central place in the topography of the Levant. Situated in the valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, it served as a vital crossroads for trade and a significant religious site throughout antiquity.”
Important events that happened there:
(AlterAI):
- The Arrival of Abram: Upon entering the land of Canaan, Abram (later Abraham) first stopped at the “oak of Moreh” near Shechem. It was here that he received the promise from the Divine: “To your offspring I will give this land.” In response, he built an altar.
- The Incident of Dinah: A pivotal—and violent—narrative involves Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. Shechem, the son of Hamor (the Hivite prince of the city), defiled her. The subsequent betrayal by her brothers, Simeon and Levi, who slaughtered the male inhabitants of the city under the guise of an alliance, remains one of the most brutal accounts of ancient tribal conflict.
- The Burial of Joseph: Following the Exodus from Egypt, the bones of Joseph were carried back to the land of Canaan and buried in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor.
- The Covenant Renewal: Under Joshua, the tribes of Israel gathered at Shechem to renew their covenantal commitment. It was here that Joshua famously declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
- Coronation and Rebellion: Shechem became a hub for early Israelite political activity. Abimelech, a son of Gideon, was declared king by the people of Shechem, leading to a bloody civil struggle that eventually resulted in the destruction of the city.
- The Schism: Following the death of Solomon, the northern tribes gathered at Shechem to challenge Rehoboam regarding the heavy burdens of taxation and labor. This assembly served as the catalyst for the permanent split between the Kingdom of Israel (North) and the Kingdom of Judah (South).
The Samaritans are a mixed breed of Jewish background and Gentile background that happened ~721 BC when Sargon conquered the northern kingdoms of Israel. Compare 2 Kings 17:20-33.
V6 Jacob’s well was there. Therefore, Jesus, exhausted from the journey, sat by the well. It was around the sixth hour [noon].
The distance (straight line) from Jerusalem to Shechem is approximately 40 to 45 miles (roughly 65 to 72 kilometers). Following paths, it is about 65 miles (105 kilometers). The journey walking would take about 2-3 days. No wonder the Lord Jesus was exhausted.
It would be an appropriate place to rest and take a drink. The time would be about noon by Jewish reckoning.
V7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.”
To get water from the well, there needed to be a bucket with a stone weight on one side to tip it once the bucket reached the water. When the bucket was full, then it needed to be drawn up. This well, the best I know, is a deep well and below the water table surface.
For Jesus to ask for a drink from a non-Jew was very unusual for 1) the Jew might become ceremonially unclean by being near a Gentile and 2) the water might be contaminated in some way and be unclean.
Jesus could have gotten the water himself, but it is written that He was very tired.
V8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)
Since the Lord Jesus was tired, He stopped to rest while the disciples went into the city to get something to eat. Jesus, also, had an eternal purpose to be there. He wanted to evangelize this woman.
Principle: we can witness to the dressed-up and clean or the disheveled and smelly. It is their soul that we wish for God to save.
We learn:
- Jesus was tired and thirsty, indicating that He is human.
- Jesus’s desire to preach the Gospel to all.
Questions:
- Would you witness to a person who was physically and hygienically disgusting?
- Jesus wanted to minister to others regardless (compare Matthew 9:9-13), and you?