Insight: John 4:1-42

Jesus continued His Ministry by sharing about Himself with a Samaritan woman. Samaria is an area in northern Israel where Israelites were re-populated after being captured by the Assyrians in 720 B.C. Samaritan Jews were shunned upon by the Judean Jews since they were viewed as “half-Jews.”

Jesus shared how to obtain eternal life with this woman. After she believed in Jesus, she went to the townspeople and shared about Jesus with them.

God and People

The time will come when the worshipers worship God the Father in Spirit and Truth. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in Spirit and Truth.

The Samarian woman did not know Jesus previously but accepted His message of eternal life. The townspeople accepted this message as well.

Jesus

Jesus intentionally stopped in Samaria to speak with the Samaritan woman showing that anyone is worthy of eternal life, no matter what their position is. Jesus offered Himself as the Living Water which a person will never thirst from (that is, eternal life). He identified Himself as the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus told the disciples that His Food was to spread the good news about eternal life through Him.

My Response

Sins:

1. Disbelieving Jesus’ Words
2. Quenching the Spirit (that is, repressing the work of the Holy Spirit)
3. Turning down Jesus’ commands to evangelize or share the good news of eternal life with others

Promises:

1. Whoever takes Jesus’ Living Water (His message of eternal life) will never thirst (that is, to have eternal life)
2. Worshipers will worship God the Father in Spirit and in Truth

Examples:

1. Jesus told His disciples that His Food was to spread the gospel message about Himself (providing eternal life).
2. He also showed them how to communicate with an unbeliever by transitioning from drinking water from a well to the Living Water of eternal life.

Commands:

1. Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth.
2. Jesus explicitly sent His disciples to share the news of eternal life through Jesus with others.