John 4:6-26

⁶Jesus was tired from all his walking, so he sat down by the well to rest …. ⁷It wasn’t long before a woman from that area came to draw water from the well. Jesus set aside the custom that Jewish men, especially rabbis, don’t talk to women in public. He began a conversation with her, ‘Please can you give me some water to drink?’ …

⁹The woman replied, ‘I don’t understand. You’re a Jewish man and I’m a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me to give you water to drink?’ (Jews normally don’t have anything to do with Samaritans.)

¹⁰Jesus began to spark her curiosity. He answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would be asking me for fresh, living water. I would have given you that.’

¹¹The woman was taken aback by Jesus’ comment. ‘Sir,’ she answered, ‘You haven’t even got a bucket to draw water from this deep well. Where can you get this “fresh, living water” from?’ …

¹³Jesus explained, ‘Everyone who drinks this physical water from the well will have their thirst relieved only for a little while. They will soon be thirsty again. ¹⁴But whoever drinks the spiritual water of life that I will give to them will never be thirsty again. In fact, the spiritual water I will give them will become a fresh spring that bubbles over into eternal life. Everyone who receives this water will have their deepest spiritual longings satisfied now and for ever.’

¹⁵‘Sir,’ the woman responded, ‘I want water like that! Give it to me now so I won’t ever get thirsty again. Then I won’t need to keep on coming here to draw water from the well.’

¹⁶Jesus moved the conversation on, as he wanted the woman to face up to the realities of her life. He therefore challenged her, ‘Go and fetch your husband.’

¹⁷‘I, er, haven’t got a husband,’ the woman answered him.

Jesus spoke to her firmly but patiently, ‘Yes, you’re right in saying you haven’t got a husband. ¹⁸In fact, I know you’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re now living with isn’t your husband. You’ve spoken the truth.’ The woman was amazed to discover that Jesus knew such a lot about her. She felt uncomfortable as to where the conversation might lead, so she tried to change the subject.

¹⁹She went on, ‘Sir, I can see from your insight that you are a prophet. Ordinary people don’t talk about things as you do. ²⁰Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, Mount Gerizim, but you Jews say we must worship in Jerusalem. …

²⁵I know that one day the Messiah, the Christ, will come. When he eventually arrives, he will explain everything clearly to us.’

²⁶Jesus finally disclosed who he was, ‘I, the very One who is talking to you right now, am he. I am the Messiah.’