Notes on the Gospel of John: Chapter 4

A note for those Canterburians who are participating in the church's small group discussions on the Gospel of John: The Kevin Quast book, Reading the Gospel of John, which is one of the recommended commentaries, is a little on the difficult-to-understand side. Not a criticism necessarily, but this commentary is definitely not for the general public. If you can, I would recommend you pick up Tom Wright's John for Everyone. I've read a couple of Bishop Wright's commentaries and they are written with the general public in mind. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

One of my favorite things about Jesus (I mean other than He was God made flesh and died for all our sins) is that he hung out with regular folks. He felt no shame or self-consciousness in striking up discussions with zealots, harlots, tax collectors, fishermen, women or anyone else for that matter. As promised in John 3:16, Jesus was here for the "whole world" -- not just rich folks or smart folks or well-dressed folks or Republican folks or Democrat folks.

Jesus was tired. The Son of Man. The Son of God. Savior. God made flesh - was tired. So He sat down by a well while the disciples headed into town to get some food. While there, someone comes to draw water from the well.

Not just any someone. First, it was a woman -- not exactly on the top rung of the social ladder at the time. Second, it was a Samaritan -- the product of Jews co-mingling with non-Jews. Third, uh. . .let's just say she liked men -- a lot.

Jesus, a Jewish teacher and man, should not be talking to this woman much less asking her for water. And what's interesting here is that she knows it. She reminds Jesus of the social mores -- basically letting Him know His place. At the most basic level, she doesn't believe she is worthy to be speaking with this man.

This woman is thirsty but not for the water she is thinking about. Jesus: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

We all get thirsty but Evian is not going to get the job done.

It is to this Samaritan woman that Jesus reveals -- out loud -- that He is indeed the Messiah. The woman leaves, tells her friends and Jesus ends up staying for two more days converting folks left and right.

". . .we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

Amen.