John 4:25-26

John 4:25-26

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The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

John 4:25-26

FOF- Behind the Scenes
Slide

The woman in today’s passage is often referred to as the Samaritan woman or the woman at the well. Maybe you’ve heard of her. Jesus having a conversation with a woman of this ethnic background was surprising, both to the woman and to Jesus’ disciples. The first thing the woman said to Jesus was, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9). And, as soon as His disciples came upon the scene, “They marveled that He was talking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you seek?’ or, ‘Why are you talking with her?’” (John 4:27).

Slide

Her conversation with Jesus confused the woman. First, there was the initial confusion of wondering why a Jewish man was speaking to her. Jesus replied, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10). This unexpected answer only stirred more questions in the woman, who asked, “Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well…” (John 4:11-12).

Slide

Their conversation continued to astound the woman as Jesus revealed His knowledge of all her personal affairs. Bit by bit, her eyes were opened to the spiritual significance of this encounter. She asserted that Jesus must be a prophet and asked Him a religious question. Again, likely both confused and impressed by His answer, she ventured closer to the truth of Jesus’ identity, as we see in today’s verse: “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” And here came the culmination of Jesus’ revelation to her: “I who speak to you am He.”

FOF- Make it Real
Slide

What a mic drop moment that must have been! God’s people had been waiting thousands of years for this very man who now stood before her. The promise of a redeemer, the Messiah, first came to God’s people way back in the Garden of Eden, when God promised the offspring of the woman would one day crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15). This promise was renewed in greater detail and clarity through covenants, blessings, and prophecies spanning the entire Old Testament.

Slide

Doesn’t it seem surprising that Jesus chose to make this eagerly anticipated, earth-shattering announcement not to a great crowd or to the political or religious leaders, but to a Samaritan woman while she was performing the mundane task of collecting water?

Slide

This woman wasn’t a trained religious scholar. And, even if she had been, Samaritans rejected the majority of the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament), only believing the first five books to be divinely inspired. They didn’t have the prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and others concerning the coming Messiah. In spite of all the knowledge she lacked, however, we see from the woman’s responses to Jesus that she was willing to learn. She didn’t shy away from what she didn’t understand. She leaned in. She kept asking questions.

Slide

The concept of God in the flesh is mind-blowing. The saga of this promised God-man, Jesus, confronting sin and death through forgiveness and healing, redeeming humanity through His atoning sacrifice, and establishing a never-ending kingdom where He rules at the right hand of the Father is a lot to take in. All the topics we will be examining in bite-sized chunks during this Foundations of Faith series are divine mysteries that can be difficult to wrap our heads around. But Jesus didn’t require the Samaritan woman to have all the answers. It was the opposite. She had all the questions!

Slide

Questions are the perfect thing for us to bring to the table, as we, like the woman, expectantly rely upon God to supply the answers. Sometimes these answers might lead to greater confusion still! That’s what we see happen in the encounter at the well, and that’s what I’ve seen happen in my own life. But that’s when Jesus is inviting us deeper. He wants to give us a greater revelation of Himself. He wants to give us strength to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. He wants to fill us with all the fullness of God. We don’t have to “get it,” but we do have to engage. And, as we do, He is faithful to meet us and to lead us.

FOF- End in Prayer
Slide

Dear Jesus, thank you for becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Thank you for making God known to humanity in such an astounding way. King of Heaven, God of the universe, you humbled yourself to the point of death on a cross to make a way for me, so that I can approach your throne with confidence. Thank you for your patience with me when I don’t appreciate the magnitude of your love and sacrifice, or when I try to understand but just don’t get it. Jesus, friend of sinners, thank you for inviting me to share in your inheritance as a co-heir in the kingdom of God. Please give me a teachable heart so that I can worship you in spirit and truth. In your mighty name, amen.

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The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” 

John 4:25-26

Behind the Scenes

The woman in today’s passage is often referred to as the Samaritan woman or the woman at the well. Maybe you’ve heard of her. Jesus having a conversation with a woman of this ethnic background was surprising, both to the woman and to Jesus’ disciples. The first thing the woman said to Jesus was, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9). And, as soon as His disciples came upon the scene, “They marveled that He was talking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you seek?’ or, ‘Why are you talking with her?’” (John 4:27). 

Her conversation with Jesus confused the woman. First, there was the initial confusion of wondering why a Jewish man was speaking to her. Jesus replied, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10). This unexpected answer only stirred more questions in the woman, who asked, “Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well…” (John 4:11-12). 

Their conversation continued to astound the woman as Jesus revealed His knowledge of all her personal affairs. Bit by bit, her eyes were opened to the spiritual significance of this encounter. She asserted that Jesus must be a prophet and asked Him a religious question. Again, likely both confused and impressed by His answer, she ventured closer to the truth of Jesus’ identity, as we see in today’s verse: “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” And here came the culmination of Jesus’ revelation to her: “I who speak to you am He.”  

Make It Real

What a mic drop moment that must have been! God’s people had been waiting thousands of years for this very man who now stood before her. The promise of a redeemer, the Messiah, first came to God’s people way back in the Garden of Eden, when God promised the offspring of the woman would one day crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). This promise was renewed in greater detail and clarity through covenants, blessings, and prophecies spanning the entire Old Testament.  

Doesn’t it seem surprising that Jesus chose to make this eagerly anticipated, earth-shattering announcement not to a great crowd or to the political or religious leaders, but to a Samaritan woman while she was performing the mundane task of collecting water?  

This woman wasn’t a trained religious scholar. And, even if she had been, Samaritans rejected the majority of the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament), only believing the first five books to be divinely inspired. They didn’t have the prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and others concerning the coming Messiah. In spite of all the knowledge she lacked, however, we see from the woman’s responses to Jesus that she was willing to learn. She didn’t shy away from what she didn’t understand. She leaned in. She kept asking questions.  

The concept of God in the flesh is mind-blowing. The saga of this promised God-man, Jesus, confronting sin and death through forgiveness and healing, redeeming humanity through His atoning sacrifice, and establishing a never-ending kingdom where He rules at the right hand of the Father is a lot to take in. All the topics we will be examining in bite-sized chunks during this Foundations of Faith series are divine mysteries that can be difficult to wrap our heads around. But Jesus didn’t require the Samaritan woman to have all the answers. It was the opposite. She had all the questions!  

Questions are the perfect thing for us to bring to the table, as we, like the woman, expectantly rely upon God to supply the answers. Sometimes these answers might lead to greater confusion still! That’s what we see happen in the encounter at the well, and that’s what I’ve seen happen in my own life. But that’s when Jesus is inviting us deeper. He wants to give us a greater revelation of Himself. He wants to give us strength to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. He wants to fill us with all the fullness of God. We don’t have to “get it,” but we do have to engage. And, as we do, He is faithful to meet us and to lead us.  

Hailey Schroeder

Hailey Schroeder

ACF Devo Team

End in Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Thank you for making God known to humanity in such an astounding way. King of Heaven, God of the universe, you humbled yourself to the point of death on a cross to make a way for me, so that I can approach your throne with confidence. Thank you for your patience with me when I don’t appreciate the magnitude of your love and sacrifice, or when I try to understand but just don’t get it. Jesus, friend of sinners, thank you for inviting me to share in your inheritance as a co-heir in the kingdom of God. Please give me a teachable heart so that I can worship you in spirit and truth. In your mighty name, amen.   

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