Session 4: The Well

Session Overview

Creedal Statement

Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Key Elements

• Key Passage - John 4:1–42
• Scripture Memory - Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1
• Catechism - Q: What spiritual practice enables us to consecrate ourselves to God? A: Worship.

Introduction

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.

All worldly attainments, whether of wisdom, or bravery, are but empty sounds; and there is nothing or great; or noble, in an human spirit, but rightly to know and heartily worship and adore the great God, that is the support and life of all spirits, whether in Heaven or on earth.

God wants all of you. The call of discipleship and the invitation to a transformed life amount to complete and undivided surrender to God. This basic idea of unreserved devotion is strewn throughout various aspects of the Christian faith. Your highest good is realized by relinquishing your whole self to Christ. An expression of genuine faith, full surrender to Christ is the only means of devotion and dedication to God. To wholly trust in Christ is to enjoy the blessing of salvation and the hope of eternal life. To completely embrace the call to discipleship is to acknowledge our sinfulness before a holy God and to seek his supernatural cleansing. To sincerely worship God is to confess the true character of God as revealed in his inspired word. To fully submit to Jesus is to walk a joyful and fulfilling life of obedience and ministry service. To be a fully devoted follower of Christ is to confidently assert that Jesus is the promised Messiah and to share this publicly with the surrounding world. In short, the Christian faith is an open invitation of unreserved surrender to God.

Sincere worship is another way of describing this fundamental aspect of devotion to Christ. A life of genuine worship not only establishes a relationship with God but also nourishes, sustains, and matures the ongoing walk of faith. Each disciple of Christ is a worshiper of God. But in the midst of an ensuing spiritual battle, worship is under attack. There is no end to false deities, counterfeit gods, or vain idols that will threaten devotion to the true God. Intrinsically, human hearts were made to worship—to adore, exalt, and esteem that which is deserving of praise. But sinful human hearts are prone to attach themselves to unworthy objects. Without much forethought, we can easily give our affection to people and things that are undeserving of it. False worship and false gods are great enemies of the faith. Adoration and reverence paid to any object or person other than the one and only true God are sure to disappoint and destroy. The Christian life is a battle fought at the altar of the human heart, demanding that we answer the question: to whom will we give our ultimate allegiance and affection? In the end, the character of our worship shapes the kind of people we become. Consequently, to embrace a life of pure worship is to become a vanguard against idolatry and a faithful servant of Christ who conforms to the character of his master. To this end, we turn to the Bible as a sure and certain guide for pure worship.

The biblical narrative of John 4:1–42 recounts Jesus’ afternoon encounter with a sinful Samaritan woman. The scriptural text describes the encounter as the outcome of a missionary trip of divine necessity. The meeting at Jacob’s well in the Samaritan town of Sychar began with Jesus’ simple request for water. This request prompted a subsequent conversation about eternal life, sin, worship, and the Messiah. After Jesus revealed his messianic identity, the woman went to the town to invite other people to visit with him. Meanwhile, Jesus taught his disciples about the nature of obedience and mission. In the end, the woman’s newfound faith in Christ resulted in many others believing in Jesus.

The account of the Samaritan woman is significant on various levels. It records a historical instance of a sinful outcast coming to terms with the identity, character, and work of Jesus Christ. When sinners meet the Messiah, they discover a viable and lasting remedy for sin and shame. The experience of divine salvation is certainly the foundation and cause of all Christian worship. Both dialogues in this narrative—Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman followed by his conversation with his disciples—record important teachings about the life of faith and worship. In these discussions, several aspects arose as components of genuine worship: confession, revelation, faith, obedience, and mission. As we consider how to practice worship in our daily lives, we must implement activities that foster these kinds of outcomes. Through narrative example and explicit instruction, the biblical story masterfully connects theological understanding (what we believe is true) to practical living (how we conduct ourselves in the world). As the story records Jesus’ open invitation to the Samaritan woman, we study this text in our contemporary setting as a divine summons to a life of worship and devotion.

Biblical Interpretation: Hearing the Word

Study the Text: The Bible is God’s inspired word to his people. Christian disciples mature in the faith when they are grounded in God’s word. In this movement, you will study the basic details of the biblical text.

Observation Questions

Read (or listen to) the whole passage of Scripture. Discuss the questions below for each section of the story. Pay attention to the details of the text to recall what the passage is saying. Use the focus verses to guide your conversation.

Storycraft

Retell the story in your own words, recounting the overall flow of the narrative, the main segments of the story, and the major developments that take place.

Narrative Elements

Story Retell

Theological Dialogue: Discussing the Plot

Explore the Text: God’s word is his trustworthy and sufficient revelation to his people. We grow as Christ’s disciples by rooting our lives in God’s unchanging truth. In this movement, you will explore vital teachings of this biblical passage.

Discussion Questions

Summarize the biblical story. As a community, discuss the following questions. Be attentive to the truths taught in this text. Use the commentary on the next pages to uncover core principles this passage teaches about the Christian faith.

Biblical Commentary

Use this commentary to help you understand the meaning of the text. Refer to the infographic on the next page to think through how narratives work.

Passage Introduction

Key Idea

God is inviting us to a life of consecration through the spiritual practice of worship.

Passage Overview

God is worthy of all worship. His glory shines brilliantly, his character remains unchanging, his deeds are wonderful, his knowledge is all-wise, and his essence is perfect. Intrinsic to Christian worship is receiving God’s gracious provision, exposing our sinful shame, celebrating God in spirit and truth, and devoting ourselves to doing God’s will. The narrative of the Samaritan woman outlines these key components of worship. Jesus’ intentional trip to Sychar, the discussion around the well, the woman’s testimony in the town, and Jesus’ instruction to his disciples all help to present a biblical portrait of devotion to God. Certainly, a fierce battle for our hearts’ devotion ensues. Recovering the biblical practice of worship will establish us strong in faith, obedience, and service of God. This recovery has never been more important. As the Samaritan woman discovered the essence of true worship at the well of Sychar, we too can embrace a life of full devotion to God. Use the following scriptural commentary to help you grow in your understanding and practice of worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

Passage Outline

The Meeting at the Well

Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

For I know that he who understands Him best, loves Him and praises Him best.

Introduction

The life of genuine faith is expressed in worship and devotion to God. When Christians confess their faith in the true God, they simultaneously express an exclusive devotion to this same God as the only God. Jesus’ discipleship invitation summons us to consecrate our whole life to him in belief, allegiance, hope, and service. To truly worship God means to approach him on his own terms, according to his sovereign will. Biblical worship requires God’s people to live before the sanctity of God, such that we yield all of our own preferences to his holy standard. This call to wholehearted commitment is an appeal for the believing community as much as it is a summons for individual fidelity to God. At a personal and corporate level, this surrender to God involves covenantal commitment, full-orbed surrender, deference to God’s revealed word, exaltation of God’s true character, reception of God’s gracious salvation, and participation in God’s global purpose.

Although worship is core to the Christian life, it is also inherent to human existence. Instinctively, all humans give themselves to someone or something. No human is completely independent, autonomous, or self-made. We all worship something or someone. Fundamental to worship is the consecration of our whole being to some person, cause, thing, or idea. Internally and externally, publicly and privately, through what we do and what we refrain from, we all offer our lives on the altar of some deity. Humans were designed as worshiping beings: creatures that dedicate themselves to something higher, chase after something better, surrender themselves to something greater, take joy in something fuller, stand on something surer, and trust in something truer than themselves. Too often and too easily, humans devote themselves to false gods. Rejecting true joy and fullness that come to those who are devoted exclusively to God, many surrender to inferior deities and cling to their empty promises. The consequences of false worship are devastating. In the end, false gods (in any shape or form) deceive, enslave, and destroy their devotees. To follow Christ is not only to abandon false worship, but to recover the essence of true worship. To the Scriptures we turn to explore this most important topic.

John 4:1–42 records a life-changing encounter between a Samaritan woman and Jesus. On a journey from Judea to Galilee, Jesus and his disciples intentionally traveled through Samaria. Arriving at Jacob’s well, Jesus discussed the nature of living water with the Samaritan woman while his disciples went to town to get food. In his conversation with the marginalized woman, Jesus contrasted his thirst-quenching and life-giving gift to the ineffectual and inadequate water from Jacob’s well. The woman came to see Jesus as a prophet when he demonstrated his supernatural knowledge of her immoral lifestyle. At this point, they discussed the nature of true worship. The discussion culminated in Jesus revealing that he is the promised Messiah. Transformed by her encounter with Christ, the woman went to the town to invite the people to come to Jesus. Meanwhile, the disciples returned from town and discussed with Jesus the nature of his mission. As a result of the woman’s testimony, many people from that town came to believe in Jesus.

The historical narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman records the transformative faith encounter of an unworthy sinner who comes to learn the true identity of Jesus. At the foundation of their well-side discussion is the nature of true worship. Confronted with her sordid past and immoral lifestyle, the woman discovered Jesus to be the remedy for all her problems. As Jesus offered the woman new and living water, he offers the same to us as we fully consecrate our lives to God in unreserved worship. As we explore this text, may we freely abandon fealty to all false gods, and may we come to drink the living water Jesus most openly offers.

How Can You Ask Me: Encountering Christ in the Midst of Great Human Need

Biblical Narrative (John 4:1–9)

Prior to this narrative, the Pharisees had grown threatened by the ministry of John the Baptist (cf. John 1:19–28). They viewed his ministry as a competition to theirs and as a threat to their privileged religious status. In addition to John’s kingdom work, Jesus’ ministry of preaching and baptizing also presented a challenge to the elite and envious Pharisees (cf. 3:22–36). Jesus and his disciples were “gaining and baptizing more disciples than John” (4:1; cf. 4:2). After Jesus learned that the Pharisees were aware of his ministry’s success, he left the area of Judea to return to Galilee (4:3). The natural route to Galilee was through the land of Samaria. Typically, Jews opted for an alternate route that circumvented Samaria. This alternate route allowed Jews to avoid contact with Samaritans, a people the Jews considered to be unclean and half-bred Jews due to their intermarriage with foreigners. Because of their mixed ethnic lineage, the Jews viewed them with religious scorn. From the Jewish perspective, they were considered unapproachable, ungodly, and unorthodox.

Although many Jews intentionally avoided Samaria and Samaritans, John records that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria” (4:4). Jesus was driven with divine purpose to Samaria. The need to go to Samaria represented a sovereignly planned encounter and a ministry of teaching that God providentially arranged. When Jesus came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, he was weary from his journey, and he sat down at the well (4:5–6). This specific location held special significance for Jews. It was near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph (cf. Genesis 48:21–22), and the well became known as Jacob’s well. This setting would soon become a ministry venue for a theological discussion on worship and a spiritual dialogue about eternal life.

While Jesus arrived at the well in Sychar, the disciples had travelled into the city to buy food (4:8). It was around noon. This was a less typical and less convenient time to gather water due to the heat of the day. For a woman with a checkered past, coming to the well at this time would allow her to avoid potential derision and taunts from others. Jesus asked her for a drink (4:7). Being a Samaritan, the woman recognized that Jesus was a Jew, and she also recounted that “Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (4:9). Therefore, she asked Jesus, “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (4:9). While the woman’s immoral background (cf. 4:16–19) motivated her to draw water at a less-crowded time of day, her ethnic background also caused her to evade interactions with Jews. As a woman, a conversation with an unknown man would have added to her caution and circumspection. Later in the story, the disciples would ironically share a similar concern when they returned from their visit to the town (cf. 4:27). Defiled in reputation, religiously stigmatized, ethnically mixed, and socially marginalized, this Samaritan woman was an outcast and outsider even among her own people. For a woman bearing spiritual, societal, and cultural contempt, Jesus intentionally traveled into the forbidden Samaritan territory.

Biblical Principles

Divine Initiative As the Foundation of Worship. Jesus intentionally came to meet the Samaritan woman at Sychar. The meeting was not a chance happening or coincidence. On the contrary, the narrative depicts the whole encounter as a planned missionary journey. Certainly, Jesus left Judea because the religious elite had learned of his growing success (4:1–2). But we should not read Jesus’ departure from Judea as an act of self-protection or self-preservation. Importantly, his trip from Judea to Samaria foreshadows the later mission imperative for his followers to be witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In fact, the early chapters of John’s Gospel record ministry movement in Jerusalem (John 2:23–3:21), Judea (3:22–36), Samaria (4:1–42), and ends of the earth (4:43–54; although not in geography but ethnicity by Jesus’ ministry to a Gentile). The ministry thrust of this story is evidenced by a narrative mention that compares Jesus’ ministry to John the Baptist’s ministry (4:1–2). John then explained that Jesus’ trip through Samaria was undergirded by a divine imperative: “He had to pass through Samaria” (4:4). Jesus was not compelled to travel through Samaria by any human force; he was driven there by God’s sovereign will and his own divine vocation. Jesus’ trip to Samaria was a key moment in the larger plan of Jesus securing salvation for the world. The narrative does not depict a marginalized woman seeking Jesus; it recounts Christ’s proactive pursuit of an outcast, calling her to true and pure worship. Worship is possible because of God’s purposeful plan and divine initiative. No person approaches God through his own enterprise, based on his own ambition, or by his own resourcefulness. Instead, God moves toward humanity in gracious advance. He makes the first move. Divine initiative and divine imperative form the foundation of genuine worship. In this way, true Christian worship amounts to a faithful response to God’s advent and self-revelation to people.

God Meets Humans in Life’s Complexity. Amazingly, God meets people in the midst of life’s hardships. Clearly, this biblical story highlights the complex and challenging world of the Samaritan woman. This brief narrative highlights various facets of the human predicament: religious conflict (4:5–6, 20–24), geographical friction (4:3–4, 20–22), physical need (4:6–8, 31), cultural taboo (4:8, 27), gender clash (4:7, 27), ethnic tension (4:9, 22), family dysfunction (4:16–18), and moral compromise (4:16–18). From a human perspective, the woman’s labyrinthine existence seemed impossible to navigate. Surely she could not overcome the social, religious, cultural, and moral barriers that served as obstacles to a full and thriving life. Left to herself, she would be endlessly caught in a tangle of the world’s brokenness and her own sinful decisions. John narrates this emphatic point precisely. Jesus did not wait for the woman to make her way to him. Exemplifying the ethos of a true missionary, Jesus crossed what seemed to be impassable barriers to meet this woman. So incredible was Jesus’ boundary-crossing work that people did not quite know how to respond. Although Jesus’ act of crossing barriers was to the woman’s eventual relief, Jesus first evoked a reaction of defensiveness from the woman (4:9) and later a response of surprise and concern from his disciples (4:27). Inasmuch as worship is built on the foundation of God’s divine initiative, it is also established by Jesus’ entrance into our knotty predicaments. This divine entrance into our complex reality results in a radical transformation of our life situation. In Jesus, we are no longer bound by the complexity of our broken culture, the tension of our dysfunctional relationships, or the shame of our sinful decisions. No greater foundation of worship exists than God’s gracious and liberating movement toward us.

If You Knew the Gift of God: Receiving Christ as the Remedy to All Inner Longing

Biblical Narrative (John 4:10–15)

The woman’s cynical question to Jesus exposed her mindset and provided an open opportunity for instruction. Jesus offered a pointed, yet hopeful, response to the woman’s objection. His reply turned a potentially contentious conversation into a probing spiritual dialogue. The Samaritan woman was on high alert because of personal shame, societal mores, and ethnic stereotypes. To her, all of these dynamics—which were her living reality—represented barriers, obstacles, and stigmas. Jesus redirected her attention away from her complicated life situation to a focus on himself. Jesus told the woman that her response would be greatly different if she knew who Jesus was and the divine gift he could offer her (4:10). Instead of her objecting to Jesus’ request for water, the woman would “have asked Him” for a drink and “He would have given … living water” (4:10). Had the woman understood Jesus’ identity and generosity, she would have sought his help rather than object to his request. At this point in the narrative, the woman’s ignorance of Jesus is obvious. She did not understand how Jesus could offer her living water when he had “nothing to draw with” (4:11). In her mind, Jesus could not improvise a way to get water since “the well is deep” (4:11). The woman’s confusion continued as she questioned whether Jesus was greater than the patriarch Jacob, the one to whom the well was attributed (4:12). Her pause over Jesus’ words revealed her religious and practical unease.

With patience and grace, Jesus explained the truth to her. He contrasted his promise of living water with the unspectacular water in Jacob’s well. Jesus explained that the water in Jacob’s well could never quench a person’s thirst in any sustaining way: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again” (4:13). On the contrary, the living water Jesus offered would completely remove a person’s thirst: “whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” (4:14). Even though the promise of an end to one’s thirst would be remarkable enough, Jesus elaborated on the effects of the living water he offered. For the person who accepts Jesus’ offer, the living water would “become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life” (4:14). While people need to repeatedly drink of the water from Jacob’s well, Jesus’ living water eliminates one’s thirst and fills one to the brim with its life-giving springs. An offer unlike she had ever heard, the woman asked Jesus to give her this water so she would “not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water” (4:15).

Biblical Principles

Sanctified Attention. Christian worship is a matter of sanctified attention: to worship God truly is to trust God’s word, to focus on God’s will, to adore God’s character, to heed God’s instructions, and to concentrate on God’s work in the world. One of the woman’s major problems was her misplaced and disoriented attention. She was fixated on human tradition, cultural norms, religious stigma, and personal disgrace. Her self-understanding was defined by mere human evaluation. She lived based on how others perceived her. Initially, these preoccupations obscured her vision and understanding of Christ. The irony and contrast of the narrative emphasize this theme. The woman was preoccupied with Jesus’ request for a drink of well water (4:7), while Jesus wanted to offer her a drink of living water (4:10). While the Samaritan woman was concerned about her marginalized identity (4:9), Jesus directed her attention to his divine identity (4:10). Tradition, heritage, and history were the woman’s standard of truth and the source of her personal identity (4:12; cf. 4:5–6), obscuring her vision of the life that was presently being offered to her (4:10). The Samaritan was fixated on what was humanly possible (4:6, 14), rather than trusting God alone for what he could divinely supply (4:11). The Samaritan outcast was looking for a resolution to the temporary problems of her transitory life (4:15); Jesus wanted to secure for her eternal life (4:14). Only when Jesus became the center of her attention could she envision a new existence and embrace new life.

Living Water and Eternal Life. In the narrative, Jesus identified himself as the source of eternal life. He told the Samaritan woman that he could provide “the gift of God” (4:10) which would result in “eternal life” (4:14; cf. 4:36). Comparing eternal life to drinking “living water” (4:10; cf. 4:11), Jesus told the woman that he could remove her thirst and fill her with an overflowing fullness (4:14). In contrast, the water of Jacob’s well would never quench her thirst (4:13). Water, well, spring, and fountain became a means for Jesus to discuss human longing and satisfaction in Christ. The story identifies four sources of water: a human-made vertical shaft for a well (4:11, 12), a free-flowing spring (4:6), living water that gives eternal life (4:10, 11), and a spring of overflowing water (4:14). The spring that supplied Jacob’s well was limited and could never quench human thirst. If it could never quench human thirst, it could never satisfy human longing. In contrast, Jesus’ living water not only quenches human thirst but also turns the believer into a wellspring of water. Clearly, the woman was mainly focused on quenching her physical thirst; Jesus intended to address her deeper, human longings and life purpose. Jesus offered the woman a gift that exceeded her expectations. He makes this same offer to any and all who are willing to receive his’ free offer of eternal life.

You Have Spoken Truthfully: Confessing the Reality of Sinful Guilt and Shame

Biblical Narrative (John 4:16–19)

In what seems to be a complete topic change, Jesus instructed the woman, “Go, call your husband and come back” (4:16). Jesus’ offer of living water quickly became a cutting conversation about the woman’s personal morality. The woman told Jesus that she had “no husband” (4:17). Although this was technically an accurate answer, her short and nonspecific response was really an attempt to obfuscate her past. With a long record of sinful relationships, perhaps this was a skill in which she had gained expertise. All-knowing and all-wise, Jesus was not deceived by her minimalistic reply. He affirmed that her initial answer was superficially correct—“you have spoken truthfully” (4:17)—but then disclosed her actual life situation—“you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband” (4:18). The woman was struck with Jesus’ unequalled perception, not only recognizing him as a source for living water but now affirming him as a person with divine calling: a prophet from God (4:19). Although her noontime trips to Jacob’s well were efforts to hide from her immoral lifestyle, she could not conceal her life of wrongdoing from Chirst. In his, all was known. In fact, her own words implicated her as much as Jesus’ penetrating revelation exposed her.

Biblical Principles

Confrontation of Sin. After Jesus offered the woman eternal life, he confronted her sin. Her past sinful decisions and present immoral lifestyle were antithetical to God’s character and presented an obstacle to receiving Jesus’ offer of everlasting life. When Jesus addressed a sinful area of her life, the woman did not readily confess her sin. On the surface, the woman’s reply, “I have no husband” (4:17), was technically correct and truthful (4:17–18). In reality, however, this response was the woman’s attempt to conceal her sordid past and hide from her painful shame. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to keep her sin a secret. Jesus fully exposed her sinful reality: “You have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband” (4:18). Importantly, the woman identified Jesus as a prophet (4:19). Prophets not only had access to divine revelation, but they pointedly addressed human sin. Jesus demonstrated comprehensive and accurate knowledge of this woman’s spiritual and moral condition. She spoke to hide from her past; Jesus spoke to uncover her shame. In Christian worship, sinful humans are confronted with their sinful condition before an all-knowing and holy God.

Conviction and Confession of Sin. No human can remain hidden in the presence of God. Before the holy and righteous Lord, our sin, shame, and immorality are fully known. This is for our good and God’s glory. Like a piercing sword, God’s Spirit exposes the innermost parts of our hearts. Similar to a mirror, God’s word reveals our deep flaws and habitual failings. True to his character, God’s presence shines upon our dark and sordid lives, exposing our guilt and shame. Like the Samaritan woman, even our truthful obfuscations ultimately lead to self-incrimination. Any and all attempts to hide sin will ultimately be exposed. Practicing God’s presence in consecration and worship is important because, as we yield our lives to the divine presence, our faults are revealed, and God’s character—a character he revealed to us in his word—becomes our standard of holy living. To have our sins revealed can either cause us to run to God or to run away from God. Christian worship is a practice of speaking truthfully about our sin. Jesus’ omniscience easily pierced the general and superficial response of the woman (4:17). Attempts to avoid moral judgment must give way to conviction and confession of sin. This is the beginning of a free and full life. When conviction of sin occurs alongside God’s gracious offer of eternal life, we can repeat the celebratory refrain of the Samaritan woman: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did” (4:29).

The Father Is Seeking Such as These: Describing the Character of Genuine Christian Worship

Biblical Narrative (John 4:20–26)

As the woman realized Jesus’ prophetic identity, her religious interests emerged. In her mind, if Jesus were a divine representative, perhaps he could help her resolve a years-old, nagging conundrum of spiritual and personal significance. The crux of her concern revolved around the place of proper worship. Division and disdain surrounding Samaritan and Jewish ethnicity also involved disagreement and dispute regarding proper religious practice. The Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim while the Jews claimed the mountain in Jerusalem as the only proper worship place (4:20). In a surprising statement, Jesus explained to the woman, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (4:21). At a future time, worship of God would not be confined to one sacred location. Rather than identifying the proper place of orthodox worship, Jesus directed her attention to the genuine character of true worship. Consequently, at the same time Jesus minimized the importance of location, he affirmed that “salvation is from the Jews” (4:22). God had specifically and covenantally worked through the Jewish people to bring about his plans of redemption. While the Samaritans worshiped in ignorance—“You worship what you do not know”—the Jews had the privilege of God’s revelation—“we worship what we do know” (4:22). True worship takes place under the guidance of God’s revelation and in participation with God’s redemptive work.

Jesus also told the woman that worship would undergo a significant change: “a time is coming and has now come” (4:23). That present moment was the time that “has now come” because Jesus Christ had come. He was the agent of this monumental change. Being God in human flesh, Jesus enabled people to worship God truly. Jesus explained that “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (4:23; cf. 4:24). In fact, God was “seeking such as these to worship Him” (4:23). The true character of God should shape our worship. Since “God is Spirit,” God’s people “must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (4:24). Expressing trust in God’s revelation, the Samaritan woman expressed her hope in the coming Messiah. She told Jesus, “When He comes, He will explain everything to us” (4:25). While this was an accurate explication of God’s revealed word, the woman remained ignorant of Jesus’ full identity. Climactic to the whole narrative, Jesus told the woman, “I who speak to you am He” (4:26). At the well, with Mt. Gerizim visible in the distance, Jesus revealed to her that he was not only the source of living water and a divine prophet, but also the very Messiah, God’s promised deliverer.

Biblical Principles

Tradition, Time, and Place. This section of the narrative forms the center of Jesus’ discussion on worship. While the other components of the storyline shed light on the nature of Christian devotion, this part of the well-side conversation focused explicitly on worship. In the initial part of this conversation, Jesus and the woman discussed the importance of tradition, time, and place. After realizing that Jesus has divine knowledge, the Samaritan woman asked Jesus to unravel the longstanding dispute between Samaritan and Jewish worship practices. The woman contrasted her Samaritan ancestors—“our fathers”—with the Jewish people—“you Jews” (4:20). At some point in history, the religious heritage of the Samaritans had clashed with the liturgical tradition of the Jews. These past traditions had resulted in a present-day predicament for the woman and her people.

At conflict in this dispute was the proper location of worship: Mt. Gerizim or Jerusalem (4:20). Rather than focusing on human tradition, Jesus directed her attention and trust to his words: “believe Me” (4:21). The inspired words of Jesus are ever a surer guide than the traditions of men. Jesus also redirected the woman’s fixation on the past by telling her that “a time is coming” (4:21) and “has now come” (4:23). Rather than being shackled by the past, she should understand what God was doing in her contemporary moment. God was bringing about a new way of worship because of the coming of the Messiah. Addressing the quandary of the proper location of worship, Jesus elucidated that true worship would take place “neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (4:21). By this, Jesus was explaining that worship would not be confined to one sacred location, but would encompass the whole of the world for those who worship truly. While tradition, time, and location are not entirely unimportant concerns in worship, they are not determining factors. Jesus himself is the fulcrum around which all expressions of true worship turn.

Divine Revelation and Accomplished Salvation. Another key characteristic of Christian worship is its rootedness in divine revelation. While Jesus challenged human traditions from both Samaritan and Jewish communities, he affirmed the special access that Jews had to divine truth. Jesus told the woman, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know” (4:22). This statement affirmed that God had revealed himself to the Jewish people. They were the recipients of prophetic revelation, the Law, and sacred Scripture. The Jewish people were not only the custodians of special revelation, but they were also the historical and ethnic lineage of God’s redemptive work: “salvation is from the Jews” (4:22). This did not mean that God would only save Jews. It was a confession that God would accomplish salvation for the world through the Jewish people. Christian worship is based upon God’s revealed word. In the text of Scripture, God’s explanation for how people can live a life of worship and devotion to God is found. Human intuition, human tradition, and human experience are not reliable guides for such a life. Christian Scripture also bears witness to God’s overarching plan to save humanity. It records fulfillment of divine promises, instances of miraculous redemption, defeat of spiritual enemies, and a historical record of God’s saving intervention in the world. In sum, the Bible is the inspired record book of God’s saving work and the trustworthy guide for a life of worship and devotion to God. To worship God truly, we must worship in the knowledge of the truth and as recipients of God’s redemption.

Worship in Spirit and Truth. Jesus explained to the woman that “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (4:23; cf. 4:24). So important is “spirit” and “truth” in worship that God the Father is “seeking such as these to worship Him” (4:23). The essence of genuine worship is based upon the character of God: “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (4:24). To worship “in spirit” probably both refers to the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit (cf. 3:5) and the manner in which we relate to God. It is not a denial of the physical, bodily dimension to human existence. As creatures of body and spirit, we offer our whole selves to God. Nor is it a denial that Jesus is both fully God and fully human (having a physical body in his incarnation) in one person. Nevertheless, to worship God is to encounter God as he really is, and this is only possible by the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. To worship “in truth” is to worship based upon God’s divine revelation. All specific practices of worship—confession, song, prayer, giving, teaching, testimony—must be aligned with the truth. To confess right things about God, to sing true affirmations of God’s character and work, to pray in concert to God’s will, to steward our resources for God’s purposes, to fill our minds with correct doctrine, and to bear witness to God’s actual works in the world all demand a commitment to the truth. It is easy to base the spiritual life on individual subjective reality. But God invites us (as he invited the Samaritan woman) to a spirit and truth worship of the Most High, coming to him on his own terms through Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Many From That Town Believed: Embracing Obedience and Mission as an Act of Worship

Biblical Narrative (John 4:27–42)

Just as Jesus revealed his messianic identity to the Samaritan woman, the disciples returned from the town (4:27; cf. 4:8). They were “surprised that He was speaking with a woman” (4:27). Alert to potential scandal or disrepute, they wanted to ask him why he was talking to her, but “no one asked Him” (4:27). At this time, the Samaritan woman left the well and went into town to tell people about her encounter with Christ (4:28). She gave the people an invitation, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did” (4:29; cf. 4:39). The wonder of her encounter with Christ formed the substance of her testimony about Christ. She added to her invitation a hopeful question, “Could this be the Christ?” (4:29). Her public witness bore fruit as people “left the town and made their way toward Jesus” (4:30).

As the woman spoke to the townspeople, the disciples expressed their concern for Jesus. They “urged” (4:31) Jesus to eat something, but he promptly declined their appeal when he told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about” (4:32). In this statement, Jesus was telling his disciples that his ministry to the Samaritan woman was more filling and nourishing than any meal the disciples could offer. Confused by his answer, the disciples questioned whether someone had brought Jesus some food (4:33). Jesus told them where he got his sustenance from: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (4:34).

Jesus’ obedience to God the Father was an example to his disciples, enjoining them to adopt a similar lifestyle. Their own joy and nourishment would come from participating in God’s mission. Comparing the world to a field of crops, Jesus instructed his disciples, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest” (4:35). The present time amounted to an open invitation to bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah of the world. Like the sowers of a field, others had gone before the disciples to prepare them for their ministry (4:36–37). Like reapers, they had “taken up their labor” (4:38) to gather “a crop for eternal life” (4:36). When each person in God’s mission fulfills their calling, they all “rejoice together” (4:36).

As a result of the woman’s witness in the town, many of the Samaritans came to believe in Jesus (4:39). She had received Jesus’ living water, and now she welled up with eternal life such that it overflowed in witness to others around her (cf. 4:14). They asked Jesus to stay with them, and he did for two days (4:40). During this stay, many more came to belief in Christ (4:41). Though the testimony of the woman was powerful, now these townspeople believed because met Christ themselves (4:42). They had come to know this liberating truth: “this man truly is the Savior of the world” (4:42). After her life-changing encounter with Christ, the outcast woman became a bubbling and effervescent witness to Jesus, the source of eternal life.

Biblical Principles

Identity of Jesus. Similar to the experience of many believers, the woman’s understanding of Jesus grew progressively throughout her encounter at the well. As the story unfolds, Jesus was identified as a God-appointed servant on a divine mission (4:1–6), a Jewish man asking for water (4:7–9, 11–12, 15, 19), the giver of living water that can quench thirst (4:10, 13–14), a prophet who confronts sin with divine knowledge (4:16–19, 39), a religious teacher with inquiring disciples (4:31), the promised Messiah (4:25–26, 29), and the Savior of the world (4:42). The narrative encourages reverence toward God (4:21–24) by emphasizing the importance of commitment to Christ (4:10, 15, 21, 26, 29, 39, 41–42). In fact, devotion to Jesus is the only means of true worship. In the story, the woman demonstrated devotion in her witness of Christ (4:27–30). Jesus invited his disciples to embrace a life of service to God (4:34–38). The townspeople express their devotion to Jesus by placing their faith in him (4:39–42). Jesus exhibited genuine devotion through perfect obedience to his Father’s will (4:31–34).

The identity of Jesus is not only a foundational theme in this biblical narrative, but it is also indispensable to Christian worship. To know, trust, obey, serve, and celebrate Jesus is to worship as a follower of Christ. In fact, worship is intrinsically an expression of genuine Christian discipleship. The biblical narrative of the Samaritan woman is about discipleship as much as it is about worship. The two are inextricably linked: only Jesus’ disciples can sincerely worship God, and true worshippers of God are devotees of Christ. Wholehearted commitment to Jesus and accurate understanding of Jesus are both crucial aspects of worshiping God “in spirit and in truth” (4:24).

Evangelistic Witness. The woman’s realization of Jesus’ identity sparked her public witness. Her testimony to the townspeople was experiential, confessional, invitational, and fruitful. In a simple yet profound manner, the Samaritan woman shared her encounter with Christ. Specifically, she told them how he had a complete and total knowledge of her life (4:29). Through her question, the woman wondered if Jesus was “the Christ” (4:29; cf. 4:25–26). This was a question of optimistic expectation more than personal curiosity. Jesus’ messianic identity represented the hope of humanity. The woman was not philosophizing about Jesus in abstract terms; she had an emerging confidence that Jesus was who he claimed to be. Having only an initial encounter with Christ, the Samaritan invited people to meet him for themselves (4:42). Her question of wonderment—“could this be”—and her forthright request—“come”—both summoned people to explore and experience Jesus with their own eyes, ears, minds, and hearts. This rudimentary witness of Christ bore incredible fruit. When people from Sychar came to meet Jesus, many people believed “because of the woman’s testimony” (4:39). When Jesus prolonged his stay, “many more believed because of His message” (4:41). The woman had received Jesus and inherited eternal life. Now, her life would overflow with an open invitation to others, calling them to submit to Christ.

Worship and witness are intricately connected in the Christian life. To speak about Jesus with evangelistic fervor is an act of worship and devotion. While the work of evangelism expresses our commitment to Christ, the words of our evangelistic testimony amount to a truthful declaration of Jesus’ worth and work. The woman’s testimony to the townspeople was not manufactured or forced. The natural response to a transformative encounter with Christ is to bear public witness. To narrate our personal encounter with Christ, to accurately announce his identity, to invite others to explore Jesus for themselves, and to express his grace and glory are acts of worship in the public square. In this, the Samaritan woman is not only an instance and illustration of such devotion to Christ; her life is a compelling example worthy of our emulation.

Conclusion

The biblical story of the Samaritan woman is powerful for the way the narrative details teach about worship and the character of God. Jesus’ purposeful journey to the well at Sychar depicts the sovereignty of God. The offer of living water and eternal life highlights God’s grace and eternality. God’s omniscient and righteous character is clearly seen as Jesus exposed the woman’s sinful lifestyle. The discussion on the nature of worship reveals the importance of understanding God’s true character. Jesus’ admission that he is the Messiah highlights God’s faithfulness to fulfill his promises and commitment to rescue sinful humans. The woman’s public witness to the townspeople connects worship with evangelistic testimony. Jesus’ conversation with his disciples teaches us that obedience and ministry service are fitting expressions of devotion to God. The conversion of the townspeople and their response of faith draw attention to God’s saving work, which makes the life of worship possible.

God invites us to fully consecrate our lives to him in true worship. As Jesus was at the center of this story, so must he be at the center of our worship. The woman’s encounter with Christ is instructive to our own journey of faith. Her request for living water, her conviction of sin, her confession of Christ, and her public witness of Jesus form a map of the key components that guide us to a life of true worship. Inescapably, all humans worship something or someone. Believers in Christ grow in the faith to the extent they abandon false practices of worship and embrace biblical foundations of devotion to God. Truly, authentic worship defines the life of every genuine disciple. While distinctively Christian worship rests upon God’s gracious gift of eternal life, revealed truth, and the person of Jesus Christ, believers can express worship to God in many ways. Since worship is a whole-life consecration to God, we can worship God through song, prayer, biblical study, obedience, and evangelism. Herein lies God’s open invitation to us: to inculcate faith practices that cultivate wholehearted devotion to God.

Session Synopsis

SESSION 4 SYNOPSIS
Christian Worship	In this passage, Jesus commends the practice of Christian worship. Jesus intentionally traveled into Samaritan territory to meet a specific Samaritan woman. A conversation that began about water quickly turned into a discussion about Jesus’ identity, the nature of true worship, and the essence of devotion to God. The woman’s transformative encounter resulted in her bearing witness to Christ before the townspeople. Many people believed in Christ because of her testimony. The disciples did not fully understand what Jesus was doing when talking to a Samaritan woman. He explained to them the nature of discipleship and mission. In this gripping narrative, disciples learn about the core elements of Christian worship. A summary of this story’s principles is outlined below.
True Worship	True worshipers worship God in spirit and truth (4:23–24). To worship in spirit is to fully yield oneself to God by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. 3:5–6). To worship in truth is to esteem God based on who he really is, according to his divine revelation (4:22). Various practices help Christians worship God in spirit and truth: confession, song, prayer, giving, teaching, testimony, obedience, and evangelistic witness. Worship can take place on an individual and corporate level (4:20–24, 27–30, 39–42).
Centrality of Jesus Christ	Christian worship centers on the person of Jesus Christ (4:10–15, 19, 26, 29–30, 39–42), not based upon mere human tradition, geographical location, or physical space (4:19–24). Jesus is the source of eternal life (4:10–15). Only those who come under conviction of sin (4:17–19, 29) and receive Jesus’ offer of life (4:13–14) can worship God truly.
Divine Initiative and Human Difficulty	God makes Christian worship possible by his divine initiative (4:1–4). God makes the first move into human complexity and earthly difficulty. In this narrative, Jesus’ journey into Samaritan was an entrance into a world of religious conflict (4:5–6, 20–24), geographical friction (4:3–4, 20–22), physical need (4:6–8, 31), cultural taboo (4:8, 27), gender clash (4:7, 27), ethnic tension (4:9, 22), family dysfunction (4:16–18), and moral compromise (4:16–18).
Devotion to God	Worship is full devotion to God. This narrative highlights various aspects of what it means to be devoted to God: reverence to God (4:21–24), commitment to Christ (4:10, 15, 21, 26, 29, 39, 41–42), witness of Jesus (4:27–30), service to God (4:34–38), faith (4:39–42), and obedience (4:31–34).
Worship and Witness	The woman’s testimony is an act of evangelism and devotion (4:28–30, 39–42). Telling others about Jesus is an act of worship and witness. The work of evangelism also increases the number of worshipers of God.
Identity of Jesus	In this narrative, people’s understanding of Jesus develops: divinely appointed servant (4:1–6), Jewish man (4:7–9, 11–12, 15, 19), giver of living water (4:10, 13–14), prophet (4:16–19, 39), religious teacher (4:31), the promised Messiah (4:25–26, 29), and the Savior of the world (4:42).

Personal Reflection: Entering the Story

Apply the Text: The word of God is binding and authoritative, the only reliable guide for faith and godliness. True disciples submit themselves to God’s word. In this movement, you will apply God’s word to your lives.

Reflection Questions

Encourage one person to share a testimony about how this story has impacted them so far. Use the reflection questions to examine your life in light of this biblical passage.

Spiritual Practice

In Spirit and in Truth

In the upcoming week, take some time to practice worshipping God in spirit and in truth. In the following movements, pause for a moment to reflect on the truth of each aspect of God, then compose a response that celebrates God’s goodness to you.

Enjoying God’s Character: What about who God is makes him worthy of praise?

Celebrating God’s Work: How has God acted on your behalf?

Resting in God’s Wisdom: What comfort does the wisdom and knowledge of God bring to your life?

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Ministry Practice: Rehearsing the Script

Minister the Text: God’s word is living and active. Through God’s word, the Christian community is edified. In this movement, you will utilize the biblical passage to minister to other believers and build them up in their faith.

Application Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to minister this text to other believers.

Missional Outreach: Publicizing the Truth

Witness the Text: The Bible is a message of God’s gracious salvation to the world. In word and deed, God’s people proclaim the good news of the gospel. In this movement, you will use this biblical passage to reach out to unbelievers.

Strategy Questions

Reflect on the infographic below. Consider how you can use this passage to witness to the surrounding world. Use the suggested ideas to prime your imagination. Then, put together a plan to share this passage with unbelievers, Afterward, reflect on this mission experience.