(John 4)
The Samaritan story begins with rumors that YAHSHUA was baptizing more disciples than John. However, John denies that in verse two: Though YAHSHUA Himself did not baptize, but His disciples. We know for a fact that YAHSHUA had the authority to do so, being the Messiah, and the Prophet. But when He heard the rumor, He left Judea, and went back to Galilee. On the way to Galilee, it was necessary for Him to go through Samaria, about 30 miles distance. (v.4). There is a strong connotation of the word necessary, God’s hidden plan for the salvation of the Samaritans. Samaritans were Jewish people who intermarried with foreigners and adopted their religion. They were considered half-breed and were despised by the Jews and the world. They were the result of the time when Assyria carried the ten tribe captive and replaced them with people from several other places. They then intermarried with the Israelite’s population, resulting in a mix of all sorts of idolatrous religions. They were a rejected race, but still had knowledge of the Law and some history background of their ancestors. The Samaritans were visible to the Jews and vice-versa, perhaps in their way of dressing, etc. YAHSHUA, aware of that enmity between the two people, did not consider to isolate them from the plan of salvation, but proceeded to go through Samaria on His way to Galilee to fulfill God’s purpose.
He stops at a town called Sychar, which held historical meaning, for it was the tract of land Jacob gave to his son, Joseph and his well was there. Tired, as He was from His journey, He sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour (about noon). When He sat by their well, He was expressing to the Samaritans that He was the Living Water, the Living Water that satisfies their spiritual thirst. That divine appointment had to happen in space of history with the purpose to unite the two people as one in and through YAHSHUA also their Messiah. The point of contact was YAHSHUA’S thirst. He acknowledged to the Samaritan woman, when she came to fetch water, that He was thirsty and asked her for some water. There stood a woman who was also thirsty, spiritually thirsty and ready to drink the water YAHSHUA offered her. YAHSHUA was also thirsty physically thirsty. She could not satisfy His thirst due to the wall of enmity that separated the two of them, when she said, How is it that You being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman for a drink? – For the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans- (v. 7,9).
But YAHSHUA stood there offering her life apart from the wall that divided them. He was the Messiah that came to redeem them from their idolatry to satisfy their spiritual thirst. He did not respond to her remark, but contrary to that, He said, If you only had known and had recognized God’s gift and Who this is that is saying to you, give Me a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water (v.10). From this point on the conversation changed its physical tune to the spiritual tune, when YAHSHUA revealed Who He was to the Samaritan woman.
The water the woman could give YAHSHUA was good to satisfy His physical thirst only for a while. The sixth hour when that event took place was of great significance in God’s plan for that day in the lives of the Samaritans. Later, in YAHSHUA’S ministry, it would be at the sixth hour that Jerusalem would experience total darkness for three hours, as YAHSHUA would hang crucified from nine in the morning until His death at three o’clock. For six hours He hung on the cross to liberate the Samaritans from their idolatrous ways to bring them to the true and only God, the One Who stood there asking the Samaritan woman for a drink of water. The Light of the world had reached the place where the people had been rejected; where darkness abounds. But God came for them, too. In an hour just right He touched the hearts of many of that community that was thirsty for the Truth. The Samaritans were also waiting for the Messiah. They had knowledge of that fact as the woman expressed to YAHSHUA: I know when Messiah is coming. He Who is called the Christ and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us. YAHSHUA then answered her: I Who now speak with you am He (vs. 25-26).
Light from the Word 