John 4:15-18

JESUS SEARCHES OUT A WOMAN'S SECRET

Text 4:15-18

15

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.

16

Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17

The woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband:

18

for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly.

Queries

a.

Is the woman's answer sincere?

b.

Why does Jesus change the subject?

c.

What made the woman say, I have no husband?

Paraphrase

The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this living water, that I may never thirst again nor have to come here day after day to draw a new supply of water. Jesus replied, Go call your husband and come here. The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus then said to her, You have said well, A husband I have not, for you have had five husbands, and the man whom you now have is not your husband. This is indeed a true thing you have said!

Summary

The woman fails to comprehend the nature of the living water, and does not realize her need for it. Jesus shows her that she ought to be thirsting for righteousness.

Comment

Is the woman's request (John 4:15) sincere, or is it cynical? It is easier to assume that she is sincere. Whatever be her attitude, she has missed the point! She interprets Jesus as speaking of physical water. She has made the same mistake the great crowds made later when Jesus said, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled (John 6:26).

In John 4:16 comes the next approach of the Master Teacher. He must use more dramatic and personal means of bringing the woman to an understanding of the living water. First He must make her soul thirsty for this refreshing and revitalizing water, The truth of God reveals two things: (a) our sinful and unrighteous state that causes the honest-hearted to thirst after righteousness; (b) it reveals God, manifested in Jesus, as the Living Water which quenches that thirst (cf. Matthew 5:6; John 6:35; John 7:37; Revelation 7:16).

Before men and women can be saved, they must be lost! The man who has not recognized his lost estate cannot be saved. This Samaritan woman must have the full light of God's perfect standard focused upon her immoral life to show her the need for living water, The gospel, of course, can be rejected. When the light of God's truth shines upon good and honest hearts, they will become thirsty and hungry to partake of the nature of God. But the results are different with evil hearts they are increased in their hardness the longer they reject.
Jesus cannot give the woman of Samaria the living water until she has a thirst for it. Thus Jesus with His omniscient perception forces the woman to see herself as one who needs this vivifying water. Without a word of forewarning, Jesus casts a thunderbolt into the conversation. He says, Go fetch your husband!

John 4:17 stands in sharp contrast with the other verses narrating the woman's speech. Before, she had been very eager to converse. Suddenly she becomes very reticent. She speaks (in the Greek) only three words.

A few scholars believe the woman to be making a humble confession of her sin rather than seeking to conceal the fact that she was living with a man in an adulterous relationship. The entire narrative, however, seems to point to a studied attempt by the woman to evade the issue. In fact, her very next move was to raise a theological question for dispute concerning the two national religions.

The reply of Jesus (John 4:17-18) is very sagacious. He continues to probe. He knows just how to proceed. The construction of the sentence in the original language gives emphasis to the word husband. It is as if Jesus is saying, You were correct when you said, -I do not have a husband-'. She is living with a man, but he is not her husband.

Jesus then proceeds to tell her the story of her life. There are two important blessings this woman receives. Jesus, by His power to search her heart and reveal her past has (a) revealed her sin and made her desirous of righteousness, and (b) manifested, to some extent, His omniscient and divine nature, and thus provided her the way to righteousness.

Quiz

1.

How does the woman interpret Jesus-' living water?

2.

What two things does the truth of God reveal?

3.

What must a person recognize before one may be saved?

4.

How does the woman react when Jesus reveals her sin?

5.

What is the significance of Jesus-' answer (John 4:17-18)?