Sunday 8 March 2026
But he had to go through Samaria. (v. 4)
Background
If you look at a map of Palestine in the time of Christ you will see the apparent reason why Jesus had to go through Samaria (v. 4). He and his disciples were in the Judean countryside (3:22). Jesus then left Judea and started back to Galilee (4:3), which is due north of Judea, but separated from it by Samaria. The fact that Jesus had to go through Samaria suggests that he would have rather not.
Early in his ministry Jesus warned the disciples not to enter any town of the Samaritans (Matthew 10:5). Many Jews needing to go from Judea to Galilee would first travel east to the River Jordan, crossing it to continue north, on the east side of the river. It added several miles to the journey, but it was worth it to avoid the dreaded Samaritans.
But perhaps there was another reason why Jesus had to go through Samaria. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus "was led by the Spirit in the wilderness" (Luke 4:1). Mark's Gospel (1:12) expresses it more strongly: "the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness".
It could well have been the leading of the Holy Spirit which compelled Jesus to travel through Samaria where, although he did not know it, he would meet a woman who, although she did not know it, desperately needed his help. Jesus was able to offer her ‘living water’ (v. 10), water that would bring her ‘eternal life’ (v. 14).
She became a true missionary, inviting people of Sychar to come and see Jesus for themselves, which they did (vs 29-30). They went because of the woman’s testimony. They were convinced because they had seen and heard Jesus for themselves (vs 41-42).
To Ponder:
- How did the woman’s dubious character (v. 18) affect the response of those who heard her message, if at all?
- How did Jesus know so much about the woman’s past and present life? Why was this so important to her (v. 29)?
Prayer
Help us Lord, to hear and to follow the guidance of your Holy Spirit, and to use any opportunity this day to share the good news about your son, our saviour. Amen.
Bible notes author: Alan Sharp
Alan Sharp lives in St Albans where he is a member of both his local Methodist church and his parish church. He has been a local preacher and a church organist and choirmaster for over 60 years. He writes a monthly article on hymn tunes for The Methodist Recorder.