v1-4: Jesus' journey from Judea to Galilee. He avoided meeting the Pharisees, not through fear, but to avoid the inevitable controversy and criticism. Jesus could have avoided travelling through Samaria, as many Jews would do, since there was hostility between Jews and Samaritans.

The town of Sychar (Samaria) was actually on the direct route;

• here Joshua had gathered the people together (Josh 24);
• here Abimelech experienced conflict (Judg 9);
• this was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12.25).

v5: See Gen 33.19; Josh 24.32, a place of death and burial. It is here that Jesus speaks of living water.

v6: Jesus was tired and thirsty, evidence of true humanity.

In terms of timing, John elsewhere uses Roman, not Jewish time, which would set this meeting at 6.00 p.m. This fits well with the time the disciples could buy food in the city. They could not buy food at the hottest part of the day.

Alternatively, the woman came to the well at the hottest part of the day to avoid contact with others, for people would not generally draw water at that time.

We note that Jesus had sent His disciples on an errand; this was no coincidence, for they had much to learn about serving Christ.

v7: The woman came to draw water by herself. There was also another well, closer to the city, which she presumably avoided, to avoid contact with others.

v8: Brief explanation in parenthesis. It may have been that the woman would have stayed away had she seen a group of people by the well. It seems likely, though, that John remained with Jesus, and was thus eye-witness to the meeting with the Samaritan woman.

v9: There were several barriers to be overcome. The first barrier was one of race. There were centuries of deep animosity between the two peoples. Yet there was common ancestry, Jacob. In Christ this animosity is taken away, see Acts 1.8; 8.1.

v10-14: Physical and living water. Jesus brought an attractive offer, living water, spiritual and eternal. The illustration is clear; the physical is used to illustrate the spiritual. Jesus is indeed greater than Jacob who gave the well; for He gives living water.

Jacob had bought the land from Hamor, father of Shechem (Gen 33.20), which he later had to re-occupy (Gen 48.21-22), and where Joseph was buried (Josh 24.32).

Jesus used illustrations in v32-34 and v35-38, in teaching the disciples. We must listen and learn, and understand what He is saying. Nicodemus failed to understand even earthly things (3.10-12), and we need the revelation of God, see Luke 24.45.

v15: Reversing the request at v7, "give me this water." Jesus' words had awakened a desire in her. See also Matt 3.13-15, where John confessed his need to be baptised by Jesus.

v16-18: The next barrier; the woman's sin had to be exposed and dealt with. Jesus' omniscience, "Go, call your husband." He already knew all about her; she could hide nothing from Him.

Note too the Lord's mercy, to reveal sin, and to forgive sin. The sinner is not judged immediately, but has an opportunity to repent.

v19: A growing spiritual interest, and understanding of Christ.

v20-24: A third barrier; the difference between ritual and real worship. The woman perhaps raised the matter of worship to divert attention from her sins.

"This mountain" was Mount Gerizim; the Samaritans followed a false religion which was a mixture of Judaism and paganism, see 2 Kings 17.24-40. This was part of the reason for the antagonism between them and the Jews. We see that false religion can be as much a barrier as no religion.

Worship, lit. 'to bow oneself down,' see Gen 24.26, 48; an act of the heart and spirit, thereby exalting God. Worship is to be directed only to God, Acts 10.25-26. Worship is based on truth, "we worship what we know," God is the God of Israel (Gen 33.20). Worship is not dependent upon place, but must be in spirit and truth, a matter of the heart and mind. True worship of God reflects an attitude of love and submission. The Father actually seeks such worshippers.

The Lord respects the woman, answering her questions, developing her understanding. He honours her interest in spiritual matters. And He deals with her lack of understanding with grace and patience.

That God is spirit is clear; ‘an immaterial substance, of a pure, unmixed essence,’ says Thomas Watson. He is spirit uncreated, spirit infinite, spirit without end, the “Father of our spirits” (Heb 12.9). He is thus set apart from all human inventions.

The wonderful truth, that God seeks worshippers. The NT, in Christ, introduces spiritual worship, different from the OT ceremonies, worship that is like God.

v25-26: The aim of witness is to help people understand the person of Jesus Christ. The woman first described Him as a Jew (v9), then a prophet (v19), and finally was able to accept His claim to be the Messiah, see v29.

v27: The disciples returned to find Jesus in conversation with a Samaritan woman. A Jewish Rabbi would not ordinarily do this, but Jesus was no ordinary Rabbi, and the disciples were growing in their own understanding of Jesus.

v28: The woman left her water pot; she accepted that spiritual things were more important than physical.

v29: The woman's zeal to tell others of Jesus; like Apollos, and the blind man, her understanding was not perfect, but God honoured her.

v30: She brought others to meet Jesus; such is the work of a witness to Christ; see v39-42. This too is the “harvest” spoken of by Jesus; there is no wait before the harvest is reaped.

v31: The disciples brought food, see v8. Jesus taught them that spiritual things were more important than physical, even to the sacrificing of 'essential' physical food.

v32: The food of obedience and service, by which we are sanctified and blessed.

v33: The disciples lacked understanding, thinking that someone else had brought food for Him. Lack of understanding may be linked with unbelief or disobedience, although those are not necessarily true here.

v34: Jesus' priority was to do the will of the Father, and to complete that work. The disciples needed to understand this priority.

v35-38: Physical and spiritual harvest; the Lord develops the themes of physical and spiritual.

The fruitful fields referred to the Samaritans. The seed had been sown, and the time had come for reaping. The labourers rejoice together; the sower is not more important than the reaper; all are fellow- labourers. Jesus came to bring fruit for God.

v39-42: The writer returns to the Samaritans, who came out to meet Jesus; He stayed with them for a short period, during which others believed in Him. The aim of all true witness is to encourage others to believe in Jesus; the disciples believed, Jesus challenged Nicodemus to believe, then the woman, and the Samaritans, and later the nobleman (v53); here is John's aim, see 20.31.

The world despises true faith in Christ, yet this is the way to life. The key also is to have a truly first-hand faith in Christ, and not simply rely on the words of others, "we have heard for ourselves," for we each need to experience the revelation of Christ in our hearts.

v43-44: Jesus stayed with the Samaritans for two days. Had the Jewish leaders known of this, there would have been further offence; but this was early in Jesus' ministry, and few knew of His movements.

It may also have been that Jesus planted the seeds of the Samaritan church, Acts 8.1-25.

As Jesus returned to Galilee, He warned the Twelve that He would not be treated so well there.

v45: Jesus had been busy, see 2.23; 3.2, which refer to other miracles; but the gospel writers were selective, there being so much material to use, see 21.25.

v46-47: Jesus returned to Cana. The nobleman had perhaps heard of the wedding, and that Jesus had turned water into wine.

The man was, quite rightly, concerned for his son. There was faith and urgency. His request was "come down," genuine and reasonable words; but see Matt 27.40, Mark 15.30, where the same words were used to tempt Jesus to come down from the cross. Jesus had "come down" to bring eternal life; ultimately that was His initiative, rather than His response to needy humanity.

v48: Jesus rebuked those who sought miracles for their own sake. John especially emphasises the purpose of miracles, see v53.

v49: The repeated prayer, reflecting a real concern.

v50: The command, "go your way," which the nobleman believed and obeyed. Sometimes answers to prayer are delayed until we act in obedience. The faith of obedience leaves the consequences to God, confident that He will act in a way consistent with His character.

v51: The nobleman's servants saw that his son was healed; there must have been a dramatic, short-term improvement and recovery, as the fever left him. They came to report the news to the nobleman, the father.

"Your son lives," see 1 Kings 17.24, where Elijah testified to a miracle, and demonstrating his integrity as a prophet of God. In a similar way, Christ's claim to be the Messiah is demonstrated, albeit secretly.

This sign, although well attested, was hidden from the people. No one in Cana saw the fulfilment of Christ's words, they did not see the miracle (see v48). The picture is of Israel's restoration at Christ's return, which is initially something hidden.

v52: The discovery that Jesus' words, although spoken at a distance, were effective.

v53-54: Jesus' Galilean ministry was to encourage faith, see 2.11, "His disciples put their faith in Him;" and 6.14, "surely this is the prophet who is to come into the world."