The following article will be included in an upcoming book entitled:
The New Day
“Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give Me a drink.””
“Why are You asking me for a drink?”
(Joh 4:7,9)
This familiar passage of the Samaritan woman at the well is one of my own personal favorites for many reasons and on many different levels.
- Jesus comes to a town of the Samaritans (Sychar) and breaks with Jewish traditions of not having any contact with non-Jews or semi-Jews.
- He not only speaks to a Samaritan, but to a woman. This is a double-whammy!
- He offers His life (the living water) to someone outside of Israel.
- But He does and says much more to this most “unlikely” of all women.
I would go much further and propose to you that what Jesus says and does here is way more than anything we could have thought or imagined. What He says, how He says it, who He says it to, and where it takes place are all very important factors here. In fact, I would dare say that this is one of the most monumental passages in all of the founding of the New Covenant! And it has everything to do with your relationship to Christ and His Church.
The Location
The city (or village) is called Sychar. Most scholars agree that this is a nickname for the city of Shechem which was situated at the foot of Mt. Gerizim, in the province of Samaria which is where the temple of the Samaritans was built. It also became their capital. The name literally means “drunkeness” because the inhabitants were known for their much drinking (interesting!).
This place is of note in the Scriptures:
- As being that where Abram first stopped on his coming from Haran to Canaan.
- Where God first appeared to that patriarch, and promised to give the land to his seed.
- The place where Abram first built an altar to the Lord, and called upon his name. (Gen_12:7)
- The land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
“And besides, do You think You’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can You offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”” (Joh. 4:12)
This woman is banking on the patriarch Jacob, but One Who is much greater than Jacob is here! In fact, Jesus comes to this woman as the New Israel (Jacob) with His New Tribes (the 12 apostles) presenting a whole New Covenant. It’s no accident that this takes place at Jacob’s old well. Christ is bringing in the new and taking out the old.
The Persons
The Woman – We have all heard stories and sermons about this woman. We know that she was ashamed to draw water in the morning with the rest of the women because of her many husbands and immorality, so she came at noon time, etc. She was obviously hungry, thirsty, and desperate for a new life. But I can’t help thinking that there is much more to this woman. In fact, I believe there is much more to all of the women in the bible, especially in the New Testament. Could it be that this woman represents something or someone more than just herself? Could it be that this woman represents The Woman, the corporate woman that Jesus was looking for?
We know that both Paul and John descriptively refer to the Church as the Bride of Christ (2Cor.11:2; Eph. 5:31,32; John 3:29; Rev. 21:2,9). So I believe that we can legitimately see this passage with the Samaritan woman from the “corporate” perspective. Please note these points made in the passage:
- This Woman (Church) is very thirsty and she has been searching for life, fulfillment, and love in all the wrong places! (aka – “husbands”)
- This Woman has gone into religion and an alternative mountain and temple to find Him.
- This Woman had tried and tried to know Him and love Him in her own self, soul-life, and human strength.
- This Woman is still functioning and trying to draw water (life) from the Old Covenant which is external and temporary (2Cor. 3).
Brothers and Sisters, that Woman is Us!
The Lord Jesus – He comes to us as the only valid Life Supply. He comes to provide for our thirst for reality and life. He comes to us as the Real Jacob/Israel providing the Real well of life supply. He comes to us to reset everything we thought we knew about Him! He comes to us to provide the water of Life so that we could together, as a corporate Woman, become the living Well:
“But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
(Joh 4:14)
In other words, this Woman becomes the living Well! Out of her comes rivers of living water.
“On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'”
(Joh 7:37-38)
Under the old covenant, the woman had to provide something out from her own self and nature. Her own soul (mind, emotions, will) was her only source for knowing and loving God. This kind of “life” is very thin and runs out quickly. She had many ways (husbands) to know and to live by, but it all amounted to dung. Only He could be the living water. Only He could provide spirit and truth. She needed some REAL water! And when she took Him in, He became within her the source (well) of that living water for all of eternity. Wow! What a Christ!
A Well for the Real Jacob
Now, this Woman (corporate) has become a Well to provide living Water to the very One who gave her that same Water! His request for a drink can now be fulfilled and satisfied.
For me, this has completely redefined true worship. Now, I see worship as Christ filling His Bride to overflowing with His life, and She giving Him a drink in return of this very same Life!
I Am Thirsty
I was there before creation
Before there was any “thing”
I was the Water of Life – the River of Life
And yet, I was thirsty…
My Father quenched my thirst and continuously fills me with his life.
In fact, I am the gushing spring and the deep well of his life.
I am the container of his life, love, and glory.
And yet … I am thirsty
The water within our fellowship was so abundant and so overflowing that We
wanted to channel it into new realms still uncreated.
So We masterfully crafted realms both seen and unseen so that the living river
would have gardens to water.
And my Father’s life which he had deposited into me flowed into this creation by
means of his Spirit.
And yet … I am thirsty
I watered the fruit bearing trees and the fish in the sea, the birds of the air, and
the cattle of the field.
But still I searched for somewhere to deposit the deep water that the Father had
given to me.
I was looking for a well …
So I walked down the hallways of history searching high and low, here and there
to find the container for Our life.
I looked in the Jerusalem of old. I looked in the wilderness. I looked in the
tabernacle. I looked in the temple. But all I could find were mere shadows of my
true well.
And still … I am thirsty
And then I found the most unlikely place. The most discounted, rejected, and
uncomely place.
And in the most unlikely place, I found her, the most unlikely woman.
A woman who was repulsive to the religious, unwanted by the upper class, and
persecuted by the pretentious.
And yet SHE was chosen by my Father before time to be my WELL!
She, and only she, could contain my Life!
For my living water can only be poured into a living person, that is, a living well!
And this well is made up of many living stones who all contain the water of my
life.
And I have washed them by my word and made them clean to contain this water.
And yet I … am still thirsty!
So I filled this woman, this well, with my living water so that from within the
deepest part of her, rivers would come gushing forth.
And she was abundantly supplied to overflowing.
And then I asked her:
“Woman… would you give Me a drink?
“For I am thirsty!”
Brian Hunter said:
Amen! I love that He chose us, poured Himself (His Life) into us, and then drinks from our overflow! What an amazing reality!
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Lori said:
Excellent! I can see this in the spirit and got goose bumps too lol, I just love the picture of the church like this. It is so beautiful! Looking forward to reading your new book.
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burgenator said:
Wow brother that was amazing. I’m thirsty.
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Trevor Honeycutt said:
Awesome Milt! This speaks to my well wonderfully!
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Clark Wade said:
Milt, as always, I love your post brother. This reminds me of the passage in Psalms 46:4 There is a River whose streams make glad the City of God.” The River is Christ. The Streams all come from the One River, streams flowing from the sons and daughter of God, from their inmost being, making glad the City of God, the ekklesia.
And Milt, this is something I wrote some time back that I thought you might appreciate:
After this, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” John 19:28
Here is the Son of God reaching the end of His earthy journey. He is about to finish the task for which cause He came, to bear witness of the truth. The world looks at Him waiting for what things of significance He will say from the cross. And Jesus, to fulfill the Scripture says, “I am thirsty.”
O dying Redeemer, whose untold suffering is now drawing to a close. The world sees how thirsty you are. If we were to ask the world to come and fill our thirst, the world, in its very best days, could only offer us, like it offered You, vinegar for drink. If all the riches of the world, and all of its pleasures, and all of its pomp and ceremony could somehow be poured into our souls, our souls could not feel the weight of it, for our souls were made for Your presence. You knew this Lord. You knew the world could only offer you vinegar to drink. And still, to fulfill the Scripture, You say, “I am thirsty.”
What is it Lord that you really are “thirsty” for that the world could not give You? And then I read this in John’s gospel (4:10):
If you had only 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 instead and He would have given you living water.
O Lord Jesus, our Thirsty Savior and Redeemer! How You long and thirst for the soul’s of men and women, boys and girls to come to You and drink. I hear Your words now Lord, echoing through my own heart, “Give Me a drink.” O Lord Jesus, how I long to give you a drink, to quench Your eternal thirst. I hear Your words spoken to a woman at the well:
If you had only known and had recognized…Who this is that is saying to you, “Give Me a drink.”
I hear these words spoken in heart-ache from the cross:
If you had only known and had recognized Who this is that is saying to you, “Give Me a drink.”
I come to You now Lord Jesus and offer myself to You as a drink-offering. I empty myself out into the cup of Your yearnings for a drink. And out of my innermost being flows rivers of living water. Come Lord! Come thirsty One and drink Your fill. Drink of Yourself that flows from the hearts of Your children who have recognized who it is that says to them “Give Me a Drink.”
You are our River of Life.
Come Lord Jesus.
Flow and drink Your fill.
Precious Lord, my flash of alabaster
Gladly now I break in love for thee;
I anoint thy head, Beloved Master;
Lord, behold, I’ve saved the best for Thee;
Dearest Lord, I waste myself upon Thee;
Loving Thee, I’m deeply satisfied.
Love outpoured from hidden depths with me,
Costly oil, dear Lord, I would provide.
My Beloved, come on spices’ mountain;
How I yearn to see Thee face to face.
Drink, dear Lord, from my heart’s flowing fountain,
Till I rest fore’er in Thine embrace.
Not alone, O Lord, do I adore thee,
But with all the saints as Thy dear Bride;
Quickly come, our love is waiting for Thee;
Jesus Lord, Thou wilt be satisfied.
“But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing bubbling) continually within him unto eternal life.”
John 4: 14
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Marsela said:
I love this! We are truly that Woman. Oh, where would this Woman still be without the Lord?! Hopeless, helpless, in misery, still looking for one more husband, going to the same mountain to worship, on and on, to never be satisfied in her heart, drained and lifeless. And to think that this Lord had waited from eternity for that moment, to come to this Woman (unwanted by anyone), giving her the living water , Himself, satisfying her fully and making her a fountain pouring living water unto His satisfaction, that’s too wonderful to us! This is our reality, the glories reality! What an awesome Lord, what a glories lover! This got me singing now
Drink, dear Lord,
From my heart’s flowing fountain,
Till I rest fore’er in thine embrace.
Not alone, oh Lord do I adore Thee,
But with all the saints as Thy dear Bride.
Quickly come, our love is waiting for Thee
Jesus Lord, Thou will be satisfied.
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alanjamesrees said:
Thank you, sir, for this! A blessing!
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miltrodriguez said:
Clark and Marsela,
Thank you for such beautiful and articulate comments!
Just think, we are all drinking from the same Fountain even though we have never met!
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John Mohammed said:
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
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mark said:
This is really beautiful, Milt, because it is the truth of our beautiful Christ. Thank you so much for sharing!
The verse of that song is perfect, Marsela. Thanks!
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Jim Puntney (@JimPuntney) said:
There is more to the woman at the well than we first understood. Thanks very much Milt for unpacking this beautiful story, that is indeed our story.
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