.jpg)
God's Plan, Your Part
Discover God's plan for your life with this daily Bible reading podcast.
Ryan and Jenny Zook lead a valuable daily devotional bible study with historical background, theology, and practical applications. This year we will be covering the whole New Testament, one chapter at a time.
This podcast brings the word of God to life. Whether starting from the first episode or just jumping in, this is an inspiring and enlightening way to deepen your understanding of scripture. We delve into a different passage daily and share how its teachings can impact your daily life. Start listening right now.
To support the podcast, click HERE.
God's Plan, Your Part
John 4 | The Samaritan Woman at the Well and Our Own Spiritual Reality
Embark on a journey to ancient Samaria where a simple conversation at a well spirals into a profound exploration of faith, acceptance, and divine revelation. As Jesus converses with a Samaritan woman, we witness an unraveling of societal barriers through a narrative that challenges us to reflect on our own prejudices and the essence of true worship. This episode not only spotlights the historical tensions between Jews and Samaritans but also delves into the symbolism of living water as a metaphor for the spiritual sustenance that Jesus offers. Join us to explore the layers of meaning in this transformative encounter, as we follow the woman's evolution from an outcast to a herald of Christ, and how her testimony ignites belief within her community.
Our conversation doesn't stop at the well. We extend our discussion to the purpose and power of fasting, inviting a closer look at why relinquishing our physical hungers can lead to a deeper spiritual fulfillment. Jesus's teachings on prioritizing the spiritual over the physical come to life as we scrutinize His words to His disciples and the healing of the official's son. This episode promises not just an academic dissection of scripture but a heartfelt invitation to experience the living water for ourselves. By threading together Jesus's role as the Messiah with the theme of faith that perseveres without miraculous signs, we leave you with a contemplation on the enduring relevance of these spiritual lessons in our modern lives.
Discover the profound encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, where the scandalous interaction unfolds, revealing the transformative power of spiritual revelation. As Jesus offers the Samaritan woman "living water," the conversation delves into the dichotomy between physical needs and spiritual nourishment. Emphasizing the significance of worshiping in spirit and truth, the encounter challenges societal norms and underscores the eternal truths that transcend cultural barriers.
As we delve into the timeless wisdom of John 4, we find relevance for our contemporary journeys of personal growth and spiritual development. Jesus's teachings on prioritizing spiritual nourishment over material concerns resonate deeply in today's fast-paced world. By embracing the lessons from Jesus's encounters, we embark on a journey of spiritual awakening, finding purpose and fulfillment in aligning our lives with the will of God and experiencing the miracles that faith brings forth.
We use Logos Bible Software for our show prep.
Get 5 Free Digital Books and 10% Off- HERE.
Get the Logos 10 Fundamentals for Just $50- HERE.
Check out Ryan's other podcast, God's Whole Story.
Ryan works for Men of Iron, an organization committed to changing a culture one man at a time. If you'd like to get involved, click HERE.
Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
YouTube | Rumble | Medium
Contact us at godsplanyourpart@gmail.com
Thanks so much for listening to the show. We'll See you tomorrow.
-Ryan and Jenny
Hey everyone, welcome to God's Plan, your Part, year 2, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire New Testament one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's Plan and your part in it.
Speaker 2:Today we are looking at John, chapter 4, where Jesus has an interaction with a Samaritan woman, which is fairly scandalous in general. But then they're going to talk about some things that are confusing again, and I think John is continuing this mission of showing us people that saw what Jesus could do and believed in him because of it, and because of that it's going to stand out when people see what Jesus can do and reject him because of it.
Speaker 1:So majority of the chapter today is about this Samaritan woman that Jesus comes into contact with. What's interesting about this story is it seems that they are just kind of passing through this area, but it ends up that it is heavily talked about, like this is a significant moment.
Speaker 2:It's a pretty big deal because Jewish people historically would have avoided the Samaritans at all costs. Like, probably most famously, jesus talks about the good Samaritan. That was a scandalous story because the audience hated Samaritans and this was not just like a light hatred, like these people were like culturally similar and culturally very different and if you know anybody like that, it's often that there is like some pretty close bubbling tension whenever that's the case. This woman in John chapter four actually highlights that one of the things they like to fight about is where true Israelite worship should occur. So they have like a temple on Mount Gerizim, but at this time a lot of worship was happening in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:I think something else to be noted too is not only is this a Samaritan person, this is a Samaritan woman, so there is like multiple levels of scandal here, and even the disciples who are with him kind of catch on to that later like whoa, what are you doing?
Speaker 2:That's verse 27. Verse 27 says just then his disciples came back and they marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her. Like they were in complete shock.
Speaker 1:And I mean, you can probably pull some things from it too. She was not necessarily like oh yeah it seems to be like a well-rounded woman, like she's definitely got a past for sure.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent. So just to give you like a quick I don't know like a quick history of Samaritans and why people hated them so much, she actually calls out that she thinks true worship is going to happen on Gerizim. At this time a lot of Israelites thought true worship happened in Jerusalem. We did last year, we did like the whole Bible, and you'll see. What happens is the nation of Israel is united under King David and then, after his son Solomon, the kingdom splits in two and you end up with Israel in the north and Judah in the south, two tribes in the south, 10 tribes in the north.
Speaker 2:The center of the kingdom of Israel, the northern tribes, was actually centered at times in Samaria and a lot of times the Samaritans were just outright against the people of Judah. They would fight each other or they would assist enemies, all kinds of stuff. Finally, in 722, the northern kingdoms are carried off by the Assyrians and the people from the south. The people that worshipped in Jerusalem would have hated the Samaritans because they actually started to intermarry with other Mesopotamian tribes and this led a lot of the Israelites worshipping in Judah in Jerusalem to say that this was like a half-breed tribe, they were like a mixed-breed tribe. They were like a mixed race tribe. They just hated each other and they oftentimes, like, worked out their hatred in real time, in real life. The other interesting thing just historically, you can go visit Mount Gerizim and there are still ruins of like their areas of worship there. We've been there.
Speaker 1:It's a creepy. I mean it was creepy place there, because for us I had not really experienced. They still sacrifice goats and things and when we arrived there a long time ago, back in like 2014, they had just done a sacrifice, like the day before, so there was like goat hair all over the ground. It's really gross. But anyway, side note back to Samaria in chapter four. So Jesus is, he actually is like a tangible need.
Speaker 2:So he's thirsty and he just wants water.
Speaker 1:So this woman approaches him and he starts this conversation and is just like basically asking give me, like, give me a drink, Come draw water and give me a drink. And the woman is just like what are you asking me for? Like that tension that you were talking about, it exists.
Speaker 2:You're a Jewish man, yeah right, like, why are you even speaking to me?
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. So Jesus replies to her and says if you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying this to you give me a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given, or excuse me, and he would have given you living water. So he starts this conversation where he's like now he's kind of talking about spiritual things, he still needs a drink, but he's starting to like intertwine spiritual things into it and it really throws her off. She gets very confused because she's like wait, living water, like just give that to me, because I don't have to keep coming back here all the time and it would be really great to not have to like be burdened by this.
Speaker 2:It reminds me very much, very much of Nicodemus yesterday, where he's like how do I get eternal life? And Jesus is like, well, you have to be born again. And he's like, what are you talking about? This doesn't make any sense. Jesus is doing exactly the same thing to this woman, and also this woman is getting water, basically in the heat of the day, which is not when most people come to get water. It's just her and Jesus at this. Well, that would have been used pretty extensively. So this is another indication that this woman is not well respected, because she doesn't want to be ridiculed in public by the people who would usually make fun of her.
Speaker 1:So she starts to tell him, like you don't have anything to draw this water with. I don't have anything. Like what? What do you want? Like, how do we get this living water? So she's very confused by it. Um, and Jesus tells her in verse 13,. He says everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, talking about the physical water. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will come in a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Speaker 1:So I'm sure she's probably like I don't know, like very materialistic, like it's almost like the dollar signs, like popping up in someone's eyes, like oh, what is this amazing thing? And she says, sir, give me this water so I won't be thirsty anymore. Come down here to draw water. So at this point, I think this is where Jesus is just like okay, you're clearly not getting it at this point. So he completely abandons all the physical and switches right over to spiritual needs, like I was reading a commentary earlier that said, like she wasn't understanding this actual, like physical need mixed with spiritual. So he just like cuts out the water altogether and says to her okay, why don't you go get your husband and bring him to me, like he goes straight to what her actual baseline, bottom line problem is and which would be like she's living in what seems to be sin. She has multiple husbands. The one that she's with now is an even her husband and I think she's kind of shocked Like what? How do you even know that?
Speaker 2:A hundred percent, like he's essentially like calling out her sin. But it gets her attention and she quickly is like hey, there's this Messiah coming, we're looking forward to it, which shows kind of that common cultural heritage the Samaritans were looking for a Messiah, the Jews were looking for a Messiah. And Jesus basically says straight up I who speak to you am he. And then she pretty much gets right to telling the people in the town about what she has heard and what she has experienced. It's interesting that she goes from kind of this like woman who's sort of hiding out, staying away from everybody, and like runs right into the town to tell everybody about what's going on.
Speaker 1:Well, what's interesting about that, then, is remember we had said earlier. So, as Jesus is telling her that he is the Messiah, that she's been waiting for the disciples, they meet up with him. At that point they like finally catch up to Jesus. They're kind of confused. They're like what in the world, why are you talking to this lady for? And so, when the woman leaves, she goes away to tell everybody about what Jesus has told her, because, like she didn't tell him anything. He just kind of like pulls it out of nowhere. Um, so she goes back to tell everybody like this might be the Christ that we've all been waiting for.
Speaker 1:But in the meantime this is something else that caught my attention so the disciples start asking Jesus, just like about his actual physical needs again. So we kind of pull back from the spiritual. Now we're talking about the physical, which is interesting because it intertwines again with spiritual. But they say, like have you had anything to eat? So we know that Jesus is thirsty it seems to me that he hasn't really eaten anything, because the disciples are concerned about that. And he responds to them and says I have food to eat that you do not know about.
Speaker 1:And the disciples are confused and they're like okay, has anybody brought him something to eat? And Jesus says in verse 34, my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. What's interesting to me about that is, if you think back to Jesus and his time in the desert, there's a point where he responds to Satan and says man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God, and his true mission is a spiritual mission that does not require or like rely on food alone, but it relies on doing the will of God and that is his whole purpose. So I think it's interesting, like in this moment, like was Jesus fasting in this moment too? Like I don't know. I think it's definitely up for interpretation, we don't know, but I think it's very interesting that some of those same like words and thoughts seem to be coming from the same conversation or similar conversation to what he has said in the past.
Speaker 2:The power of fasting is that you are rejecting the physical in favor of the spiritual. We are not physical beings or spiritual beings. We are both at the same time. That's why it's important to fast. That's why it's important to understand that you are an eternal being surrounded by eternal beings.
Speaker 2:Jesus is consistently in john, chapter four, saying hey, you're focused on the physical, get aware of the spiritual. He tells this woman like there's going to come a time when we worship in spirit and in truth. He goes on to tell his disciples that he doesn't live on bread. He lives by, by doing the will of the Father. Then he goes on to tell the disciples that the fields are ripe for the harvest. That's actually a food term as well. You don't harvest things just for fun. You harvest things to eat.
Speaker 2:So there's this constant focus on spiritual truth in this chapter. Basically, jesus reminding people don't be so focused on this world, be focused on the spiritual reality, the spiritual battle that we are a part of. There's a huge takeaway here for even us today, because this all remains true. Ultimately, we should be nourished by the word of God, by the mission of God. We should be grateful for the opportunity to serve God. We should be grateful for the opportunity to serve God. We should be looking for opportunities to bring more and more people into his kingdom, doing the will of the Father, just like Jesus was doing.
Speaker 1:It's funny too in our study Bible I should have looked at this before, but it just caught my attention when we're referring to Jesus in this moment, where he says my food is to do the will of him who sent me me, our study bible actually says to look back at deuteronomy 8 3 which is that verse of man does not live on bread alone. Same for matthew 4 4, which is the exact same thing, and luke 4 4 which is again the exact same.
Speaker 1:So if you are doing the work of god, like that should come first and foremost. Like the things that are comforting to you or whatever, like, for instance, food and fasting.
Speaker 2:Like it's important to remain true to what your first and foremost goal and role is, versus those other things there is a lot we can pull out of this, just the reality of how rewarding it is to live a life that honors God, to be focused on the mission that God has given to us. It's always more rewarding than piling up junk for ourselves or promoting ourselves Always 100%. All your junk you're going to lose. Your reputation is going to be gone. Serve the Lord and honor Him.
Speaker 2:What's interesting is he teaches this woman this spiritual reality. He teaches His disciples this spiritual reality and teaches his disciples this spiritual reality. And then, if you look at verse 39, it says many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. If you go even further, verse 41, it says and many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman it's no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is indeed the savior of the world. You talk about the spiritual reality that jesus could see and the mission that he took seriously.
Speaker 1:It's all present here in john, chapter four so that is like the entirety of the chapter essentially. There is one other story that I think is just kind of helpful and probably good to talk about. Um, jesus is an official son, so there's this official whose son's about to die. Jesus is met by this person and he says hey, please come and save my son. And amidst the conversation Jesus is like okay, like he's healed, just go. And on his way back he meets with his servants who tell him that at the exact hour that Jesus told him to go back, his son broke his fever and, I'm assuming, was well. But interestingly enough, I feel like there are instances like that even in our own lives, where it's like things just line up so perfectly and it's not coincidence. It's like this is actually the will of God. This is God at work, and we shouldn't be surprised by the things that he does and what he can do.
Speaker 2:Even this father. He has a physical problem. His son is very sick and he seeks a spiritual solution. Now, granted, it's a spiritual solution that has a physical result. His son is healed, but he goes to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, the God of the entire universe, and says hey, I need help from you. I believe you can do it because I know that you have done it. Please do it for me. And his prayers are answered. His request is answered. He finds like a physical provision out of this spiritual thing that he's done.
Speaker 1:And also says in verse 50, the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. So it's not just a matter of like I'm going to just keep begging here and look for the signs, these wonders, these miracles, because he actually just believed what Jesus said and left.
Speaker 2:And that is consistently what John is setting up, I think, in the first four chapters of his gospel, but definitely here in chapter four people that believe and respond because they believe they are in the right in these stories. So your part is simple Understand that there is more going on in our world than just physical things. It is so easy to be distracted by all the physical things. Understand that there is way more going on and if we stay focused on only physical things what we need, what we eat, what we see, what's in the news and we neglect the spiritual, we will miss out on everything that God has called us to and all the things that God has empowered us for. So take your spiritual reality seriously. Focus on the living water that comes from a relationship in Christ and walk that out in your day-to-day life. We'll be back again tomorrow with John, chapter 5. We'll see you then.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining today's episode of God's Plan your Part, as always. Please consider partnering with us, as we are a listener-supported podcast that we hope to continue to grow, with support from listeners just like you.
Speaker 2:We've made it super easy to partner with us, and you can support us by following the link in our show notes or our description. You can support us with as little as three dollars a month.
Speaker 1:Every little bit of this helps so much, and we're so thankful for your support. With that in mind, here's today's reading.
Speaker 2:John, chapter 4. Now, when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples he left Judea and departed again for Galilee, and he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Speaker 2:A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her Give me a drink, for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him how is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria, for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her If you knew the gift of God and who it is that was saying this to you, give me a drink. You would have asked him and he would have given you living water. The woman said to him Sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water from? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. Jesus said to her Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water. Jesus said to her Go call your husband and come here. The woman answered him. I have no husband. Jesus said to her Go call your husband and come here. The woman answered him. I have no husband. Jesus said to her you are right in saying I have no husband, for you have had five husbands and the one you have now is not your husband.
Speaker 2:What you have said is true. The woman said to him Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship. Jesus said to her Woman believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We worship. What we know for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming and is now here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him I know that the Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ. When he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her I who speak to you am he.
Speaker 2:Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her? So the woman left her water jar and went away into the town and said to the people Come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? They went out of the town and were coming to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying Rabbi, eat. But he said to them I have food to eat that you do not know about. So the disciples said to one another has anyone brought him something to eat? Jesus said to him my food is to do the will of he who sent me and to accomplish his work, do you not say? There are yet four months. When comes the harvest. Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see, the fields are white for harvest Already. The one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true One sows and the reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored and you have entered into their labor.
Speaker 2:Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them and he stayed there two days, as many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman it is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world. After the two days, he departed from Galilee, for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. So when he came to Galilee, for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast.
Speaker 2:So he came again to Cana, in Galilee, where he had made the water into wine, and at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. The official said to him Sir, come down before my child dies. Jesus said to him Go, your son will live. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better. And they said to him Yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him. The father knew that that was the hour when Jesus had said to him your son will live. And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of God's Plan your Part. Don't forget you can find us on just about every social media platform and YouTube. Let us know what you thought of today's episode and if you have any questions, go ahead and post them there. You can also reach out to us directly at godsplanyourpart at gmailcom, as always. If you don't have a Bible or if you'd like to use the one that we use, reach out to us via email and we'll be happy to send one to you. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you again tomorrow, thank you.
