Gospel of John 09.vp

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The Gospe l of John

declared, were unclean from birth. Other ancient accounts show that even asking water of a woman could be interpreted as flirting with her— especially if she had come alone due to a reputation for looseness. Jesus breaks all the rules of Jewish piety here. In addition, both Isaac (Gen. 24.17) and Jacob (Gen. 29.10) met their wives at wells; such precedent created the sort of potential ambiguity at this well that religious people wished to avoid altogether. ~ Craig Keener. IVP Bible Background Commentary: The New Testament . (4:7). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. 1993.

2. The Samaritan woman faces this as a racial issue : Even drinking from her water vessel would have been considered unclean for Jesus, under Jewish law (cf. 2.6).

3. Note: In John’s Gospel only those who are not Jews recognize Jesus’ Jewishness, see John 18.33-35.

C. The Giver of Living Water, 4.10-19

Jesus is the Giver of the Holy Spirit, associated with with water as a symbol, is his gift which carries greater significance than John’s water baptism (1.26, 33), purification with water according to religious ceremony (see 2.6), baptizing proselytes who convert to Judaism (3.5), and the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (7.37-39; 9.7). The gift of the Holy Spirit as symbolized by water transcends all association of healing with water, including pools like Bethesda (5.2-8) or holy places like Jacob’s well (4.7-26).

1. If you only knew, he would’ve given you Living Water : the gift (the Holy Spirit) and the Giver (the Messiah Yeshua), 4.10.

2. Where are you going to get that “living water?”, 4.11.