So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob’s well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.  A woman of 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.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans."

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says 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 with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."

The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."

Jesus said to her, "You have well said, `I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."

The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such 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 Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things."

Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

What is that "living water" that Jesus was referring to?  "Give me that living water" asked the woman who was now thirsty for a new kind of water.  But, what was she thirsty for?  What did Jesus offer her?

In the first part of this verse, Jesus starts by asking this woman for a drink of water.  She was a Samaratin.  He was a Jew.  According to the culture of the land, Jews did not associate with Samaratins.  When Jesus asked her for some water, she was shocked.  She asked, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" At this point, Jesus begins to draw her into a desire for living water. 

But still confused, the woman asks, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?"  She even compares Jesus with the creater of the well, Jacob.  "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" Then, Jesus explains more about this living water–how the person drinking it will never thirst again.  He also tells of how this water will be a fountain, springing up into everlasting life. 

By now, the woman wanted this new, living water. "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw," she asks. She has made her request to Jesus.  In return, He has offered her living water.  A new water.  A spiritual water. 

So, what is this water?  What is this living water that Jesus has to offer?  We sing songs today about drinking from the well of God.  We talk about this new living water that will spring up life within us.  But, that still does not answer:  what is living water? 

First, a request from Jesus:  "Go, call your husband, and come here." Here’s the situation–the woman was living in sin.  She had had five husbands, and the man she was living with now was not her husband.  Can you imagine the conviction that came upon her when Jesus made that request?  Can you imagine what went through her mind? The first drink of living water will be conviction.  Listen for that convicting comment or question that will stir your heart.  It will not be a condemning comment or character-destroying question.  It will be a simple request.  "Go, call your husband." 

From this statement, your heart will be stirred with conviction.  Your sin will become obvious to you.  Your wicked ways will be exposed by the light of Jesus’ loving correction.  When that happens, Jesus is not wanting to condemn you.  He is revealing it to you so that you may deal with accordingly. When you are convicted of sin, the only proper response is to take it to God.  Humble yourself before him, and confess it as sin.  First John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The living water will first "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" if we allow it to do so. 

After Jesus revealed to this woman her sin, she says, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." She begins talking about worship.  In her comment about worship, she makes a claim as to the way people worship.  In her statement about worship, you can almost hear her saying, "So, how are we supposed to worship?" 

Then, Jesus tells her about a new kind of worship where people worship God in spirit and truth.  It’s not a temple worship or a traditional type of worship.  It’s a spiritual worship.  A worship the Father seeks.  A true expression of our love for Him. The next experience of living water is worship.  God is seeking a new kind of worship.  One that is not filled with traditions or methods.  One that is not man made.  Rather, God is seeking true worship–a worship that is "in spirit and truth". 

While in worship, the next experience of this living water will be a revelation of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  The woman said, "I know that the Messiah is coming."  But Jesus made it clear to her, "I who speak to you am He."  Jesus revealed Himself to the woman.  Jesus introduced Himself to her as the Messiah, the Anointed One. 

After the conviction… After the expression… After the revelation… There is one more flow of the living water:  confession.  The woman ran back into the city and told everyone about this Man she met.  She says in verse 29, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?" When we experience this living water, we come to a place where we can share about Christ, our Messiah. 

We can share about the conviction we experienced when we first drank.  We can share about our new expression of worship that brought us into a revelation of Him.  We can share about this living water. Ask Jesus today for some of that living water.  Lift up your hands and ask Him for some living water.  Then, drink.