John 4:39, commentary and pictures

Many of the Samaritans of Sychar first believed on Jesus for the saying of the woman who testified that He told her all that ever she did. Her joyful, immediate report was meant to bring them to see and hear Him for themselves, and those first drawn by her then heard many more truths from His own lips and many more believed, owning Him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world. The seed sown in His talk with her while the disciples were away was followed speedily by harvest with no delay between sowing and reaping, for the Holy Spirit impressed the truth upon hearts ready to receive it. They believed without seeing miracles, unlike the Jewish leaders who rejected Him despite mighty works from prejudice and nationalistic expectation, showing that salvation was offered beyond Israel to Gentiles and the world. As soon as she found the Saviour she left her waterpot and at once carried the light to her countrymen, proving a more effective missionary than His own disciples, for every true disciple who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life and a giver of spiritual life to others.

Setting at Jacob's Well

The saying that drew many Samaritans to belief belongs to Christ's conversation with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well at Sychar. That conversation began when He, a Jew, asked her, a despised Samaritan, for drink. It marks the commencement of His mission work. It stands among His many invitations of mercy and goodness that cut away doubt and questioning whether the Lord will hear prayer and give mercy, favor, grace and salvation.

The people of that city had hearts open to receive the truth. They already possessed some knowledge of God, and He did not share the Jewish intolerance toward them. In the woman herself He saw an open mind and a receptive spirit, reached through personal contact.

Wherever hearts are thus open He is ready to instruct them, revealing the Father and the service acceptable to Him who reads the heart. To such He uses no parables but speaks plainly. There His teachings were positive with no guesswork, spoken as one having authority, declaring to her as to them that He is the Messiah, with voice and words and articulation in perfect harmony with the subject.

Testimony Brings Belief

Many Samaritans of that city first believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified that He had told her all that ever she did. Her joyful, immediate sharing of the light she had received brought them to Him, and her witness prepared them to receive the truth as the Holy Spirit impressed it upon their hearts. Their believing was part of a harvest that quickly followed the sowing of the truth, in which Christ rejoiced, showing that outreach to people beyond the immediate circle could quickly bear fruit and that her influence continued to bring people to salvation.

Her report was meant to bring listeners to Christ to see and hear for themselves the things of the kingdom, and Jesus knew they would come and believe on Him because of her testimony. She received great truths joyfully and at once went into the city, told her story, shared the truth with one person and invited others to come, so that her witness led them to hear Jesus for themselves. Some came out of curiosity to see and hear Him, others from investigation or the impression of the Spirit, and even one person reached by the truth can carry a report that leads many others to investigate and believe, illustrating how one person's testimony can begin a work of faith that others continue and bring to completion.

Those first drawn by the woman then heard many more truths from His own lips, counted them precious, and received Him as the Christ of God. Many who heard Him repented and believed in Him as their Saviour and Redeemer, convicted of their need, and many more believed through hearing Him themselves and recognized Him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world. Thus faith begun through another's witness leads on to personal hearing that knows Him indeed as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Speedy Harvest Gathered

The seed of truth was sown in Christ's talk with the woman at the well while the disciples were away buying food, and the harvest in many Samaritans believing on Him for her saying that He told her all she ever did followed speedily with no four-month delay between sowing and reaping. She received great truths joyfully and at once went into the city, told her story, and brought listeners to Christ, and Jesus knew her report would bring many out of curiosity and to hear for themselves the things of the kingdom and that many would believe and drink the water of life He gives. Her witness was followed by an immediate ingathering of converts who came to see the truth in Jesus. The Holy Spirit impressed the truth upon their hearts, and their readiness to receive truth, their interest in hearing, and their astonishment at the great light shining from the Scriptures made the harvest speedy with no waiting between sowing and reaping.

Their coming to Christ was an object lesson to the disciples that the fields are white already to harvest, teaching all who are interested in the salvation of souls to lift up their eyes and enter into the labors of others, where one sows and another reaps and sower and reaper rejoice together. One person's testimony can thus begin a work of faith that others continue and bring to completion, as her witness brought them to Jesus where they could hear Him for themselves and many more came to believe. The disciples counted it a small matter to spend time on one woman of Samaria and saw nothing in Samaria to indicate an encouraging field. Their thoughts were fixed on a great work to be done in the future and they did not see the harvest to be gathered right around them, while through the woman they despised — a stranger, an alien from Israel, living in open sin — that harvest was gathered and a whole city was brought to hear Him, proving her a more effective missionary than His own disciples.

Their belief was part of a harvest that quickly followed the sowing of the truth, and Christ rejoiced in it. Its speediness increases faith and encourages hearts for labor among hungry souls.

Salvation Beyond Israel

Many of that city believed on the woman's word about one who had told her all she ever did, though they had seen no miracles, and they were ready to receive Him as a teacher sent by God and to accept Him as the promised Messiah without demanding a sign or miracle to prove His divinity. They accepted His teaching, were convicted of their need of a Saviour, and received Him as their Redeemer. Their faith stands in contrast to those who demanded signs.

Their acceptance stands in contrast to the Jewish leaders, who rejected Him despite His mighty works. The rulers were suspicious and unbelieving, while the Samaritans listened eagerly, and prejudice kept the Jews from recognizing Him. The Jews held a nationalistic expectation that the Messiah would exalt Israel and subdue other nations, whereas the Samaritans believed He came as Redeemer not only for the Jews but for the world. Disputes over that expectation had led the Samaritans to reject all the sacred writings except those of Moses.

Their response shows that salvation was offered beyond the Jews to the Gentiles and to the world, that the gospel was not confined to Israel, and that people beyond Israel were hungry for truth and included in the offer.

Christ's preaching there prepared the way for later preaching, for He had already preached among the Samaritans with great power. After His ascension His messengers found Samaritans ready to receive them, and many who had once been bitter enemies became part of a fruitful harvest, His love toward them remaining unchanged despite their earlier rejection and His words and works of mercy winning their hearts. That company of Samaritan believers remained, and where they were the believers were not persecuted, so the persecuted flock driven from Jerusalem later found a safe asylum among them.

When they came out and heard and believed, it showed that those who have never heard the truth have hearts more susceptible to it than those who have been in the truth and had the evidences of God's work yet excuse unbelief.

Christ's Gracious Method

Jesus reached the Samaritans of Sychar by deliberately crossing social and religious barriers, setting at naught Pharisaic custom and Jewish prejudice to mingle freely with a despised people. Though Himself a Jew, He accepted their hospitality in the face of prejudice, slept with them under their roofs, ate with them at their tables partaking of food prepared and served by their hands, taught in their streets, and treated them with the utmost kindness and courtesy. His sympathy and social kindliness recognized the dignity of humanity in these outcasts of society.

His work was not to create barriers and constantly thrust upon people the fact that they were wrong. While He drew their hearts to Him by the tie of human sympathy, His divine grace brought to them the salvation which the Jews rejected. His words fell on their thirsty souls with blessed, life-giving power, awakening new impulses, opening the possibility of a new life, and making men long to become worthy of His confidence.

His work was largely composed of personal interviews with faithful regard for the one-soul audience. The intelligence received by that one soul at the well was carried to thousands, so that many of her city believed on Him for her saying.

Call to Personal Witness

As soon as she found the Saviour at the well she left her waterpot and at once carried the light to her countrymen, joyfully telling her story and inviting the city to come see a man who told her all things she ever did and consider whether He is the Christ, so that a whole city was brought to hear Him. Her joyful report was meant to bring them to Jesus to see and hear Him for themselves, and many Samaritans of that city first believed on Him for her saying which testified that He told her all that ever she did. Many who then heard Him repented and believed in Him as their Saviour because of His own words.

Though a stranger, an alien from Israel, living in open sin and despised by the disciples, she proved a more effective missionary than His own disciples. The disciples counted it a small matter to spend time on one woman of Samaria, saw nothing in Samaria to indicate an encouraging field, fixed their thoughts on a great work to be done in the future, and did not see the harvest to be gathered right around them, while through the woman they despised that harvest was gathered. Her witness shows how far-reaching the influence of earnest speech to even one hearer can be, for the lessons given to her have been repeated to the earth's remotest bounds, and the influence of her words for the saving of souls in the years since cannot be estimated.

She represents the working of practical faith in Christ: every true disciple is born into the kingdom as a missionary, he who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life, and the receiver becomes a giver and a source of spiritual life for others. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert welling up to refresh all and making those ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life. Those who hear and believe in Christ, like her, receive the living water and become witnesses who help others believe.

Her experience shows that one person's witness can carry what was learned to many others and begin a work of faith that others continue to completion, for truth received by one soul is carried to thousands and even one reached can lead many to investigate and believe. Her witness brought them to Jesus, where they could hear Him for themselves and many more came to believe. The harvest of believers began when she shared the truth and invited others to come, and their experience illustrates how people can come to know Christ through another person's testimony and then show how they too can share truth with others.

Thousands of hearts can be reached in the most simple, humble way. The simple, honest words of one who loves God, spoken as naturally as a worldling speaks of what his mind feeds upon, refresh even the most intellectual men and women praised as the world's most gifted. The true honest words of a son or daughter of God spoken in natural simplicity unbolt the door to many souls long locked, while well-prepared and studied words have little influence. This teaches to educate youth to help youth, for in seeking to do this work they gain an experience qualifying them to become consecrated workers in a larger sphere.

The Samaritans' ready response shows that those who receive truth can share it with others and that people in need of Bible truth may respond readily when it is brought to them. Many believed because the woman told them what He had revealed to her, for His words awakened belief among them.