John 4:17-20 - The truth

4:17,18

On the matter of husbands, there are some who take the "five husbands" to refer to various nations that Samaria had depended on at one time or another. However, this is simply a matter of some people trying to be too clever by half. The context makes it quite clear that husbands is being used in the normal sense of the word.

The woman admits that she has no husband, not realising that Jesus knew all about her. The woman was not lying in the sense of saying something that was untrue, but she was not telling Jesus the whole truth. We really are equally silly ourselves too often. We try and hide things from God, as if such a thing was possible! And we do this because we fear condemnation, but there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Jesus was not looking to condemn the woman, but to ignite faith in her. When God speaks to the world, as He does through the gospel, the world is afraid because they think God is out to get them. God is out to give us eternal life, if only we will turn from our ways and turn to His ways.

The woman had had five husbands and was now living with someone. Remember that in that day that would have been a scandalous thing to do. A Jew would have looked down on her because she was a Samaritan, but this would have meant he looked at her as pure dirt. Jesus was different. Jesus comes to confront our sin so that we can be saved.

4:19,20

The woman now declares that she realises that Jesus is a prophet. This is another tactic we employ. We want to be in control, so she asserts some knowledge which she now has. What she really needs to do is to submit to Jesus as Lord. She then proceeds with this tactic by alluding to a religious controversy. The Jews said you should worship in Jerusalem, the Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerazim. Again she is seeking to deflect the conversation away from herself. But it is her that Jesus wants to communicate with. It is the same in our lives. Jesus wants to meet with us, to change us.