Why I Believe Jesus' Conversation with the Samaritan Woman in John 4:1-45 is a Picture of Sovereign Grace

John 4 portrays the scene of the Lord Jesus and the Samaritan woman. The one thing that the Samaritans are known for is that the Jews despised them due to the intermarriage with Gentile people, hence they were no longer pure Jews. Another thing worth noting is that Samaria became the capital of the Northern Kingdom. A study of 1 Kings and 2 Kings will tell you that the kingdom was full of ungodly kings. Jehu was anointed to judge the Dynasty of Omri or the House of Ahab but he was not a godly man. The worst of the kings is Ahab. Ahab reigned as king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in Samaria. Much corruption had happened especially when Jezebel brought her own version of Baal worship for Phoenicia. We can tell it was a marriage matched in Hell. Eventually, Ahab and Jezebel along with their wicked clan were sent to Hell. Their idolatry and rejection of the one true God led to their wicked lifestyles.

We can see the grace of God at work even with the Samaritans. Jesus was now having a divine scheduled appointment with this Samaritan woman. The Samaritan herself knew that the Jews had no dealings with her kind. What was even worse was that this woman had a very dirty history. This Samaritan woman has had five husbands and she's now living with a man that wasn't her husband. Clearly, this woman was wanton and beyond redemption in human terms. However, the mercy of Jesus is now at play towards this sinful woman. Jesus pointed out her sin not to judge her but to show her need for a Savior. The woman, rather than get defensive, instead acknowledged her sin by saying, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet." 

Jesus was now telling the woman about worshiping God in Spirit and in truth. Jesus tells the woman that she worships what she doesn't know. Then Jesus proceeds to tell the truth that the hour will soon come that true worshipers will worship God in Spirit and in truth. The worship was ignorance. The Samaritans were idolaters. The golden calf worship was later destroyed during the reign of Josiah. However, many were probably still into gross idolatry. I think this woman was also into gross idolatry. Perhaps, she was a temple prostitute or a priestess but that's just my wild guess. Jesus was now telling them that all worship of God must be in spirit. People today tend to think the icons help them concentrate. In reality, it's just a distraction such as when the golden calves distracted people from worshiping God in Jeroboam's twisted religion.

This is where the power of God is at work with the Samaritan woman. Notice that when Jesus points her sin out, she doesn't go defensive. Instead, the woman confesses her sin. Jesus makes the woman aware of her sin. The woman says to Jesus, "I know that the Messiah comes, which is called Christ: when He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus then said, "I who speak to you am He." This was really the power of God at work in the woman. The woman didn't choose Jesus, instead, Jesus chose the woman. Jesus told her to fetch her husband and she admitted her sin. Jesus tells the woman to call the others and she does. The power of God moves to make the woman recognize who Jesus is and becomes instrumental in calling the others. The woman's testimony was but by the grace of God that many Samaritans believed the message. It's because of the power of God and His sovereign grace.

It can be seen that the Samaritan woman, apart from herself, was incapable of believing. It took the power of God to make her an instrument of this blessing. Jesus did declare that He must go to Samaria which is in perfect plan with God the Father. God the Father sends the Son, Jesus, to Samaria to meet with the Samaritan woman. It was all in the divine timetable. The Samaritan woman was drawn to Jesus by the power of God the Father. Later, Jesus said in John 6:44 that no man can come unto Him except by the power of God the Father. God the Father drew the Samaritan woman and the other Samaritans unto Jesus. They couldn't have believed beyond their idolatry if it wasn't for unconditional election and irresistible grace.