The sun was probably high in the sky when she stepped into the unbearable heat and headed to the well. The Samaritan woman was sure to be the only one getting water at this hour. That was the idea. 

But wait – was that someone sitting at the well? The woman may have slowed her pace, hoping the person would leave. When he didn’t move, she walked tentatively to the well. 

The surprise must have been etched on her face when the stranger asked her for a drink of water. Highly unusual. She spoke her mind:

Who was this man? His answer baffled her even more:

The woman didn’t see a pitcher sitting beside the man. How would he be able to draw any water out of the well? But he wasn’t referring to well water:

This sounded like a good deal. The woman would never have to come and draw water from the well again. She wouldn’t have to endure the scathing looks and snide remarks about her less-than-spotless reputation. How could she get this water?

The man was telling her to go and get her husband. She told him the truth, that she didn’t have a husband – she had been married five times, but was simply living with the man she was currently with. Surprise, shock, and probably a measure of embarrassment coursed through her when she realized he knew her background. He must be a prophet. 

Changing the subject as quickly as she could, so the spotlight would no longer be on her, the Samaritan woman blurted out a religious question about the proper place to worship. 

But the answer she received wasn’t what she expected. The man revealed that the place of worship wasn’t as important as the attitude of the worshipper. She responded the only way she knew how – when the Messiah came, He would tell them all things they needed to know.

Time must have stood still as the man finally revealed his true identity:

Oh my! This was Christ. The One who had been promised by the prophets of old. The woman who had come to the well for water left her water pot on the ledge of the well and ran back to the city to share the news of the God-man she had just met. 

Gone was the fear of what the townspeople would think of her – she had news worth telling. Messiah had come and was offering salvation to all who believed on Him. His ‘living water’ could quench their soul’s deepest desire. 

That day at the well, the Samaritan woman’s fear was replaced by faith. A faith that shared the good news of Christ with others and witnessed the salvation of many.