HE HAD TO PASSTHROUGHSAMARIA
Grace and peace to you in the glorious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I welcome you once again to meditate upon the words of eternal life, for the great Day of the Lord is drawing near.
When our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, His initial mission was directed specifically to the lost sheep of Israel. The divine plan of salvation was to begin with the Jews and then extend to the Gentiles. This order was foretold in prophecy:
Isaiah 49:6 (NKJV)“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Thus, Christ first came to fulfill God’s covenant promises to Israel. Only afterward would that same grace flow to the nations of the world. That is why, when Gentiles sought His help, He sometimes appeared to resist them—not because He despised them, but because the dispensational order of God’s plan required that the message of salvation first be offered to Israel (see Matthew 15:22–28).
Likewise, when He sent His disciples to preach, He specifically instructed them to focus only on the Jews:
Matthew 10:5–6 (NKJV)“These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Although Jesus’ mission was directed first to Israel, Scripture tells us that “He had to pass through Samaria.” This statement in John 4:4 reveals not a geographical necessity alone, but a divine appointment.
John 4:3–7 (NKJV)“He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. 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.’”
Geographically, many Jews would intentionally avoid Samaria because of centuries of hostility and religious division between Jews and Samaritans (see 2 Kings 17:24–41). Yet, Jesus chose to go through Samaria. The phrase “He needed to” (Greek: edei) signifies divine compulsion—He was led by the Father’s will, not by human convenience.
Even though He was weary, the Lord did not allow exhaustion or cultural barriers to silence His compassion. At that well, the Savior who came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10) engaged in one of the most profound conversations in the New Testament.
The Samaritan woman was shocked that a Jewish man would even speak to her:
John 4:9–10 (ESV)“The Samaritan woman said to Him, ‘How is it that You, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’”
Here, Jesus revealed Himself as the source of living water—the Holy Spirit—who alone can satisfy the thirst of the human soul (John 7:37–39). In that single encounter, grace broke through centuries of separation between Jew and Samaritan, showing that the Gospel would soon reach beyond the boundaries of Israel.
The meeting at the well was more than a chance encounter—it was a foreshadowing of the global mission of the Church. What began as a conversation with one woman became a revival in an entire town:
John 4:39–42 (NKJV)“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ … Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.’”
This statement—“the Savior of the world”—is deeply theological. It declares that salvation is not limited to one nation or ethnic group but is for all humanity. Paul later affirmed this truth:
Romans 10:12–13 (NKJV)“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
To reach your Galilee—your divine destiny—you may have to pass through Samaria. God often allows us to go through “in-between” seasons—places that seem unplanned, uncomfortable, or unrelated to our calling. Yet, these very moments are divinely orchestrated opportunities for ministry.
Perhaps you long to preach the Gospel in great cities or distant nations, yet today you find yourself in a classroom, an office, or a remote village. Do not despise where you are. Just as Jesus ministered in Samaria, you too are called to minister in the place where God has positioned you.
Paul reminded Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV)“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
God may have allowed you to be where you are not merely for personal growth, but as His representative to those around you. Jesus said,
Matthew 11:29 (KJV)“Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Christ’s example teaches us to be fruitful in every circumstance. He did not wait until He reached Galilee to fulfill His Father’s will; He ministered even in the places that seemed “out of His way.” Likewise, every believer must bear fruit wherever they are planted.
The encounter at Jacob’s well reminds us that divine opportunities often arise in unexpected places. The Samarias of our lives—those in-between seasons and inconvenient moments—are often the very platforms God uses to reveal His glory.
So, wherever you find yourself today—at school, at work, in your home, or on a journey—be ready to share the living water of Christ. For the true disciple of Jesus is one who serves faithfully in season and out of season.
Colossians 3:23–24 (NIV)“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Shalom.
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