commentary by TA York
Scripture Reading: John 4:16–26 (NIV)
16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Verse 16 is intriguing: “Go, call your husband and come back.”
There is an incredible amount of truth here that we can apply directly to our own lives.
1. What (or Who) Is Your “Husband”?
So, who is the husband in this story, and how does it apply to us?
In this context, the “husband” represents the world. Ask yourself:
- What is the sin that has you captivated?
- What worldly attachment or influence has a hold on you that you refuse to let go of?
Many Christians remain tied to something that holds them back from moving forward, learning, and strengthening their resolve. Pride is often the most frequent “husband” that causes us to slip.
Pride whispers, “I know better than the Bible.”
No one says this outright, but our actions often speak for themselves. Looking back, my own actions have declared this at times—and it always stems from pride. This is precisely why we need Christ’s words: to correct us and guide us back on course (2 Timothy 3:16).
The Myth of “Fixing Myself First”
Another mindset people fall into is saying, “I’ll get my life together first, then I’ll come to Christ.”
This is heartbreaking. A person trying to correct their own life alone is like trying to spit into the wind without getting wet—it just doesn’t work. While self-improvement is possible to an extent, genuine transformation is so much more attainable when Jesus is invited into the process.
2. Half-Truths and Softened Words
I also view Jesus’ command as a gentle test. I can almost hear Him asking, “Are you truly ready for what I have to teach?”
The woman responds, “I have no husband.”
Her defenses are still up; she is feeling the situation out, wondering, What does this man really want? Her answer isn’t completely false, but it isn’t the whole story either.
How often do we answer in half-truths? Does holding back details make a technical lie okay?
Jesus responds gently:
“You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
I imagine Jesus’ voice softening here. He reaches directly into her heart, addressing her truth and beginning to heal her deepest pain.
How do we know Jesus is real? The world inflicts pain, but Jesus holds the cure. The world has hurt me many times—sometimes even fellow believers cause pain without realizing it, and I am sure I have caused pain to others as well. Yet, looking to Jesus for the power to forgive others—and to forgive ourselves—is essential.
3. The Real Question Behind Worship
By verse 19, the woman recognizes Jesus as a prophet and shifts the conversation to a burning theological question:
“Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Is she just testing Him to see if He gives a rigid, traditional Jewish answer? Perhaps. But at a deeper level, some of the purest hearts simply long to worship and surrender to God, yet they don’t know how, where, or when.
Her heart was really asking: “I want to worship correctly. I want to honor God—how do I do that?”
Historically, Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim, a location tied to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua, where a temple had once stood. Meanwhile, Jewish tradition mandated worship in Jerusalem, requiring travel there three times a year for major feasts.
Jesus breaks right through these geographic and traditional barriers.
Where can we worship today? In a church building? Certainly, if you choose. But Jesus reveals that we can now worship anywhere, at any time.
What a incredible chain-breaker! We are released from the guilt, confusion, and burden of thinking worship is confined to a specific mountain, temple, or location. God requires us to worship in spirit and in truth. The physical place does not matter—our heart attitude does.
4. Standing Face-to-Face with “I AM”
In verse 25, the woman shares her hopeful expectation:
“I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Little does she know, the very truth she had been longing for was being spoken by the Messiah Himself. Jesus then gives a breathtaking confirmation:
“I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
For Jesus to use the sacred phrase “I AM” to a Samaritan woman was extraordinary. Imagine the shock if He had declared this so plainly to the religious leaders in Jerusalem!
I would love to have seen the look on her face in that moment—standing face-to-face with the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Wouldn’t you?
God bless!
