Interestingly, after Jesus had exposed the sins of the Jewish authorities (John 2:13-16) and proved he was the Messiah through his first miracles (cp. John 2:11, 23), and the Jewish authorities knew he was sent from God (John 3:2). Nevertheless, they still refused to trust him, and wouldn’t admit to their own errors and sins (John 2:13-16). Instead, they sought to take control of Jesus’ power or authority (John 2:18). On the other hand, when Jesus began exposing the woman’s sin (John 4:16-18), she not only admitted her error/sin (John 4:17), but she also declared Jesus was a prophet (John 4:19; cp. 3:1-2). Thus, both the woman and the Jewish authorities understood Jesus was sent from God, but how this understanding was handled made all the difference.
If we can perceive Jesus is the Tree of Life, spiritually speaking, we are able now to see he had brought the woman back into the Garden of Eden, where she asked questions about how and where to worship God (John 4:20). If, indeed, she is partaking of the Tree of Life (Jesus), she is no longer in rebellion, and no longer partaking of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In other words, she is no longer making her own decisions about what is good for her and what is not. Unlike the Jewish authorities (cp. John 2:18), the woman trusts Jesus to lead her into the truth. She began with a theological question: where is the correct place of worship, Jerusalem (Mt. Moriah, vis-à-vis the Temple) or Shechem (Mt. Gerizim, whose temple was destroyed by the Jewish leader, John Hycranus, in the second century BC). Even today, folks, likewise, inquire, which is the best church for worship. Where is the most authentic place to meet with God? Nevertheless, such questions, whether purposeful or ignorant, take one’s mind and heart away from a relationship with God, found in the Garden of Eden, the Most Holy Place, and places it back on the physical knowledge of what is right and wrong, vis-à-vis eating from the Tree of Knowledge.
Interestingly, Jesus didn’t recommend Jerusalem as the proper place of worship (John 4:21), even though salvation is of the Jews. That is, accurate knowledge about God comes through the Old Covenant text. All other so-called sacred texts express only ignorance of God (John 4:22). Therefore, Jesus didn’t reply to the woman’s question, according to her query, because, if the Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, having no place one could point to on a map to show its location (cp. John 3:3; Luke 17:20-21), how could there be a physical place, a city, a temple, a church etc., whereby it would be the correct place for worship? Instead, Jesus told the woman that God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
Both the woman of Samaria and the Jewish authorities knew Jesus had come from God (John 4:19; cp. 3:1-2), yet they responded differently to this understanding. While the Jewish authorities continued to seek after signs (John 2:22), expressing unbelief and seeking knowledge through their own understanding (John 3:4, 9-12), the woman simply testified that, when Messiah comes, he will teach the ignorant all they need to know to satisfy their hearts (John 4:25).
At that moment, in the clearest manner possible, Jesus revealed he was the Messiah (John 4:26). On all other occasions he offered signs or miracles that proved he was the Messiah who was to come, but here in Samaria, no signs were needed. So, he simply told the woman: “I who speak with you am he (John 4:26). That is, ‘I am the Messiah!’
One could almost imagine the woman’s surprise and astonishment. Looking at Jesus and backing away, she left her water pot (John 4:28) and hurried into the city and told everyone she met: “Come and see the man who told me all about myself—everything I’ve ever done. Mustn’t this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29), so the men, also, went out to meet Jesus (John 4:30). Thus, the education of the elite Jews (the authorities) proved inadequate, as far as ending their rebellion against God and submitting to the Messiah was concerned. Rather, the simple faith of an ostracized woman is seen to be all that’s needed to come into a correct relationship with God. Education is a good thing, helpful in many ways, as that pertains to this world, even those things concerning the Kingdom of God. However, as it pertains to finding God and healing the breach between God and man, education is useless. Confession and trust is what leads us into God’s presence (Kingdom).
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