Part 3: Living Water Within
John 4:19–26
When you’ve spent years trying to hide, the moment someone sees you can feel both terrifying and sacred. That was the turning point for the woman at the well.
Jesus had just spoken into the deepest, most painful parts of her life. Instead of shutting down or running away, she shifted the conversation, perhaps nervously, perhaps sincerely.
“Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
— John 4:19–20
Her question wasn’t random. In fact, it revealed something deeper than discomfort. It pointed to a longing. A desire to understand what it means to worship. A hope that maybe, just maybe, she could still be welcomed by God.
She had just been seen and not rejected. Could it be possible that she could be loved, too? That she had a place in God’s presence?
From Religion to Relationship
Jesus doesn’t dismiss her question. He answers it with one of the most powerful truths about worship ever recorded.
“The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father... the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”
— John 4:21–23
For generations, Samaritans and Jews had debated where to worship - Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem. Entire religious systems were built on rituals, locations, and strict traditions. But Jesus says something radical.
Worship is not about the place. It’s about the Person.
The mountain won’t save you. The temple won’t purify you. No tradition or law can replace the relationship God desires with His people.
“Worship is not an event. It is a posture of the heart in response to the presence of God.”
— Louie Giglio
Jesus is pointing her beyond religion to something deeper. Something eternal. Something that begins with Him.
The Worship God Desires
It’s easy to think of worship as a Sunday morning activity. We sing. We raise our hands. We sit through a sermon. But Jesus says true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.
What does that mean?
To worship in spirit means it comes from the heart. It is not about performance or obligation. It’s fueled by the Holy Spirit and grounded in personal connection.
To worship in truth means it aligns with who God really is. Not who we want Him to be. Not how we feel on any given day. Worship in truth stands on the foundation of Scripture and the revelation of Jesus Christ.
This kind of worship is not just about music or location. It is about surrender.
It’s about women who have been broken and still choose to bow before the One who heals.
It’s about women who have felt unwanted and find themselves wanted by God Himself.
It’s about women who are thirsty for something real and find that the living water has come to dwell within them.
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
— John 4:24
Her Identity Begins to Shift
Something is changing in the woman. Her tone, her posture, her focus.
“The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.’”
— John 4:25
It’s almost like she’s reaching for hope. She doesn’t have it all figured out, but she remembers the promise of the Messiah. She’s clinging to what little truth she knows. And in that moment, Jesus reveals what He had hidden from so many others.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he.’”
— John 4:26
This is the first time in the Gospel of John that Jesus publicly identifies Himself as the Messiah. Not to a religious leader. Not to a faithful disciple. But to a Samaritan woman with a painful past and a searching heart.
Jesus didn’t just restore her dignity. He revealed Himself to her.
Worship Begins With Revelation
Real worship begins not with our efforts, but with a revelation of who Jesus is.
The more clearly we see Him, the more deeply we respond in love and awe. When this woman realized she wasn’t just speaking to a kind stranger or a prophet, everything changed. The same happens for us.
When Jesus is just a name or a tradition, worship feels empty.
When He becomes our Savior and our source, worship becomes life-giving.
When we encounter Him as the One who sees, knows, and still stays, we begin to see ourselves differently too. Loved. Invited. Filled.
The Living Water Within
Earlier, Jesus had promised her a spring of living water that would well up inside her.
“The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
— John 4:14
This living water isn’t just a fresh start. It’s the indwelling presence of God that brings ongoing renewal. It doesn’t run dry. It doesn’t depend on a place or a performance. It flows from intimacy with Christ.
That is worship in spirit and truth.
And that is what turns a woman of shame into a woman of influence.
Next, we will see her step fully into her purpose. But it started here—with a revelation, a response, and the beginning of a new identity.
Reflection Questions
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What has shaped your understanding of worship? Do you see it more as a routine or as a response to Jesus?
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Are you worshiping in spirit and in truth, or are you still holding back parts of your heart from God?
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How does knowing Jesus revealed Himself to this woman affect your view of who He desires to use?
Practical Application
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Take time this week to worship in private. No music needed. Just you, your Bible, and a heart ready to respond. Read John 4:19–26 and talk to God about what it means to worship in spirit and truth.
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Write down who Jesus has revealed Himself to be in your life. Savior, Provider, Friend, Healer—reflect on what those names mean to you personally.
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Let your worship go beyond Sunday. Try worshiping through service, silence, confession, or gratitude during your week.
Closing Prayer
Jesus,
You are the Messiah, the One I have been longing for, even when I didn’t know how to say it.
Thank You for meeting me in the ordinary moments and speaking truth into my heart.
I want to worship You—not just with songs, but with my life.
Teach me what it means to worship in spirit and truth.
Let Your living water well up within me so I don’t have to go searching in dry places again.
Shape my identity through Your eyes, not my past.
Amen.
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