The Woman at the Well (Type-Scene 3)

In the Gospel of John, we hear the story of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at a well. Most sermons focus on the foreignness of the Samaritan woman: her identity as a “Samaritan” is contrasted with Jesus’s identity as a “Judean.” This then leads the preacher to speak about the inclusive nature of the Gospel. However, this scene is a type-scene, one that goes back to Genesis. So, if it’s a type-scene, we must ask: what is the hearer supposed to recognize about this scene? Well, the answer is that we’re supposed to recognize that two future spouses are meeting. This is their introduction to each other, an introduction that’ll eventually lead to wedding bells. Now, this story—about Jesus and the Samaritan woman—just got interesting. If this scene is really an “encounter with a future spouse,” what then is John trying to say? What’s his point? The Bottom Line: When two folks at a well meet, their just might be wedding bells about to ring!