All of Jesus' disciples were men. But, that didn't mean that He didn't care about women. There were many women who were friends with Jesus, and many others that Jesus blessed.
John 4:1-4- When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria.
It's important to note that only Jesus' disciples baptized. If baptism were a part of Salvation, then Jesus Himself would've been baptizing people.
Jesus had to travel through the city of Samaria. Remember in the Old Testament when the nation of Israel split in two? Jerusalem was the capital of the part called Judah, and Samaria became the capital of the part called Israel.
When the Jews went into captivity, the people left in Samaria began to marry with the others who came to live in the land. They became half-Jew and half-Gentile. Because of this mixture, neither the Jews nor the Gentiles wanted anything to do with them.
But, Jesus wasn't afraid to go there.
John 4:5-8- Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Jesus was sitting on a well the Jacob had digged way back before the Jews were even considered a nation. He was waiting for His disciples to bring food back for Him to eat.
As He was sitting there, a woman came out of the city to draw some water. She was amazed when Jesus started talking to her.
John 4:9- Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
She asked Jesus why He was talking to her. Why was this Jew asking her for a drink of water?
John 4:10- Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Jesus proceeded to tell her that He could give her living water. Do you know what He was talking about?
He was trying to tell her that He was the Messiah, the one that they had been waiting for.
She thought He meant some miracle and wanted to know if He was mightier than their ancestor who had digged the well.
John 4:13-14- Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Jesus told her that the water which He could give would be everlasting- it would never end. He wanted her to know that the Salvation that He was coming to bring could be received by asking and could never be lost!
John 4:15- The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
She thought that He meant literal water. She was hoping that He could give her magical water that would fill her up and she would never have to lug her pitcher down to the well to draw water again.
Jesus asked her to go get her husband. She said she wasn't married. But, when Jesus told her that He knew how many times she had been married, and how she was living now, she realized that He knew things only a prophet could know.
She asked Him a question that her whole town had probably wondered about for many generations, "Do we really have to worship at Jerusalem only?"
You see, the Jews worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem. And, they required all who worshiped The Lord God Almighty to come there to worship and sacrifice. But, they hated the Samaritans, so the Samaritans didn't like going there.
John 4:21, 23-24- Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus told her that the Lord God Almighty was a Spirit. He was like the wind- everywhere, but you couldn't see Him.
So, the woman told Jesus that she knew that one day the Messiah would come. The promise from God of a Holy Man that could be seen.
John 4:26- Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
As Jesus was plainly telling her that He was the Messiah, His disciples were returning from the market.
John 4:27-29- And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
The disciples themselves wouldn't talk to the Samaritans, they were Jews. So, they were surprised that Jesus was having a conversation with this woman. They were probably even more surprised when she ran back to the city without her water jug, and returned a short time later with many people from the city!
John 4:30, 39-41 - Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word;
The disciples couldn't believe that Jesus was willing to stay in the city of the half-breeds! But, Jesus had a message for them.
John 4:34-36- Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
Jesus told them that not only were they like fishermen who caught people, but that they were like gardeners who were gathering the ripe fruits and veggies from the fields. They were to gather souls through salvation from all over the world.
But, this wasn't the only woman that Jesus helped.
Luke 8:1-3- And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Jesus had many women who worshiped Him. There was one lady that had seven wicked devils living in her. Jesus told those devils to go away and leave her alone. She followed Jesus all the way to the foot of the cross. She was so thankful to Jesus that she stayed with Him whenever she got the opportunity. She was also the first person to see Jesus after He rose from the grave!
There were some other women who had gone to the grave to see Jesus when they found the empty tomb.They, too, were friends and followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry.
Luke 10:38-42- Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Mary and Martha lived with their brother, Lazarus. Jesus would sometimes stop and visit them on his way through their village. Martha was busy running about serving Jesus and His disciples. But, Mary was sitting at His feet listening as He taught.
This made Martha upset. Here she was bustling about to make sure everyone was taking care of, and yet Mary wouldn't even move from her spot to assist.
When Martha complained to Jesus about it, Jesus told her that Mary had chosen something that was needful and good. She was learning what the Lord God Almighty wanted them to know. Martha should've been learning, too, but she was preoccupied with other, less important, things.
There was another time when the Pharisees had caught a woman doing something she shouldn't have been doing. Their law said that she was guilty of death! They dragged her out to Jesus to see what He would do.
John 8:1-6- Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
Jesus heard their accusations, but instead of saying, "Then kill her." He crouched down and started writing something in the dust. The Bible never tells us what He wrote.
It could be that He wrote the part of Scripture that said that the women should die, but so should the other person who sinned along with her. It could be that He listed out the 10 Commandments so that they were reminded that they were all sinners.
We won't know until we get to heaven, but we do know that whatever He wrote convicted them!
John 8:7-9- So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Those wicked Pharisees knew all the evil that they themselves tried to hide from others. They quietly turned around and walked away without saying another word to the woman or Jesus.
When Jesus finally stood back up, the only person left standing there from the tribunal was the woman.
John 8:10-11- When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Jesus looked at her and asked where those men were that were shouting for her death. She probably felt embarrassed knowing that she deserved what they had brought her there to do, but she raised her eyes and said, "No man, Lord."
Those words ring out truth, because humans can't really accuse others of sin without acknowledging that they, too, are sinners. But, the Lord God Almighty is no man, or He wasn't. The only one who could truly accuse her of sin was standing before her- God as a man, the Messiah!
But, Jesus didn't kill her, or even accuse her! He forgave her.
The same loving Savior that forgave that woman so long ago, still forgives those who humbly come to Him and confess their sins.
I John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What a wonderful Savior to forgive us even when we are guilty!
