Jesus returns north to Galilee and passes through Samaria for a divine appointment (4:1–6). When a Samaritan woman comes to draw water at a well outside of town, Jesus surprises her by asking for a drink. It was extremely unusual for a Jewish teacher to speak with such a woman, but Jesus engages her in a lengthy conversation (4:9). He begins with a spiritual analogy (“living water” in 4:10). She misunderstands him by taking him literally, much like Nicodemus had done earlier (4:11–12, 15). Jesus explains more about “living water” before revealing prophetic insight i…