One day, early in His ministry among the Jews, Jesus "left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And He must needs go through Samaria. 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. . . . 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. "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 wouldst have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 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 {36} shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. . . . "The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 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. "The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come. He will tell us all things. [Sidenote: The testimony of the people of Sychar.] "Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He." When she heard this remarkable declaration, the woman ran back to the city of Sychar and told the people what Jesus had said to her, asking them, "Can this be the Christ?" The people of Sychar went out themselves to see Jesus, and invited Him to stay with them. Jesus stayed there for two days, and many believed in Him because of His teachings. And when He left them to continue His journey to Galilee, the people said to the woman who had first met Jesus, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the World." {37} [Sidenote: Jesus taught always that He is the Christ.]