1-3 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4-6 And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. (i.e. Around midday)

7-9 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) John 4:1-9 English Standard Version

The writer of this gospel shows how the opposition to Jesus began early in His ministry. Jesus got to hear of the growing concern amongst the Pharisees because He now had an even larger following than John the Baptiser, so He left Jerusalem to return to the region of Galilee. He was experiencing the sort of suspicion and hatred which we may also sometimes meet up with. But this wasn't the only area in which He knew what it was like to be human. What do verses 4-6 tell us about human experience?

Journeys can leave us weary. We experience hunger and thirst. We need rest and refreshment. And there are times when we are dependent on others to meet some of our needs. Because Jesus was fully human, even though He had come from the Father above, He experienced such things too. A familiar Christmas carol for children picks up on this thought and says: “For He is our childhood's pattern, day by day, like us He grew; He was little, weak and helpless, tears and smiles like us He knew.” This can be a comforting and encouraging truth.

The writer of the New Testament book Hebrews certainly saw this. Writing to Christians who were experiencing hunger and cold because of fierce opposition, he reminds them that, since those who Jesus came to save have 'flesh and blood', “He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18 (New International Version).

The fact that Jesus was fully human means that He fully understands the frailty of our flesh. So in Chapter 4 of Hebrews we read: “We don't have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses - but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

We see something of the empathy of Jesus Christ in vs 7-8 of today's reading. He starts a conversation with a woman who his disciples, and possibly many people in her own town, would have scorned. The chapter goes on to explain that she had been through five relationships and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. The verses which follow today's section show that Jesus' asking her for a drink was actually more for her sake than His own. He would go on to use physical thirst He was feeling to speak of a far deeper thirst in the lives of men and women. Why? Because, as Hebrews said, “it's not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants.”

Jesus fully became a human being - because He had come into the world to save human beings. He knows exactly what it's like to be tempted, and to experience all the things that can fill us with sorrow and fears. We can take encouragement from this in our frequent weak and helpless situations.