John 4:7 says that the woman from Samaria came to the well to draw (ἀντλῆσαι) water, which is striking because this verb for drawing featured prominently in Jesus’s first sign, in chapter 2. At the wedding in Cana, just three page flips backward in NA28, Jesus told the wedding attendants, “Now, draw (ἀντλήσατε) water and take it to the master of ceremonies” (John 2:8). John says that those who drew (οἱ ἠντληκότες) the water knew where the water had come from, but the MC didn’t until he tasted it (John 2:9). “Drawing water” connects these stories together: the woman at the well (chapter 4) and the wedding at Cana (chapter 2).

If you recognize the verbal connection, you know something special is about to happen. The symbol of water, and especially “drawing water” in chapters 2–4, is a special means through which John reveals Jesus’s identity. Recognizing the verbal connection prompts you to listen carefully. Revelation is coming: Jesus has power over water; he satisfies thirst and brings joy (wedding at Cana). He’s the one who gives the Spirit without measure, as John said in 3:24. He’ll explain all this to the woman at the well if we keep reading chapter 4.