Bruce Milne (Bible Speaks Today commentary on John) identifies the following features of Jesus evangelistic method:-

1.  His relevance. The whole conversation is couched in terms which the woman could understand. Even when Jesus attempts to take her beyond present experience by talking about eternal life, his teaching is shaped by her experience (so, living water), and she is given handles from her experience to help her grasp it.

2.  His humanity and naturalness. At no point is Jesus ‘odd’. The conversation appears to flow easily, despite the major social taboos which Jesus is breaking and the profoundly disparate lifestyles of the participants. Jesus is clearly ‘at ease’ with her, which frees her to confront her deepest needs.

3.  His knowledge. He is well aware not only of the woman’s lifestyle and background, but also of the finer points of the historic relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans, and so can relate competently to her questions. While clearly supernatural dimensions appear in the story, much of Jesus’ knowledge had come from dedicated study of the Scriptures in his early years and his willingness to acquaint himself with the social and religious history of his people.

4.  His moral integrity and directness. What Jesus offers her is no ‘easy believism’. The effects of the fall in her life are not swept under the carpet. The woman’s response to Jesus’ invitation was an emotional one, but it was also moral, involving new relationships and a new sensitivity to her behaviour.

5.  His positive presentation. Although the moral needs of the woman are confronted and the call to repentance is issued, Jesus’ presentation is a thoroughly positive and winsome one. He plainly tells the woman what she is offered, viz. eternal life, and he takes pains to ensure that she grasps the full terms of it.

6.  His refusal to be side-tracked. Jesus’ goal is clear and he keeps it in sight, viz. the woman’s putting her faith in him. The question concerning the Jew/Samaritan divide is not dismissed, but neither is it allowed to deflect Jesus.

7.  His compassion and sensitivity. Through the entire conversation Jesus deals with her as a person in her own right, with her unique history and special longings. She emerges in the account as a credible character with personal dignity—because Jesus treats her as such. Simply put, Jesus loved her and was prepared to breach age-old conventions to reach her. Our failures in evangelism are so often failures in love. Nothing is so guaranteed to draw others to share our living water than an awareness that we genuinely care about them. ‘People want to know that we care before they care about what we know.’