JOHN CHAPTER FOUR
Jesus and the Woman of Samaria
In John 4 Jesus gives His message to a number of people in a variety of different cultural situations: the sinful Samaritan woman, His own disciples, the many Samaritans who trusted in Him, and finally, a nobleman and his household.
How do you want to live your life? Do you want to serve God and other people, or be like most people in the world today and serve yourself? You can close your eyes to the pain, need, and ugliness of the world and you may get by rather comfortably without a lot of major difficulties. But you will miss out on the true joy and fulfillment that comes from a life of serving your Creator and those He has created. Such people for the most part never contribute anything of lasting value to people and those generations that follow them. Those who decide to spend their lives serving God and others will, however, find what can be described as true joy both here and now and in Heaven for eternity. Such people often leave some pretty large footprints on the world. The selfish, self-serving person will never see lives changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. What a pity! The servant of God on the other hand will often be blessed by seeing great things happening by the power of God.
Do you think there is much of a need in the world for a ministering heart? Just look at the numbers. How many people in the world are on their way to Hell because they believe the teachings of Islam? How many people are on their way to Hell because they believe in the teaching of Mormonism? How many people are on their way to Hell because they believe the teaching of Buddhism, Shamanism, ancestor worship, the occult, and hundreds of other off-the-wall religions? How many people might be saved if someone was willing to go where there are no Christians and tell the people there about the salvation that God offers through Christ? People that are willing to go where others have not gone before to tell people the Good News of Christ make great personal sacrifices, but the satisfaction is the kind that only can be known by those who have done it. The story of Jesus and the woman at the well gives us a good illustration of a ministering heart.
As John 4 opens we see that Jesus has decided to conclude the baptizing ministry that His disciples have been carrying on in Judea and move on to Galilee by way of Samaria. Now Jews had a tremendous prejudice against Samaritans and often would travel around the country rather than through it. But Christ chose to walk through this country. As Jesus and His disciples were traveling through Samaria they came to a town called Sychar, which was near a parcel of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was close by so Jesus, who was exhausted from His long walk, sent His disciples into town to buy supplies and then sat down by the well to rest. It was about the sixth hour [12 noon (John 4:5-6)]. You will find some difference of opinion among scholars on this issue of time. Some contend they started counting their day from 6 A.M., others counter that they started counting from 12 noon. Studying a number of passages where this term is used leads us to believe starting at 6 A.M. is the best understanding.
But first, let us get an overview of this passage.
John 4:1-10 ESV:
1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),
3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
4 And he had to pass through Samaria.
5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
6 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.
7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)
9 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.)
10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
Now we will walk through the passage verse by verse.
John 4:1-3 ESV:
1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),
3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
Jesus was rapidly becoming very popular in the province of Judea causing the Pharisees to become more and more concerned about the number of followers He was attracting. Jesus could sense the conflict that was developing and in order to prevent a confrontation He left Judea because He would likely have been persecuted to the point of death, as He eventually would be, because of the hatred the Pharisees held for Him. As this was not yet the time God had in mind for this to occur, Jesus withdrew from Judea on what we could consider a missionary trip to Samaria and Galilee.
Do you remember what John said about Jesus in John 2: 24-25? “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”[fn] Jesus also knew what was in a woman as we are about to see in His encounter with the Samaritan woman. This interchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman “contrasts sharply with Nicodemus. He was seeking; she was indifferent. He was a respected ruler; she was an outcast. He was serious; she was flippant. He was a Jew; she was a despised Samaritan. He was (presumably) moral; she was immoral. He was orthodox; she was heterodox. He was learned in religious matters; she was ignorant. Yet in spite of all the differences between this ‘churchman’ and this woman of the world, they both needed to be born again. Both had needs only Christ could meet.”[fn]
We read about Jesus coming into the land of Judea (John 3:22), after he had kept the Passover at Jerusalem (John 2:13). Jesus then left Judea four months before harvest time as we are told in John 4:35. If we do the math this means that Jesus stayed in Judea for about six months. There are no accounts of His teaching or miracles in the Judean countryside.[fn]
John 4:4 ESV:
4 And he had to pass through Samaria.
In Jesus’ day the Jews, because of their hatred for the Samaritans, normally took the eastern route in order to avoid Samaria. But Jesus chose the route through Samaria in order to reach the despised people of that region. As the Savior of the world He seeks out and saves the despised and outcasts (Luke 19:10).[fn]
The Samaritans were a mixed race of people who were part Jew and part Gentile as the result of the ten northern tribes being driven from the northern kingdom of Israel in 727 B.C. Because they claimed a Jewish ancestry but were unable to prove it, the Jews in Judea came to hate them for claiming to be something that a true Jew could not accept. No true Jew could have mixed parentage. But the Samaritans did not give up their claim easily. They built their own temple and established their own religious services on Mt. Gerizim. This made the Jews even more angry. When His enemies wanted to insult Jesus they called Him a Samaritan (John 8:48).
Jesus knew, however, how carefully God had planned out His life and ministry so that specific people would be in the right place at the right time so that Jesus would be able to minister to them. We cannot recall the source of this story but it illustrates very well in modern day terms what happened in Samaria between Jesus and the Samaritan woman:
“I have not forgotten the frustration of traveling 250 miles across the Mojave Desert to take some young people witnessing. When we got there, we could not find a place to camp. We drove up and down that stretch of river near Parker, Arizona, trying to find a place, and it was getting dark. Finally we pulled into a camp and found a place to pitch our tent — right next to five boys who eventually trusted Christ. Three of them are in the ministry today. I came to realize that my frustration was a prelude to God's sovereign appointment.”[fn]
Stuart Briscoe has shared a story that is even more dramatic. When he was at Caper Wray Bible School, he and his wife were separated from each other for a day. He had left her the car, but he had accidentally taken the keys with him. After a couple of hours, Jill borrowed another car, and as she was driving down the road she saw some girls hitchhiking, so she picked them up. They turned out to be three German girls visiting England. She managed to persuade these girls to come with her to a conference for German Christian young people, and one of them was marvelously saved there. Afterwards Stuart Briscoe told that girl's story:
“She was a theological student in Germany. She had come under the influence of some teaching that, instead of leading her to an intelligent worship of God, had filled her with much doubt and confusion. She had delivered an ultimatum to the God whose existence she doubted. She told God that if he was there he should show himself to her in some way. He must do this within three months. If he didn't, she told him, ‘I'll quit my schooling, quit theology, quit religion, and I think I'm going to quit living because there's nothing to live for.’
“After explaining this, she turned to my wife with great emotion and said, ‘The three months end today.’”[fn]
John 4:5-6 ESV:
5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
6 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.
Jesus, tired from walking for many miles, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour, which according to the way time was kept in the synoptic gospels, would have been 12 noon (John 1:39; 19:14). Because Jesus was fully human as well as being fully God, He experienced all the feelings that you and I feel in our humanness. Things such as pain, hunger, thirst, and tiredness.
So just imagine how tired you might be after walking perhaps 10 miles on a hot, dusty road. You would probably just want to sit back close your eyes and completely relax. But then He either saw or heard a woman approaching. As tired as Jesus must have been He knew that this woman needed to be witnessed to. Perhaps there is a message here for those of us who get so weary we do not think we can carry on. But just as Jesus did, so should we (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 11; John 4:28-29).
Luther said he worked so hard that when he went to bed, he literally fell into bed. In fact, one account says he did not change the sheets on his bed for a year! Now that's tired! Moody's bedtime prayer on one occasion was, "Lord, I am tired. Amen." Calvin's biographers marvel at his output. John Wesley rode horseback sixty to seventy miles a day and on an average preached three sermons a day. When Alexander Maclaren went into his study he took off his slippers and put on working men's boots because he knew that a minister of God is to be a workingman! Jesus’ example calls us to open wide our hearts and by doing so to be vulnerable to pain and disappointment as we reach out in love to others.[fn]
John 4:7-9 ESV:
7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)
9 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.).
As this woman approached she must have been shocked when Jesus spoke to her. She must have been shocked even further when this Jewish man asked her for a drink. The custom of the day in that part of the world did not permit public conversation between men and women, between Jews and Samaritans, and especially between strangers. A Jewish Rabbi would rather go thirsty than violate these customs.
She must have been panicked over the fact that this man spoke to her and asked her to give Him a drink. A Rabbinic law of A.D. 66 stated that Samaritan women were considered as continually menstruating and thus unclean. Therefore a Jew who drank from a Samaritan woman’s vessel would become ceremonially unclean.
So here we see Jesus going against not only racial prejudice, but also against gender prejudice or sexual bias.
Jesus calls us to reach out and across to others regardless of the gender and cultural barriers. Have you allowed such barriers to prevent you from sharing Christ with people you see frequently because they are different than you? Perhaps Jesus is asking us to step out of our comfort zones.
John 4:10 ESV:
10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
We have a situation here in which Jesus is saying, “You may be shocked by the fact that I, a Jew, asked you, a Samaritan woman, for a drink. But if you knew who I really am, your shock would be ten times greater, and instead of my asking you for a drink, you would ask me for a drink of living water.” What would your reaction be to someone who spoke those words to you? I bet you would wonder just who this guy is to say something like that; what this gift is that He is talking about, and what in the world is living water? “Living water” is the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8; John 7:38-39). The Samaritan woman’s interest was obviously stimulated because she was willing to continue the conversation. We are about to see how the greatest witness of all time dealt with various kinds of people.
Jesus does not even respond to the issue she raises about the prejudice Jews have for Gentiles. Jesus will bring this woman to an understanding of salvation through faith by showing her that she does not understand those things that are truly meaningful in one’s life, that her behavior has been immoral, and that she needs a Savior. A Savior who willingly will provide her what she needs most in life—forgiveness and salvation. She will also learn that it is offered as a gift. She need do nothing to earn it.
He will show her that He, Jesus Christ, is the gift of God, and that it is a great honor and privilege to have this gift offered to us. And in spite of this truth there are many who are unaware that God is calling them to come and receive the gift. God had been calling people for thousands of years, first through the spoken Word and then through the written Word of the Old Testament.[fn] Jesus will provide salvation and give the Holy Spirit to all who ask Him.
LIVING WATER
John 4:11-15
At one time or another you have probably seen either a cartoon or an old western movie where a cowboy is out on the desert and the heat is beating down on him. The sun is shining brightly and you just know that it is over 100°. The cowboy may be depicted as crawling along the ground, gasping, “Water . . . water!” but there is no water in sight.
Having spent a bit of time in Arizona, we have a great appreciation for the fact that you do not go out on the desert without a sufficient supply of water. If water is so essential to human survival, then how much more essential is spiritual, Living Water that nourishes our souls.
John 4:11-15 ESV:
11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."
13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."
This Samaritan woman is obviously clueless at this point concerning what Jesus is talking about. How could she know at this point in their conversation that Jesus was talking about eternal life? The gift that Jesus refers toin both verses 10 and 14 is eternal life.
In verse 10, Jesus suggests to her that there is something she needs to know but as yet does not know. In language she does not yet understand Jesus tells her that she is ignorant of two things: the gift of God (salvation) and the identity of the Savior in her presence. It is an undeserved privilege to have this gift of God offered to us and to have the opportunity of accepting it.[fn] Jesus speaks of Living Water, the Holy Spirit, which is the water of life, but she thinks Jesus is referring to the regular water they draw from the well. Confusion between the physical and the spiritual was not uncommon among those Jesus spoke to. Nicodemus thought Christ was referring to physical birth when he said to Jesus: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born” (John 3:4). Even Jesus’ own disciples misinterpreted what Jesus meant by food in John 4:31–34, where we read:
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (ESV)
They must have been unaccustomed to the use of metaphors in everyday speech. Metaphors use commonly understood phrases in a symbolic fashion in order to emphasize a point. We say such things as “she’s as sharp as a tack,” which means the person referred to is very smart. We also would use the expression: “Tom is burning the candle at both ends,” which means he is driving himself to the point of collapse. The Jews of Jesus’ day were familiar with the Old Testament scriptures that frequently used poetic language, including the use of metaphors. For instance, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10 NAS). Now, the name of God is not a literal tower, but the image of being able to run into a tower gives a sense of God’s power and protection. However it seems that many of the people with whom Jesus talked took His words very literally or concretely, possibly because they did not realize His divinity. Here we see that the woman at the well shows that she is taking Christ’s words about water very literally.
Jesus is attempting to help the Samaritan woman recognize that the things of this world do not really satisfy a person’s longings. Therefore, people who do not have this gift of salvation and eternal life that Christ brings in the form of Living Water, the Holy Spirit, will always “be thirsty again.” Jesus promises that the water of life will provide a constant spring of flowing water in her heart and keep her continually satisfied. Apparently the Samaritan woman still did not have a clue as to what Jesus was talking about but whatever it was it sounded desirable, so she asked Jesus if she could have some of this water. “She imagined a constant water supply would eliminate her visits to the well thus saving her a lot of work.”[fn]
John 4:11-12 ESV:
11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."
She must have thought Jesus to be some kind of a nut to suggest to her that He could provide her with water from a deep well without having any method of drawing it. She could readily see that Jesus did not have a bucket. So how could He boast of being able to get any kind of water out of a deep well? She does not believe He is capable of furnishing her with any water. There are those who will trust Christ only if they can see Him, and will not believe His promise unless He makes it visible to them. They cannot believe in His ability to perform miracles and raise the dead to life unless they see it personally. They think that God is limited to the things that we know about the natural world, the things that science can explain according to the scientific method that man has established. Imagine God being limited to our methods. If that were the case, what kind of a God would He be? He would be no greater than any human being on this earth. What a scary thought that is! Can you imagine God having no more power than your neighbor or your uncle Harry or your boss? We want to know that our God is capable of all kinds of things that we cannot understand. In that way we know that Heaven will be a far better place than what we find here on earth and that God has wonders in store for us that we could not possibly even imagine.
Jesus did not need a bucket to draw water from this well or any other well. He could make water gush forth from any well, or for that matter from a rock, a tree, or a housetop. That is why He is God and we are not. The fountain of life is hidden with Christ and He has more than enough for each of us even though we cannot see it.
This woman then suggested that Jesus could not compare Himself with the Jewish patriarch, Jacob, whom she referred to as Father, and who had dug the well. She infers that no one is greater than Jacob and even he would have required a bucket to draw from the well. She does not think it possible that anyone could provide her with any better water than the water the patriarch Jacob provided for her. She might have been thinking, “Who does this braggart think He is?” She could not imagine that anyone could be greater or do anything that Jacob could not do. Was she in store for a surprise!
If a person, however, was familiar with the Old Testament they would know that there were a number of passages that compared the promises of God with water: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3 ESV).
Ezekiel 36:25–27 ESV:
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Then how about this verse from the Old Testament: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants” (Isaiah 44:3 NAS). The comparison of water with the Spirit is an Old Testament concept, and the reference to eternal life in John 4:14 is clearly associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit. This is seen again later in John 6:63 NLT:
“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing.”
So many people do not recognize this information as coming from God. They did not recognize it when Jesus walked the earth and told them directly. Many have not recognized it in every generation since the time of Christ right up to this present day. Jesus tells this woman what He would have done for her if she had only asked for it. Asking is all anyone has to do to be given salvation and eternal life through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
They simply have to ask for forgiveness of their sin and believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin. When they do that God will by His grace give them the gift of salvation which provides eternal life in Heaven. The gift, the Living Water, is the Holy Spirit of God which comes to live within them as a confirmation of their salvation and a guarantee of living forever in Heaven. The Holy Spirit also provides the recipient of this gift with all the power of God at their disposal if they ask for it and if their request is something that is within the will of God. God hears the requests (prayers) of all who have come to faith in Christ. If one prays for something that is within God’s will for the world, that prayer will be granted, but not always in the form that the person praying expects. In fact God may answer the prayer in a way that the one making the request will never know about.
Those who do not believe and accept the message brought from God by Jesus will never see Heaven. They will only see Hell and that is where they will spend their eternity. Many people who have rejected the message of Jesus and still consider themselves to be spiritual by following a religion or belief system of their own choosing, often talk about prayer and praying. They will use the same language as Christians do, telling people things such as: “We’ll pray for you to get well,” or “We pray every morning for God’s guidance,” or “We’ll keep you in our prayers.” I do not know whether or not they truly believe their prayers are heard and/or answered, but I can tell you that the prayers of an unbeliever simply bounce off the ceiling. The only time God will consider a prayer from one who has not accepted Christ as Savior would be if that person were asking God for something that would give them more understanding about the truth of His message. Other than that their prayers will not be heard, much less answered. How do we know that? Because the Bible tells us so. Just listen:
James 5:16 NLT:
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
James 1:5-8 NLT:
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Matthew 6:7 NLT:
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
James 4:3 NLT:
And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
Psalm 66:18 NLT:
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
Isaiah 59:2 NLT:
It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
John 9:31 NLT:
God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.
Proverbs 1: 24-28 NLT:
[God says to His people] 24 “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
25 You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered.
26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
28 “When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
Proverbs 28:9 NLT:
God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law.
Jeremiah 11:11-14 NLT:
11 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their cries.
12 Then the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes!
13 Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.
14 “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.
Job 27:8-9 NLT:
8 For what hope do the godless have when God cuts them off and takes away their life?
9 Will God listen to their cry when trouble comes upon them?
Luke 18:11-14 NLT:
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!
12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’
14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
We hope you now have a very good understanding of the type of prayers and pray-ers that God will hear and answer. Let us now continue with John 4:13-14 ESV:
13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Jesus now begins to explain to the woman exactly what He is talking about. This water from Jacob’s well would satisfy a person’s physical thirst for a short time. But the water Jesus is referring to will provide continual satisfaction of all that a person could want or desire. In addition anyone who drinks the Living Water that Jesus offers will have within them a spring of life-giving water (John 7:38-39) that continually provides for them throughout eternity. This inner spring of water is far different from the water from the well, which required a great deal of hard work to get. “Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who brings salvation to a person who believes and through Him (the Holy Spirit) offers salvation to others.”[fn] Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who accomplishes two things: He brings salvation to a person who believes in Christ and His work on the Cross, and He offers salvation to those who need to believe.
Although this woman had been somewhat sarcastic, Jesus did not give up and walk away. He was patient and gentle with her. He tells her that the Living Water Hehad to offer was far better than what she could draw from Jacob’s well. He is trying to help her to understand that the things of this world are not eternal, but when one has the salvation provided by the Holy Spirit of God, one has a gift that will last forever. If one places their hope and trust in the things of this world, they may have a certain amount of enjoyment for a limited amount of time. Then they die and go Hell where they endure torment forever. If one places their trust in the water Jesus is talking about, they receive eternal life the minute they make that commitment and thus experience a joy that will last for all eternity. One would have to be a fool to trade that heavenly joy and security for hell-bent fleeting gratification, but most of the people in the world do exactly that. They reject the promise God offers through Christ for something they think will satisfy them now. But all of those people will one day die, and one second after their death they will realize the horror that they themselves have chosen for their eternity, and there is no opportunity for another chance. So if you are not saved, we would hope you give what Jesus is saying very serious consideration. You see, your decision will be your forever.
The peace and joy we all long for comes to dwell in one’s heart when a person accepts Jesus as Savior. We need only pray for help in any situation and it will be provided even if we do not see the results we are specifically asking for. Consider if you will that you are single and have been asking God to bring you the right person with whom you will fall in love and who will be madly in love with you. The years go by and you date occasionally hoping that this time it will be the one you have longed for. But something always happens to end the relationship. You become discouraged. You question God, asking why He does not answer your prayer, the desire of your heart. Well, do not give up. The time may not be right for you or the other person. Perhaps God has a ministry that you can perform better as a single. Or the problem may be some form of disobedience you need to address. Perhaps you have not really taken the time to understand what it really means to be saved. Perhaps you are persisting in some form of behavior that is preventing God from answering your prayer. It would be a very good idea to take a very careful inventory of what you believe and what you are doing and then go to someone who knows and ask them to help you understand. That could be a Bible-believing pastor or a Christian counselor. Ask God to show you what you need to do and what the problem is. Instead of whining over your bad luck, get to work and find out what you need to do to place yourself within the will of God where He can answer your prayer.
Sometimes we try to satisfy our thirst with the things of this world. For many this futile search for satisfaction takes the form of the As Soon As Disorder. This particular disorder is very easy to diagnose. You can probably determine yourself if you have it. Here are the symptoms: When you are young you say to yourself, “As soon as I get that bicycle I’ll be happy.” After getting the bicycle, you think, “As soon as I get my driver’s license I’ll be happy.” After getting your driver’s license you think, “As soon as I start dating I’ll be happy.” And this pattern goes on throughout one’s life and will include such things as, “As soon as I get married, have children, get a better job, a bigger house, get rid of the children, take those dream vacations, get an even better job, win the lottery, retire,” and then one morning you will wake up and say to yourself, “Even though I have had all of these things I feel an emptiness inside of me. I wonder why?” The answer is that you do not have the Holy Spirit of God in your heart. If you want that to change, you find the change occurs as soon as you confess to God that you know you are a sinner in need of a Savior and that you believe Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins when He died on the cross in order to be that Savior. When you do that and you really mean it, you will begin to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, and once He establishes residence in your heart He will never leave you (Romans 8:38, 39).
John 4:15 ESV:
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."
The woman could still not understand the true meaning of what Jesus was saying, probably because she could not understand anything beyond her own material desires. Here she figures it would be a good deal to have this kind of water she did not have to work so hard to get. Maybe she thought Jesus was about to give her running water. Even though she still did not understand, Jesus continued to be patient with her.
It is true that the things of this world never completely satisfy a person. Those who sought such satisfaction from the world while they were alive are suffering in Hell today, longing for the Living Water that Jesus offers.
“Not long after the conversation we have been discussing, Jesus would attend the Feast of Tabernacles, the autumn harvest feast that commemorated the Israelites' sojourn in the wilderness. It was a colorful event because pilgrims came from all around the world to attend it. They came from the entire circle of the Mediterranean and from as far away as the steppes of Russia. When they arrived, they would build tiny shelters all over Jerusalem in remembrance of their wanderings for forty years. There were even construction rules for the shelters! The walls had to be constructed so as to give shelter but not shut out the sun during the day. The roofs were thatched so the stars could be seen at night. The purpose of these rules, of course, was to remind them that they were once homeless wanderers. It was a festive event, and everyone wore his or her brightest clothes. It was considered by some to be the most festive of all the festivals. For instance, we read in Zechariah 14:16 that the prophet dreamed of a day when the whole world would come to Jerusalem and build shelters at the Feast of Tabernacles.[fn]
“The festivities featured a daily ceremony that began at the temple, where the people gathered together, then formed a processional on down to the Pool of Siloam. Alfred Edersheim, the great authority on Christ's life, tells us that as the people came, they brought palm branches and pieces of willow and cypress to make into wands that they carried in their right hands. In their left they carried a citrus fruit called a ‘paradise apple.’ The branches were meant to remind them of the desert, and the fruit was to remind them of the harvest. When all was ready, the music began, and the great throng headed down to the Pool of Siloam, shaking the branches and citrus fruit rhythmically to the music as they followed the white-clad priest carrying a golden pitcher. When they came to the Pool of Siloam, the priest dipped that pitcher with great joy and carried it back to the temple as the people continued singing and chanting Psalms. As they came to the gates of the temple, there could be heard three loud blasts from silver trumpets, and the priest would enter the temple confines to pour the water on the altar.[fn]
“It was traditionally thought at that time that to see the water poured out on the altar was the high point of a dedicated Jew's life. Some considered it the height of joy. In fact, Edersheim records that a priest by the name of Alexander Janaeus once poured the water on the floor, and there ensued such a riot that around the environs of the temple 6,000 people were killed! As they chanted the Hallel, the great hallelujah Psalms together, there came a pause, and at that time the water was poured out on the altar. It is at that time, according to Edersheim's calculations, that Jesus stood and cried, "'If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit" (John 7:37-38). There could hardly be a more dramatic offer. It is essentially the same offer that Jesus made to the poor Samaritan woman. And it is an offer to us today — the offer of the Holy Spirit. The conditions upon which we may receive Christ's offer are twofold. First, we must thirst, then we must ask.[fn]
"‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water’ (John 4:10). And the woman did ask. The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water’ (John 4:15). At that point a process began that would end in her salvation. How about you? Are the delights that you pursue satisfying for a short time and then gone? Or is your life a well of Living Water, springing up within you, streaming up to eternal life, so that you will never thirst again? If you are thirsting, why not ask for that spiritual water? Jesus always keeps his word.[fn]
Come to His fountain and drink the Living Water today.
No One Does It Better
John 4:16-26
Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this with someone? You are both talking and you realize the person needs to know how to be saved. But you do not know where to start or how to tell them. So the opportunity to witness slips away. Well we are about to get a lesson from Christ Himself on how to witness.
Thus far in John Chapter 4 we have followed Jesus as He left Judea traveling through Samaria on His way to Galilee. Jews would normally take the long way around Samaria to get to Galilee so that they did not have to rub shoulders with the despised Samaritans. But Jesus had no such desire. After a long morning of walking under the hot sun, Jesus and His disciples stopped at Jacob’s well to rest, eat, and refresh themselves. After Jesus’ disciples left to go into town for supplies, Jesus began a conversation with a Samaritan woman who approached the well to draw water. He asked her if she might give Him a drink. This was highly unusual because Jews and Samaritans did not speak to one another and for a Jewish man to speak to a Samaritan woman was even more unusual.
As they continued talking Jesus began to speak to her about salvation and eternal life using the concept of water as an analogy. Although she did not understand immediately what Jesus was talking about, he treated her with gentleness and respect. Let us pick up now on that conversation beginning in John 4:16-26 ESV:
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;
18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
We are about to see how God Himself in the form of the man Jesus leads a seeker to true faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.
John 4:16-18 ESV:
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;
18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
Since the Samaritan woman continued to think that Jesus was referring to a constant supply of water that would eliminate her frequent visits to the well to draw water, she was not able to understand what Jesus was trying to tell her about salvation and eternal life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus therefore redirected the conversation to deal with her most basic problem in order to help her come to an understanding of how her sin was preventing her from receiving salvation and eternal life. Jesus suggested she find her husband and bring him back with her. This suggestion was planned to show her that He knew everything about her, proving that He was no ordinary mortal man. Jesus of course already knew all about this woman‘s marital history as He goes on to reveal in verses 17 and 18, including the fact that she was currently living in sin with a man to whom she was not married. Therefore, in these few words Jesus revealed to her that He knew all about her life of sin and her need for salvation.[fn]
Because Jesus knew the hearts and minds of people as John explained earlier in John 2:25, Jesus knew everything about this woman and therefore the particular sin which seemed to be dominating her life. Like many of us she did not want to face the truth about herself and how she needed to change to be what God intended her to be. A shopping list of sin keeps the greatest majority of us from being all that we could be. When Jesus told her that He knew she was not married now but had been married five times and was now just living with a man, she was confronted with the reality of what she had been doing. Now, you and I are not divine so we cannot really know a person’s specific sins as Jesus did. But we do know that everyone “falls short” of God’s standard (Romans 3:23).
Jewish teaching did not allow for a woman to be married more than 3 times. Why 3 times I have no idea, and living with a man without being married had no support whatsoever in any of the Jewish teaching. This woman was therefore openly living in sin without any sense of remorse or repentance. She therefore needed to recognize her sin and learn what she needed to do to cleanse herself of that sin and receive the Living Water of salvation and eternal life that we spoke of in John 4:10-11. It is worth noting here that Jesus continued dealing with her gently as He both commended and criticized her.[fn] Jesus is also teaching a thing or two here about how to approach those who do not recognize their sin as a problem affecting their eternity. God will by no means overlook everyone’s sin and allow everyone entrance into Heaven under whatever terms they believe to be a fair entrance requirement. God has a standard for Heaven and accepting His requirement for entry is the only way of getting in. This is the message Jesus is attempting to get across to the Samaritan woman.
When Jesus suggests she go to get her husband it is a perfectly natural lead-in to where He wants to direct the conversation. You see in the culture of that time it was considered improper for a man to carry on a conversation with a woman without her husband present. So the woman would have no reason to think Jesus had an ulterior motive when He asked her to get her husband and bring him back. Secondly, in this culture it was quite common for a woman to be taught to understand things by her husband. So she could have thought also that Jesus wanted her husband present so that he could help her to understand. They obviously had not yet experienced women’s liberation. And thirdly it would have been considered proper for a prophet to teach a husband and wife so that they might learn together.[fn]
But the only response she makes is that she has no husband. I would imagine under the cultural and religious objections to her living with a man and not being married, she did not want to get into any further detail about her living situation, very likely hoping that Jesus would simply by her answer consider her a widow or an unmarried maiden. She most certainly would not have wanted to go and get the man she was living with and thus have the truth come out. One who is aware that what they are doing is wrong is often very skillful in covering up that sin.[fn]
However, Jesus is speaking to her in a gentle and caring way so that His questions and manner do not provoke a defensive or angry response. If a believer speaks to a non-believer in a critical or condescending manner, any prospect that the non-believer will open their minds to the truth and want to hear more is most likely destroyed. It is also very possible that this conversation went into far more detail than is recorded here, because in verse 29 the Samaritan woman says: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.”
The bottom line here was that this woman was living in adultery, she needed to recognize that as sin, and desire to turn from that behavior and lead a righteous life. She also needed to ask God for forgiveness and admit the need for aSavior to cover not only all her past and present sin, but any future sin that she might commit as well. If she is willing to do all of that in accordance with God’s will and accept Jesus as that Savior who will cover her sin, then God in His grace will give her the gift of salvation and eternal life. That is all there is too it. It is not hard but most people see it as a mountain they either cannot or are not willing to climb.
John 4:19-20 ESV:
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
Her response here indicates she must have been somewhat stunned by what Jesus told her. After all how could someone know that much about you unless they got into your computer file or tapped your phone, which of course would not have been possible back then. So she probably says the first thing that comes into her mind: “Oh, you must be a prophet to know such things about me.” It is important to note from her reply that she is placing Jesus in a category of respect as a prophet, and as a prophet she is confirming that He has a direct line to God on the throne in Heaven. Then in verse 20 she makes a statement that seems to make no sense in the context of the passage. It would appear that she was so flustered by the information rushing at her that she attempted once again to side-step the real issue here by throwing out a long-standing religious question among the Samaritan people. She very likely held some hope of changing the subject to theology rather than her sin. A technique many people frequently use today. They will ask about the salvation of hidden tribes in Africa or other remote places. Or they will sidestep to the issue of creation vs. evolution, or to the problem of evil in the world. She also may have wanted to show Jesus that she was familiar with Jewish-Samaritan religious practices. But at the same time she may have been interested in an answer to this question because she knew it was important to worship God and probably did want to do so in the most acceptable way. Who better to answer the question correctly than a prophet of God? We of course cannot guess what her exact feelings were. Perhaps it was a combination of all of the above.
It was commonly held among Samaritan religious leaders that the one place that was held to be singularly set aside for divine worship was on top of Mount Gerizim. The Jews held that it was on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Samaritan woman asked Jesus who was right.
At a time in the past there had been a temple on Mount Gerizim as well as a temple in Jerusalem. Even after the Gerizim temple was destroyed the Samaritans continued worshipping on the mountain. Whether she was concerned or not about the question she posed to Jesus is really unimportant. The important thing is how Jesus used her reply to make a point that had far greater meaning than just the location of worship.[fn]
John 4:21 ESV:
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
The hour is coming (also see verse 23) referred to the coming death of Jesus which would begin a new kind of worship. The Church Age would be introduced after the death and resurrection of Jesus at which time the Holy Spirit would be given to all believers. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit of Christ within each believer, worship is no longer concentrated in temples like those on Mount Gerizim and Mount Zion. Jesus tells her that what she has believed for so long is going to be replaced by something different.
The object of worship, however, God, will continue to be the focus. Worship will then occur anywhere and everywhere. Worship should not be confined to a church, but may occur and be acceptable to God wherever the believer finds himself/herself. Church building programs far too often put more emphasis on where the church meets than when and how it should meet. The most significant and most important object of worship is God.
John 4:22 ESV:
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Jesus pulled no punches in declaring the truth concerning the issues involved. The Samaritan religion was doctrinally false, having been altered by men from the true Scripture inspired by God alone. Jesus told the Samaritan woman: “You worship what you do not know.” The Samaritans were not the nation chosen by God to give His word of salvation to the world. Israel was the nation chosen by God for this task as we are told by Paul in Romans 9:4-5 NLT:
4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.
5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
When Jesus said, “Salvation is from the Jews” in verse 22, He did not mean that all Jews were saved or were especially righteous. “Salvation is from the Jews” simply means that it is available through Jesus, who was born of the seed of Abraham.[fn] The Samaritans' worship was not adequate because they used only the first five books of the Bible, thus limiting themselves to an incomplete knowledge of the revelation of God. The Jews were trained by God in the knowledge of God, as He revealed himself in the Scripture. Yet many Jews ignored the gift they had been given. Anyone who knows the Word of God from the Bible and yet does not worship the God who sent that Word, that person “worships what they do not know.” They worship a god of their own creation and thus worship their own ignorance. If a Jew who had been given the Holy Scripture ignored it because they wanted to pursue another way of living, they would pay a great price for their lack of obedience and failure to worship the true God.
Look also at what Jesus taught in Matthew 15:1-14 NLT:
1 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him,
2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?
4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’
5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’
6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.
7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”
10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand.
11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”
13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted,
14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
The point Jesus is making is that worship is a tremendously important practice in the Christian faith. In fact in Philippians 3 the Apostle Paul lists it as one of the three great essentials of true belief:
Philippians 3:1-3 RSV:
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not irksome to me, and is safe for you.
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-workers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
3 For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.
True believers "glory in Christ Jesus," they "put no confidence in the flesh," and they "worship by the Spirit of God."[fn]
In the book of John there are three passages that are essential to true Christian faith:
- John 3:7: "You must be born again."
- John 3:14: "the Son of Man must be lifted up."
- John 4:24: "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth"
According to Karl Barth, "Christian worship is the most momentous, most urgent, most glorious action that can take place in human life.” It is the highest function in which our souls can be involved. The very highest![fn] The important point here, however, is just what does God require in worship? The answer comes in verses 23-24.
The Jews were and are and will be again the chosen people of God. Chosen, however, does not mean that they were all chosen to be saved. It means that they were the nation that was chosen by God to receive the holy teachings and blessings of God (Romans 3:2), not for the purpose of keeping it for themselves, but for the purpose of accepting it and giving it to the other nations of the world so that they too could know the true God and worship Him and receive the gift of salvation that leads to eternal life. It could well have been out of jealousy of their chosen status that the Samaritans decided to challenge their special calling.[fn]
John 4:23 ESV:
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
When Jesus began His ministry here on earth He brought with Him a new order of worship. An order of worship that taught that true worshipers are those who realize that Jesus is the Truth of God. In John 14:6 Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
To worship in spirit and in truth is to worship God through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit that comes to dwell within the believer. Such is the truth about worship that God desires us to practice. Many people can go through the motions of worshipping God but because they are drawn by sin they can place their faith in things that are worthless. If that person to whom you are witnessing claims to be a “good” person, they may well be from a human perspective. You can acknowledge that. However, if they fail to make God Number One in their life, and fail to worship Him in spirit and in truth, then they still fall short of God’s standards and they still need a Savior.
John 4:24 ESV:
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Kent Hughes has put it this way:
“God seeks those who will worship ‘in spirit.’ The Greek is quite clear here. It does not say ‘the Spirit’ but ‘in spirit.’ In other words, Jesus is not talking about worshiping in the Holy Spirit. He is talking about worshiping with or in the human spirit. Jesus means He is not only looking for those who will worship Him in the truth of who He is, but also in the very depth of their inner being — in spirit. Authentic worship happens only when the very core of our being is committed and involved in worshiping God. Outward performance may or may not be worship. As Charles Spurgeon said, ‘God does not regard our voices, He hears our hearts, and if our hearts do not sing we have not sung at all.’ Sometimes we sing but do not worship. Sometimes we pray with our lips, but worship does not take place. Sometimes we give of our money or time, but we do not worship. And sometimes we do none of these things but are in deepest worship. One could conceivably kneel in the most beautiful of cathedrals, listen to the most marvelous Biblical liturgy, and still not be truly worshiping. This is not to say that externals are not helpful. Generally I think C. S. Lewis was right when he said that the best church service is the one we least notice. The perfect church service would be the one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.”[fn]
Worship of God can be done only through Jesus who expresses God’s invisible nature as we were told earlier in John 1:18 NRSV: No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
It is also by the Holy Spirit who provides understanding within a believer that the truth about God can be known.
John 7:38-39 NLT:
38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
The main emphasis here is on the Holy Spirit as verse 24 of John chapter 4 shows. “God is spirit” may be compared to “God is light” and “God is love.” These are ways in which He can be known. The spirituality of God was not a foreign idea to the Jews, but they had not recognized the need for any connection between the One worshipped and the worshippers. Jesus taught that the worshippers must share something of the nature of the person worshipped. The linking of spirit and truth here points to the necessity of genuine worship. God desires worshippers who are in tune with Him (John 4:23). All this probably left the woman at the well with her mouth open in amazement.[fn]
The emphasis therefore is no longer on the place where we worship God, but upon the state of mind in which we worship Him. We must not only be knowledgeable in the object of our worship, but also in the way that we worship. This is what Jesus is trying to show us in this passage.
The manner of worship which Christ has brought is internal, it is of the mind and of the heart, and it no longer emphasizes the external rites and ceremonies that were part of the Old Testament worship. The legalistic rites and ceremonies of the worship service in the Temple were representative of the true worship, as we read in Hebrews 9:3, 24 NLT:
3 Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place.
24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf.
We must depend upon God’s Spirit for strength and assistance, placing our will within His will, placing our wants under his guiding influence. We must surrender our own spirits to accomplish the purposes of God (Romans 1:9). We must worship God from our heart with true affection. We must worship God with all our heart, soul, mind, and body. Our worship must be for the glory of God alone.
John 4:25 ESV:
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
We would have to imagine that her reference to all things meant that she knew the Messiah would reveal to them the mind of God completely and clearly. He would answer all the questions they now argue over concerning God.
The Samaritans as well as the Jews expected a coming messianic leader. But they did not expect Him to be an anointed king of the Davidic line since they rejected all of the Old Testament except for the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament written by Moses). Based on Deuteronomy 18:15-18, they expected a Moses-like figure who would solve all their problems. The Samaritan woman now understood a part of what Jesus had been telling her and it sounds like she could not wait for the Messiah to come and then explain everything.
John 4:26 ESV:
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
This Samaritan woman had come to a point where she expressed joyfully her belief in the coming of a messiah and the joy everyone would feel when He came. She was now expressing excitement in His eventual coming and she was better prepared to receive the joyful news that the expected Messiah was standing right in front of her. In like manner, Christ will make Himself evident to all who genuinely desire to know about Him. And that can be your answer to people who ask you about the destiny of someone in a jungle who has never heard the Gospel.
Now let us list the things we have observed in this passage about how Christ witnessed to the woman of Samaria so that we can endeavor to use these principles in our witnessing:
1. He demonstrated acceptance of her.
2. He struck up a conversation about “ordinary things.”
3. He was gentle and respectful when she did not “get it.”
4. He re-directed the conversation to the real issues.
5. He paid attention to and respected cultural norms.
6. He acknowledged her theological concerns but pointed her to the real issue: Does she worship the Lord God Jehovah and His Son Jesus Christ with her whole heart?
You will notice that Christ did not present to the Samaritan woman a feel-good formula or a fire insurance policy. He showed her that He is the answer for her real need and He concentrated on worshiping God in spirit and in truth.
Summing up this passage we may conclude that the only way to prepare one’s heart to receive the truth of God in Christ is through the admission and confession of one’s sin. That was why Jesus told her to go get her husband. He led her to talk about her sin. There can be no conversion, no salvation, without realizing that one is a sinner in need of a Savior. If you do not believe you are a sinner, why in the world would you feel you need someone to save you from an eternal Hell? There must first be confession and repentance, being truly sorry for the sin you have committed, and then there can be saving faith.
In spite of the fact that so many people stand up and shout, “It isn’t fair,” the only faith that God will accept is that which came through the Jews. The Bible is of Jewish origin, and Jesus was a Jew. The first Christians were Jews. The only way to a restored relationship with God is through Jesus, and through that kind of faith only, those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit and who obey the truth can worship God acceptably.
It undoubtedly brought culture shock to both the Jews and Samaritans for someone to come along and say that worship would no longer be confined to the Temple. But that is the message that Jesus brought and this is confirmed in a number of New Testament passages if you would like to check them out.[fn] With the coming of Jesus, the Old Testament Covenant Law had been fulfilled and set aside.[fn]
“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23).
Come One, Come All
John 4:27-42
For some time now we have been listening in on a conversation between Jesus and a woman at a well in Samaria. We have seen Him establish rapport with someone that many others would have been repulsed by. We have seen Him establish a level of trust in someone that, under normal circumstances, would have been very suspicious of Him. Instead we have seen her develop a level of trust that allowed for her to come to a place where she would hear that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as her Savior. Let us again join them and see how things progress.
John 4:27-42 ESV:
27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?"
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
29 "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"
30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
33 So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?"
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
35 Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”
40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days,
41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.
42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Now that we have taken an overview of the whole passage we will go back and attempt to extract the full meaning from each verse.
John 4:27-30 ESV
27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?"
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
29 "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this
be the Christ?"
30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
As Jesus’ disciples returned from town, the woman left and headed toward the town. The original language here carries the meaning that she left so quickly, in a state of such excitement and embarrassment, that she forgot to take her water jar with her.[fn]
It is possible that there was more said here than is written, but just as Christ had made Himself known to her as the Messiah, His disciples returned. Jesus’ disciples are surprised that He would be talking with a woman, which as we mentioned earlier was not considered proper behavior by a Jewish Rabbi. The fact that they did not say anything could suggest that they were so embarrassed by what they found Him doing, no one said anything. Or it could also have been that they respected Jesus so much that they knew He would not do anything improper. In any event, the woman, in her excitement of hearing that Jesus was the Messiah, forgot her water jar. She could not wait to tell the people in town about what Jesus told her. We would have to believe that this suggests she believed what Jesus had told her. It appears by what she says, “Can this be the Christ?” however, that she still is not certain He is the Messiah. But as we move on in these verses it becomes rather evident that at the end of her conversation with Jesus, she had accepted Him as Savior.
The people in town must certainly have been impressed by what she told them because they immediately headed for the well to get a glimpse of Jesus. Her words "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" were bound to grab their interest.
The Holy Spirit may well have been guiding her steps and her words as she returned to the village because after telling the people everything that Jesus had told her, she posed the question to them, “This couldn’t be the Messiah, could it?” Presenting this information, and then asking them what they thought, probably was much more effective than running into the town square and announcing that she had found the promised Messiah. From everything we can surmise about this woman it is very possible she was not held in the highest regard. She may even have been a prostitute, and such a statement by her would not be readily believed. She was able to stimulate their curiosity in this way and then everyone wanted to find out if this could possibly be true.
John 4:31-34 ESV
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
33 So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?"
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
When the disciples returned from the village with supplies, they were shocked that Jesus was talking with a woman, and especially a Samaritan; but they did not say anything. They were learning to trust that Jesus knew what He was doing and did not need to be accountable to them. But, after the woman left, they urged Jesus to eat because they knew that He was hungry. The disciples showed their concern for Jesus’ comfort by urging Him to eat.
"I have food to eat that you do not know about," was His reply, and they did not understand. They thought He was speaking of the kind of literal food they had purchased in the village, and they wondered where He got it. Their conclusion was that someone else must have given Him something to eat while they were gone. Jesus must have scratched His head a few times when He heard the responses of His disciples. But as was His nature, He gently explained to them that doing the will of His Father, in this case, leading the woman to salvation, was food for His soul. The disciples were satisfied with bread; Jesus was satisfied by doing the work of His Father.
“’Seek your life’s nourishment in your life’s work,’ said Phillips Brooks. The will of God ought to be a source of strength and satisfaction to the child of God, just as if he sat down to a sumptuous feast. If what we are doing tears us down instead of builds us up, then we may well question whether it is the will of God for us.’”[fn]
Jesus did not consider His Father’s will a burden that one had to do. He considered His Father’s work that He was sent to do to be food for His soul. Doing the Father’s will both strengthened Him and provided a very pleasant feeling of satisfaction. As we read in Psalm 40:8: “I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” (NLT)
Jesus’ number one desire was to do God’s will. John 5:30:
“I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.” (NLT)
John 8:29 NLT:
And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”
Is that our Number One priority? To always be doing the will of God? Do we even know what we are talking about when we say, “doing the will of God”? There is the revealed will of God, which we find in the Bible. This includes receiving Christ as Savior and being obedient to all the commandments in Scripture: put God first, love one another, tell others about Jesus, be honest and truthful, be filled with the Spirit, exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, and many other things that God tells us to do in the Bible. Then there is the will of God for you personally, for your entire life. That is revealed to you through your spiritual gifts, through your skills and talents, and through your God-given desires (Philippians 2:13; Psalm 37:4). God shows you what He wants you to do through prayer, through Scripture, through godly counsel from other people, as well as by the open and closed doors He provides. God may want you to be a plumber or a computer programmer who does their job well and who teaches their children to be godly. Or He may want you to serve Him as a pastor, teacher, musician, or by ministering in a foreign country. There are no cookie-cutter plans, no one-size-fits-all ministries. But whatever plan God has for your life, you can be sure of this. He is more concerned about who you are and how you live than about what you do. He mentions this several times in Scripture:
Micah 6:8 NAS
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Colossians 3:17 NAS
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
1 Corinthians10:31 NAS
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
When you are living that way, you will be eager to serve and will have the joy of the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3 NIV
1I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
2He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
Nehemiah 8:10 NAS
“ . . . this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Jesus is our Example. Jesus knew better than anyone His Father‘s message in Deuteronomy 8:3: “People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (NLT)
Jesus is not concerned about material pleasures, although I do not doubt He enjoyed a good meal and celebration now and then. But far and away His number one priority was the work His Father sent Him to do and which must be done. Jesus said in John 17:4 NLT: “ I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”
John 4:35-38 ESV:
35 Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
What the disciples had already reaped was due to the work of others before them. In other words the people that were coming out from the city toward Jesus were responding to the work of the prophets who had sown the Word and teachings of God throughout the Old Testament period. If it were not for what the woman knew about God and the coming of the Messiah, she could not have understood who Jesus was and what He was telling her. The lesson that He is trying to teach His disciples is that no single person can claim sole credit for successfully leading someone to faith. The harvest belongs to the sower as much as to the reaper. This means it belongs as much to those who plant the seed and water the seed as much as it does to the one who collects the full grown stalks at the time of the harvest. Some people plant the seed of God and Christ in an unbeliever’s heart. Others come along and water it by explaining the meaning of the Bible to them. Then when they are fully ready, someone asks them if they are ready to invite Christ into their life as Savior. The woman at the well, after hearing the message from Jesus, took it to the others in the village and they responded by seeking out Jesus.
The Bible frequently compares a harvest with winning unbelievers to faith. We see it in the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Tares in Matthew 13. Paul used it several times as well in his letters. Galatians 6:9 NLT: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Also 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT:
6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.
7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.
9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
We plant the seed of God’s Word in the hearts of people who hear it, and then we cultivate it by praying with them and for them, by helping them understand the Bible, and by showing them that we love them. In time that seed may bear fruit to the glory of God.
We can just imagine what Jesus’ disciples were thinking as they trudged behind Jesus on the way to the village of Sychar. “Why is He dragging us through this God-forsaken country that is only inhabited by these detestable Samaritans? We’re supposed to be fishers of men but the only thing we’ll catch in Samaria is sunburn. These people hate us. They’d never listen to a thing we would say.” Did you ever feel that way as a Christian when you were in a hostile environment? I think it far more often than I would like to admit. I have tried telling some people about Jesus and they do everything but tar and feather me and run me out of town. So the next time I am around them I think, “What’s the use? They have no interest in Jesus Christ and what He has to say. I don’t know what’s wrong with them but they have no interest in knowing how they can be assured of eternal life in Heaven, and peace for the rest of the time they’re on this earth.”
But in the case of the Samaritan woman just the opposite was true. The seed had been planted and all that was necessary for a full harvest was for Jesus to do a little watering.
That speaks a lesson to me. So every time I find myself around those people who want to tar and feather me for my belief, I look for an opportunity to witness for Jesus, and if that opportunity does not open up, I can still do a little more watering by showing how much I care for them. Even when the odds seem to be totally against us, we must do the work the Father has sent us to do. Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT: “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”
Perhaps some of these people had heard John the Baptist preach, or perhaps some of John’s followers had reached this part of Samaria. Some archeologists have located “Aenon near Salim” where John baptized (John 3:23) near the biblical Shechem, which is close to Sychar and Jacob’s well. If this is the case, then John the Baptist prepared the soil and planted the seed, and Jesus and the disciples reaped the harvest. Of course, the woman herself planted some of the seed through her witness to the people of the village.[fn]
The disciples were not alone in the work of the Lord and neither are we. They were not to look on any opportunity for witness as wasted time and energy and we should not either. So do not get discouraged if you keep witnessing and do not see results. It is not up to you to get results, that is God’s job. Your responsibility is to be faithful in planting the seed and watering it. It takes faith to plow the soil and plant the seed, but God has promised a harvest (Psalm 126:5–6; Gal. 6:9). In a few years, Peter and John would participate in another harvest among the Samaritans (Acts 8:5–25). Those who sow may not see the harvest, but those who reap will see it and give thanks for the faithful labors of the sowers. Sowing, cultivating, and harvesting are difficult tasks, not only in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual. There is no place in the harvest for lazy people. The work is too difficult and the laborers are too few.[fn]
According to this passage in John it is entirely possible that a number of people believed because of what the woman had told them. But it was the Word of God that Jesus taught them that must have made their reaction in verse 42 possible: “They were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” The fact that Samaritans would invite a Jew to stay with them proved that they believed Him to be who He said He was.
John 4:39-42 NAS:
39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”
40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.
41 Many more believed because of His word;
42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”
The Samaritans must have been quite excited that the Messiah had chosen to come to their village and speak to them. They asked Him if He would stay with them a while and He stayed for two days. During that short time, His word produced a rich harvest in their lives.
It is important that new believers be carefully discipled after inviting Christ into their life. Lon Allison, the director of the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Illinois, has put it this way in one of his monthly newsletters:
“The first days, weeks and months following the commitment are times for the church to provide ‘urgent care.’ Different churches do it differently. In my opinion, very few do it well. We put so much effort to get people to commit to Christ (cross the finish line) that we poorly provide the all-important and pervasive aftercare. This aftercare must be given by real people providing prayer, care, counsel, friendship, and the like. The relational nature of aftercare is more important than the curriculum utilized. It is about God’s people wrapping people in Christian warmth, offering them the food and drink of the Word and worship, and giving lots of instruction on stretching the new soul into Christ likeness.”[fn]
I do not know about you, but it seems somewhat strange that the Samaritans would so readily embrace Jesus. Considering how much the Jews and Samaritans despised one another, you would think it would take them a while before they declared Him to be the Savior of the whole world. That would indicate to me that when people were in the presence of Jesus they knew they were in the presence of someone who was more than just a human being. This is certainly only speculation on our part, but we would have little doubt that when one was in the presence of Jesus, they could tell they were in the presence of someone who was more than a man. After all, even though He was fully man, He was still fully God as well. He must have had a way about Him so that when He spoke all those who listened knew He was speaking the truth, even if they rejected it.
Jesus led by example. In Acts 1:8 He said:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NLT)
If we follow Jesus and tell others about Him, He will bring in the harvest.
Jesus is the Savior of the world, but this does not mean that everyone will be saved (universalism). Rather it means that He makes salvation available to everyone in the world. His light shines upon all people as we read earlier in John 1:9: “The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” The light is not limited to the nation Israel, but is for “every nation, tribe, people, and language” according to Revelation 7:9.[fn]
For Jesus to stay with these Samaritans for two days would have been unheard of according to Jewish customs. But Jesus did not concern Himself with customs. His first concern was saving people. By joining in fellowship with the Samaritans Jesus did something that would have been considered equivalent to defying segregation at the beginning of the civil rights movement in the United States back in the 1950’s and 60’s. Jesus could have been in a great deal of danger if some other Jews had come to town and seen this.
We have now seen how Jesus presented His message of salvation to two very different people. With Nicodemus, Jesus pointed out that all people are sinners and under the judgment and condemnation of God. There is no one capable of saving themselves. Nicodemus, a religious man, took pride in his keeping of the Law and did not recognize his need for God’s grace. But the woman at the well knew she was a sinner. Jesus did not mention to her that she was under judgment because she knew it. He did not need to mention it to her because while Nicodemus needed to see himself as a sinner in order to understand grace, the woman who knew she was a sinner needed to see herself as a person of worth and value. God finds us worthy of His salvation no matter how bad we think we are, or for that matter how good we think we are. God values us enough to actively seek us, to welcome us to intimacy, and to rejoice in our worship.[fn]
Only a person like the Samaritan woman, who was perhaps a prostitute, or at the least a woman with very loose morals, an outcast from the people of her village, could understand what this means. “To be wanted, to be cared for when no one, not even herself, could see anything of value in her. This is grace indeed.”[fn]
Faith did not come easily to either Nicodemus or the Samaritan woman. It was hard for Nicodemus because he had earned a reputation in the city as a righteous man. Because of this Nicodemus not surprisingly thought very highly of himself. It must be very difficult for someone who honestly thinks they have lived a good life to come to the realization that all of that effort means nothing to God as far as their salvation is concerned. They too stand condemned before God. Such people need the same kind of salvation as the most evil of sinners. The kind of salvation which can only come as a gift from God.
For the Samaritan woman, faith came hard because she knew she was a great sinner. Her sense of worth had been worn away. How hard it was for her to realize that God valued her, loved her, and wanted her to become His child. How difficult it must have been for her to believe that Jesus was offering her the gift of salvation with no strings attached, simply because He loved her so very much.
“Grace says to each of us, ‘You count.’ God knows you as you are, and God still cares. He cares enough to send His Son, that you might have eternal life, become His child, and worship Him.”[fn]
Warren Wiersbe has pointed out that:
“We might note the example Christ sets as a soul-winner. He did not allow personal prejudices or physical needs to hinder Him. He met this woman in a friendly way and did not force her into a decision. Wisely, He guided the conversation and allowed the Word to take effect in her heart. He dealt with her privately and lovingly presented the way of salvation. He captured her attention by speaking about something common and at hand—water—and used this as an illustration of eternal life. (Likewise, at the cool midnight hour, He spoke to Nicodemus about wind.) He did not avoid speaking of sin, but brought her face-to-face with her need.”[fn]
“This woman did not come to faith in Christ immediately. Jesus was patient with her, and in this, He sets a good example for us in our own personal work. Certainly she was the least likely prospect for salvation, yet God used her to win almost an entire village.” [fn]
Who have you been praying for and witnessing to for years? Keep on being faithful and do not give up hope. It is God’s will for you to witness. It is also His will for you in faith to leave the results to Him.
Jesus Goes To Galillee
John 4:43-54
Do you think one life makes a difference? Do you think that good can come out of something like a serious illness hitting a child or a bridge collapsing in Minneapolis? These are questions we often ponder when we observe the things that can happen in life. This passage in John 4 will give us some insight into these issues.
We have seen thus far in the first four chapters of John how Jesus presented His message of salvation to two very different people. With Nicodemus, Jesus pointed out that all people are sinners and under the judgment and condemnation of God. There is no one capable of saving themselves. Nicodemus, a religious man, took pride in his keeping of the Law and did not recognize his need for God’s grace. But the woman at the well knew she was a sinner. Jesus did not mention to her that she was under judgment because she knew it. He did not need to mention it to her because while Nicodemus needed to see himself as a sinner in order to understand grace, the woman who knew she was a sinner needed to see herself as a person of worth and value. God finds us worthy of His salvation no matter how bad we think we are, or for that matter how good we think we are. God values us enough to actively seek us, to welcome us to intimacy, and to rejoice in our worship.[fn]
How great of our wonderful God! He loves us so much that He shows us people at both ends of the spectrum, the supposedly “righteous” and “good” person and the outright sinner, so that we can know that whether we are an up-and-outer or a down-and-outer God is willing to bring us into His family, His kingdom.
Let us now continue in John chapter 4:43-54 ESV:
43 After the two days he departed for Galilee.
44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)
45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.
47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.
52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household.
54 This was now the second sign That Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Jesus began His journey from Judea to Galilee and stopped briefly in Samaria when He met the woman at the well, and now after a few days He is resuming His trip to Galilee. Let us now look more carefully at the passage beginning in verse 43.
John 4:43-45 ESV:
43 After the two days he departed for Galilee.
44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)
45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
What country or town was Jesus referring to in verse 44? There is really no consensus of agreement among scholars on this question. However, it must have had some meaning that suggested it was necessary for Him to go places where He had not been known before His ministry began.
Christ went into the country of Galilee, but not to Nazareth, His hometown. He went among the villages, but would not go to Nazareth. John writes, “Jesus himself had testified.” What was it He testified? Jesus knew the nature and temperament of His countrymen. He knew that they would not accept Him as a prophet of God, and would most likely feel contempt for Him. Jesus said the same thing in Luke 4:24 ESV: "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.” And Matthew 13:57 ESV: “And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.’"
When Joseph became a prophet, he was most hated by his brothers. David was despised by his brother (1 Samuel 17:28). Jeremiah was cruelly spoken of by the men of Anathoth (Jeremiah 11:21), Paul by his countrymen the Jews; and Christ’s brothers even rejected Him according to John 7:5. Pride and envy make people resent those people who used to be their equals when those people go on to attain recognition beyond what those left behind have managed to attain. It is very discouraging for a pastor to go among people who have no respect for his message or his efforts. Christ would not go to Nazareth because He knew how little respect He would receive there. However, people must realize that those who reject the messengers lose out on the benefit of the message (Matthew 21:35, 41).
However, there were others in Galilee who were apparently quite proud of their fellow countryman because of the miraculous works He performed at Jerusalem. At least they had enough respect for what Jesus had done that they considered Him to be deserving of listening to what He had to say. Jesus welcomed this opportunity because an open invitation to be heard often results in others accepting the message of Christ.
In verse 45 we see for the most part that the Galileans made Jesus feel welcome. This proves once again that even though many will reject the message of Christ there will be others who welcome it and even embrace it. It appears here that the reason the Galileans were so ready to receive Christ is because they had seen the miracles He performed in Jerusalem. They had gone up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover. It was in Jerusalem they saw Christ’s miracles, which probably encouraged many to believe as well in the message He was teaching .[fn]
John 4:46-48 ESV:
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.
47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
Why do you suppose Jesus returned to Cana (verse 46)? We cannot answer that question with any certainty, but we can be certain that He had a good reason. Cana, you may remember, is where Jesus performed His first miracle by turning water into wine at a wedding feast. Perhaps Jesus knew that first miracle would still be remembered in Cana which would mean that Jesus had some friends and followers there. Then again Jesus may have been interested in seeing what kind of fruit had been produced in the people of Cana because of His miracle, and perhaps He hoped to do a little watering of that fruit or of the seeds if they had not yet begun to grow into fully devoted followers.
We will find recorded in the book of John seven signs or miracles. These signs were not merely displays of power. On a much more profound level the signs or miracles that Jesus performed had a deeper significance. They carried a message that went well beyond the act itself.[fn] John MacArthur points out that turning the water into wine signified that “Jesus is the source of life.”[fn]
If you think about this for a moment you will see the connection. This was Jesus’ first miracle and what would be more appropriate than to do something that would state exactly what His purpose in coming was all about, to provide life, eternal life? When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper the wine was set apart as a memorial of His body and blood.[fn] Jesus’ blood is the source of salvation and eternal life.
So then Jesus travels further north and arrives in Capernaum and is met by a father on an urgent mission. This father is referred to in verse 46 as an “official” which is rendered “nobleman” in other translations. The original Greek meaning of the text refers to one connected with the king (βασιλευς [basileus]), whether by blood or by office. In this passage it is probably one of the courtiers of Herod the tetrarch of Galilee. It could be Chuzas who was also referred to in Luke 8:3, or perhaps Manaen whom we find referred to in Acts 13:1. Then again it could also have been someone else.[fn] His son was sick and he had probably attempted every possible alternative for healing that was available in Capernaum. So in desperation he left there and went to the village of Cana hoping that the Miracle Worker he had heard about would save his son. Do not miss the fact here that this man had a deep affection for his son in that he would stop at nothing to obtain for him the help he needed.
Now this nobleman must have had a great respect for Jesus because he went to Jesus himself. He did not send a servant. One might also expect that as a nobleman he would demand or order that Jesus go to his son in order to heal him. But he did not do that. He humbly asked Jesus to come to Capernaum and heal his son. No matter how great someone is they must all humble themselves before Jesus if they desire a relationship with Him.
Verse 47 indicates the desperation this father was feeling for his dying son. But Jesus’ response in verse 48 is quite surprising: “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” However, Jesus’ words here in verse 48 were not addressed only to the nobleman but to the Galileans as a whole. Jesus used a plural “you” in verse 48. He moved beyond the father and spoke to everyone within earshot. He knew human hearts and their desire for flashy externals like miracles rather than sincerely taking Jesus at His word.[fn] Jesus wanted them to understand the importance of that kind of faith. Up until this time the kind of faith they had in Jesus was probably the same kind of faith they would have in a magician, wizard, or sorcerer. Their welcome to Jesus was on the basis of signs and miraculous wonders, but did not point to faith. It was probably not until Jesus assured the nobleman that his son would live (verse 50) that the man’s faith really began to develop. Up until then it was perhaps no more than a kind of magical belief. When your son is dying, you are willing to try anything. But when faith did come it came instantly.
In verse 48 Jesus gives the basic reason why people will not believe: they want to see signs and experience wonders. Keep in mind that Satan is able to perform signs and wonders to deceive (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10). If your salvation is based on feelings, dreams, visions, voices, or any other worldly evidence, then you are on dangerous ground. It is faith in the Word alone that gives us the assurance of eternal life. (See 1 John 5:9–13.)[fn]
“Seeing is believing” has always been the “practical” philosophy of the unbelieving world, even the religious world. The nobleman believed that Jesus could heal his son, but he made two mistakes in his thinking: that Jesus had to go to Capernaum to save the boy, and that if the boy died meanwhile, it was too late.
Do you know what the difference is between seeing and believing? For Jesus to be believed because of His miracles (4:45) was not the kind of faith Jesus saw as honoring Him (4:44). Jesus was looking for the kind of belief that was based on faith, not only because He could perform miracles, but simply because of what He said. In John 20:29 NLT Jesus says: “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
John 4:49-54 ESV:
49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.
52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household.
54 This was now the second sign That Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
If we check out the original language text (Greek) for verse 49 we find the word used for child means my little one. This hints at the age of the child and also shows us the father’s feeling of tenderness toward him.[fn]
The healing of the son in this chapter shows that salvation is by faith. The son lay dying in Capernaum, about seventeen miles away from Cana. The man wanted Christ to come with him, for he did not even give a thought to the possibility that Jesus could cure the boy from a distance. Jesus did not go with the man, but instead spoke the words: “Go your way; your son lives” (NKJV). Here was the test, the moment of truth for this father. His plan had been to bring Jesus to his house to heal his son. But now Jesus was telling him to go home. What would the man do? Insist on his own methodology? Or believe that Jesus could heal long distance with only a word? The father chose the path of faith. The nobleman believed Jesus and went on his way.
Now, did something happen between him and Jesus and the Holy Spirit in that moment that brought him faith in Jesus as the Son of God? Or was his faith still based on a strong belief that Jesus was some kind of magician? It is worthy to note that at this time that it was one thing for someone to perform magical acts in person, but to do it from seventeen miles away would be very hard for anyone to believe. It certainly would seem that there was a special spiritual connection between Jesus and this nobleman.
The answer, recorded in verse 50, which Christ gave to the nobleman’s request was meant to be a demonstration of His power, that He not only could heal, but could heal with such ease that He need do nothing more than speak a word. Jesus did not have to make a trip. He only had to speak or will the healing and it was done. Even though Christ is now in Heaven, and His Church is on earth, He can control all things from above. When He does deny what we ask for, He only does so because He knows in the long run that thing will not be for our own good. Instead He will give us something even better than what we asked for, even though we may not realize it at the time. We may ask God to give us a Rolls Royce luxury car, but He gives us a Chevy Malibu instead. God probably does not have anything against luxury cars, but He may know that in two years the brakes are going to fail on that particular car and result in your premature death. The Chevy may be the very best mechanically built car in the world and God knows you will be safe in it. We may ask for ease, and instead God will give us patience. And all this power may be released by just a word.
On the way back home the nobleman must have wondered what he would find when he arrived. His servants met him with the good news. His boy was alive. The father then asked when his son recovered. The healing was no accident. It occurred at the exact moment Jesus made the promise to him. It was at the seventh hour, which by Roman time was 7:00 in the evening. The child’s recovery was sudden and not gradual. The servants tell the precise time to the hour: “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.” It did not begin to go down, but it left him in an instant. The word of Christ did not work like a prescription, which must have time to operate and produce the effect. No, with Christ it was a done deal immediately. He spoke and it was done. From that point the nobleman’s faith was rock solid and because of his faith he brought all of his household to faith. The lesson of this passage is that Jesus’ power is able to save anyone from death, even at a great distance. His Word has power to work and all people have to do to make it work for them is simply to believe His Word. Both signs in Galilee (changing the water into wine [2:1-11] and healing the official’s son) demonstrate that Jesus was the promised Messiah.[fn]
What can we say about this nobleman’s faith? We can be pretty sure that the nobleman believed Jesus could heal his son even though all the physicians had given up hope. But the verse strongly suggests that he believed Jesus would have to physically go to the boy in order to accomplish the healing. It appears that he did not even give a thought to the possibility that Jesus could do it from a distance. This implies that in his own way he was attempting to tell Jesus how He should perform His miracles. Do we not also all too often fall into that same kind of relationship with Jesus? Do we not have a tendency to try and influence Jesus in how He should work with us rather than just trusting in Him completely? Do we not occasionally try using Jesus to get what we want? Do you know what we are doing when we do that? We are limiting the full power of Jesus from being released in our lives. We can pray to play in Jesus’ orchestra, but we must not attempt to conduct. “Lord, may thy will be done.” End of discussion.
Bringing healing to this young boy brought salvation to the whole family. The nobleman had believed the word of Jesus before regarding the healing of his son, but now he believed in Christ as the promised Messiah and became one of His disciples. Through his leadership and example the whole family and household came to believe as well.
Verse 53 tells us “he himself believed, and all his household.” You can imagine how the mood of the whole household would have been dampened by the severe illness of this child. Mother, siblings, servants, and possibly even extended family would have missed the noise of a young boy at play. They would have been saddened at the prospect of an ensuing funeral. Then suddenly the boy is up and out of bed, running around, laughing and playing. Think of the amazement each person felt, and the curiosity. The father had not arrived home yet. How did this come about? So when the father did arrive home and told them the details and shared his faith in Jesus, these people would have been very ready to believe in Christ also. What a fantastic change took place in this home because of the sickness of this child. This fact should help us to deal better with afflictions in our lives, knowing that good may follow from them. When great men and women receive the Gospel, they may be instrumental to bring it to all those around them.[fn] A comparison may be made with the mention in Acts of similar household conversions (Acts 10:2; 11:14; 16:15, 31; 18:8).[fn]
Salvation is the beginning of miracles, for after a person is saved, God performs one miracle after another for them; and the miracles we experience bring glory to Christ.[fn] For Jesus, the only prerequisite for such miracles is a person’s faith in His power.[fn] What miracle do you need to trust him for?
[fn] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, S. Jn 2:25.
[fn] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:284.
[fn] Preaching The Word, John 4:3.
[fn] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:284.
[fn] Preaching The Word, John 4:3.
[fn] Preaching The Word, John 4:5-6.
[fn] Isa. 12:3; 35:7; 44:3; 55:1; Zec. 14:8.
[fn] Henry, Matthew:
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in OneVolume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Jn 4:4.
[fn] Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Jn 4:4.
[fn] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary:
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:285.
[fn] Preaching the Word, John 4:15.
[fn] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:286.
[fn] Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Jn 4:4
[fn] Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Jn 4:4.
[fn] Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Jn 4:4.
[fn] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:286.
[fn] Preaching the Word, John 4:22.
[fn] Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Jn 4:4.
[fn] Hughes, R. Kent, Preaching the Word, John 1:23-24. Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL.
[fn] Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Jn 4:4.
[fn] John 2:19–21; Acts 7:48–50; John’s Gospel clearly reveals that there is a new sacrifice (John 1:29), a new temple (John 2:19–21; 4:20–24), a new birth (John 3:1–7), and a new water (John 4:11).
[fn] Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. Jn 4:1.
[fn] Robertson, A.T.: Word Pictures in the New Testament. Oak Harbor: 1997, S. Jn 4:28-38.
[fn] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:287
[fn] Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. Jn 4:31.
[fn] Allison, Lon, Director’s Devotional, Wheaton, Billy Graham Center at Wheaton college, Spring 2007.
[fn] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:287.
[fn] Richards, Larry; Richards, Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1987, S. 718.
[fn] Wiersbe, Warren W.: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1997, c1992, S. 222.
[fn] Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. Jn 4:1.
[fn] Richards, Larry; Richards, Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1987, S. 718.
[fn] Robertson, A.T.: Word Pictures in the New Testament. Oak Harbor : 1997, S. Jn 4:43-45.
[fn] Op Cit. MacArthur Study Bible, P. 1578.
[fn] Op Cit. MacArthur Study Bible, P. 1579.
[fn] Easton, M.G.: Easton's Bible Dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA : 1996, c1897.
[fn] Robertson, A.T.: Word Pictures in the New Testament. Oak Harbor : S. Jn 4:46-47.
[fn] Hughes, Robert B. ; Laney, J. Carl ; Hughes, Robert B.: Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale HousePublishers, 2001 (The Tyndale Reference Library), S. 470.
[fn] Wiersbe, Warren W.: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1997, c1992, S. 240.
[fn] Vincent, Marvin Richardson: Word Studies in the New Testament. Bellingham, WA : 2002, S. 2:130.
[fn] Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:288.
[fn] Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Jn 4:43.
[fn] Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Jn 4:43.
[fn] Wiersbe, Warren W.: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1997,c1992, S. 216.
[fn] Keener, Craig S.; InterVarsity Press: The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993, S. Jn 4:50.
