John
© copyright 2008 Darroll Evans, all rights reserved

 

Chapter 4


John 4:1-26
1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

The Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,). Jesus knew of and understood their concern.
So, since His time had not yet come, He left Judaea, and want to that Galilee region.
In doing that Christ had to travel through Samaria.
In His journey, He came close to the Samaria city of Sychar, which was near Jacob’s well!
The journey was tiring, so about noon time Jesus decided to sit at the well.
Shortly afterward a Samarian woman came to get some water, and Jesus asked her for a drink of water.

That was not proper protocol!

A Jewish man was alone (because His disciples were gone into the city to buy meat.), and He was speaking with a Gentile woman who was also alone.

That was scandalous!

The woman, knowing protocol, responded, “Being a Jew, why do you ask me for a drink?

Don’t you know that I am a Samarian? And, Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans!
Jesus was equally blunt, “If you knew about the gift of God, and who it is asking for a drink of water, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water!”
The woman responded, “Sir, You have nothing with which to draw water, and the well is deep! Besides, where will You get that living water?

“Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well?

No doubt she first thought that Jesus was arrogant!
Jesus told her, “Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again!
“But, whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life!”
The woman then asked, “Sir, give me that water, so that I may not thirst, neither need to come here to draw water.
Jesus told her, “Go, call you husband here.”

She answered, “I have no husband.”

At that Jesus said to her, “Indeed, you have no husband.
 “You have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband!”
The woman reacted, “Sir, I see that You are a prophet!
“Our fathers worshipped at this mountain and you (Jews) say that Jerusalem is the proper place to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour comes, when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain, nor at Jerusalem.
“You worship what you do not know, while we Jews know what we worship, because for salvation is of the Jews.
“But the hour comes, and is now here, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, because the Father seeks such to worship him!

“God is Spirit, and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth!”

Some seriously teach that human beings look like God.  That is ignorant!  God is spirit!

Do you realize that none of us have the ability to worship God in spirit unless that “ability” is given to us by God?

Many, far too many, Christians attempt to worship God with our minds without regard to the spirit.  In doing that there is no truth in our worship!

Some supposed Christians look at physical conditions and erroneously suppose that if things are physically well, they are also spiritually well.

The woman in this story had a spiritual awakening.
She responded, “I know that Messiah, the Christ is coming and that He will tell us all things.”
Jesus told her, “I am He.”

That was her “awakening” point!

It was to a Gentile woman that Jesus first personally revealed that He is the Messiah!

John 4:27-42
27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31  In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

At that point, Jesus disciples returned and were amazed that he talked with the woman!

Yet none questioned Him about her.
The woman then left her waterpot, and went into the city.

She told the men there, “Come, see a man, who told me everything I ever did!

“Is not this the Christ?”
Then they left the city, and went to him!
Meanwhile, Jesus’ disciples asked, “Have You already eaten?
 Jesus told them, “I have food to eat that you know about.”
Therefore, the disciples asked another, “Has anybody brought him something to eat?”
Jesus responded, “My food is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to complete His work.”
“Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest?’

“Behold, I tell you to lift up your eyes, and look at the fields!

“They are already ripe for the harvest.
“And he that reaps is paid, and gathers fruit unto life eternal! So, both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together.
“Here is a truth, One sows, and another reaps.
 “I sent you to reap that for which you have labored!

“Others labored, and you entered (Gr. eiserchomai-εἰσέρχομαι) into their labors.

In that Jesus referred to the labor of the Old Testament Prophets.

The original twelve came into their work just as Gentiles today enter into Paul’s work of grace!
 And many of the Samaritans believed on Him telling the woman of their belief!
The Samaritans pleaded with Jesus to tarry with them.

He stayed there two days.
And, many more believed because of Jesus own word!
They told the woman, “Now we believe, not because of you said, but because we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

John 4:43-54

43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.
45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

After two days he left that area and went to Galilee.
It was Jesus himself who said that a Prophet has no honor in his own country!
When He arrived in Galilee, they received Him, because that had seen what He did at the feast in Jerusalem, because they had been at the feast.
Jesus returned to Cana of Galilee where He made the water wine.

At that time a nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum heard that Jesus was into Galilee!

So, he went to Jesus, and asked Him to come and heal his son.

The nobleman’s son was dying.

Normal Jewish pride would have prevented that man from asking, but it was his son and he wanted his son to life more than he wanted to maintain his pride!
However, Jesus reprimanded him, “Unless you all see signs and wonders, you will not believe!”
The nobleman said, “Sir, come before my child dies.
 Jesus did not go to the man’s dying son!

Instead, He said, “Go home! Your son lives!”

The man believed Jesus had spoken unto him, and went home!
As the man was going home, his servants ran to meet him exclaiming “Your son lives!”
The man asked them when his son began to get better.

They told him, “The fever left him at about 1 PM yesterday.”
So, the father knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus told him, “Your son lives, and because of that he and his entire household believed in Christ Jesus.
That was the second miracle Jesus did when he returned to Galilee.

 

Chapter 5
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