The Gospel Of John Chapter 4:25-54
John 4:25 ‘The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”’ “I know that Messiah is coming”-The Samaritans also believed in a coming Messiah. Lenski notes that their name for him was Taheb, probably meaning “the Restorer.” He was to be both a great prophet and a wonderful king, although the strong political feature of the Jews seems to be absent from the Samaritan conception.’ (p. 326) ‘There are messianic prophecies in the Pentateuch (first five books of the O.T.), and thus the Samaritans expected the Messiah. But their rejection of the rest of the Old Testament meant that their information about Him was meager.’ (Morris p. 272) One of the passages which they would have keyed in on would have been Deut. 18:15ff.
“(He who is called Christ)”-John uses the title that the woman used and then translates it for the non-Jewish readers.
“He will declare all things to us”-‘The words were a confession both of ignorance and of hope. She was waiting for light, and, soiled as she was, she clung to the ancient promise of God that a Deliverer would come, who would take away the darkness from her eyes.’ (Tenney p. 95) Point To Note: In the New Testament we find many people, especially among the common everyday people (like this woman) who were looking for the Messiah! (John 7:31; 1:41,45). The Old Testament Scriptures did have a tremendous impact upon common people. God’s truth isn’t as ‘uncommon’ as some people think (Romans 1:18-32).
John 4:26 ‘Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”’ “I who speak to you am He”-‘This is the greatest surprise of all! But this is also the only solution to all the problems and the only answer to all the questions that have arisen in this woman’s heart.’ (Hendriksen pp. 168-169) God’s truth isn’t reserved for some elite class. God doesn’t feel that it is a waste of His time to try to help this woman, God believes that anyone can change! (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). ‘The Samaritan woman will not have to wait for the Messiah to come to solve her problem. The full solution has already
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been given by Jesus.’ (Tasker p. 77) There are many people in the world like this woman, people seeking and looking for the answers to their questions. But the greatest test of character, isn’t the question that you are asking, but rather, what will you do when your question is answered! Are you looking for excuses, or are you looking for the truth?
John 4:27 ‘And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He had been speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?”’ ‘at this point’-the disciples returned just as Jesus had made the above statement. ‘they marveled that He had been speaking with a woman’-the word ‘marveled’ denotes ‘incredulous surprise’. The reason for this astonishment was that in popular Jewish thinking, no Rabbi should ever have a conversation with a woman. ‘One of their sayings ran: “A man shall not be alone with a woman in an inn, not even with his sister or his daughter, on account of what men may think, A man shall not talk with a woman in the street, not even with his own wife, and especially not with another woman, on account of what men may say.’ (Morris p. 274) It was also believed that women were incapable of receiving any real teaching, in fact they said, ‘Better that the words of the law should be burned than delivered to women.’ Point To Note: Jesus isn’t anti-woman and neither is the Bible. God created both men and women (Genesis 1:26), so how can His Word have a low view of either gender? In contrast, it is human thinking that is often anti-women and anti-men. In fact, when people depart from the Word of God, they are not longer competent to represent men or women. I am shocked that so many secular groups which claim to be pro-women, take such a weak stand against practices that exploit women (i..e. like pornography and nude dancing establishments).
‘yet no one said….’-The disciples were already learning that Jesus was different from the typical Rabbi. They had already seen a graphic demonstration of this truth in John 2:14-17. ‘However staggered the disciples might be, it did not occur to them to ask the woman what she was looking for, or to ask Jesus why He was talking to her. They were beginning to know Jesus; and they had already arrived at the conclusion that however surprising Jesus’ actions were, if He did them, they were not to be questioned.’ (Barclay p. 155)
John 4:28 ‘So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city, and said to the men,’ ‘left her waterpot’-This woman did something that Nicodemus didn’t immediately do, that is, she went and told others! She left her waterpot, she abandoned the task at hand, everything at this moment in her life became unimportant compared to what she had just
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learned! She left her waterpot, probably because she intends to return to Jesus, hopefully with others.
‘and said to the men’-Barclay notes, ‘The first instinct of the Samaritan woman was to share her discovery…This very desire to tell others of her discovery, killed in this woman the feeling of human shame. She….an (apparent) outcast..she was no doubt a byword; the very fact that she was drawing water from this distant well shows how she avoided her neighbors and how they avoided her. But now she ran to tell them of her discovery…A man may hide his sin; but once he discovers Jesus Christ as Savior, his first instinct is to say to men: “Look at what I was; and look at what I am; this is what Christ has done for me.”’ (p. 157) Compare with 1 Timothy 1:13-16. Point To Note: This is spiritual hunger! This is someone who is thirsty for living water. This is what the beginning of real faith looks like. You know when you have encountered an honest heart. You know when someone is really convicted. Matters of schedule and priorities take care of themselves. The daily routine could be put on hold, her plans for that day, went on the back burner. When God is first in a person’s life, you can tell (Matthew 6:33-34).
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” “Come, and see”-‘She wanted them to determine the matter, not on what she said, but upon what they could see.’ (Woods p. 85)
“all the things that I have done”-The average person who is honest can see the evidence for the Deity of Jesus (John 20:30-31). This statement indicates the profound impression that Jesus’ knowledge of her private life had made on her. Points To Note: 1.
We try to make personal work and evangelism harder than it really is. 2. The first ingredient that we need is excitement! We need to be impressed with the salvation which we have found. 3. We need to have a love for others. The Christian is someone who can’t be happy by keeping their faith to themselves. 4. We must see the ‘good’ that Jesus can do for others, and not merely the initial things that the person might have to give up. We must be like the surgeon, who not only sees the disease that must be removed, but who also sees the health which will follow when the disease is removed! We must learn to see people, not merely for what they presently are---but what they could be, how much better off they would be, if they only would follow Jesus.
“this is not the Christ, is it?”-‘Can this be the Christ?’ (RV) Notice her humility. She is asking for their help, examine this man with me. Notice her wisdom, she presents a question, she wants them to come and see for themselves. ‘she raises the question and
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throws a cloud of uncertainty and curiosity over it with a woman’s keen instinct.’ (Lenski p. 330) The question is put tentatively. ‘It is though a negative answer might be expected, but a positive one is hoped for.’ (Morris p. 275)
John 4:30 ‘They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.’ John 4:31 ‘In the meantime the disciples were requesting Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat”.’ John 4:32 ‘But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”’ John 4:33 ‘The disciples therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?”’ John 4:34 ‘Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.”’ Points To Note: 1.
‘They could not understand why He would not eat, since He had seemed so faint when they left Him, and since they had gone to the trouble of procuring food for Him.’ (Tenney p. 96) 2. Jesus’ mind was definitely upon the conversation He had with the above woman and the knowledge that many honest hearts were headed in His direction. 3. Carefully note that God gets excited when people respond to Him! The honest heart, the person who is turning to the Lord—has God’s full attention (Luke 15:1-7). 4. Please note that the disciples weren’t in the wrong for eating. And neither is Jesus saying that He will never eat---He will eat later. But at this moment the task at hand is so engrossing that He is no longer hungry. 5. The same thing would happen to the above disciples and it happens to Christians. There are times that we become so engrossed in a study, in prayer, in teaching others, that we forget about eating or sleeping. ‘It is always a strange thing how a great task can lift a man above and beyond bodily needs.’ (Barclay p. 158) 6. But, it really isn’t that strange. When we get so preoccupied with some spiritual task, that we forget to eat, or go without eating, we are demonstrating the fact, that we are more than a body. We are manifesting the truth that we have a spirit, a soul created in the image of God.
The only question for us, is do we get more engrossed in physical and secular goals than spiritual goals? Is serving God and doing the will of God, including spreading the gospel, as important and necessary to your life and well-being as is physical nourishment? Can we say to ourselves concerning spiritual things, ‘I must do this, just like I must have food to survive?’ Do you see God and the things of God as necessary for your daily survival?
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“to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work”-Christians had the same attitude (Acts 20:24; 2 Corinthians 5:9). And what ‘work’ must I accomplish? Is this my present attitude? While I am doing other things (working, etc…), do I have the overriding desire to finish work that I see and that I can do for God? What present tasks depend upon me for their fulfillment? What are things, that presently depend solely upon me? If this is going to be done right now—then am I the only one who can do it? (like, I am the only man that can presently be the father of my children and raise my children in the ways of God, and so on).
John 4:35 “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” “Do you not say. ‘There are yet four months…’”-Jesus here may be citing a popular proverb among the Jewish people, or He may be referring to what was true concerning the present time of year. That is, He made this statement when it actually was four months until the harvest. Butler notes that nearly all commentators agree that no such proverb has been found to exist. And others note that if this was a proverb it should have read, ‘six months, and then comes the harvest’. Because, in Palestine it was six months and not four from the time the seed was sown until the harvest was garnered. And yet, others don’t agree (see Morris pp. 278-279). Points To Note: 1. Either way, Jesus is stressing that the time for working and harvesting are upon them. The attitude that growth is slow and cannot be hurried, doesn’t always apply in the spiritual realm. In many cases, growth is INSTANT! 2. ‘They must not lazily relax, comfortable in the thought that there is no need to bestir themselves.’ (Morris p. 279) 3. And in this instance, the fields were coming to them!
“white for harvest”-‘Sychar is in the midst of a region that is still famous for its corn….Practically nowhere else in the country could a man look up and see the waving fields of golden corn.’ (Barclay p. 160)
John 4:36 “Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.” “Already he who reaps is receiving wages”-‘The harvest is ready. The wages are there. Let no man hang back. A harvest will not wait.’ (Morris p. 280) ‘The “wages” of effective evangelization is not in worldly emoluments or earthly fame, but in the joy of achievement and the realization of work well done.’ (Woods p. 88)
“gather fruit for life eternal”-not that we earn our salvation by converting others, or that our salvation is based on how many we convert. But the fruit that we are gathering are souls, souls that will inherit eternal life.
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“that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” -See Amos 9:13. Often the person sowing is not the person reaping (next verse). But both will share the joy of what is gathered (1 Corinthians 3:6-8 ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth….Now he who plants and he who waters are one…’) Notice the word ‘together’. There is no room for jealousy or competition in the Kingdom of God. ‘The man who wins souls for Christ is at work on something with lasting consequences. His work is for eternity. In doing it he is not in any way competing with the sower. He is in fact cooperating with the sower, for he is completing the work that the other commenced. So it is that his work is done in order that the two may rejoice together.’ (Morris p. 280)
John 4:38 “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” “not labored”-‘Each Christian worker is dependent for success on the labors of his predecessors.’ (Morris p. 281)
“others have labored”-these others would include Jesus (he had talked to the woman), John the Baptist, and the Old Testament prophets. ‘What is clear is that Jesus expected them to be reapers. The time spent with Him was not only a time of training. It was a time in which they were meant to be rendering significant service.’ (Morris p. 282) Points To Note: 1.
There is no room for despair in the Christian life. Even if we don’t see immediate results for our efforts, results will be seen one day. ‘If we do not see the result of our labors others will.’ (Barclay p. 163) 2. What are you presently sowing? We are either sowing good or evil. We are either sowing success or hardship for the next generation of Christians. 3. What we do for God today will have far reaching consequences! 4. Sow as much as you can! Sow at work, sow among your neighbors, sow in the Bible classes with the young children, sow in letters to the editor, sow, sow, sow!
John 4:39 ‘And 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.” ‘many of the Samaritans believed in Him’-Faith doesn’t depend upon how many chances you have been given to believe. And neither does faith depend upon seeing a miracle first hand, or seeing a whole bunch of miracles. If a person has a good heart, they don’t need all the evidence in the world to believe. In contrast, if one isn’t honest, all the evidence in the world will not convince them. The enemies of Jesus saw countless miracles—and yet refused to believe. These people, didn’t see any miracle, and yet believed. Notice something else. These people believed in spite of the messenger! God holds us accountable to the truth—despite the past or present character of the person who
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is telling us the truth. Mocking the messenger is something that dishonest people find amusing.
John 4:40 ‘So when the Samaritans came to Him, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.’ ‘they were asking Him to stay with them’-these people aren’t Christians, but at the same time, neither are they inherently depraved! They are like the people in Acts 17:11, they are friendly, not hostile, they want to investigate for themselves, they are eager to meet with Him personally. They have nothing to hide and no axe to grind. They merely are trying to discover the truth.
John 4:41 ‘And many more believed because of His word.’ ‘because of His word’-They were convicted by His preaching. Carefully note that nothing is said about Jesus performing any miracles in their presence. These people, these despised Samaritans didn’t need miracles, they didn’t have the attitude, ‘I won’t believe unless God gives me a sign.’ The words of Jesus Christ were enough for them! God love people who don’t need one sign after another to believe. God love people who don’t need new teaching, religious gimmicks or fads, to revitalize their relationship with God on a yearly or monthly basis. God love people who can live and be happy with the Word of God (Matthew 4:4).
John 4:42 ‘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.”’ “we have heard for ourselves and know…”-The faith that comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), can give anyone absolute certainty. Faith is not a wish or a guess. For the Christian faith and fact are the same thing.
“the Savior of the world”-Some critics of the Bible deny that the Samaritans could have said such a thing. But in two days, Jesus had told them enough, that they understood that the Messiah was not merely the Savior of the Jewish people, or the Samaritan people, but the Savior for the whole world. ‘With what great joy must these people have come to this conclusion! He was their Savior….not merely a Messiah to the Jewish nation.’ (Woods p. 89) Years later, many Samaritans will accept the Gospel message (Acts 8:5ff).
Traveling Into Galilee John 4:43 ‘And after the two days He went forth from there into Galilee.’
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John 4:44 ‘For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.’ Points To Note: 1.
Jesus had already gained honor in Jerusalem (2:23). He didn’t need testimony from His hometown. 2. Jesus appears to have bypassed Nazareth, and headed for Cana. The people in Nazareth wouldn’t allow themselves to get past the idea that this son of the carpenter could ever be the promised Messiah (Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:13-30). The passages in Mark and Luke would take place after this trip into Galilee. ‘He appears to have bypassed Nazareth and to have gone directly to Cana…He knew that his reception would be more cordial there than in Nazareth….Others think that the Lord, knowing of this proverbial truth, gained honor by going beyond his own land to Jerusalem and attained to the fame that preceded him.’ (Woods p. 90) ‘The saying about a prophet being without acceptance in his own country is reported by all three Synoptists (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24). The above proverb is much like our modern statement, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.
John 4:45 ‘So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.’ ‘having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast’-the feast under consideration in this verse is the Passover feast mentioned in 2:13. Many in Galilee had attended the most recent Passover, and they had seen the miracles that Jesus had performed (2:23). Point To Note: ‘This Galilean ministry will last approximately sixteen months. There will be only one interruption---a brief trip to Jerusalem for a Passover feast recorded in John 5. It is a ministry almost completely left out of John’s gospel except for John 4:43-55 and 6:1-7:10. But this early Galilean ministry is reported extensively by the Synoptic Gospels (cf. Matthew chapters 4-14; Mark 1-6; Luke 4-9).’ (Butler p. 161)
Jesus In Cana John 4:46 ‘He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain royal official, whose son was sick at Capernaum.’ ‘certain royal official’-‘The word translated nobleman is basilikos (related to basileus) and means an official of the King’s court. This royal official lived at Capernaum
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about twenty miles distant from Cana over mountain terrain.’ (Butler p. 163) Many think that this man was one of Herod’s officers. The Herod under consideration would be Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee (Matthew 14:9) ‘basilokos is used by Josephus, the Jewish historian, to denote a royal officer or servant, whether by civil, military or household service. This Herod had a place in Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum.’ (Woods p. 91)
‘whose son was sick at Capernaum’-Thus this man will hasten from Capernaum to Cana.
John 4:47 ‘When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him, and was requesting Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.’ ‘he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea’-Some how this man had heard about Jesus and His ability to perform the miraculous. Possibility he had or one of his friends had been in Jerusalem and had actually seen Jesus heal (John 2:23).
‘he went to Him’-Which would have meant a journey of about 20 miles. Note that this man goes in person to beg help from Jesus. Notice the contrast in these passages. On the one hand a high official, on the other hand, Jesus, a village carpenter. ‘There could be no more improbable scene in the world that an important court official hastening twenty miles to beg a favour from a village carpenter. First and foremost, this courtier swallowed his pride. He was in need, and neither convention nor custom stopped him from bringing his need to Christ.’ (Barclay p. 169)
‘requesting Him to come down and heal his son’-‘requesting’-‘is in a continuous tense, conveying the thought of a persistent request. The man’s need was great. He pressed his plea.’ (Morris p. 289)
‘for he was at the point of death’-This man is desperate! This is a hard case. John 4:48 ‘Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”’ “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe”Points To Note: 1.
Jesus challenges this man. ‘The reply of Jesus was designed to make him and all who observed His miracles to look more deeply into their purpose. Jesus was not just a “super doctor” whose mission was physical healing. He was not a “magician” who could perform wonders no one else could do.’ (Harkrider p. 30) 2. ‘Jesus is affirming that people such as the man who had come to Him were lacking in that 9
deep trustful attachment which is the essence of faith. They looked for the spectacular, and were linked to Him only by a love for the sensational.’ (Morris p. 290) 3. This man wouldn’t be coming to Jesus, if his son wasn’t at the point of death. 4. ‘The point of Jesus’ complaint is not the fact that he is asked to come down to Capernaum and do the miracle where the man could see it done, but the fact that the kind of faith represented by this man can be kept alive only by means of miracles. The man never thought of Jesus healing at a distance.’ (Lenski p. 349) Notice that Jesus believed that faith could develop without seeing any miracles, like the people in Samaria, who simply believed what He said (4:41). Jesus wasn’t impressed by people who need the spectacular and mysterious to give meaning and relevance to their relationship with God. The membership in many modern denominational churches would quickly dwindle if the Sunday morning production numbers, fun and games, and secular programs all ceased.
John 4:49 ‘The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”’ “Sir, come down before my child dies”-Give this man credit, he didn’t walk away in disgust. ‘If the man had turned irritably and petulantly away; if he had been too proud to accept a rebuke….’ (Barclay p. 170) True faith will continue to seek God, even after that faith is tested. Faith can take it, faith can handle criticism, faith will continue to persist, despite the present circumstances.
John 5:50 ‘Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.’ ‘The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off’-‘Jesus’ reply must have been totally unexpected. The man had been urging Him to come down to Capernaum, evidently thinking that the Master’s presence was necessary if He were to perform a cure…Jesus’ words impose a stiff test. He gives the man no sign. The officer has nothing but Jesus’ bare word. But this is enough. He rises to the implied demand of faith.’ (Morris p. 291) Points To Note: 1.
This man didn’t allow pride, position or effort to prevent him from coming to Jesus. 2. When Jesus rebuked him, he took it, and he simply took Jesus’ word for it. He stood the test of faith. 3. Notice the difference between this miracle and the modern claims of various faith healers: A. Jesus said no particular healing formula. B. No faith was required on the part of the person being healed. C. The child was at the point of death. D. The child was healed at a distance—Jesus didn’t even need to touch the child. D. The cure of instant.
John 4:51 ‘And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living.’ 10
John 4:52 ‘So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”’ “at the seventh hour”-Jewish time would have been one o’clock in the afternoon. Roman time, 7 p.m. The Father might be inquiring, because he might not have expected so sudden of a healing. Notice that the fever had left him, it had wholly vanished. The healing was total and complete. The distance between Cana and Capernaum was about 20 miles, but it was hilly country, and it would take about 7 hours to cover this distance.
John 4:53 ‘So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed, and his whole household.’ ‘the father knew’-He realized the power that Jesus had manifested. Over a distance of 20 miles, Jesus had healed a boy who was as good as dead. No elaborate ceremony, rather, Jesus simply said, ‘your son lives’. And this healing was immediate and complete.
‘he himself believed, and his whole household’-‘He was not a man who got out of Christ what he wanted and then went away to forget.’ (Barclay p. 170) It is clear that this man told his family all about what had happened. He couldn’t remain quiet concerning what Jesus had done for him. Faith can cut through prejudice! Faith can also overcome fear. ‘It would not be easy at the court of Herod to profess faith in Jesus. He would have mockery and laughter to endure…But this courtier was a man who faced and accepted the facts.’ (Barclay p. 170) Point To Note: Let this be a lesson to us, when we are tempted to remain quiet about Jesus. Our nonChristian friends, co-workers and family haven’t given us spiritual life. They didn’t save us. They can’t give us eternal life. They didn’t sacrifice their life for our soul. Mockery and ridicule can be endured, when you have your minds, not upon the opposition, but upon the One who has healed you!
John 4:54 ‘This is again a second sign that Jesus performed, when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.’ ‘a second sign’-The first time Jesus came back into Galilee, He had turned the water into wine. ‘now, having returned a second time, he again signals his return by a miracle… During the eight or nine months spend in Judea many other miracles had been wrought, 2:23; 4:45.’ (Lenski p. 356)
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