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The Gospel Of John Chapter 4:1-24

Outline Of Chapter 4: I. Jesus Leaves Judea: 4:1-3 II. Jesus And The Samaritan Woman: 4:4-27 III. Her Testimony: 4:28-29 IV. Harvest Time: 4:30-38 V. Many Samaritans Believe: 4:39-42 VI. Jesus In Galilee: 4:43-45 VII. Healing Of The Nobleman’s Son: 4:46-54

II. Commentary: John 4:1 ‘When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John’ John 4:2 ‘(although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), John 4:3 ‘He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee’ ‘When therefore the Lord knew’-His success had not only caused jealousy among some of the disciples of John (3:26), but He knew that now the Pharisees were focusing in on His efforts. ‘Despite the fact that the Lord was often in grave danger, he never exhibited fear but he often avoided death because much work was yet before him in order to the accomplishment of his mission on earth. Galilee was as ripe for harvest as any area and he would, for the time being, concentrate his energies there.’ (Woods p. 77)

‘Jesus Himself was not baptizing’-‘It is possible that Jesus did not with his own hands baptize lest those thus baptized should claim some special virtue or greater honor in the fact.’ (1 Corinthians 1:15) What this says is that baptism doesn’t take it’s importance from the person baptizing you, but rather from the true author, i.e. God. Thus if the person who baptized you becomes unfaithful, that doesn’t affect the validity of your baptism. When you are baptized for the right reason (remission of your sins-Acts 2:38),

into the right element (water), using the correct mode (immersion), and having been taught correctly about the Lord Jesus and His body, the church, a human agent is administering the baptism, but ‘our Baptism has no less efficacy to cleanse and renew us than if it had been given directly by the Son of God.’ (Morris p. 252)

‘He left Judea’-Just prior to this departure, John the Baptist had been imprisoned (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:19-20). On the one hand the Pharisees and other religious leaders of the Jews were glad that John was now out of their hair, but their rejoicing was only momentary. They were now confronted with someone who was even more popular among the multitudes. Jesus seems to have left Judea to avoid a premature crisis. Possibly Jesus feared that the multitudes, agitated by the arrest of John, would try to make Him King, or get Him involved in a revolt.

John 4:4 ‘And He had to pass through Samaria’ ‘He had to pass’-But Jews, such as the Pharisees disliked the Samaritan people so much, that they even avoided passing through Samaritan territory. Their route from Jerusalem to Galilee was to cross the Jordan River, travel on the east side (avoiding Samaria) and then to reenter at some point in Galilee. ‘The Jew going north usually crossed to the earth side of the Jordan River (probably at the Jericho ford) and went up the Jordan Valley to avoid Samaria, and re-crossed the river into Galilee (probably at Bethabara).’ (Butler p. 137) For rapid travel it was necessary to pass through Samaria. But this account will reveal that Jesus ‘had’ to pass through Samaria, because the fields were white unto harvest in this area (4:35). ‘Samaria’-The territory on the west side of the Jordan which was situated between Galilee in the north and Judea in the south.

The Samaritans We can trace the Samaritan people back to the time when the northern tribes (Israel) were removed from their land by the Assyrians (722 B.C.). The Assyrians then transplanted races from the Babylonian region in the territory that Israel had occupied (2 Kings 17:24). Apparently whatever Israelites left in this territory and these new peoples when gradually intermarried, thus the race of people known as ‘Samaritans’. In 586 B.C. the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the city was taken by the Babylonians. In 539 B.C. the southern tribes taken into Babylonian captivity were allowed to return to the land and rebuild both the Temple and the city (books of Ezra and Nehemiah). When the Jews who had returned started to undertake this work, the people who had remained in the land and intermarried offered to help (from apparent insincere and ulterior motives-Ezra 4:1). Zerubbabel and the other Jewish leaders immediately saw through their offer and rejected it (Ezra 4:3). From this moment onward a definite rift and hatred started. The Samaritans did everything they could to stop the Temple from being built (4:4ff) and the walls of the city from being rebuilt (Nehemiah 4:1ff).

Eventually the Samaritans established a Temple to rival the Temple in Jerusalem, which was built on Mount Gerizim in the heart of Samaritan territory (John 4:20). In 129 B.C., John Hyrcanus, a Jewish general lead an attack against Samaria and sacked and destroyed the temple on Mount Gerizim. When Jesus encounters this woman, the Jewish-Samaritan quarrel was more than 400 years old, but in was just as bitter as ever. Over time the Samaritans dropped their initial polytheism (2 Kings 17:25,28,32,41), and worshipped the one true God. But their religion did develop some peculiarities. For example they only accepted as Scripture the first five books of the O.T. and rejected the rest. They refused to worship at Jerusalem, contending that Mt. Gerizim was the appointed place.

John 4:5 ‘So He came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;’ ‘Sychar’-(SIGH car). ‘is perhaps to be identified with the village called Askar, near Shechem.’ (Morris p. 257) Today a modern city of considerable size is situated at the foot and on the slopes of Mt. Gerizim, it is called Nablus.

‘near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph’-‘Traveling the Roman road that leads through Samaria, Jesus would come to a fork in the road. At this fork in the road there is a well called Jacob’s Well. About one-half mile northwest is the village of Sychar. About the same distance to the west are Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, a short distance north of Gerizim, with a natural amphitheater in between where Joshua stood and shouted the blessings and curses of the Law to the nation assembled on the slopes of these two mountains (Deut. 27:12-13; Josh. 8:33-35). Also in the immediate vicinity is a burial plot, purchased by Jacob but given in his son Joseph, and Joseph subsequently had his bones buried there (cf. Gen. 33:18-19; 48:22; Josh. 24:32).’ (Butler pp. 137-138)

John 4:6 ‘and Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.’ ‘Jacob’s well was there’-the well itself is around 105 feet deep. ‘Nearly all archaeologists and scholars of the geography of Palestine agree that Jacob’s Well is one place to which we may point with certainty and say, “Jesus sat on these stones.” Grooves are worn deep into the stones around the opening of the well where ropes have, for centuries, been let down and pulled up drawing water for thirsty Palestinians.’ (Butler p. 138)

‘Jesus, therefore, being wearied from His journey’-This Gospel that stresses the Deity of Jesus (1:1,18; 5:18ff), also stresses the fact of His humanity. The flesh that the Word became was a real human body, a body that became tired, hungry and thirsty. ‘He knew exhaustion, thirst’ (Butler p. 139)

Points To Note: 1.

The limitations inherent in our human bodies do not prevent us from serving God. 2. There is nothing wrong in being hungry, thirsty or tired. We shouldn’t feel guilty for being tired, needing a break, needing time to rest or needing a vacation. 3. We can identify with Jesus! (Hebrews 2:15-17; 4:15-16).

‘was sitting thus by the well’-Notice the detail. Jesus isn’t sitting on a throne or a cushion, but rather on the ground or on the stones surrounding the well.

‘It was about the sixth hour’-according to Jewish reckoning this would have been around noon. If Roman time, about 6 p.m. in the evening.

John 4:’There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”’ ‘There came a woman of Samaria to draw water’-A number of details need to be presented to the reader: 1. The woman was walking about half a mile or so to the well, and then carrying that water back in a waterpot either on her head or her shoulder. 2. Usually the women from a village would all meet at the local well to exchange news and “small-talk”, but this woman came alone. 3. It also appears that there was a supply of water nearer to her home. Morris notes, ‘There was plentiful water nearer her home. It may be that the water at Jacob’s well was thought to be of better quality. More likely there was some superstitious veneration for a place hallowed by associations with the patriarch. But the woman had a bad reputation, and the explanation may be very simple— she chose the time and the place to avoid other women.’ (p. 258)

‘Give Me a drink’-A tremendous number of wonderful truths can be gained from this simple statement: 1. It shows the accessibility of God. The Pharisees and other Jews would have either fled from this woman in embarrassment or avoided her in hostile silence. ‘To a Jew this was an amazing story. Here was the Son of God tired and weary and thirsty. Here was the holiest of men listening …to a sorry story…here is God so loving the world, not in theory, but in action.’ (Barclay p. 143) 2. God asked for a favor! 3. This is Jesus’ second interview in this Gospel. And this woman, on the surface was everything that Nicodemus wasn’t. She wasn’t a Jew, she wasn’t learned, she wasn’t the best moral example in the world, she probably wasn’t from the upper class of society, she wasn’t respected by her peers or one of the pillars in the community. 4. And I like what Tasker says about this woman: ‘The Samaritan woman is a timeless figure—not only a typical Samaritan but a typical human being. As she converses with Jesus, it becomes clear that like most men and women she is almost exclusively concerned with the provision of what will satisfy her physical needs.’ (p. 75)

John 4:8 ‘For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food’-This explains why Jesus was alone at the well.

John 4:9 ‘The Samaritan woman therefore said to Him, “How it is that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)’ “How is it that You, being a Jew”-Obviously Jews didn’t have blond hair and blue eyes. Everything about Him was Jewish, His speech, dress and physical appearance. ‘What? You are a Jew, and you ask me for a drink—me, a Samaritan!’ (Mof)

“ask me for a drink”-Part of her astonishment comes from the fact that Jesus was willing to drink out of the same vessel that she would drink from. ‘If Jesus is to get a drink he will have to drink from her bucket.’ (Butler p. 141) (4:11) Her question is probably one of astonishment, rather than resentment (i.e. ‘So you Jews are not above asking help from us Samaritans when you need it.’)

‘(For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)’-This statement was added by God to explain to non-Jewish readers why this woman was so surprised at the request Jesus made. Note how God has made every effort to make His Word as easy to understand as possible, even to people who would live in other cultures and ages. Jews did have some dealings with Samaritans (4:8). But according to Pharisaic interpretation, Jews and Samaritans were not allowed to use drinking-vessels together. According to Barclay, this woman might also have been surprised that Jews talked to her, seeing that she was a woman. Barclay notes that the stricter Rabbis forbade a Rabbi to greet a woman in public, much less actually have a conversation with her. ***I think it is important to note that Jesus isn’t being deceptive. He isn’t asking for a drink, even though He isn’t thirsty. He really is thirsty! He isn’t claiming to be thirsty so He can get a class with her. A discussion of spiritual things will follow. But Jesus isn’t pretending to be her friend, or to be interested in her life, and so on. The modern Discipleship Movement talks about the ‘Deceptive Jesus’, and how pretending that you are interested in one thing—while actually trying to convert someone is OK.

John 4:10 ‘Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”’ “If you knew the gift of God”-‘Though he was weary with travel and in need of a drink, it was she would was really famished---near the Well of Living Water yet without present means of drawing from it. She was without the Gift and thus far did not know the Giver.’ (Woods p. 79) The ‘gift of God’ is eternal life (Revelation 22:17).

“and who it is who says to you”-‘The mere hint that He knew something that she did not know was sufficient to change her attitude…to serious inquiry.’ (Tenney p. 93) ‘sad, deadly ignorance! Yet this is the voice of heavenly pity. So he spoke with tears concerning Jerusalem (Luke 19:41)….Tired and thirsty as he is, his wants may wait if only he is able to supply hers.’ (Lenski p. 304) 5

“living water”-The O.T. contained various references to the idea that only God could offer true refreshment (Isaiah 12:3; 44:3; 49:10; 55:1) and man’s need for spiritual refreshment (Psalm 42:1; 36:9; Jeremiah 2:13). Living Water would refer to not only God’s truth, but the spiritual life that only Jesus can give.

John 4:11 ‘She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?”’ “Sir, You have nothing to draw with”-This woman could only think about literal water.

John 4:12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” “not greater than our father Jacob”-‘The Jews would of course have strenuously denied that Jacob was the father of the Samaritans, but it was part of the Samaritan claim that they were descended from Joseph, by way of Ephraim and Manasseh.’ (Barclay p. 144) This woman had deep reverence for her illustrious ancestors. She seems content with the well that Jacob had dug. She is suspicious or at best perplexed about the claims of Jesus. How can He get to the ‘living water’, seeing that the well is deep (over 100 ft.) and He has nothing to draw with?

John 4:13 ‘Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again;” John 4:14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” “that I shall give”-only Jesus can give true spiritual satisfaction and refreshment. One’s spiritual hunger and thirst will not be satisfied by material or secular goals or other religions. A common mistake committed in every generation is to try to quench our thirst for meaning and purpose in pursuing secular things (Jeremiah 2:13; Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).

“shall become in him a well of water”-Jesus seems to be saying what the Christian possesses, the relationship that the Christian has with God generates a perpetual source of refreshment. The Christian doesn’t need things to make them happy. Neither do they need ‘new teachings’, ‘fads’, or anything else. All the Christian really ever needs is the nourishment that comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, which of course includes worshipping with Christians, a dedicated life of prayer, teaching others, and standing in awe of His Word. The Christian may have many outside or side interests, but he or she doesn’t need those things to make them feel happy, fulfilled or satisfied. Truly, the child of God lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

Therefore, the Christian can be content in whatever circumstances he or she finds themselves (Phil. 4:10-13).

“springing up to eternal life”-the end result of my relationship with God, the goal. John 4:15 ‘The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw.”’ “nor come all the way here to draw”-She is still thinking about literal water. ‘To her, His promise was a gratification of common human laziness.’ (Tenney p. 94) ‘Ordinarily, if she wanted the water…she would have to walk those ten minutes from her home to this well, and she would have to do this every day, at least once a day. Hence, she yearns for the water which not only quenches but prevents thirst.’ (Hendriksen p. 163)

John 4:16 ‘He said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”’ “Go, call your husband”-Jesus suddenly and unexpectedly penetrates her defenses with these words. Jesus asks this question to make this woman see that she needs far more than some magical water. ‘suddenly and stabbingly Jesus brought her to her senses. The time for verbal by-play was past…She was suddenly compelled to face herself and the looseness and the immorality and the total inadequacy of her life….Christianity begins with a sense of sin. It begins with the sudden realization that life as we are living it will not do.’ (pp. 148-149)

John 4:17 ‘The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband; John 4:18 “for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” “I have no husband”-This woman only reveals the bare minimum of details. ‘The reply was true, but was intended as a screen for her own falsity. She did not wish to be investigated, least of all by a Jew.’ (Tenney p. 94)

“and the one whom you now have is not your husband”-‘By the exercise of His prophetic knowledge He turned her life inside out before her very eyes.’ (Tenney p. 94) And note that Jesus gives her credit where credit is due. ‘It shows that He knows all about her misadventures…This may mean that she had availed herself liberally of the provisions for divorce, but that after all that she was living with a man who was not legally her husband….A woman could not divorce her husband in Jewish law. But under certain circumstances she could approach the court which would, if it thought fit, compel the husband to divorce her. Or she might pay him or render services to induce him to divorce her.’ (Morris p. 264) Also note that Jesus believes in marriage! He is not impressed by living-together relationships.

John 4:19 ‘The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” “I perceive that You are a prophet”-We need to give this woman credit that at this moment she didn’t walk away. Neither did she try to justify her past. Some see her as quickly trying to change the subject, but she may be asking a question in the next verse that wasn’t intended to change the subject, but was a perplexing question which had been on her mind for a long time. Like Nicodemus, this woman realizes that such miraculous insight as Jesus has demonstrated points to Jesus as one sent from God (John 3:1-2).

John 4:20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” “in this mountain”-The Mountain is Mt. Gerizim, which loomed not far from the well. After the time of Nehemiah, the Samaritans had built a Temple on this Mount and had established a high priesthood. This temple had been destroyed in 129 B.C., and had not been rebuilt, yet the worship continued—and still continues to this day.

“you people say”-‘The right place of worship was a prominent topic of dispute between Samaritans and Jews. She may have been genuinely interested in what a prophet would say about this ancient and bitter controversy.’ (Morris p. 267)

John 4:21 ‘Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father.” “Woman, believe Me”-Jesus speaks with absolute certainty. Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, ‘Well, good and sincere students of the Scriptures have disagreed for centuries about this topic, so why can’t we just agree to disagree.’

“an hour is coming”-Speaking of the New Covenant which was coming. The hour was coming—but it hadn’t arrived as yet. Thus, Jerusalem was presently the proper place for worship (4:22)

“neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem”-There would be no exclusive holy place for worship in the New Covenant. The New Covenant wouldn’t have a place to which we must come yearly, or a holy site to which a pilgrimage must be made.

“shall you worship the Father”-Which infers that the Samaritans would be able to worship the Father. A change is coming, when all men will be encouraged to worship the Father, regardless of their nationality or race. Point To Note: Jesus is making it clear that there will be no exclusive site or place where worship must be performed. This verse contradicts the claims of those who contend that we can only

worship in an upper-room, etc…The Christians in the New Testament worshiped in a variety of places (Acts 2:46; 5:12; 19:9; 20:7). As long as we are gathering with other Christians (Hebrews 10:24-25), it doesn’t matter if we meet in our own homes, a rented building, office space which we are leasing, a building that we own, or outside someplace.

John 4:22 “You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” “that which you do not know”-The Samaritans were wrong about the place of worship. And they could have answered this question for themselves, for the Scriptures made it clear that Jerusalem was the proper place (Deut. 12:1-14; 2 Kings 18:22; 2 Chron. 32:12; Isaiah 36:7).

“for salvation is from the Jews”-The Messiah was of Jewish lineage. In addition, ‘Their sacrifices anticipated him, their prophets predicted his coming and their land supplied the place of his birth. The Jewish religion came from God….the Samaritan religion was of man and involved grave error.’ (Woods p. 82) ‘His reply was blunt, and He made no concession to the Samaritan position.’ (Tenney p. 95)

John 4:23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” “and now is”-The time is so near (John 16:32). In addition, the hour now is when God is accepting true worshipers.

“when the true worshipers shall worship the Father”-the word ‘true’ suggests that not all who worship God are worshipping with genuine motives and neither are they all worshipping correctly (Matthew 6:1-4). And notice that Jesus doesn’t say that only the Jews can be true worshippers. ‘worship the Father’-Jesus wouldn’t agree with those who refer to God as ‘our Father and Mother’. Or, those who when they speak of God, say, ‘She…’.

“in spirit”-which includes our spirits. True worship is from the heart, it expresses the real feelings of the worshipper. The whole heart and mind of the worshipper needs to be involved (Matthew 22:37). ‘As some see it, a humble, spiritual attitude means little. According to others, truth or doctrinal soundness is of no importance. Both are onesided, unbalanced, and therefore wrong. Genuine worshipers worship in spirit and truth.’ (Hendriksen p. 167) See passages such as Matthew 6:1ff and 1 Corinthians 13:1ff.

“and truth”-But sincerity cannot change God’s truth. We are to offer the worship that God has commanded (Matthew 15:7-9; 7:21; John 14:15). Our feelings never give us the right to invent our own forms of worship, which compete with the forms that God has revealed.

Barclay notes: ‘A false worship selects what it wishes to know and understand about God and omits what it does not wish….It is very easy for a man to accept and hold such parts of God’s truth as suit him and to disregard the rest….A false worship is an ignorant worship…In the last analysis religion is never safe until a man can tell, not only what he believes, but why he believes it. Religion is hope, but it is hope with reason behind it (1 Peter 3:15)….A false worship is a superstitious worship. It is a worship given, not out of a sense of need nor out of any real desire, but basically because a man feels that it might be dangerous not to give it.’ (pp. 152-153) ‘The combination “spirit and truth” points to the need for complete sincerity and complete reality in our approach to God.’ (Morris p. 271)

“for such people”-among Jews and Samaritans (as well as all mankind). “the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”-The Father doesn’t merely accept such worship, rather He is seeking people who will offer such worship. And at this moment Jesus is seeking such a worshiper in talking to this woman. People need to realize that when they encounter the Gospel Message, God is seeking them—this is their opportunity to become a true worshiper!

John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” “God is spirit”-Therefore, God is not confined to things or places. Jesus isn’t saying that God is one spirit among many. Rather, He is saying that God’s essential nature is spirit. Points To Note: 1.

Therefore, when the Bible says that mankind is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), it is clear that the image under consideration isn’t a physical resemblance. Rather, God is spirit, and every man or woman possesses a spirit/soul. 2. ‘For this reason he is not to be regarded as restricted to mountains, to temples, or holy shrines…He is thus the object of rational and intellectual response and he is not simply or solely approached by physical action.’ (Woods p. 83) 3. See 1 Timothy 6:15-16; 1:17.

“must worship”-‘Notice the “must”. Jesus is not speaking merely of a desirable element in worship. He is speaking of something that is absolutely necessary.’ (Morris pp. 271-272)