John Chapter 4
1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptising more disciples than John
2 (although Jesus himself didn't baptise, but his disciples),
3 he left Judea and departed into Galilee.
4 He needed to pass through Samaria.
5 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.
6 Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came 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 therefore said to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered 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."
11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water?
12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his children and his livestock?"
13 Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I don't get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
17 The woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband,'
18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly."
19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.
22 You worship that which you don't know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers.
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 comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things."
26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks to you."
27 At this, his disciples came. They marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, "What are you looking for?" or, "Why do you speak with her?"
28 So the woman left her water pot, went away into the city, and said to the people,
29 "Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?"
30 They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
31 In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you don't know about."
33 The disciples therefore 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 Don't you say, 'There are yet four months until the harvest?' Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.
36 He who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
37 For in this the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to reap that for which you haven't laboured. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour."
39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, "He told me everything that I did."
40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days.
41 Many more believed because of his word.
42 They said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."
43 After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honour in his own country.
45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.
46 Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe."
49 The nobleman said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
51 As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying "Your child lives!"
52 So he enquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him."
53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." He believed, as did his whole house.
54 This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.
Footnotes
- Verse 6 (sixth hour)
- noon
- Verse 52 (seventh hour)
- 1:00 p.m.
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John Chapter 4 Guide
The words, "He must needs pass through Samaria" are arresting. The final explanation must be found in His dealing with the woman of Samaria. In itself, it is a radiant revelation of His method as He led this woman step by step from an almost flippant carelessness into a confession of discipleship.
It was while dealing with her that the disciples, who had gone away to find food, returned, and they were amazed to see Him talking to a woman. With love for Him, they sought to persuade Him to eat. He took the opportunity to reveal to them the deeper things of His heart, telling them that He had meat to eat that they knew not of, which was to do the will of God. He had been doing that will in dealing with this needy woman.
The sequel of that conversation was His tarrying in the Samaritan city for two days, during which He so dealt with them that they made the great confession, "This is indeed the Saviour of the world."
Leaving Samaria, He returned to Galilee, and He came to Cana. There, at a distance, He wrought a wonder in healing the boy in answer to the father's urgent appeal
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
John Chapter 4 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Christ's departure into Galilee. -- (1-3)
- His discourse with the Samaritan woman. -- (4-26)
- The effects of Christ's conversation with the woman of Samaria. -- (27-42)
- Christ heals the nobleman's son. -- (43-54)
Verses 1-3
Jesus applied himself more to preaching, which was the more excellent, 1Co 1:17, than to baptism. He would put honour upon his disciples, by employing them to baptize. He teaches us that the benefit of sacraments depends not on the hand that administers them.
Verses 4-26
There was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Christ's road from Judea to Galilee lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them. We have here our Lord Jesus under the common fatigue of travellers. Thus we see that he was truly a man. Toil came in with sin; therefore Christ, having made himself a curse for us, submitted to it. Also, he was a poor man, and went all his journeys on foot. Being wearied, he sat thus on the well; he had no couch to rest upon. He sat thus, as people wearied with travelling sit. Surely, we ought readily to submit to be like the Son of God in such things as these. Christ asked a woman for water. She was surprised because he did not show the anger of his own nation against the Samaritans. Moderate men of all sides are men wondered at. Christ took the occasion to teach her Divine things: he converted this woman, by showing her ignorance and sinfulness, and her need of a Saviour. By this living water is meant the Spirit. Under this comparison the blessing of the Messiah had been promised in the Old Testament. The graces of the Spirit, and his comforts, satisfy the thirsting soul, that knows its own nature and necessity. What Jesus spake figuratively, she took literally. Christ shows that the water of Jacob's well yielded a very short satisfaction. Of whatever waters of comfort we drink, we shall thirst again. But whoever partakes of the Spirit of grace, and the comforts of the gospel, shall never want that which will abundantly satisfy his soul. Carnal hearts look no higher than carnal ends. Give it me, saith she, not that I may have everlasting life, which Christ proposed, but that I come not hither to draw. The carnal mind is very ingenious in shifting off convictions, and keeping them from fastening. But how closely our Lord Jesus brings home the conviction to her conscience! He severely reproved her present state of life. The woman acknowledged Christ to be a prophet. The power of his word in searching the heart, and convincing the conscience of secret things, is a proof of Divine authority. It should cool our contests, to think that the things we are striving about are passing away. The object of worship will continue still the same, God, as a Father; but an end shall be put to all differences about the place of worship. Reason teaches us to consult decency and convenience in the places of our worship; but religion gives no preference to one place above another, in respect of holiness and approval with God. The Jews were certainly in the right. Those who by the Scriptures have obtained some knowledge of God, know whom they worship. The word of salvation was of the Jews. It came to other nations through them. Christ justly preferred the Jewish worship before the Samaritan, yet here he speaks of the former as soon to be done away. God was about to be revealed as the Father of all believers in every nation. The spirit or the soul of man, as influenced by the Holy Spirit, must worship God, and have communion with him. Spiritual affections, as shown in fervent prayers, supplications, and thanksgivings, form the worship of an upright heart, in which God delights and is glorified. The woman was disposed to leave the matter undecided, till the coming of the Messiah. But Christ told her, I that speak to thee, am He. She was an alien and a hostile Samaritan, merely speaking to her was thought to disgrace our Lord Jesus. Yet to this woman did our Lord reveal himself more fully than as yet he had done to any of his disciples. No past sins can bar our acceptance with him, if we humble ourselves before him, believing in him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Verses 27-42
The disciples wondered that Christ talked thus with a Samaritan. Yet they knew it was for some good reason, and for some good end. Thus when particular difficulties occur in the word and providence of God, it is good to satisfy ourselves that all is well that Jesus Christ says and does. Two things affected the woman. The extent of his knowledge. Christ knows all the thoughts, words, and actions, of all the children of men. And the power of his word. He told her secret sins with power. She fastened upon that part of Christ's discourse, many would think she would have been most shy of repeating; but the knowledge of Christ, into which we are led by conviction of sin, is most likely to be sound and saving. They came to him: those who would know Christ, must meet him where he records his name. Our Master has left us an example, that we may learn to do the will of God as he did; with diligence, as those that make a business of it; with delight and pleasure in it. Christ compares his work to harvest-work. The harvest is appointed and looked for before it comes; so was the gospel. Harvest-time is busy time; all must be then at work. Harvest-time is a short time, and harvest-work must be done then, or not at all; so the time of the gospel is a season, which if once past, cannot be recalled. God sometimes uses very weak and unlikely instruments for beginning and carrying on a good work. Our Saviour, by teaching one poor woman, spread knowledge to a whole town. Blessed are those who are not offended at Christ. Those taught of God, are truly desirous to learn more. It adds much to the praise of our love to Christ and his word, if it conquers prejudices. Their faith grew. In the matter of it: they believed him to be the Saviour, not only of the Jews but of the world. In the certainty of it: we know that this is indeed the Christ. And in the ground of it, for we have heard him ourselves.
Verses 43-54
The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick. Honours and titles are no security from sickness and death. The greatest men must go themselves to God, must become beggars. The nobleman did not stop from his request till he prevailed. But at first he discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ. It is hard to persuade ourselves that distance of time and place, are no hinderance to the knowledge, mercy, and power of our Lord Jesus. Christ gave an answer of peace. Christ's saying that the soul lives, makes it alive. The father went his way, which showed the sincerity of his faith. Being satisfied, he did not hurry home that night, but returned as one easy in his own mind. His servants met him with the news of the child's recovery. Good news will meet those that hope in God's word. Diligent comparing the works of Jesus with his word, will confirm our faith. And the bringing the cure to the family brought salvation to it. Thus an experience of the power of one word of Christ, may settle the authority of Christ in the soul. The whole family believed likewise. The miracle made Jesus dear to them. The knowledge of Christ still spreads through families, and men find health and salvation to their souls.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.