John 4
Subang Jaya Bonnie’s Notes on Dr. Dave’s Comments — John 4
Background: Judea — A geographical term that first appears in Ezra 5:8 where it designates a province of the Persian Empire. Since most of the exiles who returned from the Babylonian captivity belonged to the tribe of Judah, they came to be called Jews and their land Judea. Under the Persian Empire, Judea was a district administered by a governor who was usually a Jew. Eventually Judea became annexed to the Roman province of Syria but its governors were procurators appointed by the Roman Emperor.
Samaria — (From David Cloud’s Way of Life Encyclopedia) A city built by Omri, King of Israel, and was the capital of the kingdom of 10 tribes (1 Ki. 6:23-24). It was situated on the side of a hill, and adorned and fortified by the kings of Israel. It was besieged various times until the people were taken into captivity.
Samaritans — (Way of Life Encyclopedia) The people who inhabited the region of Samaria in central Palestine. They were a mixed race of Jews and foreigners (2 Ki. 17:24-41). For this reason, they were despised by the Jews. They had built their own temple on Mount Gerazim and worshipped there. The Jewish prejudice then was not just racial but also religious. The Jews viewed their religion as apostate. When Jesus was called a Samaritan it was to slander Him (Jn. 8:48). The Lord led a Samaritan woman to salvation and used a Samaritan in a parable (Lk. 10:30-37) to illustrate how to be a good neighbor. Of the ten lepers healed by Jesus, only the Samaritan one returned to thank Him (Lk. 17:11-19). In Acts 1:8 Jesus commanded that the Gospel be carried to the Samaritans.
v. 1 — This is the first time John uses the word Lord in his Gospel. Most likely, Jesus did not baptize but had his disciples do it to avoid the pride issue. Now Jesus is drawing more notice than John the Baptist. He is not so unusual in His manner. These disciples had been with John and were in effect continuing John’s ministry under Jesus in a greater way.
v. 3-9 — The Pharisees were noticing Jesus more. He apparently did not feel the time was right to confront them so He departed for Galilee.
Sorensen mentions that this is the last reference to any baptizing being done in Jesus’ name until the Great Commission. It may be that Jesus stopped it until after His resurrection rather than draw premature attention to His office of Messiah – but we can only speculate, since Scripture is not explicit.
Most Jews traveled around Samaria because they considered them an unclean people. However, Jesus had a divine appointment there. In Genesis 33:18-20, Jacob comes back, meets Esau, takes some land and buys a field (v. 19). There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel meaning “the God of Israel” or the God who was the God of Israel The Samaritans were proud of their ancestor Jacob.
Morris encourages us to follow the Lord’s example of personal soul winning. There is no room for ethnic prejudice in giving the Gospel. It is for all people.
Matthew Henry says we should not go into places of temptation except when necessary. [This was necessary so many could be saved.] Jesus was a poor man and so traveled on foot. Here we see Him weary in His humanity (as all men get sometimes) and so He rests for a moment on the side of a well.
The Hebrew 6th hour is noon. The Roman time is 6 p.m. John’s Gospel was written about 90 A.D., well after the destruction of the temple. His audience is more Gentile than Jew. The Roman clock will be in use in this Gospel. It was customary for water to be drawn late in the day after the heat of the sun. The disciples had gone to buy food, probably for supper. To draw water you must bring a container and a perhaps a rope and use the bucket that is at the well to bring up your share. The disciples had multiple opportunities to witness in town. The woman seems curt with Jesus since she used no title for Him at first, but we can’t know the voice inflection. She recognizes Him as a Jew probably by His clothing or His Galilean accent.
v. 10 — Sorenson relates that Jesus replies to the woman with a phrase full of hidden meaning. The phrase “gift of God,” appears 8 times in the New Testament. Seven of those are in reference to salvation. “Living water” is a term that makes reference to running water such as that coming from a spring which is more superior to well water. Jesus begins the conversation with a physical illustration and then turns it to the spiritual.
We ask for salvation with a repentant and broken heart and spirit. When the conditions are met, He gives the living water of eternal life.
v. 11, 12 — The woman wants to know how Jesus could draw water since He didn’t have the necessary tools for doing so. She is now using a term of respect because she calls him “sir.” Notice that Jesus never answers the question about being greater than Jacob. By the end of the discourse, the Samaritan woman knows the answer without it being spelled out. Someday she will have access to the river of living water found in Revelation 22:1. The waters of Eden (Gen. 2:10) were living water too.
v. 13,14 — The use of the word “whosoever” means salvation is available to all – another blow to the Calvinists. Salvation is everlasting like a continually bubbling spring and permanently quenches.
v. 15-18 – She gets the truth about half right. Says, Matthew Henry: “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.”
Jesus backs up to start dealing with her sin. This He knows from the Holy Spirit’s leading to touch on the husband issue. She is not completely forthcoming of the truth. If she will repent from this big infraction she’ll be okay with the rest of the commandments. All sin is the same but Jesus goes for the one that she’s hanging onto. Camp on the sinner’s big sin! That’s the Scriptural pattern for evangelism. It’s obvious that she comes under conviction, but as many others do, she tries to change the subject.
v. 20 — The woman brings up a theological argument rather than discussing her sin. The Lord uses it and takes the discussion from there. She may be referring to Mt. Gerizim where the Samaritans worship. To use modern vernacular she is saying, “You have your religion and I have mine.” People under conviction will often hide behind their religion. Notice the plural use of “ye” meaning all Jews not just Him.
v. 21 — Jesus did not get into debate with her on religions. He keeps on track rather than waste time on an irrelevant theological matter. The “hour cometh” refers to the cross. At that time the Temple curtain was torn from top to bottom signifying that access to God is only through Jesus Christ and no other.
v. 22 — Sorenson puts it this way: “Jesus’ reply might be rendered thus. ‘You know whom to worship, but you do not know Him.’ The Samaritans had rejected the prophets and the Psalms of the Old Testament and only maintained a rudimentary knowledge of God. They were like so many mainline and liberal churches which hold forth the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. Yet they have a severely truncated understanding of God. Many have a general allegiance to God, but do not know Him or His Son, Jesus Christ. . . the phrase ‘salvation is of the Jews’” means from the Jews.
The Samaritans knew some truth but did not worship at the Temple and did not know how to worship. It can be dangerous to know some truth and not get the big picture. Too much topical preaching instead of verse by verse and book by book can lead to large gaps of knowledge.
v. 23-24 — The time is coming, He says when where the worship is done is not important but who the worship is given to. Truth is an important ingredient in worship. The Pharisees had the right doctrine but had no concept of spiritual worship from the heart. Because God is a Spirit, worship must be spiritual and according to the truth of the Bible, not manmade traditions. Our spirit has to be made alive and connect with God as shown in John 3 and Gal. 4:4-6. Because the Word is talking to her the Samaritan woman can worship correctly in the truth and the right spirit if she believes. The use of the word “must” shows exclusivity. How the world hates that concept and so tries to say there are many ways to worship. The Bible is clear on the subject.
Morris clarifies by saying that true worship and saving faith no longer are brought through types or require physical aids. Jesus brought salvation full and free. The truth in Christ, received through the Spirit by faith, is the worship that the Father seeks.
v. 26 — In most of the Lord’s ministry, He spoke to the Jews. Here, the Samaritan woman is effectively a Gentile and isn’t familiar with Scripture like the Pharisees. She really wants to know the truth. There is no such thing as a seeker. The Father seeks us. This “seeker sensitive” culture is incorrect. Seekers are lost people – rebels — and should be treated as such until they stop their rebellion. In plain language, Jesus tells this woman that He is the Messiah. With the Jews he was less open and veiled His identity.
v. 27 — Rabbis especially are not to talk to women on the street. Here come the disciples and see Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman and they are intimidated as well as amazed, yet they say nothing.
v. 28 — A woman witnessing to the men! She has eternal life and now she wants others to have it too. Her words were compelling and they came to check it out. We can work at challenging people the same way. Be sure and show excitement in your witnessing when you talk about Jesus! Let’s hope we never get over the thrill of conversion and what the Lord has done for us!
v. 32-34 — How do you feel when witnessing to someone who’s interested? See Ps. 40:8. Jesus is feeling this delight in the response of the Samaritans. To do the will of His Father was more important to Jesus than anything else, even the material needs of his body. The disciples are clueless about what is going on, thinking more of the daily needs and not seeing the importance of the spiritual. Jesus shows us what the priorities should be.
v. 35 – Jesus sees the people coming out to the well in their white clothing, looking like a field of grain ready to reap, and says the fields are ready to harvest. The crops weren’t ready yet but the people were. Open your eyes to it, and reap spiritual blessings as these people come to hear.
v. 36-38 — Compare Job 31:8 and Micah 6:15 which state the consequences of sin against God. In this passage, the Lord turns around the principle to make sowing and reaping a “team project” where all the workers are blessed. Reaching out to people with the Gospel is aimed at producing spiritual fruit. We should rejoice when someone is won but realize it is a joint effort that usually produces the fruit. We ought not to boast over seeing one of our own contacts come to Christ because others probably helped prepare him/her. Both the one who sows and the one who reaps will be rewarded for their work. All can rejoice in a lost one reconciled to God. Rejoicing with others is much more satisfying than rejoicing alone. 1 Cor. 3:5-9
v. 39, 40 — Many believed in this area and they asked the Lord to stay and teach them. He changes His plans and stays but doesn’t force. He stays where He is invited.
v. 42-44 — These Samaritans believed because they heard Jesus’ own words. The words reinforce our belief and it still works today. We have His own words in our Bible. How strange that so few people are willing to read them! Jesus departed and went into Galilee (His own country was Judea).
The Jews wanted a king. These Samaritans understand that Jesus is the Saviour of the whole world (not just the elect as the Calvinists would have us believe).
v. 45 — They received Him superficially but not as Saviour. The miracles attracted and intrigued them but they did not have heart repentance and faith.
v. 46 — This nobleman may have been a Herodian, a local magistrate, unencumbered with religious tradition and pride. The term denotes some power and under Rome’s dominion.
v. 47 — He’s thinking Jesus should come. It has not yet occurred to him that Jesus could do it without being physically present. The Lord places a test before him to see how serious he is. The title “sir” that he uses is usually translated as “Lord.” There is urgency in his request to prevent his child from dying.
v. 48 — Jesus is making a statement about the Jews, not the nobleman, when He says they will not believe without signs and wonders.
v. 49, 50 — The man believed, passed the test, and acted accordingly. He simply took Jesus at His word and trusted what He said. Then he acted in faith. Do you think he hurried home or took his time knowing that Jesus had done what he asked?
v. 51 — Notice that the servants say exactly what Jesus said. What wonderful words to the father’s ears!
v. 52 — The nobleman sees the healing as a process but Jesus heals immediately.
v. 53 — Like the Philippian jailer and Cornelius, one conversion can lead to a whole family or household coming to know the Lord. The odds are more likely that the whole group will get saved if the father comes to salvation first.
~~Bonnie