John 4:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."

NIV: He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."

NASB: He *said to her, 'Go, call your husband and come here.'

CSB: "Go call your husband," he told her, "and come back here."

NLT: Go and get your husband,' Jesus told her.

KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

NKJV: Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

In Matthew 13:20–21, Jesus refers to soil which is too hard to allow seeds to grow roots. In the context of the gospel, and the woman with whom He speaks, her heart is still hardened and not open to spiritual truth. How does a person make hard soil better suited to seeds? By breaking it: digging past the surface to expose what's underneath. In a compassionate, but very forceful way, Jesus is about to break the hard soil of this woman's heart, by pointing out her sin and cultural shame.

He begins by asking a more "typical" question for that time and culture. Unrelated men and women rarely spoke in public, so if Jesus were going to have more interaction with the woman, it would make sense for Him to demand her husband be present.

As seen in the prior verses, the Samaritan woman seems mentally sharp. She responds to Jesus with a certain amount of insight (John 4:11–12), and at least a hint of sarcasm (John 4:15). Her next remark (John 4:17) is her most curt response in the entire conversation. Banter or not, she seems to sense that it is better not to lie, not to this man.

John 4:5–26 describes one of the most famous moments in Jesus' earthly ministry. Here, He converses with a Samaritan woman. She is not only an ''unclean'' Samaritan, but also an outcast among her own people. At first, she attempts to avoid Jesus' teachings. Her answers suggest a clever mind, but they are also flippant and sarcastic. Despite that, and despite knowing all about her sin, Jesus encourages her with the love of God. This breaks through her hard heart; as a result, many others are brought to meet Christ. The disciples are also taught a valuable lesson about the purpose of their mission.

Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman who is drawing water from a well. He confronts her about sin, yet He also comforts her with the truth of the gospel. Even though He knows her sins, He still seeks after her, and those like her. The woman returns to town, eventually bringing many people to meet Jesus. The disciples, meanwhile, are reminded of the purpose of their mission. Jesus also heals the son of a government official in a way that demonstrates the importance of trusting faith, rather than reliance on spectacle.

John chapter 4 continues the use of contrast. Jesus goes from conversing with an educated, powerful, prestigious man (John 3:1–2) to talking to an outcast, unlearned, self-conscious woman. The combination of this passage, along with Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, makes an important spiritual point: the gospel is for all people, in all places, and all times. Christ can reach each person exactly where he or she needs to be reached.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 11/21/2024 10:22:20 AM