John 4:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he had to pass through Samaria.

NIV: Now he had to go through Samaria.

NASB: And He had to pass through Samaria.

CSB: He had to travel through Samaria;

NLT: He had to go through Samaria on the way.

KJV: And he must needs go through Samaria.

NKJV: But He needed to go through Samaria.

Samaria lies directly between Jerusalem and Galilee. To make the shortest possible trip between the two, a person could simply pass through Samaritan territory on their way from the city. However, most Jews loathed Samaritans. The preferred route was to cross the Jordan river into Perea, avoiding contact with the despised tribe. And yet, this verse says Jesus "had to pass through" this territory.

Samaritans were half-Jewish and half-Gentile, both ethnically and religiously. This made them unclean, hated outcasts in the eyes of the common Israelite (John 4:9). Why would Jesus be obligated to go through this region if there were other options? In short, Jesus is not only submissive to God's timing (John 2:4), but also to His will.

Travelling through Samaria provides Jesus an opportunity to speak with the woman at the well (John 4:7–9). This leads to more ministry opportunities, in speaking to the Samaritans of her town (John 4:40–41). Jesus also uses this as an object lesson for His disciples (John 4:35). In fact, what Jesus does on this short journey foreshadows His command to the disciples at His ascension. In this part of the gospel of John, Jesus travels from Jerusalem, through Judea, into Samaria, and is proclaimed by the Samaritans as the "Savior of the world" (John 4:42). At His ascension, in Acts 1:8, Jesus commands His disciples to carry His message "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

John 4:1–4 explains Jesus' decision to travel away from Jerusalem, heading back towards Galilee. The primary reason is to avoid conflict with the Pharisees, for now. The shortest path is through Samaria. Yet most Jews would have chosen to detour east, avoiding the hated Samaritans entirely. However, Jesus is not only committed to the Father's timeline, but He is also submissive to the Father's will. Christ ''had to'' take this route to cooperate with that mission. His discussion with the Samaritan woman at the well implies a divine purpose for His visit.

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.