John 4 - Printer Friendly

What does John 4 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

The Gospel of John frequently uses contrast as a teaching tool. In chapter 2, there is a strong contrast between the joyous, secretive miracle at the wedding and the angry, ostentatious cleansing of the temple. Chapter three presents another contrast, moving from the loud, public, confrontational temple incident to a quiet, private, instructional conversation with Nicodemus.

Chapter 4 once again presents meaningful contrasts. Nicodemus was a man of power and prestige, well educated, and one who sought out Jesus of his own free will. The Samaritan woman of chapter 4 is poor, outcast even among the outcast Samaritans, and not expecting to meet the Lord at all. Nicodemus needed to be reminded that his knowledge was incomplete (John 3:9–10). The Samaritan woman needed to be confronted with her sin (John 4:17–18), but also lifted up and given value (John 4:23). These contrasts help demonstrate how the gospel of Jesus Christ is not only for all people, in all times, but that it will reach each person wherever they are, spiritually speaking.

The first major portion of the chapter is Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman. Their back-and-forth banter reveals Christ's mastery of personal evangelism. This passage is also an excellent example of the principle of ipsissima vox, or "the very voice" of Scripture. Almost certainly, this conversation involved more words and more time than are recorded here. Rather than a verbatim transcript, John reports the substance of the conversation, probably as related to him by Jesus at some later time.

While Christ's remark about the woman's immoral lifestyle might seem blunt (John 4:17–18), notice how the woman immediately tries to change the subject (John 4:19–20). Jesus knows exactly what she needs to understand: that the Savior knows what she has done, and who she is, and seeks her anyway (John 4:23–24). This is the great message of His conversation at the well, and the primary application we can take from it.

When the woman goes into town, Jesus tries to get His disciples to understand the purpose of their mission. Imagine their embarrassment when they realize that they, the disciples of Christ, went into town as a group and brought no one back to meet the Lord. Meanwhile, a single, immoral, female Samaritan had not only told others, she'd brought them to see Jesus face-to-face.

This chapter presents a very practical foreshadowing of a command given by Jesus elsewhere in the Scriptures. At this point, Jesus has traveled from Jerusalem (chapters 2 and 3), through Judea and into Samaria (in chapter 4). The Samaritans respond to Jesus by proclaiming Him "the Savior of the world." At His ascension, Jesus will declare His disciples to be His witnesses "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Just as He had done, He called His followers to do.

Chapter 4 also includes the second of seven "signs" recorded in the gospel of John (John 4:46–54). While this miracle is more open than that at the wedding, it is still relatively low-key. Later miracles will become more public, more spectacular, and invite more hostility from the local religious leaders. Part of the lesson in Christ's healing of the official's son is the difference between belief based on miracles, and belief rooted in trusting faith. Jesus essentially forces the man to demonstrate actual trust, which is validated soon afterward.

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

John 4:5–26 describes one of the most famous moments in Jesus' earthly ministry. Here, He converses with a Samaritan woman. This particular woman is not only an ''unclean'' Samaritan, but an outcast among her own people. She attempts to avoid Jesus' teachings, giving flippant and sarcastic answers. 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.

John 4:27–45 is an object lesson for the disciples. Jesus has just finished a conversation with a Samaritan woman, while the disciples were in town buying food. As it turns out, this supposedly unclean woman will soon bring back many people to meet Christ, while the disciples have brought no one. Jesus explains that some work to plant spiritual seeds, while others might be the ones collecting the harvest. Both are valuable and we should be ready for opportunities in either case.

John 4:46–54 records the second of Jesus' seven miracles in the gospel of John. The primary point of this miracle is the importance of biblical ''faith,'' which is really ''trust.'' Jesus suggests that some people won’t believe—won’t actually ''trust'' in Christ—without seeing some miraculous event. Jesus then asks a miracle-seeker to act in trusting faith, by leaving without any proof that his request has been granted. As it turns out, the man has actual, trusting belief, and obeys. He finds his faith has already been rewarded on his way home. This also demonstrates the fact that God may sometimes answer our prayers long before we know He's done so.

Chapter Summary:

Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman who is drawing water from a well. Jesus both confronts her about her sin, and comforts her with the truth of the gospel. In particular, He explains that 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, have to be 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.

Chapter Context:

John chapter 4 continues the use of contrast. Jesus goes from conversing with an educated, powerful, prestigious man 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/4/2024 9:32:53 PM