John 4:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

NIV: Sir,' the woman said, 'I can see that you are a prophet.

NASB: The woman *said to Him, 'Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

CSB: "Sir," the woman replied, "I see that you are a prophet.

NLT: Sir,' the woman said, 'you must be a prophet.

KJV: The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

NKJV: The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

More so than any other words in this chapter, the response given in verses 19 and 20 proves two things about this Samaritan woman. First, that she is a perceptive and clever person. She has already shown some intuition in responding to Jesus' earlier statements (John 4:11–12, 15). When Jesus brings up her sin, she acknowledges His insight—then immediately tries to distract Him with a religious dilemma (John 4:20). And not just any dilemma, but one specifically related to the conflict between Jews and Samaritans. This is not the response of a fool, nor of someone who is stammering or struggling for words.

And yet, secondly, this is not the response of a person seeking truth. The attempted decoy is meant to steer Jesus away from her personal issues, and towards something totally unrelated. Those who participate in evangelism see this tactic fairly often. Rather than discuss a single issue, some non-believers will try to run down all sorts of rabbit-holes, looking for an escape from the point at hand.

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.

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.

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 5/2/2024 4:21:49 PM