John 4:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),

NIV: although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.

NASB: (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing; rather, His disciples were),

CSB: (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were),

NLT: (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them — his disciples did).

KJV: (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

NKJV: (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),

The sudden increase in Jesus' ministry would have attracted attention from the Pharisees. John the Baptist was baptizing so many people that having enough room in the water was a concern (John 3:23). His popularity was enough to attract an investigation (John 1:19), and eventually created a controversy (John 3:25). Jesus is already surpassing that level of success.

However, a major theme of the gospel of John is God's timing. Jesus is committed to obeying the will of the Father, including both "when" as well as "what." The moment to begin confronting local religious leaders will come soon (John 5:18–19), but not yet. So, as this is not the right time, Jesus moves along to Galilee. Rather than taking the typical Jewish route around Samaria, though, the will of the Father obligates Jesus to go through the region (John 4:4).

This verse also clearly indicates that Jesus did not perform baptisms personally. In the early church, unfortunately, who baptized whom quickly became a point of argument (1 Corinthians 1:12–15). If being baptized by Paul gave people an excuse to boast, imagine the potential problems if someone could claim to have been baptized by Christ Himself! Most likely, this is the reason Jesus left baptism to His disciples. These passages also underscore the idea that baptism is not a requirement for salvation (1 Corinthians 1:17).

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.

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.