John 4:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

NIV: Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

NASB: Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together.

CSB: The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.

NLT: The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!

KJV: And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

NKJV: And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

The physical and emotional payoff of planting crops comes when those returns are finally harvested. This is a time of happiness for everyone involved. And yet, the primary joy is for those who do the reaping: those bringing in the finished goods. Spiritually, those who plant seeds of the gospel are not always the same people who see those seeds take root and grow. In fact, more often than not, people are led to Christ after one person plants a seed, a different person nourishes it, and still another helps the person express truly saving faith.

Earlier, the Samaritan woman mentioned the Messiah (John 4:25). She also mentions Messiah to the people in town after speaking with Jesus (John 4:29). It's possible that she'd heard these ideas from the followers of John the Baptist. In other words, seeds have been planted in this area—the disciples need to pay attention and see where there are opportunities for a harvest! Jesus' remark in verse 35 suggests this very idea. Others have planted seeds, now the time has come to bring those returns in.

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.

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 4/30/2024 5:14:32 AM