John 4:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.

NIV: So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.

NASB: So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.

CSB: So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.

NLT: When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days,

KJV: So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

NKJV: So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.

One can only imagine how rattled the disciples must have been at this turn of events. Samaritans were ethnic and religious half-breeds. As a result, most Jews despised them and refused to have any unnecessary contact with them (John 4:9). And yet, in this episode, Jesus has spoken at length to someone who is not only Samaritan, but a woman (John 4:27). That same woman has brought many of the townspeople to meet Jesus (John 4:30), when none of the disciples did. And, now Jesus is not only interacting with these people, He is staying for several days!

This, in part, is Jesus putting into practice what He would command of the apostles after His ascension. In Acts 1:8, after rising from the dead, and just before ascending in Heaven, Jesus instructs His followers. He tells them to "be [His] witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." So far in the gospel of John, Jesus has traveled from Jerusalem, to Judea, and into Samaria. Here, He will be recognized as "the Savior of the world" (John 4:42).

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 5/1/2024 10:34:40 PM