John 4:42 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

NIV: They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.'

NASB: and they were saying to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is the Savior of the world.'

CSB: And they told the woman, "We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world."

NLT: Then they said to the woman, 'Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.'

KJV: And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

NKJV: Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

The first thing that brought these people to hear from Jesus was the Samaritan woman's testimony (John 4:29–30). This is remarkable enough, in that a woman's testimony was not usually respected in that era. Her reference to Jesus' deep knowledge of her past, and the fact that this past might have involved many of the men in town (John 4:17–18) probably added to their motivation. All the same, it was her willingness to act in faith which started the revival in her community (John 4:39).

Once a few people had met Jesus, they invited Him to spend additional time in town (John 4:40). This gave many more opportunities for Jesus to teach and preach. As one would expect, this was even more effective than a brief conversation. Whatever the people of town had thought about Jesus, based on the claims of the Samaritan woman, they now had personal, first-hand confirmation.

Jesus has travelled with His disciples from Jerusalem, into Judea, and now into Samaria. The statement about Jesus being the "Savior of the world" is not only true, it is meant to be a lesson to the disciples. After His resurrection, and just prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus will instruct His disciples. His command then will be to "be [His] witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." What He will ask them to do, He has already done by example.

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.