John 4: Jesus Goes To Samaria
1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
“Christ Himself did not baptize, but those who reported the fact, in order to raise the envy of their hearers, so represented it as to appear that Christ Himself baptized. The reason why He baptized not Himself, had been already declared by John, ‘He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.'" (Chrysostom)
"Christ on withdrawing from Judea, joined those whom He was with before, as we react next, ‘And departed again into Galilee.’” (Chrysostom) He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar… anciently called Shechem— in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. "It seems to have been situated at the foot of Mount Gerizim (Mount of Blessing), in the province of Samaria, on which the temple of the Samaritans was built… This place is remarkable in the Scriptures: 1) As being that where Abram first stopped on his coming from Haran to Canaan. 2) Where God first appeared to that patriarch, and promised to give the land to his seed. 3) The place where Abram first built an altar to the Lord, and called upon his name, Genesis 12:7. The present name of this city is Neapolis… ” (Adam Clarke)
“After the sons of Jacob had desolated the city, by the slaughter of the Sychemites, Jacob annexed it to the portion of his son Joseph as we read in Genesis, ‘I have given to you one portion above your brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword, and with my bow.’ (Genesis 48:22)” (Theophyl) ”The… origin of the Samaritan sect [of that day] is that they stemmed from repopulated foreign peoples whose worship of God was only a veneer for underlying idolatry. According to 2 Kings 17, the Samaritan sect arose from the exchange of peoples following Israel's defeat by Assyria in 722 BC. Removing the Israelites from the land, the king of Assyria repopulated the area with conquered peoples from Babylon, Cuthah, and various other nations." (Tyndale Bible Dictionary)
This scene was “near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.” “The parcel of ground I conceive to have been left not so much to Joseph, as to Christ, of whom Joseph was a type; whom the sun, and moon, and all the stars truly adore. To this parcel of ground our Lord came, that the Samaritans, who claimed to be inheritors of the Patriarch Israel, might recognize Him, and be converted to Christ, the legal heir of the Patriarch.” (Alcuin)
Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. “Jesus, we see, is strong and weak: strong, because in the beginning was the Word; weak, because the Word was made flesh. Jesus thus weak, being wearied with his journey, sat on the well.“ (Augustine)
“He took upon Him our weaknesses, as the Apostle shows that ‘we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities’ (Heb 4:15). With this agrees the circumstance of the time; for it is not wonderful that, being thirsty and fatigued, He rested at the well about noon; for as the day, from sunrise to sunset, had twelve hours, the sixth hour was Noon. When the Evangelist says that he sat thus, he means that it was the attitude of a man who was fatigued.” (Calvin’s Commentary)
“Israel had been highly privileged of God, and not the least of their blessings was a written revelation from Him. But though favored with much light themselves, they were selfishly indifferent toward those who were in darkness. Right within the bounds of their own land (for Samaria was a part of it), dwelt those who were semi-heathen, yet had the Jews no love for their souls and no concern for their spiritual welfare. Listen to the tragic plaint of one of their number: ‘The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.’ (9b)” (A.W. Pink) "Jesus' attitude toward this despised group radically contrasted with contemporary sentiment." (Tyndale)
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
John 4: Disciples Admonished to Reap the Harvest
31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
“In the mean while,.... Whilst the woman was gone into the city, and had acquainted the inhabitants, that such a wonderful Person was at Jacob's well, and invited them to come and see Him.” (John Gill)
His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” Yet: “Our blessed Lord was more intent upon gospelizing the Samaritans, than satisfying his hunger.” (Matthew Poole) And as this conversation unfolded, the Samaritans, “ripe for the Gospel, covered the ground round about them.” (John Wesley)
“Properly understood, earthly substances are the types, representatives, and shadows of heavenly things…” (Adam Clarke)
Thus , “I have food to eat of which you do not know.“ Yet; “His disciples, being yet carnal, did not understand Him, but thought that He had spoken of bodily nourishment…They were wondering how He came by meat, and who should bring it Him: so hard are we to conceive of spiritual things, till God openeth our eyes.” (Matthew Poole)
We are Christ’s servants and should follow His example. “Abraham’s servant would not eat till he had despatched, his errand, Genesis 24:33. When we are to woo for Christ, we should forget our own interests and occasions... Seek first the kingdom of God.” (John Trapp)
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me… In these words, Jesus teaches a lesson to His disciples, "and to all their successors in the Christian ministry. Let the salvation of souls lie nearer your heart than life itself. Let eating and drinking, labor and rest, reading, thinking, study, prayer, and all things, be directed to the accomplishment of this great work. Ministers of Jesus! imitate your Lord! Souls are perishing for lack of knowledge - God has given you the key of the kingdom, the knowledge of His Word - O open unto them the gate of life!" (Adam Clarke)
And to finish His work… by His perfect life and atoning death. The gate of heaven was thus opened to all who trust in Him for salvation; but we all must be fellow laborers with Him, finishing our own work for Him. “As food to the hungry, and water to the thirsty, so is the doing of the will of God to those who love Him; and whether engaged in sowing the spiritual seed of divine truth, or reaping the harvest, their employment is a source of the most elevated and refreshing joy.” (Justin Edwards)
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!… “Spring wheat” as it is call in Israel “might be ready in a hundred and twenty days. The barley was never more than a hundred days from sowing to reaping; but here the seed sown by the woman, who said that Christ had told her all things whatsoever she had done, sprung up and whitened for the harvest in a few hours. The whole of Sychar came out to see and hear the Saviour.
Other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. Think of this, oh young minister of Christ. The prophets have laboured, and fought, and died in the conflict. The apostles followed their example, resisting even unto blood. Learned men have given us the holy scriptures, in every language and form. The martyrs have contended with antichrist for the faith, and loved not their lives unto death. Good men have planted churches, and built temples to the Lord. Then we do not, as the colonists say, make land out of forests; but enter on cultivated farms. Let us keep the vineyard of the Lord in all its glory and beauty; for the enemy goes about as a roaring lion, to destroy the faith, and devour the flock.”
(Joseph Sutcliffe)
John 4: Harvest Time in the Northern Kingdom
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 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.”
Jesus here saved some in a multitude of these "half-jews”— lost sheep of the house of Israel— by the testimony of an adulterous woman who was converted. Prophetically, the church is that woman. “Christ is announced to them by some charitable Christians, by the report of the woman, i.e. the Church.” (Augustine) “God sometimes uses very weak and unlikely instruments for beginning and carrying on a good work.” (Henry) This woman was looking for the Messiah and found Him. She told those in the city of a Man who told her all that she ever did. (39) So, she let Jesus convict her of sin... and told others about it. Shouldn't we do likewise?!
And as a result of her testimony of faith, many believed in Him.
And moreover, these firstfruits of Samaria asked Jesus to stay with them… and thus He tarried for two days with them. “Once the Samaritans had been introduced to Christ, they sought His company. They asked Him to stay with them that they might learn of Him and come to know Him better. It is true that a man must be introduced to Christ, but it is equally true that once he has been introduced he must himself go on to live in the presence of Christ. No man can go through an experience for another man. Others may lead us to the friendship of Christ, but we must claim and enjoy that friendship ourselves.” (William Barclay)
“Jesus tarries with those who ask Him, and especially with those who go out of the city to Him.” (Origen) But something unexpected happened. In this quiet place, we read again, "Many more believed because of Christ's own Word." (41) Seek Him in His Word. “This is it alone that is the foundation of faith, and converts the soul, Psalms 19:7.” (John Trapp)
Seek not second-hand testimony, but direct revelation.
“In short, some were converted through the means of the woman's testimony, and some were converted by hearing Christ Himself. The words of Paul should never be forgotten, ‘There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all.’ (1 Cor 12:6) The way in which the Spirit leads all God's people is always one and the same. But the paths by which they are severally brought into that road are often widely different.” (J. C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on the Gospels)
These saw no miracles but believed based on His Word only. And this scene is contrasted with the reaction of the pious Jews in the land of Judea- the religious center for the Jews: “The Jews [of Judea] when they saw His miracles, so far from begging Him to stay, tried in every way to get rid of His presence. Such is the power of malice, and envy, and vainglory, that obstinate vice which poisons even goodness itself. Though the Samaritans however wished to keep Him with them, He would not consent, but only tarried there two days.” (Chrysostom) Yet, Jesus would return with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit after the Day of Pentecost.
Morning Repost: John 4: Jesus' Welcome at Galilee
43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
"... Christ performed miracles in presence of many witnesses [in Jerusalem at the Passover], so that the report of them was spread far and wide. Again, this points out one advantage of miracles, that they prepare the way for doctrine; for they cause reverence to be paid to Christ." (Calvin)
“Illustrated, as in... Samaria (verses 39-41), so now in Galilee, the inhabitants accorded Him a joyous welcome. The judgments of strangers are more to be relied on than those of friends. So with the apostles (Acts 13:46; Act 15:3; Act 15:7; Act 15:12; Act 8:6)… The behaviour of the Galileans was not an unreasoning enthusiasm. They had witnessed Christ’s miracles at Jerusalem nine months before (John 2:23), and had apparently then arrived at Nicodemus’s conclusion (John 3:2) [yea even further- You are the Son of God.] It was, therefore, becoming and right that they should meet Him with acclamation. So already has the Gospel effected such marvels that it has a right to a cordial reception.” (T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
A prophet has no honor in his own country. (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4 Luke 4:24) Jesus was the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:9-10 ). ”The country of the prophets was Judea, and every one knows how little honor they received from the Jews, as we read, Whom of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? One cannot but wonder at the truth of this saying, exemplified not only in the contempt cast upon the holy prophets and our Lord Himself, but also in the case of other teachers of wisdom who have been despised by their fellow-citizens and put to death." (Origen)
These were Jews, even coming to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. "Observe how those who are spoken ill of, are always the first to come to Christ. Of the Galileans we find it said below, ‘Search and, look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet.’ (John 7:52) And He is reproached with being a Samaritan, ‘You are a Samaritan, and have a devil.’ (John 8:48) And yet the Samaritans and Galileans believe..." (Chrysostom) Lord, I was the adulterous woman. Make me Your bride. Let Your Word speak to me and affect my thinking and my works, even if I am branded a Samaritan. What you give me in the closet, I will declare on the rooftop, even if no honor comes among my brethren and I am hated for it, even unto death.
Evening Repost: John 4: A Nobleman’s Son Healed
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
After Jesus turned the water into wine, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples went to Capernaum and stayed there many days. (John 2:12) As a result of this stop, the government official likely learned of Jesus, but thought Him to be a prophet only. So, when he heard Jesus was back, he came to get Him.
I think that it is important to remember that God does not always heal physically based on faith, but this was a sign for anyone with ears to hear.
Note here that this man's "faith was deficient; in that he thought that our Lord could not save, except He were personally present.” (Gregory) He might have even come in unbelief. "For fathers often are so carried away by their affection, as to consult not only those they depend upon, but even those they do not depend upon at all: not wishing to leave any means untried, which might save their children.” (Chrystomdom)
48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” 49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” 52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.”
And he himself believed, and his whole household.
“Then said Jesus unto him, ‘Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’ Our Saviour first chides him, and upon his well bearing of that, accommodates him. He saw the courtiers’ unbelief more dangerous to his soul than the disease could be to his son’s body.
The nobleman saith unto him, ‘Sir, come down ere my child die.’ He fumes not at reproof (as many great ones would have done, Tange montes, et fumigabunt), but ‘suffers the word of exhortation,’ Hebrews 13:22, being subdued thereunto by affliction.” (John Trapp)
“Go your way; your son lives.” (50a) Instantly he was healed unto life. ”This miracle is a notable instance of our Lord ‘not quenching the smoking flax:’ just as His reproof of the Samaritan woman was of His ‘not breaking the bruised reed.’ The little spark of faith in the breast of this nobleman is by Him lit up into a clear and enduring flame for the light and comfort of himself and his house." (Alford's Commentary)
This man first believed Jesus' words concerning his son (50b); but in the end "he believed...” (53a) “Thus not only does he now believe that his son will be cured through the kindness of Christ, but he acknowledges Christ to be the Son of God, and makes a profession of faith in his Gospel." (Calvin's Commentary) “So, we see, faith, like the other virtues, is formed gradually, and has its beginning, growth, and maturity. His faith had its beginning, when he asked for his son’s recovery; its growth, when he believed our Lord’s words, Your son lives; its maturity, after the announcement of the fact by his servants.” (Bede)
And he himself believed “and his whole household.” (53b) They were all converted directly by the second sign of Jesus in Cana of Galilee.
54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
And: "In the interval he had wrought many miracles at Jerusalem, John 4:34." (Justin Edward) “There may be an allusion [here] in the two journeys to the two advents of Christ in the soul, the first supplying a spiritual banquet of wine [representing right doctrine], the second taking away all remains of weakness and death.” (Origen)