|
The First Missionary in the Bible, a Woman and the #2nd "Sign or Miracle" of John, |
A General Analysis of John Chapter 4:27-?
1. The disciples surprise and silence, v. 27.
2. The Gratitude and zeal of a soul that found Jesus, vv. 28-30.
3. The Disciples' Solicitude, v. 31.
4. The Disciples' Ignorance, v. 32.
5. The Disciples' Instructed, vv. 34-38.
6. The Samaritan Converts, v. 39.
7. The Samaritan's Request, v. 40.
8. The Samaritan Converts added, v. 41.
9. The Samaritan's Confession, v. 42.
|
27At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why do You speak with her?" 28So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29"Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?" 30They went out of the city, and were coming to Him. |
I. Verse 27____The disciple's returned from market and found Jesus freely conversing with a "woman" and a "Samaritan." Given the culture, what a shock!
A. It is easy to overlook what happened here but we must note that John makes a point to tell us in essence that "conversing" with a Samaritan woman was not a good thing and yet:
B. The disciple's returned and found Jesus doing just that and not one of them offered a peep.
(I think they were interested in eating and not discussing the emancipation of the woman, v. 31).
II. Verse 28__The first Missionary in the Bible turns out to be a woman. The verb used here (apheken) indicates that she may have forgotten her waterpot in her excitement.
III. Verse 29___The woman underwent a "religious experience." She rushes to the city to tell all.
A. She was convicted of her sin!
B. She was beginning to trust that Jesus was Lord!
C. She was moved into "spontaneous evangelism."
IV. Verse 30___(erchoto, were coming) a long stream of people headed to Jacob's well.
|
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."32But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." 33So the disciples were saying to one another, "No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?" 34Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36"Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37"For in this case 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 labor." |
The Fields White for Harvest!
In this section, Jesus teaches His disciples two important lessons.
(1) Doing the will of God is spiritual food more satisfying and sustaining than physical food.
(2) It is not important whether a disciple be a reaper or sower---only that he be a laborer in the Lord's field. Both reaper and sower rejoice when the harvest is gathered.
Verse 31___The disciples are hungry and now are urging Jesus to eat. It seems to me that Jesus may be thinking of something else here.
Verse 32___Jesus was speaking of things the disciples could not understand. They were thinking of food for the stomach and Jesus was concerned about His mission. Jesus was no doubt dwelling on lost people.
Verse33__The disciples either spoke loudly enough for Jesus to overhear, or Jesus read their thoughts. Maybe they thought the woman had left Him something to eat. At any rate, Jesus replies.
Verse 34___ In this verse Jesus allows us to see that He is completely saturated with the will of the Father. In our day we might say a person eats and sleeps their job. In the case of Jesus, He was doing just that.
Barclay points out two blessing in doing the will of God.
1. peace
2. power
These blessings become obvious when we observe the perfect peace and victorious power in Jesus.
Verse 35___There are several interpretations of this passage. The question that is generally asked is: Was Jesus speaking about a literal four months, or was Jesus speaking in terms of a proverb. It seems to me that Jesus was asking a question in which He expected to receive a real answer. He asked the question, "Is it not four months to harvest?" and the reply would have been yes. If that question is correct and I think it is, Jesus then tells His disciples that the time for harvest is right now!!!
Verse 36 confirms my interpretation of verse 35. Jesus' next instruction to the disciples is to combat jealously among them. They were about to reap a harvest in Samaria that they had not sown. (The Samaritan woman and friends). Others had done the sowing (the prophets and maybe John the Baptist). Both the sower and reaper will receive a reward.
Verse 37____ According to Phil. 2:14-16, the rewards of the spiritual laborer are the souls harvested. But, even the apostle Paul reaped at times where he had not sown. This was a principle Paul announced in 1st Cor. 3:6-9.
Verse 38 ___What does Jesus mean here by the past tense "I sent"?
1. Jesus was using a prophetic past tense, i.e. the disciples would soon reap the Samaritan harvest where they had not sown but Jesus, being God, speaks as if it has already happened.
2. He speaks of what has already happened when they baptized more disciples than John (John 4:1-2).
The first is probably the correct interpretation. Back in verse 35, Jesus asked His disciples to "have a vision" of the fields which was not at the moment ripe.
|
39From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done." 40So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41Many more believed because of His word; 42and 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 is indeed the Savior of the world." |
Reaping the Harvest
I. Verse 39___ There can be no doubt as to the reason the Samaritans believed. It was on the "basis of the woman's word."
II. B.F. Westcott makes an interesting observation here. When we compare and contrast the Samaritans with the people in Jerusalem we see so many differences. The people in Jerusalem had many miracles and signs (Jn. 2:23) but the people in Samaria had the testimony of the "woman" which they later investigated.
III. Verse 40___ There is another contrast found in verse 40. Contrast the hospitality of the Samaritans, with the unfriendly Samaritans later in the ministry of Jesus (cf. Lk. 9:51-56). Of course, those Samaritans may be in another city.
IV. Verse 41___Jesus was there for two days. He had time to teach them the Gospel.
V. Verse 42____We have another contrast in verse 42 showing us two different kinds of faith.
1. The fledgling's faith based on the testimony of others.
2. The satisfying faith based on personal investigation.
The former is the faith of children who have been raised in the church.
The latter is the faith of adults who have investigated personally.
|
43After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. 44For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast. |
Public Teaching in Galilee
I. Verse 43____The Lord seems to be in a hurry to get to Galilee. It is in Galilee where Jesus may arouse the Pharisees again.
II. Verse 43 and 44 are John's way of picking up this story where he left it back in 4:1-3. Jesus left Judea originally because His growing popularity might bring a clash with the rulers. Now He has had great success in Samaria. Jesus is probably going to Galilee because it is His own country and probably anticipates peace there (no prophet is overly honored in His own country).
III. Verse 45_____But______now we see a difference as to why Jesus was welcomed in Galilee. In Samaria, He was welcomed because of His Word, but in Galilee, He was welcomed because they saw Him as a "wonder worker" (cf. 4:48). Jesus remained there for about 16 months with the exception of one trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
|
46Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48So Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe." 49The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50Jesus said to him, "Go; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. 51As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. 52So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
|
The Second "Sign" or "Miracle"
Healing the Nobleman's Son at Capernaum
Remember to Look at the Introduction for "Signs"(click here)
I. Verse 46____Why does Jesus go to Cana? If we remember, this was the place of His first miracle (water into wine).
a. He had friends there. Perhaps the same family that invited Him to the wedding.
b. Cana was the home of Nathanael (21:2).
c. There would be a better opportunity there now since He had already performed a "sign" there.
II. Verse 47___News had reached the surrounding area that Jesus was back. A Nobleman of Capernaum heard that Jesus was back. No doubt, Jesus was widely known by this time as a wonder worker. But, what would cause this man to go to Jesus?
a. First, his desperate situation. What parent would not empathize with him?
b. All of Galilee would be filled with the reports of Jesus' signs, even those he performed in Jerusalem (2:23).
III. Verse 48___There are some who comment on this passage and claim that Jesus' answer (unless you Galileans see signs you will never believe) is unsympathetic. The "you" in this verse is plural. Jesus address the thrill seeking crowd.
The Nobleman will not be denied. The Nazarene is his last hope.
IV. Verse 49___What a faith this man has. He asks the Master to come.
V. Verse 50___Jesus tested the Nobleman's faith. "Go thy way, your son is alive." What a test of faith. This is really "trust and obey."
VI. Verse 51____"As he was going down." Cana has an altitude of 2850 feet ABSL. To get to Capernaum, he had to go down to 682 feet ABSL. He was really going down.
VII. Verse 52___Once again we confront John's method of telling time. Here the words of the Jewish servants were reported saying he was healed about the 7th hour. This would mean that the boy was healed about 1:00 P.M. the day before.
|
There are four traits of this Nobleman we need to examine: |
1. He did not let position or pride or effort prevent him from coming to Christ.
2. He stood the test of faith.
3. He showed the reckless type of faith (not ignorant) which Jesus desires.
4. He became a witness for the Lord.
|
There are a number of facts that make this miracle noteable. |
1. It was a cure performed at a distance on a sick child (Jesus is Master of Distance).
2. It was performed for a distinguished officer of a king's court.
3. Jesus said no peculiar "healing formula."
4. The child evidently did not have any faith in Jesus.
5. The child was at the point of death.