JOHN 4 STUDY & NOTES!!!
THE SAMARITAN WOMAN- See also (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:14)
JOHN 4:1-26
4:4: SAMARIA: was a region to the north of Jerusalem, between Judea and Galilee...
4:6-7: THE OT DOES NOT MENTION JACOB'S WELL: though Jacob did dwell in the area (Genesis 33:19): Wells were significant one because they were rare and plus their value as part of the desert life: Wells symbolized life itself (PSALM 35:9-10 AND PSALM 45:4; AND ISAIAH 55:1): This well in itself was very well maintained and was seen as a shrine to this day, and anyone-and everyone-can drink from it: JESUS IS WEARIED FROM HIS JOURNEY: While showing His complete Humanity: THE SIXTH HOUR is noontime: THIS WOMAN is identified in the Church tradition as St. Photini (see my notes on John 4:28-30)
4:9: THE SAMARITANS: were a mixed race and traditionally enemies of the Jews: They even worshipped the same God of Israel and were also patiently awaiting the coming of the Messiah, they accepted only the first five books of the OT (The Pentateuch) as their Scriptures: They even built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, which the Jews destroyed in 128 BC :
4:10-14: LIVING WATER: in a ordinary sense means fresh, flowing water, from a stream or spring rather than from a pond or cistern: Our Lord uses the term to mean the grace of the Holy Spirit that leads to eternal life- (JOHN 7:37-39): This gift not only remains in a person, but is so abundant it overflows to others: The woman misunderstands Christ at first and asks, "ARE YOU GREATER THAN OUR FATHER JACOB???: In the Scriptures, Jacob is seen as a type of Christ, for he received the vision of the divine ladder (Genesis 28:12), which Christ fulfills Himself: Jacob gave this well for earthly life, now Christ gives the well of the Holy Spirit for eternal life!!!
4:16-19: SINCE JESUS PERCEIVED SHE WAS LIVING WITH A MAN: without being married, and He knew of her many husbands, the woman perceives He (Christ) is a PROPHET: The Samaritans did not accept any prophets after Moses, the only prophet they expected was the Messiah whom Moses himself foretold (Dt 18:15-18): Christ's insight into people's hearts, reported many times in the Gospels, underscores His divine nature!!!
4:20-24: IF JESUS WAS INDEED THE EXPECTED PROPHET: then He could settle the historical argument about WHERE worship was to take place: Jesus refuses to answer this earthly question and is elevating the discussion to the manner-in which people ought to worship: He is turning the attention to the One we worship which is God Himself: THE FATHER IS WORSHIPPED IN SPIRIT-that is, in the Holy Spirit-and in TRUTH-that is in Christ Himself (JOHN 14:6) and according to Christ 's revelation: GOD IS SPIRIT: God cannot be confined to one location: those who receive the Holy Spirit and believe in Jesus Christ can worship God the Father with purity of heart: SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS (v. 22): The Lord affirms that true revelation comes from Judaism: So Jesus is testifying that the Messiah, who was prophesied among the Jews, has risen from among the Jews: the gift of salvation through Christ is for all the Nations, it has come from within Judaism: THE HOUR (v. 21) refers to the death and Resurrection of Christ and to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which inaugurates the worship of the new covenant:
4:26: I WHO SPEAK TO YOU AM HE: is better translated "I AM" (Greek- ego eimi), who speak to you: "I AM" is the divine name of God (Yahweh) which is a direct revelation of God Himself: The use of this Name by a mere man was considered blasphemy and punishable by death- (see- JOHN 8:58; MARK 14:62): However, as Jesus is divine, His use of this Name reveals His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit; indeed, he is God Incarnate:
THE HARVEST IS READY- See also (Matthew 4:13-17, Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:14-15)
JOHN 4:27-45
4:27: THEY MARVELED: nit only that Jesus spoke with a Samaritan, but that He was speaking with an unaccompanied WOMAN, which was potentially scandalous: Some sources showing our Lord's dealings with women- (See JOHN 7:53-8:11; JOHN 11:20-33; AND JOHN 20:11-18- See also LUKE 8:1-3):
4:28-30: THE SAMARITAN WOMAN: becomes an earthly evangelist, and testifying to the advent of Christ and bringing others to Him (v. 39): According to an earthly tradition, after the Resurrection she was baptized with the name Photini, meaning the enlightened one - she was also baptized with her two sons and five daughters she also went to Carthage to spread the Gospel: She was later martyred with her family under the emperor Nero by being thrown into a well: The Church remembers her on March 20 and on the fourth Sunday of Pascha!!!
4:31-34: ON MISUNDERSTANDING IN JOHN'S GOSPEL, SEE MY JOHN 3:4 NOTES: Christ fulfills His role as Messiah by doing THE WILL OF THE FATHER; THEREFORE THIS IS HIS FOOD: This also teaches us we are to perform the will of God in our lives without being distracted by earthly and worldly cares and temptations- (John 6:27- see also Matthew 4:4; and Matthew 6:25-33):
4:35: BEHOLD: According to St. John Chrysostom, this command to look was given because the townspeople were approaching, ready and eager to believe in Jesus: Christ compares these foreigners (relative to the Jews) TO FIELDS READY FOR HARVEST: This command is also to all believers to look to those around us and to share the gospel with anyone wanting to hear it, regardless of race or ethnicity!!!
4:36-38: ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM: teaches those who SOW AND THOSE WHO REAP are the prophets of the OT and the apostles, respectively: The prophets sowed in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, but did not see His coming and so did not reap: The apostles did not do the preparation, but would draw thousands to Christ in their own lifetimes-today there are billions in Christ!!!
4:42: THAT THESE FOREIGNERS: are among the first to recognize Jesus as the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD shows the gospel is for all people in every Nation:
4:44: HIS OWN COUNTRY: is Galilee- see (John 1:46; John 2:1; John 7:42, and 52; John 19:19):
4:45: GALILEANS WERE PRESENT AT JERUSALEM: during the Passover (John 2:13-25). when Jesus performed many signs: While the Galilean RECEIVED Christ having seen His signs, St. John Chrysostom gives a greater credit to the Samaritans for accepting Christ based on words alone without the accompanying signs- (see also John 20:29):
A NOBLEMAN'S SON IS HEALED
JOHN 4:46-54
4:46-54: THIS IS THE SECOND TIME (v. 54): Reported in John's Gospel (see also my notes on John 2:1-11): Having revealed He can see into the hearts of people from a distance (John 1:45-48), the Lord now is demonstrating He can heal from a distance, showing His divine power knows no earthly limits: While there are certain similarities between this sign and the miracle recorded in (Matthew 8:5-13), there are many crucial differences; these are clearly two different encounters!!!
4:48: CHRIST IS ADMONISHING: the people in general (YOU in this verse is plural both times) and not merely the nobleman: Faith based on miraculous works alone is insufficient for salvation; this kind of incomplete faith quickly turns to scorn should the miracles cease (John 19:15):
4:49-53: THE NOBLEMAN'S CONCERN IS CLEARLY FOR HIS CHILD: His faith in Christ was weak: He clearly does not understand that Christ is Lord over illness even from a distance, he doesn't grasp that Jesus would have power to heal even if the child were to die: Finally, he inquires about the timing of the healing (v. 52), still not completely trusting the Lord's authority: only after all is confirmed does he AND HIS WHOLE HOUSEHOLD BELIEVE (v. 53): healing the child from a distance, Jesus heals not only the body of the child, but the soul of the nobleman!!!
"The fields are ready For Harvest the mission is to keep on with the teachings, nothing stops the Word from being delivered: Everything that is done or needs to be done is only done by His Will, and my studies are by His will alone and nothing to do with me!!! We must watch out for each other my brothers and sisters in Christ we must find the ones willing to hear His great Words- go out and get other to Christ the filed is ready for Harvest!!!"
JPCE SPIRITUAL TALK
NEVER HOLD BACK
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
JEHOVAH SHALOM!!!