The Gospel of JOHN “The Gospel of Boldness” Chapter Four: “A Bold Encounter” Page 31
Departure From Judea The Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John Jesus deemed it necessary to leave Judea for Galilee He posed a threat to the ruler’s own personal power He did not want to generate unnecessary opposition so soon He might avoid further resentment and jealousy on the part of John’s disciples Jesus baptized, but He didn’t baptize His disciples did the actual baptizing John 4:1-3 Page 31
Encounter at Jacob’s Well – “The Water of Life” Jesus “needed” to go through Samaria The scripture does not tell us specifically why he chose this route Something or somebody was “pulling” him in that direction rather than avoid Samaria as most Jews The Samaritans were a people of mixed blood A deep hatred had existed between Jews and Samaritans for many years John 4:4-5 Page 31-32
Encounter at Jacob’s Well – “The Water of Life” He stopped in the Samaritan town of Sychar It was near some land that Joseph, ancestor of the Samaritans, had received from his father Jacob Also proudly regarded by the Jews as their father His disciples had gone into the city to buy food from the Samaritans Jacob's well was there Jesus, being wearied from His journey, sat by the well It was about the sixth hour A woman of Samaria came to draw water We are not told her name John 4:6-9 Page 32
Notice how different this Samaritan woman was from the noble ruler: Nicodemus Samaritan Woman An “orthodox” Jew An “unorthodox” Samaritan A strict religious Pharisee No apparent religious affiliation A political ruler Without political influence A scholar in the Law Unlearned in the Law High moral standards Questionable moral standards A name of repute Unnamed by John Male entitlements Female disenfranchisement Came by night Came by day Opened dialog with Jesus Dialog opened by Jesus John 4:5-15 Page 32
Encounter at Jacob’s Well – “The Water of Life” Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” This was a BOLD ENCOUNTER! Jesus, who had no regard for the narrow and traditional prejudices of His fellow Jews The woman asked Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” Remember: The Jews have no dealings with Samaritans Christ introduced the concept of “living water” Her mindset was on physical, literal “water” John 4:7-9 Page 32-33
Encounter at Jacob’s Well – “The Water of Life” Jesus 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.” She immediately had two questions for Him: (1) “How can you draw out any water, since you have nothing with which to draw?” (2) “Where would I have to go for this wonderful water; this well furnishes good but only ordinary water?” John 4:11-11 Page 33
Encounter at Jacob’s Well – “The Water of Life” Then she asked, “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?” Of course, Jacob was not the father of the Samaritans Jesus answered her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 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.” John 4:12-14 Page 33
Encounter at Jacob’s Well – “The Water of Life” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” “The Water of Life” It is a “Gift of God” (v.10) and it is “Living Water” (v.10) It is provided by Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ (v.10) One who drinks this water will never thirst again (v.14) One who drinks this water will become in him “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (v.14) John 4:15 Page 33
Encounter at Jacob’s Well – “The Water of Life” The “living water” is not everlasting life itself, rather it results in everlasting life Jesus further said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (7:37,38) “Living water” would come from an ever-flowing and never-failing spring “Eternal life” would burst forth from the fountain that He could make available to thirsty souls John 7:37-38 Page 33
True Worship Identified Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered, “I have no husband.” She thought that would end this BOLD ENCOUNTER with this BOLD traveler Jesus agreed with her answer but told her, “…you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.” The woman thought Jesus was a prophet Jesus possessed more-than-natural knowledge about the private life of a complete stranger John 4:16-19 Page 34
True Worship Identified Then, she brought up the subject of worship, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” The Samaritans thought they had a strong case for Mt. Gerizim as a place to worship God This was a “hot topic” during the lifetime of Jesus on earth This controversy that raged between Jews and Samaritans was meaningless John 4:20 Page 34
True Worship Identified A new dispensation of true worship was on the horizon, and God would soon be worshiped both in spirit and in truth Jesus said to her (vs.21-23), "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 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.” John 4:21-26 Page 34
True Worship Identified Jesus continued, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jesus’ stance on true worship was not a satisfactory solution to her quandary as she replied: “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” For the first time, Jesus proclaims Himself as the “Messiah,” the “Christ.” John 4:21-26 Page 34
Believers in Christ at Sychar His disciples came and were surprised that He was talking to a Samaritan woman Jesus had no regard for foolish traditions She left her waterpot and went into town She told the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Aroused by curiosity the men came out to met Jesus John 4:27-42 Page 36
Believers in Christ at Sychar His disciples also were surprised that He did not seem hungry from His journey Jesus said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know. My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” It was spiritual food that satisfied Him It consisted of doing the will of God and in sharing that will with others. Further, He said, “…lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:32-42 Page 36
Believers in Christ at Sychar Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him and urged Him to stay with them He stayed there for two days They said, “Now we believe, not because of what you [the woman] said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” They based their belief on the words of Jesus in addition to the words of the woman’s testimony This is a result of Jesus’ BOLD ENCOUNTER with an unsophisticated and immoral woman John 4:32-42 Page 36
Welcome to Galilee Jesus departed Sychar for Galilee Galileans had witnessed His miracles during the feast at Jerusalem (2:23) The Galileans “received” Him They wanted to see and hear the things He might do and say Jesus testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country He could have been speaking about honor recently given to Him in Samaria in contrast to the pressure He had felt to leave Judea John 4:43-45 Page 37
The Second Miracle – Healing a Sick Boy Upon Jesus’ return to Cana, a nobleman [king’s man] from Capernaum who had learned of His abilities sought His intervention in the serious illness of his son A nobleman was an officer of state [steward] in the service of Herod Antipas, or one who belongs to the upper class This nobleman wanted Him to come down to Capernaum and heal his son, for he was at the point of death John 4:46-54 Page 37
The Second Miracle – Healing a Sick Boy Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” Jesus ultimately wanted believers to believe in Him because of His Person and His teaching The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Jesus said, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way Jesus never physically saw the sick boy John 4:46-54 Page 37
The Second Miracle – Healing a Sick Boy His servants met him and said, “Your son lives!” 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.” So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And nobleman himself believed, and his whole household This was Jesus’ second miracle in Galilee John 4:46-54 Page 37
First Passover (Spring A.D. 30): Cleanses the temple Early Judean Ministry First Passover (Spring A.D. 30): Cleanses the temple Jesus left Judea for Galilee via Samaria (Sychar) He met a woman at a well After two days in Sychar, He departed for Cana .