João 4
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 4
Morris - The Samaritan woman had come to draw water out of a public well—Jacob’s well in this case—that was very similar in construction to the cisterns of antiquity, which were pits dug around a ground spring (living water) or an underground water table, then enlarged and plastered to hold a significant quantity of water. Most villages and nearly all cities had such a cistern that was maintained by the responsible government of the area and made available to the local citizens. Some private homeowners built private cisterns, usually on the top of their houses, that were used to catch rainwater or to conveniently store enough for household needs. These private cisterns were rarely used for drinking water since they could easily be contaminated. But the “government cisterns” were constantly cleaned and routinely purged to provide fresh “living water” for the population. The Samaritan woman came to the well to draw the water she needed to live. Jesus told her that He could give her “living water”—an internal spring of water—that would provide eternal life (John 4:11-14; compare John 7:38). That is the sense in which the Lord told Jeremiah that the people of Judah had forsaken the “fountain of living waters” and were attempting to construct “cisterns” that would not, and indeed, could not, hold any of the eternal water that came only from God. Any cistern we create for ourselves will be a broken cistern. (Broken Cisterns - Read the entire article which also discusses King Hezekiah's provision of "living waters" in preparation for the Assyrian siege - beloved, the only way you or I can withstand the continual, seemingly overwhelming onslaught of godlessness ["Assyrians"- ] daily besieging the fortress of our hearts is by relying on Jesus' provision of Living Water, the empowering Spirit! = excellent!) Joel 3:18+ And in that day (Millennium) the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring (Heb = mayan; Lxx = pege) will go out from the house (Temple) of the LORD (During Millennium = Ezek 47:1-12, Zech 14:8+; Cp during the New Earth = Rev 22:1-2) to water the valley of Shittim (Shittim = acacia trees - It is the dry valley near the northern end of the Dead Sea). Spurgeon's Sermon Notes on John 4:6 Many things may well remind us of our Lord. Chiefly may we think of him when we see a well, or a weary peasant resting at noon. How truly human was Jesus! To him a long walk brought weariness; his weariness needed rest; to rest he “sat thus on the well.” How worn was his humanity! He was more weary than the disciples. He had a greater mental strain than they. He had a weariness that they knew not of. His self-denials were even then remarkable. He would in all points be made like unto his brethren. He would not exempt himself from fatigue. He would not work a miracle for his own refreshment. He would not refuse to bear heat, thirst, exhaustion. He has thus made himself able to sympathize with— The traveller who rests by the roadside. The labourer who is worn-out with toil. The sufferer who feels pain in bone and flesh. The poor man who must rest on a cold stone, and look for refreshment to the public fountain. The weary mind, oppressed by life’s long way, which has no luxurious comfort prepared for it, but finds a measure of repose in the simple arrangements of nature. Reading this text, let it set a picture before you, and— I. LET YOUR CONSCIENCE DRAW A SPIRITUAL PICTURE OF YOUR WEARIED SAVIOUR. 1. He is wearied with our sins. Is. 43:24. 2. He is wearied with our formal worship. Is. 1:14. 3. He is wearied with our errings through unbelief. Ps. 95:10. 4. He is wearied with our resistance of his Spirit. Is. 63:10. 5. He is wearied with our cavillings and rebellions. Mal. 2:17. Perhaps we have specially wearied the Lord, as we read in Amos 2:13, where singular provocations are mentioned. That is a grave question asked by the prophet Isaiah, “Will ye weary my God also?” Is. 7:13. II. LET YOUR CONSCIENCE DRAW A SPIRITUAL PICTURE OF YOUR WAITING SAVIOUR. 1. He waits for comers to the well: he seizes on all occasions to bless, such as affliction, the hearing of the Word, the recurrence of a birthday, or even the simplest event of life. Men have other errands; they come to the well only to draw water, but the Lord meets them with his greater errand. 2. He waits for the most sinful; she that had had five husbands. 3. He waits to enlighten, convince, convert. 4. He waits to accept, and to commission. 5. He waits to begin by one convert the ingathering of a great harvest of souls, as in the case of the Samaritans. How long he has waited for some of you! At how many points has he been on the outlook for you! Is he not waiting for you at this very hour? Will you not yield to his patient love? III. LET YOUR PENITENCE DRAW ANOTHER PICTURE. Alter the position of the character. 1. Be yourself weary of your sinful way. 2. Sit down on the well of your Lord’s gracious ordinances. 3. Wait and watch till your Saviour comes. 4. Ask him to give you to drink, and, in so doing, give him to drink for this is his best refreshment. 5. Drink yourselves of the living water, and then run to tell others. Will you not do this at once? May his Holy Spirit so direct you! MUSINGS It was the hour of noon, and weary as he was with the long journey, possibly also with the extreme heat, our Lord sat “thus on the well.” The expression in the original is most pathetically picturesque. It implies that the Wayfarer was quite tired out, and in his exhaustion flung his limbs wearily on the seat, anxious, if possible, for complete repose.—Archdeacon Farrar. When hard-working people sit down at mid-day for their few minutes of rest and refreshment, let them recall their Master’s noon-day rest at the well. He was tired, like we are, yet his rest was short, and his work scarcely broken. He was tired with seeking for us. Our stubborn hearts brought him all this way from heaven. He has long sought for our love, and hardly finds it. Think on this verse. With whom did Jesus find his portion in this life? Not with the great and luxurious, but with the common people, sharing their toils.—Practical Reflections on the Gospels. By a Clergyman. While we sympathize with the bodily weariness of our Lord, it will be well to remember the soul-weariness which sin must have occasioned him. He hungered to bless men, and they refused the bread of life. He would have gathered them, but they would not be gathered. He must have been specially wearied with the ostentatious hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and the silly legalisms of the Scribes with their tithing of mint and anise. He was often wearied with the dogged unbelief of the Jews, and the provoking want of faith among his own disciples. The sin, the cavilling, the slander, the selfishness, the hardness of heart of those about him, must have worn down his holy soul, and made him every day a Man of sorrows. Yet he never left the well, never refused to give the living water to a thirsting soul, never ceased to entreat men to come to him and drink.—C. H. S. “Jesus, therefore, being wearied.”—And in that he himself had suffered, he was the more able and apt to help this poor Samaritan. So the apostle bids us pity those in adversity, as being ourselves in the body, i.e., the body of flesh and frailty, subject to like misery.—Trapp. When wearied, let us still be on the watch to do good. Wearied, and sitting on the well, our Lord is still in the attitude of observation. “I am never too tired to pray,” said a minister, who, after a hard day’s toil, found his host ready to excuse him from conducting family prayer. When God is blessing the Word, true ministers forget their fatigue, and hold on long into the night with enquirers. Alas! when the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with a man’s heart, the man excuses himself from “making overtime”, as I once heard a professor call it, when he quitted the room the instant the service was over. Another, in describing a minister, said, “Oh, he is so cold! He is one who thinks it is wrong to be too religious. He cannot endure zeal.” Be it ours to show a more excellent way. Holy Brainerd, when he could not preach, because he was on his dying bed, called to him a little Indian boy, and tried to teach him his letters. Let us live soul-saving, and so let us die.—C.H.S. Tony
João 4
Morris - “In the Old Testament living water is sometimes associated with Jehovah. He is called ‘the fountain of living waters’ (Jeremiah 2:13, 17:13).” (BORROW The Gospel according to John : NICNT).
João 4
Morris has an interesting observation - The Samaritans acknowledged no prophet after Moses other than the one spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:18, and him they regarded as the Messiah. For her to speak of Jesus as a prophet was thus to move into the area of messianic speculation. (BORROW The Gospel according to John : NICNT).
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Morris adds "Jesus used it also in addressing women for whom he was performing miracles (Matt. 15:28; Luke 13:12), the woman at the well (John 4:21), the adulteress (John 8:10), and Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20:15). In none of these can we detect any harshness." (BORROW The Gospel according to John : NICNT). Believe Me - Jesus gives her a command in the present imperative (keep on believing). While He does not yet say "believe in Me," the use of this verb certainly suggests He is moving in that direction.
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Morris - “A time is coming and has now come” is a reference to a crisis, to something new. In the person of Jesus we see not only a repetition of old truths (be they held by the Jews or the Samaritans), but the appearing of God’s definitive revelation. In due course he would die that atoning death which would bring salvation to the world.(Ibid) When the true worshipers (proskunetes = one who bows down to deity, only here) will worship (proskuneo) the Father in spirit and truth - True worshipers implies not all who claim to worship God are truly born again (cf Mt 7:21-23+). Regarding the meaning of in spirit and truth, see the comments on Jn 4:24.
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Morris - True worship and saving faith no longer are mediated through physical aids, now that Christ has come to bring full and free salvation. The truth in Christ, received through the Spirit by faith, is the worship the Father seeks (compare 2 Chronicles 16:9). (Defender's Study Bible) Brian Bell - Not the Location of worship but the Object of worship. Not Where you worship but How you worship. Not just How you worship but ultimately Who you worship! Sincere & Spiritual Worship = the submission of all our nature to God; It’s the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose. You don’t need to find God in a special place, true worship finds Him in every place! 1. True worship is not a certain place, a certain time in the week, or a certain format. True worship is a relationship. True (adjective) (228)(alethinos from alethes = true, one who cannot lie) is an adjective which pertains to being in accordance with historical fact - genuine, real, true, valid, trustworthy (worthy of confidence, dependable). Alethinos describes that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name -- thus genuine not spurious, fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended. Worship (bow down) (4352)(proskuneo from pros = before, towards + kuneo = kiss or adore) means to prostrate oneself in homage before another in the full sense of worship, not mere reverence or courtesy. To fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence (to make a salam), by kneeling or prostration to do homage to one or make obeisance, either in order to express respect or make supplication. When Jesus Christ was born into this world, He was attended and worshipped by angels. (Lu 2:13f+). Proskuneo represents the most common Near Eastern act of adoration and reverence and also carries the idea of profound awe and respect. Some believe that the root word kuneo may be related to kuon which is the Greek word for dog and which then could be picturing a dog licking his master's hand. The word proskuneo literally means to kiss toward someone, to throw a kiss in token of respect or homage, to prostrate oneself in homage, to do reverence to, to adore and so to worship and show respect. In the ancient Oriental (especially Persia) the mode of salutation between persons of equal rank was to kiss each other on the lips. When the difference of rank was slight, they kissed each other on the cheek. When one was much inferior, he fell upon his knees touched his forehead to the ground or prostrated himself, and as he was bowing down he would be throwing kisses toward the superior. It is this latter mode of salutation that is intended by the Greek writers in the use of the verb proskuneo . All uses of proskuneo (clearly a key word (verb) in John 4 and the Samaritan woman) - Matt. 2:2; Matt. 2:8; Matt. 2:11; Matt. 4:9; Matt. 4:10; Matt. 8:2; Matt. 9:18; Matt. 14:33; Matt. 15:25; Matt. 18:26; Matt. 20:20; Matt. 28:9; Matt. 28:17; Mk. 5:6; Mk. 15:19; Lk. 4:7; Lk. 4:8; Lk. 24:52; Jn. 4:20; Jn. 4:21; Jn. 4:22; Jn. 4:23; Jn. 4:24; Jn. 9:38; Jn. 12:20; Acts 7:43; Acts 8:27; Acts 10:25; Acts 24:11; 1 Co. 14:25; Heb. 1:6; Heb. 11:21; Rev. 3:9; Rev. 4:10; Rev. 5:14; Rev. 7:11; Rev. 9:20; Rev. 11:1; Rev. 11:16; Rev. 13:4; Rev. 13:8; Rev. 13:12; Rev. 13:15; Rev. 14:7; Rev. 14:9; Rev. 14:11; Rev. 15:4; Rev. 16:2; Rev. 19:4; Rev. 19:10; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:4; Rev. 22:8; Rev. 22:9 For (gar) - Term of explanation. Such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers (proskuneo) - This is an "amazing grace" statement. The the Father would seek worship from those who were formerly dead spiritually, yea, even His enemies, is a cause itself for praise and worship! Is this not one of those verses filled with "amazing grace?" The holy God seeking unholy men to be His worshipers is an incredible thought that should elicit endless gratitude in our hearts. Have you ever thanked God for seeking you to be His worshiper? Jesus Himself declared that "the Son of Man has come to seek (zeteo) and to save (sozo) that which is lost (US!)" (Lk 19:10+). Leon Morris - The combination “spirit and truth” points to the need for complete sincerity and complete reality in our approach to God. There is an important point in the concluding statement that the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. It is not simply that he accepts such worship when it is brought to him. He is a God of love, a God who seeks the best for people, and therefore a God who actively seeks them out. (BORROW The Gospel according to John : NICNT). Related Passages - Yes, the Father seeks, but in the divine mystery of salvation, the Father draws those He seeks! Jn 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. Jn 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 1 Jn 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. One thinks of Romans 5:1-2+ which says "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction (see Greek word prosagoge - WE HAVE ENTREE TO THE KING NOW THROUGH JESUS) by faith into this grace in which we stand (WE SHOULD STAND AMAZED IN HIS PRESENCE AND THIS SHOULD STIR HEARTFELT WORSHIP OF HIM); and we exult in hope of the glory of God." Seeks (2212)(zeteo implies giving attention and priority to and deliberately pursuing after, to go in search of. The most striking application of zēteō is the New Testament religious application. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost which implies far more than a mere “looking around” (as seen in Mt 6:32,33; Mt 13:45,46; Lk 15:8) and includes the idea of diligently, earnestly, and tenaciously searching after something, sparing no effort, for the sought object is valued to the highest degree. Likewise, believers are to seek God in the same way. Zeteo is a key word (verb) in John's Gospel where it is found 32x more than in the other synoptic Gospels - Jn. 1:38; Jn. 4:23; Jn. 4:27; Jn. 5:18; Jn. 5:30; Jn. 5:44; Jn. 6:24; Jn. 6:26; Jn. 7:1; Jn. 7:4; Jn. 7:11; Jn. 7:18; Jn. 7:19; Jn. 7:20; Jn. 7:25; Jn. 7:30; Jn. 7:34; Jn. 7:36; Jn. 8:21; Jn. 8:37; Jn. 8:40; Jn. 8:50; Jn. 10:39; Jn. 11:8; Jn. 11:56; Jn. 13:33; Jn. 16:19; Jn. 18:4; Jn. 18:7; Jn. 18:8; Jn. 19:12; Jn. 20:15 John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” BGT John 4:24 πνεῦμα ὁ θεός, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. NET John 4:24 God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." NLT John 4:24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." ESV John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." NIV John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." GNT John 4:24 πνεῦμα ὁ θεός, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. KJV John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. YLT John 4:24 God is a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.' ASV John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. CSB John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NKJ John 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NRS John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." NAB John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." NJB John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth. GWN John 4:24 God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." spirit : 2Co 3:17 1Ti 1:17 must: 1Sa 16:7 Ps 50:13-15,23 51:17 66:18 Isa 57:15 Mt 15:8,9 2Co 1:12 John 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries TRUE WORSHIP IS INTERNAL NOT EXTERNAL
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Morris adds "We should omit the indefinite article, which some translations (e.g., KJV, Knox) place before “Spirit.” Greek has no such article, and we insert it or not in English as the sense requires. Here Jesus is not saying, “God is one spirit among many”; rather his meaning is “God’s essential nature is spirit.” The indefinite article is no more required than it is in the similar statements, “God is light” (1 John 1:5) and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). We must not think of God as material, or as bound in any way to places or things." (NICNT-Jn) Merrill Tenney - “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” carries one of the four descriptions of God found in the New Testament. The other three are “God is light” (1 John 1:5), “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), and “God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). Jesus was endeavoring to convey to the woman that God cannot be confined to one place nor conceived of as a material being. He cannot be represented adequately by an abstract concept, which is intrinsically impersonal, nor can any idol depict His likeness since He is not material. Only “the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14+) could represent him adequately. (EBC-Jn)
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Morris has a similar note on the Samaritan understanding of Messiah - The Samaritan name for the Messiah was Taheb (תהב), “He who returns” or “He who restores.” According to Odeberg, “A prominent feature in the Taeb traditions was that the Redeemer, in accordance with Deut 18:18 would teach the faithful concerning all things” (FG, p. 183). Dodd reminds us that we should not build too much on this figure, for our information about him is late and we do not know whether or not the Taheb was known in New Testament times (IFG, p. 240, n. 2). But Josephus recounts an incident wherein a man gathered armed men to Mt. Gerizim, saying that he would show them sacred vessels hidden there by Moses (see Josephus Antiquiteis. XVIII. Chapter 4, Section 1). This looks very much like messianic expectation during the New Testament period. (BORROW The Gospel according to John : NICNT). Messiah (3323)(messias; see also Messiah - Anointed One) is the Hellenized transliteration of mashiach/masiah and means a consecrated or anointed one. Messias is a masculine proper noun which corresponds to the Greek word Christos, Christ. Messias is used only twice in the NT (not at all in the Septuagint) both uses illustrating the correspondence of Messias and Christos. John records Phillip's declaration "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote (Messianic Prophecies), Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (Jn 1:45+). In summary three English terms are virtually synonymous…MESSIAH = THE ANOINTED ONE = THE CHRIST In the Old Testament three major groups were anointed for consecrated (set apart) service - kings, priests and prophets. Jesus fulfilled all three offices - Prophet (Dt 18:15), Priest (Heb 4:14+), and King (Rev 19:16+). Marvin Vincent's lengthy note on Christ (Christos) - Christ (Χριστός). Properly an adjective, not a noun, and meaning anointed (χρίω, to anoint). It is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah, the king and spiritual ruler from David’s race, promised under that name in the Old Testament (Ps 2:2; Da 9:25, 26+). Hence Andrew says to Simon, “We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, Christ (John 1:41; compare Acts 4:27; 10:38; 19:28). To us “Christ” has become a proper name, and is therefore written without the definite article; but, in the body of the gospel narratives, since the identity of Jesus with the promised Messiah is still in question with the people, the article is habitually used, and the name should therefore be translated “the Christ.” After the resurrection, when the recognition of Jesus as Messiah has become general, we find the word beginning to be used as a proper name, with or without the article. In this passage it omits the article, because it occurs in the heading of the chapter, and expresses the evangelist’s own faith in Jesus as the Messiah. (John 4 Commentary) Anointing was applied to kings (1 Sa 9:16; 10:1), to prophets (1 Ki 19:16), and to priests (Ex 29:29; 40:15; Lev. 16:32) at their inauguration. “The Lord’s anointed” was a common title of the king (1 Sa 12:3, 5; 2 Sa 1:14, 16). Prophets are called “Messiahs,” or anointed ones (1 Chr 16:22; Ps. 105:15). Cyrus is also called “the Lord’s Anointed,” because called to the throne to deliver the Jews out of captivity (Isa. 45:1). Hence the word “Christ” was representative of our Lord, who united in himself the offices of king, prophet, and priest. It is interesting to see how anointing attaches to our Lord in other and minor particulars. Anointing was an act of hospitality and a sign of festivity and cheerfulness. Jesus was anointed by the woman when a guest in the house of Simon the Pharisee, and rebuked his host for omitting this mark of respect toward him (Luke 7:35, 46). In the Epistle to the Hebrews 1:8, 9, the words of the Messianic psalm (Ps 45:7) are applied to Jesus, “God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Anointing was practised upon the sick (Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34; Jas. 5:14). Jesus, “the Great Physician,” is described by Isaiah (61:1, 2; compare Luke 4:18) as anointed by God to bind up the broken-hearted, and to give the mournful the oil of joy for mourning. He himself anointed the eyes of the blind man (John 9:6, 11); and the twelve, in his name, “anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13). Anointing was practised upon the dead. Of her who brake the alabaster upon his head at Bethany, Jesus said, “She has anointed My body beforehand for the burial” (Mark 14:8; see, also, Luke 23:56). (WSNT) When that One comes, He will declare (anaggello) all things to us - This sinful Samaritan continues to espouse relatively good theology. She has no doubt He is coming. She also knows He has a message and in His message, He will explain everything. This reminds us of John 1:18+ which says "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." She has a more accurate expectation of Messiah than most of the Jews of Jesus' day (including even His own disciples), for they were looking primarily for a conquering Messiah, Who would free them from Roman oppression. This Jewish expectation in fact was why Jesus avoided outwardly declaring His Messiahship to the Jews. So while the woman does not understand the concept of the Suffering Messiah, she does associate His coming with an announcement of "all things." What she means by "all things" is not clear, but this could be an allusion to expected prophet in Dt 18:18 (" he shall speak to them all that I command him.") . The irony is that the very One with Whom she is speaking is at that very moment declaring things to her that were the most important things that a lost sinner could ever hear, the truth that all spiritually thirsty souls desperately need, His offer to drink of the "living water," and, as she would soon discover, He was the Source of that "living water!" Vincent on will declare (anaggello) - The compounded preposition ana, the radical meaning of which is up, signifies throughout, from bottom to top. (John 4 Commentary) Jesus uses this same verb anaggello 3 times ("will disclose") to describe the work of His Spirit Whom He would send on the disciples - But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. (Jn 16:13-15) Declare (announce) (312)(anaggello/anangello from aná = up to, again, back {like our English prefix "re-"= again thus "re-port" or "re-hearse" = to say again} + aggéllo = tell, declare related to ággelos = messenger) means to bring back word and later to announce, to report. To rehearse, to show, to declare or tell of things done. Anaggello means to carry back good tidings, to inform, to provide information, with some contexts conveying the implication of considerable detail (see Acts 14:27, 15:4). In the 14 NT uses of anaggello, notice that most report or announce something that has to do with God, including His works and/or purposes. All NT uses - Jn. 4:25; Jn. 16:13; Jn. 16:14; Jn. 16:15; Acts 14:27; Acts 15:4; Acts 19:18; Acts 20:20; Acts 20:27; Rom. 15:21; 2 Co. 7:7; 1 Pet. 1:12; 1 Jn. 1:5 WHAT DO JEWS BELIEVE ABOUT THE MESSIAH? "Belief in the eventual coming of the mashiach is a basic and fundamental part of traditional Judaism. It is part of Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith (principle #12), the minimum requirements of Jewish belief. In the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, recited three times daily, we pray for all of the elements of the coming of the mashiach: ingathering of the exiles; restoration of the religious courts of justice; an end of wickedness, sin and heresy; reward to the righteous; rebuilding of Jerusalem; restoration of the line of King David; and restoration of Temple service… The term "mashiach" literally means "the anointed one," and refers to the ancient practice of anointing kings with oil when they took the throne. The mashiach is the one who will be anointed as king in the End of Days. The word "mashiach" does not mean "savior." The notion of an innocent, divine or semi-divine being who will sacrifice himself to save us from the consequences of our own sins is a purely Christian concept that has no basis in Jewish thought. Unfortunately, this Christian concept has become so deeply ingrained in the English word "messiah" that this English word can no longer be used to refer to the Jewish concept. The word "mashiach" will be used throughout this page." (Read the full page - The Messiah) Messianic Expectations - Craig A. Evans - "Messianism" and "messianic expectation" are ways of describing the expectation that an anointed person will come to redeem Israel and/or the Church. Christians believe that Messiah has already come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The appearance of Messiah is understood to be part of a larger eschatological drama whereby human activity on earth is appreciably altered by the in-breaking of the "kingdom of God," a time when God's will on earth is more tangibly and permanently experienced. It is usually believed that this anointed figure is part of the climax of human history. The Origin of Messianic Expectation - The messianic expectations in the Jewish and Christian faiths are traced back to God's covenant with King David (2Sa 7:12-16 - Ed: see Davidic covenant or more in depth article = The Davidic Covenant) and the aftermath of exile and cessation of the Davidic dynasty. Hope arose that God would someday restore a godly king to Israel. Some of Israel's prophets foretold the coming of a regal Davidic descendant, and their descriptions seem to portray him as far more than a mere mortal. Isaiah foretold the coming of a "child" and "son" who "will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace," and whose kingdom will never end (Isa 9:6-7+). Again Isaiah prophesied the coming of a Branch of David, on whom the Spirit of God will rest, who will rule the earth with justice and equity (Isa 11:1-5+). Descriptions such as these hinted that the coming anointed one, the Messiah, would be God Himself. In the intertestament period (ca 400 B.C. to the birth of Christ) several passages of Old Testament Scripture are interpreted in the light of the messianic hope. Besides Isa 11:1-5+, Ge 49:10 ("The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet.") and Nu 24:17+ ("A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel") are often appealed to. First-century philosopher Philo of Alexandria and Josephus, historian and survivor of the great rebellion (A.D. 66-70), both allude to these passages as pertaining to Messiah. Isaiah 11 is of special interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls. 1QSb 5 applies portions of Isa 11:2-5+ to the awaited Messiah, while 4Q161, a major commentary on the book of Isaiah, interprets Isa 10:34-11:5+ as a prophecy of the coming Messiah, called the "Branch of David," who will destroy Israel's enemies, the Romans (called the "Kittim"). 4Q285 quotes Isaiah 10:34-11:1 and interprets it as a reference to the coming Messiah, called the "Branch of David" and "leader of the community" (that is, the leader of the Qumran community). It is said that he will put to death the "king of the Kittim," or the Roman emperor (see also the parallel 11Q14). Jesus and Messianic Expectation - Jesus' willingness to suffer and die stands in marked contrast to the widespread expectation of a coming Messiah who would slay His enemies. The fact that He did not attempt to overthrow the Roman occupiers and reclaim Israel's throne may explain in part why He was widely rejected by Jewish authorities. They wished for Him to pursue violent, military goals whereas He came instead to usher in the merciful, forgiving rule of God. As for Jesus' fulfillment of the Bible's messianic expectations, it must not be missed that He came first to suffer and die on behalf of sinners (as predicted in Isa 52:13-53:12+), but will come again as conquering King (2Th 1:7-10+). (A Closer Look- Messianic Expectations) (John 4 Commentary) John 4:26 Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” BGT John 4:26 λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐγώ εἰμι, (I AM) ὁ λαλῶν σοι. NET John 4:26 Jesus said to her, "I, the one speaking to you, am he." NLT John 4:26 Then Jesus told her, "I Am the Messiah!" ESV John 4:26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." NIV John 4:26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." GNT John 4:26 λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐγώ εἰμι (I AM) , ὁ λαλῶν σοι. KJV John 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. YLT John 4:26 Jesus saith to her, 'I am He, who am speaking to thee.' ASV John 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. CSB John 4:26 "I am He," Jesus told her, "the One speaking to you." NKJ John 4:26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." NRS John 4:26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." NAB John 4:26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking with you." NJB John 4:26 Jesus said, 'That is who I am, I who speak to you.' GWN John 4:26 Jesus told her, "I am he, and I am speaking to you now." I who: John 9:37 Mt 16:20 Mt 20:15 Mt 26:63,64 Mk 14:61,62 Lu 13:30 Ro 10:20,21 John 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MESSIAH IS HERE! MESSIAH IS "HE!" Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” - Literally the Greek says "I Am." (Ego Eimi) Many skeptics say Jesus never claimed deity. This passage is about as clear a declaration of His deity as any in the Bible and He speaks it to a despised, sinful Samaritan woman. If you feel unworthy of Jesus, you are in good company, for we all were "despised Samaritans" in our lost, sinful state in Adam (Ro 5:12+). Praise God that Jesus discloses Himself to sinners such as this woman! Ego eimi in entire NT - note predominant usage in the Gospel of John including 13 uses (out of 24x in John and out of 48 total NT uses) in the famous "SEVEN I AM STATEMENTS" - Matt. 14:27; Matt. 22:32; Matt. 24:5; Matt. 26:22; Matt. 26:25; Mk. 6:50; Mk. 13:6; Mk. 14:62; Lk. 1:19; Lk. 21:8; Lk. 22:70; Lk. 24:39; Jn. 4:26; Jn. 6:20; Jn. 6:35; Jn. 6:41; Jn. 6:48; Jn. 6:51; Jn. 8:12; Jn. 8:18; Jn. 8:24; Jn. 8:28; Jn. 8:58; Jn. 9:9; Jn. 10:7; Jn. 10:9; Jn. 10:11; Jn. 10:14; Jn. 11:25; Jn. 13:19; Jn. 14:6; Jn. 15:1; Jn. 15:5; Jn. 18:5; Jn. 18:6; Jn. 18:8; Acts 9:5; Acts 10:21; Acts 18:10; Acts 22:3; Acts 22:8; Acts 26:15; Acts 26:29; Rev. 1:8; Rev. 1:17; Rev. 2:23; Rev. 21:6; Rev. 22:16 Vincent on I Am - The less political conception of the Samaritan Messiah (see Vincent's interesting note above) made it possible for Jesus to announce Himself to the woman without fear of being misunderstood as He was by the Jews. Compare Matt. 8:4; 16:20. (John 4 Commentary)
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Morris - The disciples’ suggestion that Jesus eat was eminently natural. The whole purpose of their trip into the village had been to buy food. They had left the Master weary, and presumably hungry. Now they brought food and asked him to eat. (BORROW The Gospel according to John : NICNT). John
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Morris - The woman might introduce them to Jesus, but faith is not faith as long as it rests on the testimony of another. There must be personal knowledge of Christ if there is to be an authentic Christian experience. The incident forms something of an exemplification of Jesus’ words in verses Jn 4:37–38. (BORROW The Gospel according to John : NICNT). There is a secondhand, by-proxy knowledge of the Lord as a report but not as a reality. -- Vance Havner For (term of explanation) we have heard for ourselves and know (eido) that this One is indeed the Savior (soter) of the world (kosmos) - The woman had called Jesus a prophet. Jesus called Himself the Messiah. And here the people of Samaria have had the eyes of their heart opened by the Spirit to recognize and acknowledge that Jesus was the Savior of the world. He was not just the Savior of Jews, but of Jews and Gentiles. It is surprising that this is the only use of Savior in the Gospel of John (the only other uses in the 4 Gospels are in Lk 1:47+, Lk 2:11+). The use of the word Savior conveyed the idea of deliverance. These Samaritans had been worshipping God using a truncated Old Testament and were therefore not really worshipping the True God. Now the True God Jesus had come on the scene as their Deliverer from their spiritual darkness to light. Vance Havner - Our Lord said to Pilate, "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" (John 18:34). Is your knowledge of Jesus Christ second-hand or is it your own? It was said of Thomas Chalmers that he had "an original experience of Jesus Christ." It is original or nothing. The people of Sychar said to the Samaritan 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" (John 4:42) Grant Osborne makes an interesting comparison with a previous group of "believers" (who in fact were not true believers) - Note also how their faith was centered on his words and not just his miraculous signs (contra those of John 2:23–24-see comments). This culminates in their confession of Jesus as “Savior of the world.” This concludes not just the story of the Samaritan mission but the whole of Jn 1:35–4:42. The “one and only Son” sent by God to provide salvation for mankind (Jn 3:16–17) alone removes the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). The one who has become the living Word and provided the living water (Jn 1:1, 18; 4:10), the one who has shed the light of God on every person (Jn 1:4, 7, 8) is indeed the “Savior of the world” (also 1 John 4:14). This would especially be true for the Samaritans who recognized that their taheb (see commentary) was also the Jewish Messiah and, therefore, the only Messiah for the whole world. (See The Gospel of John) Leon Morris on (soter) of the world (kosmos)- The expression “sums up the main point of this chapter—that the conversion of Samaritans is the first sign of the universality of salvation in Christ” (Bailey). This is “a great insight from a little people” (Beasley-Murray). Newbigin has an apt comment: “And so what was hidden from the wise and understanding Nicodemus is revealed to these spiritual babes, and while scribes and Pharisees stand aside, the pagan world flocks into the kingdom.” The only other use of the glorious phrase Savior of the world is in John's first epistle... We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. (1 John 4:14+) Comment - One wonders if John's declaration here was stirred by memories of their great Samaritan experience? The abundant harvest of Samaritan souls recalls Jesus' words later in John's gospel... (Jn 10:16) “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. (Jn 11:51-52) 1Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation (ISRAEL) only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. ESV Study Bible has an excellent note calling attention to "the pattern of Jesus’ mission according to John—from Judea (Nicodemus, John 3:1–15), to Samaria (Jn 4:1–42), to the Gentiles (Jn 4:46–54; cf. Jn 12:20–33)—anticipates the post-Pentecost mission of the early church (cf. Acts 1:8+ ="You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”). (BORROW ESV Study Bible) Brian Bell - The term “Savior of the world” often was used of the Roman emperor (Spiritual Dehydration) Know (1492)(eido) means to know beyond a shadow of a doubt. Savior (4990)(soter from sozo = rescue from peril > from saos = safe; delivered) refers to the agent of salvation or deliverance, the one who rescues, delivers, saves and preserves. Anyone who saves or delivers can be called a deliverer or rescuer (a soter). The word “Savior” is applied to the Father (Luke 1:47; 1 Tim. 1:1, etc.) as well as to the Son, The Exegetical Dictionary notes that "In secular Greek usage the gods are deliverers both as helpers of human beings and as protectors of collective entities (e.g., cities); this is the case with Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon, the Dioscuri Castor and Pollux, Heracles, Asclepius as the helper of the sick, and Serapis; it is true also for philosophers (Dio Chrysostom Or. 32.8) and statesmen (Thucydides v.11.1; Plutarch Cor. 11, also in inscriptions and elsewhere). In the Hellenistic ruler cult "theos soter" (god our savior) is attested in writings and inscriptions as a title of the Ptolemies and Seleucids. Inscriptions in the eastern part of the Empire called Pompey “Soter and Founder,” Caesar “Soter of the World,” and Augustus “Soter of Humankind.” Hadrian had the title "Soter of the Kosmos" (Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. . Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans) Greeks used soter as a title of divinities such as Asclepius, the god of healing. Soter was used by the mystery religions to refer to their divinities. At an early date soter was used as a title of honor for deserving men, e.g., Epicurus (300BC) was called "soter" by his followers. As discussed below, soter was used as a designation of the "deified" ruler, e.g., Ptolemy I Soter (323-285BC). All 24 uses of soter all translated Savior - Lk. 1:47; Lk. 2:11; Jn. 4:42; Acts 5:31; Acts 13:23; Eph. 5:23; Phil. 3:20; 1 Tim. 1:1; 1 Tim. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:10; Tit. 1:3; Tit. 1:4; Tit. 2:10; Tit. 2:13; Tit. 3:4; Tit. 3:6; 2 Pet. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:20; 2 Pet. 3:2; 2 Pet. 3:18; 1 Jn. 4:14; Jude 1:25 Vance Havner - "By Heart" or "by Hearsay"? 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. John 4:42. The Samaritans "believed" (v. 39), and now they knew the Saviour "by heart," for themselves. There is a secondhand, by-proxy knowledge of the Lord as a report but not as a reality. Andrew and Philip were not content for Peter and Nathanael to know Jesus by hearsay, they brought Peter and Nathanael to the Lord Himself. We have heard and believed the report of Him, and we must, for "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." But how many in our churches have had a personal encounter with the Saviour? The Samaritan woman, like Philip, said, "Come and see." Much of our personal work, our Sunday-school teaching, our preaching, falls short of that. We disseminate information about Jesus, but we often fail to clinch the matter by bringing men and women into His presence. True, they cannot see Him as the Samaritans saw Him. But they can believe on Him and know Him "by heart," as they did. And how often is the "deeper Christian life," or whatever you may call it, hearsay? We have heard it in a sermon, read it in a book; but that is all. Job knew it "by heart," not hearsay, when he cried: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee." John 4:43 After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. BGT John 4:43 Μετὰ δὲ τὰς δύο ἡμέρας ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· NET John 4:43 After the two days he departed from there to Galilee. NLT John 4:43 At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. ESV John 4:43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. NIV John 4:43 After the two days he left for Galilee. GNT John 4:43 Μετὰ δὲ τὰς δύο ἡμέρας ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· KJV John 4:43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. YLT John 4:43 And after the two days he went forth thence, and went away to Galilee, ASV John 4:43 And after the two days he went forth from thence into Galilee. CSB John 4:43 After two days He left there for Galilee. NKJ John 4:43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. NRS John 4:43 When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee NAB John 4:43 After the two days, he left there for Galilee. NJB John 4:43 When the two days were over Jesus left for Galilee. GWN John 4:43 After spending two days in Samaria, Jesus left for Galilee. BBE John 4:43 And after the two days he went on from there into Galilee. two): Mt 15:21-24 Mk 7:27,28 Ro 15:8 and: Joh 4:46 1:42 Mt 4:13 John 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries BACK TO GALILEE After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee - After two days in Sychar with the new Samaritan believers He headed for Galilee. See the map above for Galilee, where He had spent His childhood. Recall that Samaria was a side trip for in John 4:3 we read that "He left Judea and went away again into Galilee." And what a profitable side trip it proved to be! This area of Galilee was known as Galil ha goyim or Galilee of the Gentiles. John Henry Jowett - PRAYER AND REVOLUTION John 4:43-54. THIS miracle began in a prayer. The nobleman went unto Jesus “and besought Him.” In such apparently fragile things can mighty revolutions be born! “Prayer,” said Tennyson, “opens the sluice-gates between us and the Infinite.” It brings the frail wire into contact with the battery. It links together man and God. Prayer was corroborated by belief. “The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him.” By our faith we cut the channels along which the healing energy will flow. Faith “prepares the way of the Lord.” Our faith is purposed to be a fellow-laborer with grace, and, if faith be absent, grace “can do no mighty works.” The healing begins with the faith. “It was at the same hour in which ... he himself believed.” These “coincidences” are inevitable happenings in the realm of the Spirit. When we offer the believing prayer, God’s mighty energies begin to besiege the life for which the prayer is made. Mr. Cornaby, the Methodist missionary, declares how conscious he is in far-away China when someone is interceding for him in the home-land! The power possesses him in vitalizing flood! Hudson Taylor’s mother shuts herself in a little room to pray, and eighty miles away her son is converted. Larry Richard - The Dilemma of Faith (John 4:43–54) Nobody ever said having faith was easy. Certainly the Apostle John didn’t say so. In fact, this story shows just how difficult it is. Just glance through the story and you see first of all a frantic father hurrying to find Jesus. His son was close to death, and the only one who could possibly save him was Jesus! When he finally did find Jesus, Christ didn’t seem very sympathetic. “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” He said, “you will never believe.” The saying wasn’t a rebuke. Jesus didn’t question the frantic father’s motives. In fact, the saying is intended to stimulate faith! For when the father begged Him again to come, Jesus simply said, “You may go. Your son will live” (v. 50). This is the dilemma of faith. God, in response to our desperate appeals, speaks to us and says, “You may go.” In other words, “It’s done. Go home and you’ll find the sick healed.” And what is there for us to do? If we keep begging Jesus to come with us, we display unbelief. But to go means to head home with no evidence at all that the promised healing has taken place! How terrifying a choice. Do we keep asking after Jesus has said, “You may go”? Or do we leave, trembling, believing despite the lack of proof? The royal official made the choice of faith. On the way excited messengers met him. His son was recovering. The fever had broken—at the exact hour Jesus had told him, “You may go.” Faith is still very much the same. We come to God desperate for salvation. And all He says is, “You may go.” The work is done, your healing accomplished. And, though we lack evidence then, if we are wise we turn, in faith, and walk away as Jesus said. But later we discover to our joy just how completely Jesus has performed His miracle within. Personal Application -- Believe. And go. Quotable -- “It is the heart that senses God, and not the reason. That is what faith is. God perceptible to the heart and not to reason.”—Blaise Pascal Jon 4:44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. BGT John 4:44 αὐτὸς γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ἐμαρτύρησεν ὅτι προφήτης ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχει. NET John 4:44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) NLT John 4:44 He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. ESV John 4:44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) NIV John 4:44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) GNT John 4:44 αὐτὸς γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ἐμαρτύρησεν ὅτι προφήτης ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχει. KJV John 4:44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. YLT John 4:44 for Jesus himself testified that a prophet in his own country shall not have honour; ASV John 4:44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country. CSB John 4:44 Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. NKJ John 4:44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. NRS John 4:44 (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet's own country). NAB John 4:44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. NJB John 4:44 He himself had declared that a prophet is not honoured in his own home town. GWN John 4:44 Jesus had said that a prophet is not honored in his own country. that: Mt 13:57 Mk 6:4 Lu 4:24 John 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 21:11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” John 7:52 They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” AN UNPOPULAR PROPHET For Jesus Himself testified (martureo) that a prophet (prophetes) has no honor in his own country - There was increasing hostility in His own country of Judea from the jealous, hypocritical religious leaders. A T
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Morris - The Samaritan woman had come to draw water out of a public well—Jacob’s well in this case—that was very similar in construction to the cisterns of antiquity, which were pits dug around a ground spring (living water) or an underground water table, then enlarged and plastered to hold a significant quantity of water. Most villages and nearly all cities had such a cistern that was maintained by the responsible government of the area and made available to the local citizens. Some private homeowners built private cisterns, usually on the top of their houses, that were used to catch rainwater or to conveniently store enough for household needs. These private cisterns were rarely used for drinking water since they could easily be contaminated. But the “government cisterns” were constantly cleaned and routinely purged to provide fresh “living water” for the population. The Samaritan woman came to the well to draw the water she needed to live. Jesus told her that He could give her “living water”—an internal spring of water—that would provide eternal life (John 4:11-14; compare John 7:38). That is the sense in which the Lord told Jeremiah that the people of Judah had forsaken the “fountain of living waters” and were attempting to construct “cisterns” that would not, and indeed, could not, hold any of the eternal water that came only from God. Any cistern we create for ourselves will be a broken cistern. (Broken Cisterns - Read the entire article which also discusses King Hezekiah's provision of "living waters" in preparation for the Assyrian siege - beloved, the only way you or I can withstand the continual, seemingly overwhelming onslaught of godlessness ["Assyrians"- ] daily besieging the fortress of our hearts is by relying on Jesus' provision of Living Water, the empowering Spirit! = excellent!) Joel 3:18 And in that day (Millennium) the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring (Heb = mayan; Lxx = pege) will go out from the house (Temple) of the LORD (During Millennium = Ezek 47:1-12, Zech 14:8; Cp during the New Earth = Rev 22:1-2) to water the valley of Shittim (Shittim = acacia trees - It is the dry valley near the northern end of the Dead Sea). About the sixth hour - If this refers to Roman time, it would be about 6 P.M., but considering the context, it is most likely a reference to Jewish time, which would be noon, in the heat of the day. The majority of modern conservative commentators agree with this "Jewish" interpretation of the "sixth hour." Some writers contrast the Samaritan woman meeting Jesus at high noon, with the clandestine meeting of Nicodemus the teacher of Israel under the cover of night! (John 3:1-2) Köstenberger notes "In an intriguing parallel, Josephus speaks of Moses, who, upon reaching a given town, “sat down on the brink of a well and there rested after his toil and hardships, at midday, not far from the town” (Ant. 2.11.1 §257)." (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) Ray Stedman sees the sixth hour differently - According to this account, it was "the sixth hour" when Jesus stopped at the well. By Jewish reckoning that would be noon. But according to Roman time, which I think John uses throughout his gospel, it was six o'clock in the evening. So it was no surprise that Jesus was weary. He had been walking in the hot sun all day. He was thirsty, so he sat beside the well to rest while the disciples went into the city to find something to eat. Thus we have here a very beautiful picture of our Lord's humanity. John 4:7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." : 4:7 Erchetai (PMI) gune ek tes Samareias antlesai (AAN) hudor. Legei (PAI) aute o Iesous, Dos (AAM) moi pein; (AAN): Jn 4:10; 19:28; Genesis 24:43; 2Samuel 23:15-17; 1Kings 17:10; Matthew 10:42 A DIVINE APPOINTMENT There are two major topics in this dialogue with the Samaritan woman - (1) Living Water (Jn 4:7-18) and (2) Worship (Jn 4:19-26) Pritchard - As the woman looks at Jesus and He at her, four invisible walls stand between them. There is a religious wall, a gender wall, a racial wall, and a moral wall. Yet our Lord found a way through all of them. He found her … and then she found Him!… Nothing happens by chance in this story. Every detail is part of the outworking of God’s will. And that, I think, is a hugely important point. The woman isn’t looking for Jesus. All she wants is water. But Jesus is looking for her. You have to go to Samaria if you want to reach Samaritans. He doesn’t avoid Samaria and he doesn’t hurry through it. Though she does not know it, this woman has a “divine appointment” with the Son of God. rom this we can take a very important principle for evangelism. Reaching people for Christ is not always comfortable and may at times be difficult. But you have to go where people are if you want to reach them at all. Comfort is not the issue. The firefighter goes into the burning house to rescue those inside. He can’t stand outside and say, “Come on out before the house burns down.” Jesus intended to save this woman so he went where she was… He is tired and thirsty and she has the water he needs. But he has the water she needs. He was thirsty and knew it. She was thirsty and didn’t know it. The woman did not come to the well seeking Christ, but he came to the well seeking her. In his approach we see the great heart of our Lord Jesus is without prejudice. It matters not to him that others would not go to Samaria and others would not speak to this woman. He welcomes all and shuns none. Luke 19:10 tells us that the Lord Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. This story tells us what that means. John 4 is all about sovereign grace. He found her. She didn’t find him. The same is true for all of us. You will never come to Christ until Christ first comes to you. What happens in this chapter looks like a chance encounter but it was nothing of the kind. The time and place and all the circumstances had been arranged by God before the world began. (The Woman at the Well) There came a woman of Samaria to draw water - Don't miss this clear example of God's providence. While the Samaritan woman had free will, God in His providence somehow arranged for her to be at the well at the same time Jesus was there and His disciples were gone to town! To add to the providential aspect of this chance meeting, the time was most likely noon, when the sun was highest and hottest. Why would this make this scene unusual? Normally, water was drawn early in the morning or at dusk (when it was not as hot), but not on this day for this woman! (cp Ge 24:11, 29:7-8) Unbeknownst to her, she had a divine appointment with the Messiah. Indeed, Jesus seeks sinners who aren’t seeking Him. (cp Lk 19:10) Matthew