John 4:27-54
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the One who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his Word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
53 Then the Father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his entire household believed.
54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Footnotes
John 4:9 Or do not use dishes Samaritans have used
Verses 27-30
27 Just then, his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
The disciples returned with food at this crucial point and ‘were surprised to find him talking with a woman.’ It was not usual for women who were alone to chat with unknown men unless they were of unsavory reputation, and for the same reason, men
of reputation were wise to avoid it. This was especially true of Rabbis, some of whom would not dare speak with a woman. They dared not challenge the Master. This suggests that the writer is looking back and remembering the incident. He could still remember the questions that sprang into their minds, but they dared not ask. What did the woman want? Why was Jesus risking His reputation by speaking to a lone woman? You can almost see the disciples discussing the matter quietly among themselves.
The woman solved their dilemma by leaving, as indeed she would feel she had to. But the writer remembered she had left her water jar. This act was a sign that she intended to return and was clearly noted and probably commented on among the disciples. It was certainly unusual. She drew water. But now that had been forgotten in her excitement. Perhaps there is also a sign that she considered that her water jar no longer mattered. Better water satisfied her thirst, and she wanted to take that with her.
When she met the people, she would have said in Aramaic, ‘“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Taheb?”’ The writer translates it into Greek as Messiah. It is pretty clear it was Jesus’ knowledge of her inner thoughts that had impressed her most, and it is repeated in John 4:39 for emphasis. John wants to bring home to his readers the prophetic omniscience of Jesus.
Her hearers were so intrigued that they left the town and returned with her. ‘They made their way toward Him.’ Again we have a Johannine double meaning. They were coming to see the man she spoke of, but they also came to Him as the One Who had brought life to the world.
Verses 31-33
31 Meanwhile, his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
The disciples, meanwhile, begged Jesus to eat. They could not understand His reluctance. But His mind was on other things. He was waiting in expectancy for needy men to come to Him. So He replied, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about. The disciples looked at one other. ‘Could someone have brought him food?” they asked each other. Their minds were very caught up in material things like the woman had been. Their spiritual minds had not yet been awakened. Once again, we have the sense of someone there and remember it clearly.
Verses 34-38
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now, the One who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus, the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Jesus patiently explained His attitude. His Father’s work must come first. This was far more important than food, and He knew that work was at hand in this unexpected place. His first message was to be for the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ That was still His priority, and they had to be given the first opportunity. He now clearly saw Samaritans as included in that number. They, too, worshipped the God of Abraham and Moses. Later He would recognize that Israel rejected Him and turn to a broader audience.
Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? This phrase may have been a well-known proverb showing the certainty of something to come but which is for the time-delayed, or it may simply have showed the time of the year. However, it may also have hinted that the disciples saw Jesus and themselves as sowers, with the harvest some way away. (Again, a Johannine double meaning). But now, Jesus wanted them to recognize that the time for harvest was here.
Jesus now pressed homed the lesson. The opportunity was not only His but theirs. They, too, must take every opportunity to proclaim His message, for then they will receive glorious rewards, and they will ‘harvest a crop for eternal life.’ This latter refers to those who would be saved through their labors. They will have the joy knowing they have changed the lives of others and brought them into the life of the age to come. By their fruits, they will be known.
He then reminded them they were not the only ones involved. There have to be sowers and reapers, and often the former is the more challenging task. The prophets had sown and had suffered. John the Baptist had sown, and he too would suffer, although he at least had seen some harvests. Simeon and Anna, the prophetess, were sowers (Luke 2). The disciples were in the privileged position of being reapers. They would harvest the work of others. The result of the Spirit had now begun. They must not hesitate to reap the harvest. Then both sowers and reapers would be able to rejoice together.
Verses 39-42
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
The woman’s testimony had convinced the townspeople that here might be the Taheb. It was a time of great expectation in Palestine, and there are particular times when small things produce significant results. The writer recognizes that this could only result from the activity of the Spirit. God was clearly at work. It would appear that they saw some change in this woman who had candidly told them that this man had laid bare her past life, something they also knew and that it helped convince them. It was apparent to them that something had happened, that she was no longer the loose woman that she had been. To some extent, they believed even before they met Jesus Himself, for they would never have believed that this woman would ever be involved in religious excitement. Their rapid and genuinely responsive faith should contrast with those Jews whose faith was lacking (John 2:23-25) and with Nicodemus, the ‘ruler of the Jews’ who continued to hesitate.
Their faith having been aroused, they wanted to know more, and they wanted their fellow townsfolk to hear Him. Jesus was happy to agree and spent the next two days with them. We are told that it was a time of great revival. Jesus, considerably revived by the experience and no longer tired, taught them for ‘two’ days. And it was to their credit that they recognized what most of the Jews would not, that here indeed was the Savior of the world. The words deliberately bring out that they had gone beyond belief in Him as the Taheb, because of His teaching, and had recognized the significance of His coming in greater depth. They now knew that He saved the entire world. This would be partly apparent because this Taheb was a Jew, not a Samaritan, yet reached out to the Samaritans.
Verses 43-45
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
After His successful ministry, Jesus departed for Galilee. ’Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.’ The reference to ‘his own country’ here must be to Judea to make sense of the context, although later, it would also apply to Nazareth (Luke 4:24). (His birthplace was in Judea). We have already been told that He had come to His own home (Jerusalem and Judea as the centers of the Jewish religion), and His people had not received him (John 1:11). ‘No honor’ means from the Jewish authorities and influential people, for His ministry to the ordinary people had been successful.
In Galilee, He was at first welcomed because of ‘all they had seen He had done in Jerusalem at the Feast.’ But once again, we are reminded of John 2:23-24. They believed because of the signs, but He could not trust their belief, for its foundation was insecure, and as far as we are aware, He carried out no public ministry at this stage. Did He recognize they were not yet ready and that their superficial attitude could do more harm than good? They were proud of their fellow countryman because of His successes, but did they want the inner change that He would require of them? Sometimes it is better to be silent than to speak. How different they were from the Samaritans. Had their welcome been for the right reasons, it is hardly conceivable that He would not have done for them what He had done for the Samaritans.
Verses 46-54
46 Once more, he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a particular royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his Word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” 53 Then the Father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. 54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
He arrived back in Cana, where He had turned the water into wine. Near Capernaum (twenty-five miles away) lived ‘’a royal official’ probably of the court of Herod Antipas, whose son was very ill. The side reference to the water turning to wine may show a similarity with what happened. Here we have a miracle without fuss, showing the power of One Who has but to determine what shall be for it to happen. But it has to be accepted in faith by those involved. The official went to Him and begged Him to heal his son, who was at the point of death. We should see in this that Jesus is the Lord of life who can give life by a word.
It does not matter whether Jesus saw the man as a Jew, Galilean, or courtier and politician. What mattered was that He saw him as one wonder-seekers. Whereas the ordinary people sought Him gladly, these wealthy city dwellers just wanted signs and wonders. Jesus was challenging the man’s faith. It is of interest that Jesus’ ministry was mainly carried on in the smaller towns and cities and that He avoided cities like Caesarea. He knew His Word would find no acceptance in the big cities, which would be cosmopolitan and have little time for a Jewish prophet.
The inference is that the man has only come because he had heard of the sign at Cana. He is not a man of deep faith in God. He is another wonder-seeker, as are they all. Such people wanted to see signs and wonders. Again the official pleaded with Him. ‘Come down before my child dies.’ It was the cry of a father’s heart. He would not argue the point or excuse himself. He longed only for his son to be healed, and he was confident that Jesus could do it. His simplicity confirmed his faith. He was not a wonder-seeker. He was a heartbroken father.
So Jesus put his faith to the test. “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” Many would have hesitated and wanted more assurance or pressed Jesus to come in person, but crucially, the man believed Jesus’ Word to him. Here at least, was one man who had confidence in Jesus and His Word. He had no doubts. He went confidently on his way. Jesus had achieved several things. He had not openly done a wonderful thing and brought about people’s desire for more wonders. He had made the man think deeply about what and why he was seeking, and he revealed compassion that never failed those in need.
As he went on his way, the man was met by his servants, who told him that his son had recovered. Then he inquired what time his son had mended and learned that it was at the very hour that Jesus had spoken His words of healing. We are not told of His immediate reaction, but we can have little doubt that he worshipped God and praised Jesus. There is a contrast here between different belief. Previously, his faith had been that of those who saw signs and wonders, but gradually it had grown. Now it was a deep faith of commitment that responded to Jesus and His words. That was what was lacking in others. The entire household responded to what had happened after hearing the Father’s testimony. Like the Samaritans, the family of the court official responded with a whole heart.
Galilee had not been at the scene of His miracles up to this point. Judea had been given the first chance to respond to its Messiah. They had been His prime target. The first sign in Galilee revealed Jesus brought in the ‘good things’ of the age to come. The second showed the power of His Word to act instantaneously, even at a distance, and the need to accept it and respond in full faith. Both revealed that He only had to think, and it was done. It was then made transparent by following a word of power from the One Who is the Word. Jesus was being revealed as the Son of God.
see also: Greek in the Book of John
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