Introduction to John 4:1-26

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/4/2016 10:04 AM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  Introduction to John 4

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 4:1-3

Message of the verses:  We will be looking at what different commentators have to say about what is in John chapter four.  Our main focus will be on what will be in the first twenty six verses as that tells the story of the woman at the well.  However we will look at the first three verses in today’s SD as they precede the story of the woman at the well.  “1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2  (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3  He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.”

In Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of John he writes this one paragraph introduction to chapter four:  “In John 4, our Lord ministers to a variety of people:  the sinful Samaritan woman, His own disciples, the many Samaritans who trusted in Him, and finally, a nobleman and his household.  What did these have in common? Faith in Jesus Christ.  John was fulfilling the purpose of his Gospel in showing his readers how various kinds and classes of people came to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.”

In John MacArthur’s commentary on the gospel of John he begins his introductory comments on chapter four verses 1-26 by writing about how the OT prophecies about the Messiah are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  Now we have gone over many of these prophecies as we studied different books from both the old and the New Testament, books like Genesis, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Daniel and others including the NT book of Mark.  What I want to do at this point is to quote from his commentary at the end of his introductory comments.  “The apostle John obviously understood the weighty evidence that confirmed Jesus’ authenticity.  In fact, the reason he wrote his gospel was to confirm the obvious—‘that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God’ (John 20:31).  And it is in keeping with this purpose that John relates the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman.

“The woman’s reaction to Jesus, as related in John’s account, strongly suggests that she embraced Him as her Lord and Savior.  But her conversion is not the main point of the passage.  The central truth of this section is found in Jesus’ revelation of Himself as the Messiah (v. 26).  He did so here for the first time—and to a most unlikely non-Jew.

“But why did He decide not to first declare His messiahship to the most politically correct and influential target—the Jewish religious leaders?  Why choose to reveal that monumental truth to an obscure, despised, immoral, Samaritan woman?  The answer lies in the sweeping truth that in the matter of salvation, ‘God is not one to show partiality’ (Acts  10:34; cf. Deut 10:17; 2 Chron. 19:7; Rom. 2:11; 10:12; Gal. 2:6; 3:28; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:11).

“The contrast between the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus, for example, was striking.  He was a devoutly religious Jew; she was an immoral Samaritan.  He was a learned theologian; she was an uneducated peasant woman.  He recognized Jesus as a teacher sent by God; she had no clue who He was.  He was wealthy; she was poor.  He was a member of the social elite of Israel; she was the dregs of Samaritan society—an outcast among outcasts, since the Jews regarded all Samaritans as unclean pariahs.” (“1. Outcast; somebody who is despised and avoided.”)

“Jesus’ revelation of Himself to this woman demonstrated that God’s saving love knows no limitations; it transcends all barriers of race, gender, ethnicity, and religious tradition.  In contrast to human love, divine love is indiscriminate and all-encompassing (cf. 3:16).  That Jesus chose to make Himself known first not only to a Samaritan, but also to a woman, was a stinging rebuke to members of Israel’s religious elite—who rejected Him even when He did reveal Himself to them.

“The story of the Lord’s encounter with the woman as the well unfolds in four scenes: the circumstances, the contract, the conviction, and the Christ.”

Now I said that I would go over these first three verses, but since it is a part of the first section, which includes verses 1-6 we will wait until our next SD to go over that.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have never looked at this chapter in the way that MacArthur begins to unfold it through his introductory comments, but by seeing this it gives me great joy in knowing that the Lord did a similar thing through the Person of His Holy Spirit when He saved me in January of 1974.  Some of the circumstances are similar and this story brings back those wonderful memories of the account of my salvation, and for that I am thankful.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I want to better understand this story of the woman at the well.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jethro, priest of Midian” (Ex. 3:1)

Today’s Bible question:  “What book means second law?

Answer in our next SD.

2/4/2016 11:01 AM