November 22, 2009
Evening Service

St. Jn. 4

 

In the first 3 chapters we see John the Apostle’s witness to Jesus, and we see John Baptist’s witness to Jesus, we see Andrew’s witness, Philip’s witness, and now in chapter 4 we will see others witness to Jesus.

Jesus’ witness of Himself

Joh 4:1-54 KJVR  When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,  (2)  (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)  (3)  He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.  (4)  And he must needs go through Samaria.  (5)  Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 

• Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son.  What a story!  It is said that in this part of the country, and of Joseph’s descendants there was the sin of drunkenness.
• We mentioned on Wednesday evening that because of Solomon’s sins with many women, that God allowed the Kingdom to be split.  Rehoboam, Solomon’s son retained to tribes, Judah, and Benjamin, and Jeroboam got the other 10 tribes.
• I thought it was interesting that as great as Joseph was, even a type of Christ, his descendents are now considered part of Samaria, and Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is now walking through this area. 

(6)  Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.   It was noon.

(7)  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.  (8)  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)  (9)  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 

• How sad it is, as great as Joseph was, and now this woman makes this statement.  The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.  Basically, the lost ten tribes.

(10)  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 

• See how blessed we are?  We have drank from that living water, and we can say amen to what Jesus is telling her.   But many haven’t. 
• He is telling her, “Get to know Me, and be my disciple, and I will bless your life beyond your wildest imagination.  I will give you exactly what you desire, peace, love, joy, happiness, and eternal life.”

(11)  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?  (12)  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?  (13)  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:  (14)  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.  (15)  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.  (16)  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.  (17)  The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:  (18)  For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.  (19)  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.  (20)  Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.  (21)  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.  (22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 

• God sent salvation ( Jesus ) Who was a Jew, He was of the tribe of Judah.

(23)  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  (24)  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

• This is an important truth that you must remember while studying.  Almighty God the Father is Spirit.  He was the one in the beginning with Jesus when Jesus was the Word.  He is also the One Jesus will turn the Kingdom over to at the last day.  Icor. 15.

(25)  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 

• The teaching of the coming Prophet (Messiah) was known throughout all this country.  The Samaritans accepted the first 5 books of Moses.  That’s why the Jews ask John Baptist if he was this prophet.  They all knew that Prophet, or Messiah was coming.

(26)  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 

 

(27)  And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman:

• You see this is the same mind set that Peter had when he was eating with the Gentiles, and left them when Jews came around.  Paul rebuked him for it.

yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 

The Samaritan woman’s testimony.

(28)  The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,  (29)  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?  (30)  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.  (31)  In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.  (32)  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 

• Jesus was in another realm.  We don’t fast as much as we should, but then maybe you do.  But when you fast, there are times when you will have to make yourself eat.  You can get to a place where you don’t really want to eat, and that is where Jesus is at.  If you recall one time when His disciples couldn’t heal someone, Jesus said, “this kind does not go out but by prayer, and fasting.”  Jesus was always prayed up, and fasted up.

(33)  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat?  (34)  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.  (35)  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.  (36)  And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.  (37)  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.  (38)  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors. 

The Samaritan’s testimony of Jesus.

(39)  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.  (40)  So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.  (41)  And many more believed because of his own word;  (42)  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. 

The witnessing of the Galilaeans.

(43)  Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.  (44)  For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.  (45)  Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. 

 

(46)  So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.  (47)  When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.  (48)  Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.  (49)  The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.  (50)  Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.  (51)  And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.  (52)  Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.  (53)  So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.  (54)  This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee.

 

We will see at the ending of this letter from John this staement:

Joh 20:30-31 KJVR  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:  (31)  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

 

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

 

Are you like the Galilaeans who seeing His acts at the feast, received Him.

 

We have heard Him from the Word of God, and built our faith in that He is the very Son of God, will we receive Him, and drink from this fountain that will give us happiness, and eternal life?

 

It’s one thing to hear, another to receive, receive Him that you may be blessed.