Learning to Serve:Sword Sharpening

Hilltop Free Will Baptist Church

Men’s Bible StudyNovember 26th, 2007

John 4

Vs. 1-4 (Read) Jesus apparently makes a decision to

leave Judea when he knows that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John the Baptist. Why would the Pharisees be

concerned about the number of converts that Jesus and John had?

Why would that have caused Jesus concern?

John 4

Verse 2 says: (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples). Look at Chapter 3, verses 22 and 26 Is there a controversy here? If Jesus didn’t baptize, but left it to His

disciples, what might have been his motivation?

Verse 4 says “He must needs go through Samaria” Why would He need to go through

Samaria?

http://www.thenazareneway.com/index.htm

John 4

Who were the Samaritans? (There are apparently some over 700

Samaritans still in existence today) They were hated by the Jews

- The Samaritans were publicly cursed in the Jewish synagogues.

- A Samaritan could not serve as a witness in the Jewish courts.

- A Samaritan could not be converted to Judaism as a proselyte.

- Samaritans were to be excluded from the after life."

John 4

Read Verses 5&6 Sy’char- A city of Samaria

Also known as Shechem in the Old Testament A Number of Important Bible Events took place in

Sychar (Shechem) Abraham built an altar there (Genesis 12:6-7) Jacob purchased land there after returning from

Padan-Aram (Genesis 33) Josephs brothers were herding sheep close to

Shechem when they sold him into slavery (Genesis 37)

Joseph buried there after the Israelites left Egypt (Joshua 24)

John 4

Vs. 6: Now Jacob’s Well was there. Obviously John wrote this passage roughly

2000 years ago According to various credible sources, the well

is still there today Like some other holy sites, a chapel has been built

over it It was said to have been fed by underground

springs which made the water to be more desirable than many of the sources of water in the region

Because the water was moving (because of the spring), it was often referred to by the ancients as “living water”

John 4

Verses 5&6 Cont’d Jesus is wearied from his journey (perhaps

as much as 35 miles) This is a reminder that HE WAS fully man and was

subject to physical fatigue just as we are The “Sixth Hour” mentioned refers to noon,

as the Jewish day started at 6:00 Mid-Day was not the time of day when

people would normally be drawing water from a well

Why would the woman be coming at this time of day?

John 4Verse 7: There cometh a woman of Sam’ari-a to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to

drink.

Verse 8: (For his disciples were gone into the city to buy meat.)

John 4

Read Verse 9 The Woman recognizes Him as being a Jew

How did she recognize HE was a Jew? She marvels that Jesus would even talk to

her because she was a woman of Sama’ri-a

She acknowledges that the Jews don’t have any dealings with the Samaritans

The truth was….the Samaritans didn’t have too much to do with the Jews as well!

John 4 Read Verses 10-18

Vs. 10: Jesus told the woman that if she knew WHO HE really was…she would ask of HIM to drink

Vs. 11-12: Notice the woman’s response: Does it sound a little “sarcastic” to you? Are you greater than our father Jacob?

Vs. 13-14: Jesus explains that the water he would give her would be a well of water springing up into everlasting life

Look at Verse 15: Do you think the woman had any clue of what Jesus was really talking about?

Is it possible that she was mocking Him when she said “Give me this water that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw?

John 4 Verse 16: Jesus instructs her to “go call her

husband and come hither” At Least she answered honestly…….. Jesus’ response had to just blow her away! At Last She KNOWS that the person standing in

front of her is really something SPECIAL!! Read verses 19-30

Sir….. I perceive that thou art a prophet. Was that the understatement of the year? In verse 20, what is the woman trying to do?

She may have been trying to change the subject She may have actually had a desire to finally know

the truth

John 4 What does Jesus mean in verse 22? Was Jesus taking a swipe at her

religion? The Jews did have the fuller revelation The Samaritans had rejected the

Psalms and the Prophets

John 4 What does Jesus mean when he says “Salvation is of the

Jews?” What does that mean for us? Must we become Jews?

They have the true religion and the true form of worship; the Messiah, who will bring salvation, is to proceed from them.

At the same time, He was sensible to how much The Jews had corrupted their religion, and He rebuked them for it.

What kind of Worship is Jesus talking about in verses 23 and 24? How is that different from worshipping on “This Mountain” or

in Jerusalem?

John 4 Let’s look at 3 Different “Musts”

John 3:7 – Ye must be born again. John 3:14 – The Son of Man must be

lifted up. John 4:24 - ….God is a Spirit: and they

that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth If worshipping God in Spirit is a “must”, it is imperative that we understand what that means!!

John 4

Worship in Spirit…… "A pure, a holy, a spiritual worship, therefore, is

such as HE seeks the offering of the soul rather than the formal offering of the body - the homage of the heart rather than that of the lips." - Albert Barnes (Barnes Notes on the Bible)

What Barnes said is Good! God says it even simpler in His Word…. Deut. 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy

God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

John 4 Worship in Truth……

What does that mean? A Possibility……

It’s not a contrast between true and false worship Perhaps a contrast between true and shadow

worship Their worship to this point had been largely

symbolic of things to come Now that “Messiah” (Our Savior!)is here, that

symbolic worship is no longer appropriate John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,

the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 4

Vs. 25: The woman saith unto Him , I know that Mes-si’as cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things

Vs. 26: Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. Imagine the shock that must have been on

the woman’s face! Imagine all the cults that say Jesus was not

the Messiah trying to deal with that statement for all eternity

John 4

Vs. 27: The disciples arrive on the scene! ….and marveled that He talked with the

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

Other than the racial issues between the Jews and the Samaritans, what issue might the disciples have had with Jesus talking to this woman?

A Rabbi was not supposed to talk to a woman in public, not even his own wife (Missler’s notes)

John 4 Vs. 28-30 The woman leaves her waterpot and

went and told the men of the city about this amazing person

….come see a man that told me all things ever I did, Is not this the Christ?

What is the greatest ability for Christ? Availability!! Perhaps the most effective witness is to

simply tell others what Jesus has done for us!

John 4 Read vs. 31 -42

Vs. 31-33: The disciples encourage Him to eat…. But He says I have meat to eat that ye know not of. The disciples didn’t understand. Did someone

bring Him food? Vs. 34: Jesus explains: My meat is to do the

will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work What an example! May we learn, also, that the main business of

life is not to avoid fatigue or to seek the supply of our temporal wants, but to do the will of God.

What is the “main” business of your life?

John 4 Vs. 35-38 What does Jesus mean in verse 35 when

He says: Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest? Was the harvest the Samaritan townsfolk

that had come from the city to see Him? Was Jesus trying to teach His disciples

that the hated Samaritans were loved by Him and were worthy of belief as well as the Jews?

John 4 Vs. 38-42 Many of the Samaritans believed on

Him as a results of His own word. He stays an additional two days with

the Samaritans at their request

Now….let’s look at some interesting contrasts!

Nicodemus vs. The Samaritan Woman

•A Man with a name An Unnamed Woman•Good Reputation Bad Reputation•Wealthy Man Poor Woman•He Came to Jesus Jesus Came to Her•Outstanding Socially Social Outcast•A Jew A Samaritan•Religious (Upright) Worldly (Immoral)•No Immediate Response Immediate Response•Jesus was Blunt Jesus Was Tactful•Began w/ Spiritual things Began talking of physical things

Expectations:Worship in Jerusalem; Idolatry in Samaria

Actual Findings:Idolatry in Jerusalem; worship in Samaria

John 4 Read Verses 43-44 After Leaving Sy’char in Samaria, Jesus

goes on into Galilee Was Galilee where Jesus was raised?

Yes….Nazareth was located in Galilee Jesus talks about a prophet having “no

honor” in his own country Any ideas about what that meant?

John 4 Let’s look at an incident that did occur

in Nazareth (Jesus’ hometown) Read Luke 4:16-30

Jesus reads in the synagogue from Isaiah 61 He informs them that “this day is this

scripture fulfilled in your ears” They marveled at His gracious words…and

said: “Isn’t this Joseph’s son? So why did they take Him out of the city to a

cliff with intentions of throwing Him off and killing Him?

John 4 1. They saw that the cases applied to themselves,

because they would not receive the miraculous evidences of his mission.

2. That he would direct his attention to others, and not to them.

3. That the “Gentiles” were objects of compassion with God, and that God often showed more favor to a “single” Gentile than to multitudes of Jews in the same circumstances.

4. That they might be “worse” than the Gentiles. And,

5. That it was a part of his design to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and not confine his labors to them only.

John 4 Read vs. 45-54 Vs. 45: The Galileans received Him Readily

Why? Because they had been in Jerusalem and

had seen all that he had done there Vs. 46: Jesus goes specifically to Cana.

The verse refers to the miracle that Jesus had done at the Wedding there

Here we become aware of the Nobleman and his son that was sick unto death at Ca-per’-na-um

John 4 Nobleman = bas-il-ee-kos‘ : courtier, king’s

servant, or one connected with a royal household; probably of the house of Herod Antipas

Was the Nobleman a Jew or a Gentile? Gentile: the Jews did not have noblemen

When the nobleman heard that Jesus was in the area, he went to Jesus on behalf of his son, who was at the point of death. He had no doubt heard of all the things Jesus had done.

Did the Nobleman exhibit faith by coming to Jesus?

John 4 So why Jesus’ response to the

nobleman: “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe”? Could it be that there was disbelief in

the nobleman’s heart? The nobleman’s main concern was his

son’s health….. What was Jesus’ main concern?

That the nobleman become a believer!

John 4 Notice the nobleman’s persistence Jesus rewarded that persistence by healing

this man’s son (Go thy way; thy son liveth) What time of day did Jesus heal the

nobleman’s son? The Seventh hour – or approx. 1:00 pm

When did the nobleman go home to check on his son? Apparently not until the next day…. What does that say about the faith of the

nobleman?

John 4 Vs. 51: His servants meet him and gave

him the good news about his son’s recovery

He inquires as to the hour (or time) that his son began to mend, and he was told the seventh hour!

He then KNOWS that his son’s recovery is no coincidence….

As a result, He believed and His whole house!

John 4 (What have we learned?)

God is not a respecter of persons! (Acts 10:34)

Race, Nationality, Religion, Social Standing, Background, Personal Abilities or

Failures, Character Flaws, or Personal Preferences are not taken into

consideration by God as to who can come to Him!

Neither should we Christians take those things into

consideration in our efforts to fulfill the great commission!

John 4 N

What are your questions or Comments?