New Testament Commentary - John 4

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 4 Jesus teaches a woman of Samaria—Men must worship the Father in spirit and truth—Those who harvest souls gain eternal life—Many Samaritans believe—Jesus heals a nobleman's son.
1 ^aWHEN therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself ^abaptized not, but his disciples,) 3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
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 ^aJoseph.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
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. 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.)		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
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 ^aSamaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the ^agift 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 ^bliving water.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
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 ^athirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water ^bspringing up into ^ceverlasting life^a. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.	14^a well of water spring up into everlasting life As I have found, the vision of the tree of life is a frame upon which all things may be placed to achieve further understanding. In Lehi's dream-vision he saw that the rod of iron led by the head of the fountain (1 Nephi 8:20). When Nephi saw the vision of the same, he stated that the rod of iron (the word of God) led to the fountain of living waters or to the tree of life, which waters are a representation of the love of God. The tree also was a represention of the love of God.(1 Nephi 11:25) It would seem in some way the fountain of living waters and the tree of life are synonymous. The water, the fruit, the life and light of the world combines to register that it is the Spirit of God that is the fruit or living water that give life, even eternal life to the souls who do partake of it. That spirit, that light of the glorious tree of life may be upon degree partaken of all along the path to where the path does end at the very fountain or tree which is the love of life given by God. The contrast between the living water at the source of the Spirit of God as compared to the filthy river is but that as the corrupting forces of evil enter in the truths of God become poluted and filthy with the corrupt doctrines of Lucifer that men begin to engage in. Thus man is corrupted and wickedness becomes his nature. But that well or fountain of living water from God's spirit administration brings the light of life and as man partakes thereof he is tasting of the fruit of eternal life.*
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 ^aprophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in ^athis mountain^a; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.	20^a Our fathers worshipped in this mountain Now if you were to ask a Jew where it was that their fathers did worship, it would be upon that hill of Jerusalem. And that they would also make of where Abraham did offer up Isaac to be sacrificed. But those of Joseph and of the knowledge of where it was that the fathers did worship, would tell you that it was upon these mountains of Samaria that the fathers did so worship and even that Abraham did offer Isaac upon them. (See Bible Dictionary Moriah)
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 ^aknow not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall ^aworship the Father in spirit and in ^btruth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 ^aGod is a ^bSpirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in ^ctruth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that ^aMessias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will ^btell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, ^aI that speak unto thee am he.
27 ¶ And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 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. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the ^awill of him that sent me, and to finish his ^bwork. 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 ^afields; for they are white already to ^bharvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth ^awages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may ^brejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One ^asoweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to ^areap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: ^bother men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
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 ^aChrist, the ^bSaviour of the world.
43 ¶ Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country^a. 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.	44^a a prophet hath no honour in his own country This particular comment is stated in respect to Jesus having just come out of Samaria and not of Galilee, for he was coming into Galilee and according to verse 45, the Galilaeans did receive him meaning they did accept him having seen those things done by Jesus at the feast in Jerusalem. Thus this is the context when read together that Jesus spoke of 'his own country' as being Samaria. And that country which was 'his' was that of the Samaritans. for indeed he was a Samaritan himself, a mixture of the seed of Ephraim with that of those of other nations not of Israel as the House of David was so embrewed with the blood of other nations. (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph) And though a goodly group of Samaritans had converted to a belief in him, in general the country of Samria did not and would not so honur him to be their Lord and King.
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 ^aCapernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea 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 ^asigns and wonders, ye will not believe^a. Signs and Blessings Now Faith is to Precede the Miracle. But many in Jesus day came and followed him seeking after the signs of his priesthood miracles but not converted to His Doctrine. Thus is one use of miracles, to prove one's power as a sign of it. Thus once Christ forgave the man of the palsey, he then healed him enabling him to walk as a 'sign' that he did have power to forgive sins. Thus some of the latter-day Traditional Christians proclaim that such mircles of the priesthood are no longer to be had, as such signs are not necessary for their stronger belief. But miracles are not merely for the giveing of sings, but for the blessing of those who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus such priesthood miracles are still a part of the Lord's church today and a purpose for the exercising of the priesthood and authority of God.	48^a Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe This seems to be a harsh saying against a man whose son is dying. But it was not a personal statement against the man. It was a general observation that Jesus makes knowing all that is to come to pass during his ministry, that many will come following after him but to seek and follow after the signs of the many miracles which he will perform. And but for this cause would they believe not. And of all the thousands who did 'believe' following after the signs, when it came down to the bare facts of who he was, that being the Son of God, and that he was to so be crucified, there were many who did then turn from him. For signs are not the matter out of which true conversion is made. But that comes of the exercise of faith and but by the spirit's inner whisperings and sensitivity of the inner spirit of man to the things of God.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son ^aliveth. 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 enquired 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 ^ahimself believed, and his whole house. 54 This is again the ^asecond miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.