JOHN CHAPTER 4

OBSERVATION STAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand in accordance with the framework in which it was written: a framework which is defined by the normative rules of language, context and logic. Rules which do not impose undue, unintended meanings to the text , and which largely limit the observer to the content offered by the Gospel of John. In order for any passage from elsewhere to be considered, it must have a relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or a specific cross reference in the passage at hand by the author. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

I) [Jn 4:1-5]:

A) BECAUSE THE LORD JESUS KNEW THAT THE PHARISEES HAD HEARD THAT HE MADE AND BAPTIZED MORE DISCIPLES THAN JOHN, (ACTUALLY HIS DISCIPLES DID THE BAPTIZING); HE LEFT JUDEA AND DEPARTED AGAIN TO GALILEE, EVIDENTLY TO AVOID A CONFRONTATION WITH THE PHARISEES AT THIS TIME. HE TOOK THE SHORTEST ROUTE WHICH WAS THROUGH SAMARIA; WHEREUPON HE CAME TO JACOB'S WELL, NEAR THE CITY OF SYCHAR, ON THE LAND JACOB BEQUEATHED TO HIS SON JOSEPH

II) [Jn 4:6-29]:

A) JESUS ENCOUNTERS A SAMARITAN WOMAN AT JACOB'S WELL IN SAMARIA. WEARY, THIRSTY AND HAVING NOTHING WITH WHICH TO DRAW WATER, HE ASKS HER FOR A DRINK. INDIFFERENT TO HIS THIRST, SHE GIVES HIM A TASTE OF THE OSTRACISM AND BITTERNESS BETWEEN SAMARITANS AND JEWS. JESUS INDICATES THAT HE IS THE CHRIST - THE MESSIAH WHO IS TO COME. HE OFFERS HER THE GIFT OF GOD OF THE LIVING WATER OF ETERNAL LIFE. SHE IMPLIES THAT SINCE HE IS WITHOUT ANYTHING TO DRAW WATER, HE IS FOOLISH AND ARROGANT TO OFFER HER LIVING WATER AND TELLS HIM HE IS NOT GREATER THAN "FATHER JACOB." HE GIVES HER A DEMONSTRATION OF SUPERNATURAL KNOWLEDGE OF HER LIFE. WHEREUPON SHE PERCEIVES THAT HE IS A PROPHET, BUT THEN REVERTS TO HER BITTERNESS BY THROWING THE SAMARITAN CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM OVER THE PROPER PLACE TO WORSHIP IN HIS FACE. JESUS NULLIFIES THIS CONFLICT BY STATING THAT UNLIKE THE SAMARITANS, THE JEWS WORSHIP WHAT THEY KNOW, FOR SALVATION IS FROM THE JEWS - I.E., THE MESSIAH IS A JEW. FURTHERMORE, HE STATES THAT AN HOUR IS IMMINENT WHEN MANKIND WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH ANYWHERE. THE WOMAN TRIES TO NULLIFY WHAT JESUS SAYS BY DEFERRING HIM TO THE CHRIST WHO IS TO COME AND "DECLARE ALL THINGS." JESUS ANSWERS, "I WHO SPEAK TO YOU AM HE." AT THIS TIME, THE DISCIPLES ARRIVE; AND QUESTION JESUS WHY HE WAS SPEAKING TO A SAMARITAN WOMAN. THE WOMAN LEFT ABRUPTLY WITHOUT HER WATERPOT BUT WITH A CHANGE OF HEART, ENTERED HER CITY AND SAID TO THE MEN THERE, "COME SEE A MAN WHO TOLD ME ALL THINGS THAT I EVER DID, (WITH SOME EXAGGERATION), COULD THIS BE THE CHRIST?"

1) [Compare Jer 2:13]:

2) [Compare Jer 17:13]:

*** EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER 3 ***

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IN ANSWER TO NICODEMUS' QUESTION OF HOW A MAN IS ABLE TO BE BORN AGAIN FROM ABOVE, JESUS SAID THAT ANY ONE NOT BORN OF WATER - NEITHER GIVEN A NEWBORN SPIRIT NOR CLEANSED FROM SINS - IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM IS NOT ABLE TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD

1) [Compare Ez 36:24-27 from the Old Testament]:

a) [Compare Nu 8:5-7]:

1) cont.) [Ez 36:24-27 cont.]:

BEING BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT - BEING GIVEN A NEWBORN SPIRIT AND CLEANSED FROM SINS - IS EXCLUSIVELY OUT OF THE SPIRITUAL REALM; FOR IT IS THAT WHICH IS FLESH WHICH GIVES BIRTH EXCLUSIVELY TO FLESH AND IT IS THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUAL WHICH GIVES BIRTH EXCLUSIVELY TO THE NEWBORN HUMAN SPIRIT

*** END OF EXCERPT FROM JN CHAPTER 3 ***

A cont.) JESUS ENCOUNTERS A SAMARITAN WOMAN AT JACOB'S WELL IN SAMARIA. WEARY, THIRSTY AND HAVING NOTHING WITH WHICH TO DRAW WATER, HE ASKS HER FOR A DRINK. INDIFFERENT TO HIS THIRST, SHE GIVES HIM A TASTE OF THE OSTRACISM AND BITTERNESS BETWEEN SAMARITANS AND JEWS. JESUS INDICATES THAT HE IS THE CHRIST - THE MESSIAH WHO IS TO COME. HE OFFERS HER THE GIFT OF GOD OF THE LIVING WATER OF ETERNAL LIFE. SHE IMPLIES THAT SINCE HE IS WITHOUT ANYTHING TO DRAW WATER, HE IS FOOLISH AND ARROGANT TO OFFER HER LIVING WATER AND TELLS HIM HE IS NOT GREATER THAN "FATHER JACOB." HE GIVES HER A DEMONSTRATION OF SUPERNATURAL KNOWLEDGE OF HER LIFE. WHEREUPON SHE PERCEIVES THAT HE IS A PROPHET, BUT THEN REVERTS TO HER BITTERNESS BY THROWING THE SAMARITAN CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM OVER THE PROPER PLACE TO WORSHIP IN HIS FACE. JESUS NULLIFIES THIS CONFLICT BY STATING THAT UNLIKE THE SAMARITANS, THE JEWS WORSHIP WHAT THEY KNOW, FOR SALVATION IS FROM THE JEWS - I.E., THE MESSIAH IS A JEW. FURTHERMORE, HE STATES THAT AN HOUR IS IMMINENT WHEN MANKIND WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH ANYWHERE. THE WOMAN TRIES TO NULLIFY WHAT JESUS SAYS BY DEFERRING HIM TO THE CHRIST WHO IS TO COME AND "DECLARE ALL THINGS." JESUS ANSWERS, "I WHO SPEAK TO YOU AM HE." AT THIS TIME, THE DISCIPLES ARRIVE; AND QUESTION JESUS WHY HE WAS SPEAKING TO A SAMARITAN WOMAN. THE WOMAN LEFT ABRUPTLY WITHOUT HER WATERPOT BUT WITH A CHANGE OF HEART, ENTERED HER CITY AND SAID TO THE MEN THERE, "COME SEE A MAN WHO TOLD ME ALL THINGS THAT I EVER DID, (WITH SOME EXAGGERATION), COULD THIS BE THE CHRIST?" (cont.) =

3) [Compare Dt 18:15-18]:

III) [Jn 4:30-42]:

A) INSPIRED BY WHAT THE SAMARITAN WOMAN SAID TO THEM ABOUT JESUS, MANY LEFT THE CITY TO SEE JESUS. MEANWHILE, THE DISCIPLES WERE CONCERNED THAT JESUS WAS NOT EATING THE FOOD THEY BROUGHT TO HIM. BUT JESUS' PRIORITY HAD CHANGED TO THE WORK OF THE FATHER WHICH BEGAN WITH THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SAMARITAN WOMAN WHOM HE HAD SENT TO HER CITY TO BRING BACK HER 'HUSBAND.' AND NOW THAT THE SAMARITANS WOULD BEGIN TO FLOW IN TO MEET HIM, HE SET ASIDE HIS HUNGER AND THIRST TO FINISH THE WORK OF GOD: SOWING AND REAPING, I.E., HARVESTING SOULS FOR ETERNAL LIFE. THIS HE INDICATED WAS THE WORK OF THE DISCIPLES AS WELL - WORK IN WHICH SOWER AND REAPER SHARED IN THE REWARDS, TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL. AS A RESULT, MANY SAMARITANS BELIEVED BECAUSE OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN'S TESTIMONY, AND MANY MORE BELIEVED WHO HEARD JESUS SPEAK

IV) [Jn 4:43-54]:

A) AS A RESULT OF THE HOSTILITY TOWARD HIM IN JUDEA, (FOR A PROPHET HAS NO HONOR IN HIS OWN COUNTRY), JESUS HAD SET OUT ONCE AGAIN TO GO TO GALILEE THROUGH SAMARIA. AFTER TWO DAYS WITH THE SAMARITANS FROM SYCHAR WHERE MANY BELIEVED IN HIM UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, HE CONTINUED ON TO GALILEE WHERE HE WAS WELL RECEIVED; FOR MANY FROM THERE HAD OBSERVED HIS MIRACLES AT THE PASSOVER FEAST IN JERUSALEM. IN CANA, JESUS ENCOUNTERED A ROYAL OFFICIAL WHO ASKED HIM TO HEAL HIS DYING CHILD IN CAPERNAUM. JESUS LAMENTED THAT UNLESS MIRACLES WERE PERFORMED PEOPLE WON'T BELIEVE. WHEN THE OFFICIAL PLEADED IN DESPERATION, JESUS PRONOUNCED THE CHILD WELL. WHEREUPON THE MAN BELIEVED JESUS HAD HEALED THE CHILD AND WENT ON HIS WAY. WHEN THE OFFICIAL ENCOUNTERED HIS SERVANTS COMING TO MEET HIM, HE WAS TOLD THAT HIS CHILD HAD RECOVERED, WHICH HE DISCOVERED WAS THE EXACT HOUR THAT JESUS HAD PRONOUNCED THE CHILD WELL; WHEREUPON THE ROYAL OFFICAL BELIEVED IN JESUS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE - HE AND HIS HOUSEHOLD. THIS WAS THE SECOND MIRACLE JESUS HAD PERFORMED COMING OUT OF JUDEA INTO GALILEE, (AFTER THE MIRACLE OF WATER INTO WINE)

1) [Compare Jn 4:1-4]:

2) [Compare Mt 13:57 NKJV]:

3) [Compare Mk 6:4 NKJV]:

4) [Compare Lk 4:24 NKJV]:

5) [Compare Jn 2:13, 23]:

6) [Compare Jn 2:23-25]:

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