NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 14
John 4:8
1775
3:24
Matt 4:12
3:26
John 1:7, 34
3:27
John 19:11
1 Cor 4:7
Heb 5:4
3:28
Mal 3:1
John 1:20, 23
3:29
Matt 9:15
2 Cor 11:2
Rev 21:9
3:31
1 Jn 4:5
ianothen (0509)
1 Pet 1:3
3:33
1 Jn 5:10
3:34
Luke 4:18
3:35
Matt 28:18
3:36
1 Jn 5:12-13
jorge (3709)
Rom 1:18
4:5-6
Gen 33:19
Josh 24:32
Messiah, is also baptizing people. And every
bodyis going to him instead of coming to us.”
27John replied, “No one can receive any
thing unless God gives it from heaven. 28You
yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am
not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare
the way for him.’ 29It is the bridegroom who
marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s
friend is simply glad to stand with him and
hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with
joy at his success. 30He must become greater
and greater, and I must become less and less.
31“He has come from iabove and is greater
than anyone else. We are of the earth, and
we speak of earthly things, but he has come
from heaven and is greater than anyone
else. 32He testifies about what he has seen
and heard, but how few believe what he tells
them! 33Anyone who accepts his testimony
can affirm that God is true. 34For he is sent
by God. He speaks God’s words, for God
gives him the Spirit without limit. 35The
Father loves his Son and has put everything
into his hands. 36And anyone who believes
in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who
doesn’t obey the Son will never experience
eternal life but remains under God’s jang ry
judgment.”
The Samaritan Woman at the Well
Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard
that he was baptizing and making more
disciples than John 2(though Jesus himself
didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3So
he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
4He had to go through Samaria on the
way. 5Eventually he came to the Samaritan
village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob
gave to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was
there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk,
sat wearily beside the well about noontime.
7Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw
water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me
a drink.” 8He was alone at the time because
his disciples had gone into the village to buy
some food.
4
Believing (3:10-18)
John 1:12-13; 3:36;
4:39, 42; 5:24;
6:35-36; 7:38-39;
9:35-38; 11:25-27;
12:37; 20:25-31
Gen 15:6
2 Kgs 17:14
Isa 28:16
Mark 1:15; 9:23-24
Acts 10:43; 13:39
Rom 1:5, 16-17;
3:25; 10:9-10
Gal 3:5-7
Heb 4:3
1 Jn 3:23; 5:10, 13
Believing occupies a central place in John’s Gospel. John does not use the noun faith that appears frequently elsewhere in the NT (e.g., see Matt 8:8-10; Mark 11:22-24; Acts 20:21; Rom
1:17; 3:27-31; 4:3-5; Heb 11:1-39; Jas 2:14-24; 1 Pet 1:5-7). John prefers the verb believe to
underscore that faith is not static like a doctrine or a dogma, but dynamic, requiring action.
In John’s Gospel, “believing” in Jesus is the trait of all true disciples.
In the Gospel of John, the verb translated “believe” is often followed by the Greek preposition eis (“into”). No parallel exists for this in ancient Greek usage. For John, faith is not a
status, but an investment in the person of Jesus. Faith means accepting who Jesus is and
what he claims to be. Faith constitutes a commitment to let his call change the way we live.
Faith is the work God wants from us (6:29) as we abide in Jesus’ word, as we love him, and as
we obey his commands (8:31; 15:1-17; see 1 Jn 5:10).
3:27-35 John the Baptist’s speech was
inspired by two issues: (1) Some had
questioned the legitimacy of his baptism
(see 1:26); and (2) his disciples were
concerned that people were beginning
to follow Jesus instead of John (3:26).
3:29 John the Baptist saw Jesus as the
bridegroom and himself as the bridegroom’s friend. His response deflected
glory from himself and elevated Jesus’
stature.
3:31 Jesus had come from above, so he
was uniquely able to reveal the Father
(1:18; 3:13). Some manuscripts do not
include and is greater than anyone else.
3:34-35 The Father gives the Son the
Spirit without limit as a sign of his profound love (3:35). It also illustrates Jesus’
divinity. John presents the one God as
three persons (cp. 1 Jn 5:5-12).
3:36 God gave the gift of eternal life,
promising new life and intimacy in a
present experience with God. Those
who reject the Son will not see life. The
world in its darkness stands under God’s
angry judgment (Rom 1–3).
4:1-42 At a historic well in Samaria,
Jesus offered himself as living water.
Jesus engaged and confronted people
with the revelation of God, and they
either followed or fell away. The
Samaritan woman contrasted with
Nicodemus at every turn: a woman (not
a man), a Samaritan (not a Jew), a sinner (not righteous), and an outcast (not
one of Israel’s rabbis). While Nicodemus
fell silent and never responded to
Jesus’ challenges (3:1-21), this woman
acknowledged Jesus as Lord, remained
in the light, and exhibited signs of
discipleship (see 1:35-51).
4:1 Jesus: Some manuscripts read The
Lord.
4:2 Jesus himself didn’t baptize anyone,
but left water baptism to his disciples.
After his glorification on the cross (7:37-
39), Jesus baptized in the Holy Spirit
(1:33; Acts 2:4).
4:3 After John the Baptist had been
imprisoned (see Mark 6:14-29), Jesus
left Judea (cp. Mark 1:14).
4:4-6 In going north to Galilee, Jesus
took the less-preferred route through
Samaria. Samaria had a long history of
tension with Judea (see 2 Kgs 17:24-41;
Ezra 4:1-5; Neh 4:1-23; 6:1-19). In Jesus’
day, harsh racial and cultural conflict
existed between Jews and Samaritans.
Jews normally avoided Samaria by first
going east to Jericho, then following the
Jordan Valley north. Sychar was probably in the region of Shechem. Jesus had
come to Jacob’s well; Jacob had owned
land near Shechem (Gen 33:18-19).
4:7 Due to the heat, it was customary
for the women to draw water in early
morning or evening. However, this
woman lived in isolation, separated
from her community. Jesus was compassionate toward outcasts.
