Swindoll Study Bible - Book of John - Flipbook - Page 24
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Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—
18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even
married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.
20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusa
lem is the only place of worship, while we Samarit ans
claim it is here at Mount Gerizim,* where our ancestors worshiped?”
21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time
is coming when it will no longer matter whether you
worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
22 You Samarit ans know very little about the one you
worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father
is looking for those who will worship him that way.
24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must
worship in spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is
coming—the one who is called Christ. When he
comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”*
27 Just then his disciples came back. They were
shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of
them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with
her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28 The woman
left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the
village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who
told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be
the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from
the village to see him.
31 Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus,
“Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know
nothing about.”
33 “Did someone bring him food while we were
gone?” the disciples asked each other.
34 Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes
J ohn 4 : 4 9
from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from
finishing his work. 35 You know the saying, ‘Four
months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake
up and look around. The fields are already ripe* for
harvest. 36 The harvesters are paid good wages, and
the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life.
What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester
alike! 37 You know the saying, ‘One plants and another
harvests.’ And it’s true. 38 I sent you to harvest where
you didn’t plant; others had already done the work,
and now you will get to gather the harvest.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus
because the woman had said, “He told me everything
I ever did!” 40 When they came out to see him, they
begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for
two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his
message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman,
“Now we believe, not just because of what you told
us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now
we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
43 At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galil ee.
44 He
himself had said that a prophet is not honored
in his own hometown. 45 Yet the Galileans welcomed
him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover
celebration and had seen everything he did there.
46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana,
where he had turned the water into wine. There was a
government official in nearby Capernaum whose son
was very sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come
from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to
come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about
to die.
48 Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless
you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
49 The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now
before my little boy dies.”
4:20 Greek on this mountain. 4:26 Or “The ‘I Am’ is here”; or “I am the Lord”; Greek reads “I am, the one speaking to you.” See Exod 3:14. 4:35 Greek white.
woman who has come to draw water, and lo and behold, He
tells her the whole story of her life in a few sentences. She’s
blown away. She looks deeply into this Jew’s eyes and senses
that He’s not one of the haters. She can tell this not only by
His voice but also by His demeanor, His words, and His willingness to break the rules. Something tells her that this is a
man worth listening to. She knows that she is in the presence
of someone special. In fact, she is in the presence of God.
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT John 4:24 We must learn to
enter into worship. For me to appreciate a great Bach
piece, I have to enter into the spirit of the music. I have
to let it capture me. In order for me to enter into the spirit
of a song or a statement of praise given in a testimony,
I have to enter into the spirit of that moment unguarded
and without resistance. As long as I am resistant to it, I will
not enter into the depth of worship.
WHAT MONEY CANNOT BUY John 4:46-53 This man
needed the Healer. So desperate was he that he came and
begged. Jesus sent him home, and he went away trusting
His words. We see that his trust was rewarded.
There are many things money cannot buy. Money can
buy a lovely, king-sized bed, but not sleep. Money can
buy a beautiful mansion, but not a home. Money can buy
companionship all around the world, but not a close friend.
Money can buy books, but not brains. Money can buy a
crucifix, but not a Savior. Money can buy a church building,
but not a place in heaven.
LIVING INSIGHTS
IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD John 4:19 Jesus is with this
