John 4:27-42

This year we are covering the four Gospel Accounts together in chronological order.

In the previous post, we covered John 4:15-26. Here was the conclusion:

Rather than focus on converting her, Jesus increased the tension with the Samaritan woman and her statements ended with Jesus revealing that He was the Messiah in response to her declaration and demonstration of faith.

So far, we have covered John 4:1-26. In the previous post, I stated this entire story was symmetrical...and the next verse began the second half of the symmetry...


John 4
"27 And upon this came his disciples; and they marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her?"

(Even the disciples were shocked at how Jesus interacted with this Samaritan because she was a woman. Jewish etiquette didn't allow for a Rabbi to speak with a woman in public...not even if the woman was related to the Rabbi. Notice, the woman DIRECTLY confronted Jesus. Jesus' disciples didn't confront Jesus.)

"28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people,
29 Come, see a man, who told me all things that ever I did: can this be the Christ?"

(Notice, Jesus still hadn't given this woman the living water. Jesus wasn't in a hurry to convert this woman. She left and witnessed to people in the city that they ought to come out to see a man who could be the Christ. What was their response?)

"30 They went out of the city, and were coming to him."

(Many people chose to come out to see Christ. Notice, Jesus didn't go into the city to see them. Also, these people were expressing their will to be taught by their choosing to come out and see Jesus. Jesus hadn't forced anything during this story.)

"31 In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat."

(Meanwhile, Jesus' disciples tried to force Jesus to eat.)

"32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not."

(Jesus stated that He didn't need to eat because He had something that fueled Him they didn't know about. Remember, this chapter began with Jesus asking the Samaritan woman for water...and then telling her He had living water she didn't know about. Here, Jesus used the same exchange with the disciples only this time it concerned meat instead of water. The woman confronted Jesus about the living water and then asked Him for it. What did the disciples do?)

"33 The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat?"

(The disciples asked each other about the meat. The disciples continued not to confront Jesus.)

"34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work."

(Jesus told them the meat was doing the will of Him that sent Jesus. Again, this was an INDIRECT reference to being the Son of God. As we've seen, Jesus couldn't facilitate His own purpose and progress. The objective of telling the disciples about this meat was for their benefit...)

"35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest."

(Jesus referenced nature to say that everyone knows sowing and reaping are two separate events...with a time interval. Sowing occurs...then there is a time interval...then reaping may or may not occur.)

"36 He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth."

(Jesus said that the sower and the reaper benefit when the reaper does his work! The sower doesn't get a reward unless the person is reaped. Therefore, the sower ought to rejoice when someone else reaps for them.)

"38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor."

(Jesus stated that the disciples were about to reap something they didn't sow. Many people were coming out of the city towards Jesus and His disciples. This chapter began with the disciples converting people via baptism...an event where they were reaping something Jesus (and John the Baptist) sowed. However, there is a bigger point to be made in this story...)

(Jesus stated the will of God was to convert people that were ripe...ready to be harvested. Jesus didn't say that they ought to reap on their own timing. Jesus didn't say to DIRECTLY force the reaping. The reaping ought to be INDIRECT...as an effect of when the people are ripe. How do we know when people are ripe? They initiate the request to be reaped!)

"39 And from that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, He told me all things that ever I did."

(Notice, the woman was attributed with having a share in the conversion of the many people because the verse stated she was the SOWER.)

"40 So when the Samaritans came unto him, they besought him to abide with them: and he abode there two days."

(Again, look who made the request: the Samaritans. This proved these people were ripe. Jesus didn't DIRECTLY force Himself on these people. Jesus staying with these people two more days was INDIRECT...as an effect of their DIRECT request.)

"41 And many more believed because of his word;
42 and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

(These many MORE people believed Jesus was the Messiah, not just because of the experiential testimony of the woman, but because of the understanding they got from Jesus Himself. Jesus was the sower for the second wave of believers during the two days He abode with them.)


CONCLUSION
Jesus taught the disciples to convert those who were ready to believe. The way to measure this was if the unbeliever initiated the request to be converted. Jesus' evangelistic approach resulted in many people receiving Him as Messiah.

I believe this story showed Jesus the Evangelist. He did not evangelize the way people are taught to evangelize today. Jesus was INDIRECT and completely led of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not initiate any of the discussion about God. Jesus was not DIRECT in His thought process when He evangelized.

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