John 4

I am he...

John 4:1-42

John 4:10

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." (use)

John 4:7

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (use)

In 721 B.C., the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians. Many of the people of Israel were led off to Assyria as captives, but some remained in the land and intermarried with foreigners planted there by the Assyrians. These half-Jewish, half-Gentile people became known as the Samaritans.

Roat, A., 2020. The Samaritans: Hope from the History of a Hated People.
roat-2020-samaritans~a1

The Samaritan woman is a timeless figure--not only a typical Samaritan but a typical human being.

Tasker, R.V.G., 1960. The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
tasker-1960-john~john-4

John 8:48

The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" (use)

John 4:9

The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) (use)

Matthew 10:5

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, (use)

As a taskforce, we understand that racism is a sin. In seeking to address the sin of racism in our church we do so seeking to follow a biblical imperative which we share with all followers of Christ. Our work is not a battle in a culture war but rather a call to arms against the evil and pernicious sin of racism. Our mandate flows not from identity politics but from our identity in Christ. This is our primary identity and it is in the character and being of Christ that we find the reason and motivation to combat racism.

The Archbishops Anti-Racism Taskforce. 2021. Update from the Anti-Racism Taskforce.
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Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Spafford, H., 1873. It is well.
spafford-1873-well~v2

John 4:10

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." (use)

Jeremiah 17:13

O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water. (use)

Nor was it by accident that the conversation with such a person occurred; for the Lord showed us, as in a model, that those to whom he imparts the doctrine of salvation are not selected on the ground of merit. And it appears at first sight a wonderful arrangement, that he passed by so many great men in Judea, and yet held familiar discourse with this woman.

Calvin, J., 1555. Commentary.
calvin-1555-com~john-4v10

John 4:12

Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." (use)

John 4:14

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (use)

...the way forward is so simple, if only pride were not in the way: once we acknowledge our unity in Adam (and Noah!), created in the image of God, and once we acknowledge the necessary entailments of the gospel by which we are united to one another in our Redeemer, it is left only to submit our minds, our decisions, our attitudes, and our mutual behavior accordingly.

Zaspel, F.G., 2018. Reversing the Gospel: Warfield on Race and Racism.
zaspel-2018-reversing~a1a

John 4:16

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." (use)

1 Corinthians 14:35

If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. (use)

1 Peter 3:7

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (use)

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (use)

John 4:17

The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’" (use)

What she intended as a denial of the fact (that she had none with whom she lived as a husband) he favourably interpreted, or at least turned upon her, as a confession of the fault.

Henry, M., 1896. Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible. UK. John
mhcom-john~4-17

John 4:19

The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet." (use)

1 Corinthians 14:24

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, (use)

1 Corinthians 14:25

the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. (use)

John 4:23

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (use)

John 4:20

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship. (use)

Samaritans are one of the world’s smallest religious groups, claiming descent from three of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. They consider themselves the true observants of Israelite religion, and view Judaism as a religious practice corrupted during the Babylonian exile. This separation is clearly delineated in the geography of the Holy Land: While Mount Moriah in Jerusalem is where the Jewish Temple was decreed by God, the Samaritans followed the command of that same God and built their temple on the peak of Mount Gerizim, some 30 miles to the north.

Romey, K., 2019. The very ancient Passover of one of the smallest religions in the world.
romey-2019-samaritans~a1

After duly weighing all these points, nothing occurs to me as more probable, than that under the priesthood of Jethro the true God was worshipped, according as tradition had revealed Him, but not purely; because religion was at that time everywhere contaminated by diverse superstitions.

Calvin, J., 1563. John Calvin’s Bible Commentaries On The Harmony Of The Law Vol. 1.
calvin-1563-harmony~a1

John 4:21

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. (use)

This summer play a round of Adventure Golf in the Nave of Rochester Cathedral. Our Medieval Nave will be filled with a bridge-themed adventure golf course. Compete against the rest of your family on our nine hole course. The course has been designed to encourage young people to learn more about the engineering behind bridges. Each hole will be accompanied by a model of a different type of bridge. It includes the original Roman bridge at Rochester, and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford, all of which is accompanied by information for further learning.

Rochester Cathedral., 2019. Adventure Golf in the Cathedral.
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John 4:22

You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. (use)

2 Samuel 7:12

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. (use)

2 Samuel 7:13

He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (use)

We can't truly know God or live for God until we know the facts God gives us about himself.

Challies, T., 2019. We Are All Theologians.
challies-2019-we~a1

John 4:23

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (use)

John 4:25

The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." (use)

John 4:26

Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." (use)

To put it simply, if I know the story I am telling you is a cover story, then the most sensible thing to do is presume that the self-story you are narrating does not tell me who you really are either.

Mann, A., 2015. Atonement for a Sinless Society: Second Edition, 2nd edition. ed. Cascade Books, Eugene, Oregon.
mann-2015-sinless~a7

Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood; How His kindness yet pursues me Mortal tongue can never tell, Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me I cannot proclaim it well.

Robinson, R., 1757. Come Thou Fount of every blessing.
robinson-1757-come~v3

John 4:29

Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? (use)

1 Corinthians 12:8

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, (use)

Exodus 13:3

Then Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. (use)

Psalm 9:1

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. (use)

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer There is no more for heaven now to give He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace

CityAlight., 2018. Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me.
cityalight-2018-yet~v1

Acts 4:20

for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. (use)

1 Corinthians 9:16

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (use)

John 4:42

They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” (use)

Acts 8:5

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. (use)

Topics and Themes

Authorship

John 4:2

(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), (use)

Samaritans

Ezra 4:17

The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now (use)

Ezra 4:24

Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. (use)

Key Verse

John 4:26

Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." (use)