John 4:27 The Harvest - For The Glory of Jesus

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Harvest

Jesus spoke to the Samaritan women when she came to the well. She began the harvest of Samaritan citizens for Jesus Christ.

This is a Bible Study. Have your own Bible handy to look up the references mentioned.

If you do not have a Bible, I invite you to go to BibleGateway.com or another online Bible.

John 4:27-54

27. “The disciples were astonished that Jesus was ‘talking with a woman.’” (Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. [Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002], 210)

Jewish men did not talk with women in public, even their wives. Yet, here is Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman!

This woman “had three strikes against her: (1) she was a woman. (2) she was a Samaritan, and (3) she had a questionable reputation…His message was for everyone, those of every culture and standing in society.” (Borchert, 210)

But the disciples didn’t question Jesus about it.

28. “Jesus had such an impact on the woman that she was eager to share the news among the townspeople whom she had previously avoided because of her reputation. Her witness and candor regarding her own life so impressed them that came to see Jesus for themselves.” (MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. [Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005], 1365)

29. “God used her simple testimony, and many of the people came out to the well to meet Jesus.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 301)

30. The people came to see Jesus.

“This woman did not come to faith in Christ immediately. Jesus was patient with her…Certainly she was the least likely prospect for salvation, yet God used her to win almost an entire village!” (Wiersbe, 301)

Food

31. The disciples brought food to Jesus.

32-33. When the disciples told Jesus they had food Jesus replied, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” [NKJV]

Among themselves, the disciples questioned if someone had brought food to Jesus.

Ready to Harvest

34. “He explained that doing the Father’s will—in this case, leading the woman to salvation—was true nourishment for His soul.” (Wiersbe, 301)

Jesus had realized a harvest of the Samaritan Woman’s soul.

35. “Jesus then changed the image from that of food to that of the harvest, which is the source of the food. He quoted the familiar Jewish proverb about waiting for the harvest, and then pointed to the villagers even then coming out to the well to meet Him, thanks to the witness of the woman.” (Wiersbe, 301)

36. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” [Max Anders and Kenneth O. Gangel (2012). HNTC Vol. 04: John. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

37. “In eternity’s efforts, we can allow no competition among those who work in God’s fields. Some sow, some reap, but they rejoice together—an appropriate picture of what the church ought to be in collective ministry today.” [Max Anders and Kenneth O. Gangel (2012). HNTC Vol. 04: John. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

38. We are all part of the labor in the harvest. Some sow, some water, and some reap.

Many Believed

39-42. “Many of the Samaritans believed because of the testimony of the woman, and then many more believed when they heard Jesus personally.” (Wiersbe, 302)

“They came to the Living Water and they drank. The only condition was for them to thirst. You will never know that you thirst until you know you are a sinner.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 392)

The Samaritans “declared that He was ‘the Savior of the world’ (John 4:42. They had been converted only a few days, but they already had a missionary vision!” (Wiersbe, 302)

Galilee

43. “After two days in Samaria, Jesus traveled to Galilee, resuming the trip that began in verse 3.” (MacArthur, 1366)

44. “While in Samaria, Jesus had enjoyed His first unqualified and unopposed success. His own people’s hearts were not open to Him, but exhibited reluctance and hardness.” (MacArthur, 1366)

45. “The reception was likely that of curiosity seekers whose appetite centered more on seeing miracles than believing in Jesus as Messiah—as it had been at ‘the feast.’” (MacArthur, 1366)

Healing

46. “He goes specifically to Cana of Galilee because there is a certain nobleman whose son is way down in Capernaum.” (McGee, 392)

47. “The nobleman came to Jesus asking Him to come down and heal his son who was at the point of death.” (McGee, 392)

48. This “was not a rebuke of this nobleman. Rather, it was our Lord’s lament at the spiritual condition of the people in general, both in Judea and Galilee.” (Wiersbe, 303)

49. “The nobleman believed that Jesus could heal his son, but he made two mistakes in his thinking: that Jesus had to go to Capernaum to save the lad, and that if the boy died meanwhile, it was too late.” (Wiersbe, 303)

50. “We must admire this man’s faith. Jesus simply said, ‘Go thy way: thy son liveth.’ And the man believed Jesus and started to return home!” (Wiersbe, 303)

51. “The boy was healed the instant Jesus spoke those words, so the man’s servants started out to find him so they could share the good news.” (Wiersbe, 303)

“The boy had been healed at the seventh hour, which, in Roman time, would be seven o’clock in the evening.” (Wiersbe, 303)

It would be dangerous for the father and the servants to travel at night, so they waited until morning.

When he met the servants, they told him that his son was alive.

52. The servants told him the time the boy was healed.

53. It was the same time that Jesus healed him

The father and his whole house believed in Jesus.

54. “This was the second miracle He performed in Cana of Galilee.” (Wiersbe, 303)

References

In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.

Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002
Max Anders and Kenneth O. Gangel (2012). HNTC Vol. 04: John. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004

Samaritan Woman Bethesda

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