John 4:27-42 · Read 5 min · think and write 20 min
The last lesson read that “Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well” (John 4:6), and “his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food” (John 4:8). When the woman spoke of the Messiah, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who speaks to you’” (John 4:26).
This lesson begins at that very moment, when the disciples came back.
27Just then, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?”
28So the woman left her water pot, went away into the city, and said to the people,
29“Come, see a man who told me everything that I have done. Can this be the Christ?”
30They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
31In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”
33The disciples therefore said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
35Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.
36He who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit to eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
37For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’
38I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
39From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me everything that I have done.”
40So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days.
41Many more believed because of his word.
42They said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
The disciples come back. “Just then, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What are you looking for?’ or, ‘Why do you speak with her?’” (v. 27).
The water pot. “So the woman left her water pot, went away into the city, and said to the people” (v. 28): “Come, see a man who told me everything that I have done. Can this be the Christ?” (v. 29). “They went out of the city, and were coming to him” (v. 30).
My food. “In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat’” (v. 31). He said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about” (v. 32). The disciples asked one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” (v. 33). Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (v. 34).
White for harvest. Jesus went on to say to the disciples: “lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already” (v. 35); “that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” (v. 36); “Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor” (v. 38).
The woman’s word. “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, ‘He told me everything that I have done’” (v. 39).
Two days. “So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days” (v. 40). “Many more believed because of his word” (v. 41).
Heard for ourselves. “They said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world’” (v. 42). First it was “because of the word of the woman” (v. 39); later it was “we have heard for ourselves” (v. 42).
Afterwards. “After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee” (v. 43). After this, the New Testament does not mention this woman again.
Acts records that later, “when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them” (Acts 8:14).
Readers can see this: in this chapter John records, “Many more believed because of his word” (v. 41).
Perhaps you feel you are no good at explaining things: you don’t know much of the Bible, and when someone asks what you believe, you can’t put it clearly. You think you will have the right to speak to anyone only when you understand a little more.
This lesson does not say that you need to understand everything before you can mention Jesus to anyone; nor does it say that whether others believe depends on how well you speak. What it shows you is this: she said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything that I have done. Can this be the Christ?” (v. 29); “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman” (v. 39); and later they said, “we have heard for ourselves” (v. 42).
This week: Think back to whose words it was that first made you want to know Jesus. This week, pray for this person; and if you can still reach them, write a few lines to tell them that you still remember what they said.
Scripture: World English Bible.