The Gospel of John: John 4.27-42

Read and meditate on John 4.27-42.
Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of salvation and the Kingdom of God. Evidently, this Good News was very powerful. It still is today.

²⁷At this point, His disciples came, and when
they saw Him talking to the woman, then
they marveled; yet none said, “What do you seek?”
Nor did they ask the Lord, “Why do you speak
with her?” ²⁸The woman left her water pot
and went into the city, where she sought
the men and said, ²⁹“Come, see a Man Who told
me all things I have done. I wonder: Could
this be the Christ?” ³⁰Then they went out and came
to see Him for themselves. ³¹About the same
time, His disciples urged Him, saying to
Him, “Rabbi, eat.” ³² He answered, “I have food
to eat of which you do not know.” ³³They said
to one another, “Who has brought Him bread
or anything to eat?” ³⁴But Jesus to
them said, “To do God’s will is all My food,
and all His work to finish. ³⁵You will say,
‘Still there remain four months, then comes the day
of harvest.’ I say, lift your eyes, and see
the fields, for they are ripe for harvest! ³⁶He
who reaps receives his wages, and will gather 
much fruit for everlasting life; together,
the one who sows and he who reaps will sing
for joy. ³⁷For it is true: One sows, one brings
the harvest. ³⁸I have sent you all to go
and reap a harvest that you did not sow.
For others labored, and you have into
their labors entered.” ³⁹Many of those who
came to Him from the city, when they heard
the testimony of the woman’s word,
believed in Him, because she told them, “He
all I have ever done has told to me.”
⁴⁰So the Samaritans, when they had come
to Him, urged Him to stay among them some
few days; and He remained there two days. ⁴¹And
then many more, who came to understand
His Word, believed in Him. ⁴²They said unto
the woman, “We believe in Him now, too,
and not because of what you said, for we
ourselves have heard Him, and we know indeed
that this Man is the Christ, the Savior of
the world.”

- John 4.27-42

Reflect
1.  Why is the Gospel Good News? What’s Good about it? How do you experience this Good News each day? Complete this prayer: Help me, Lord, to see the people in my life as people who need You, whether they are nonbelievers or…

2.  From this story, we learn many lessons about how people come to embrace the Good News of Jesus. First, someone must go to them. In our day, we seem to expect “seekers” to find their way to church, if they’re interested in Jesus. Or we try to draw them there in a variety of ways. How well does this approach to proclaiming the Good News comport with what we see in Jesus? Lord, I want my church to be a seeking church, not a seekers’ church. Help me…

3.  What would you include in the process of evangelism – the steps involved in making Jesus known? Lord, how can I make these steps…

4.  What seems to be involved in the process of someone coming to believe in Jesus? Think about the woman, then think about her neighbors. What “steps” can you identify? Is it possible that some of the people in your Personal Mission Field are involved in that process? How would you know? Lord, show me how I can learn…

5.  The Gospel is not about us. It’s not even ultimately about what Jesus has done for us. It’s about Jesus. Explain.  Bring together into one prayer the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“Notice how soon they arrived at the understanding that he had come for the deliverance of the whole world and could not therefore confine his purposes to the Jews but must sow the Word everywhere.… Their saying too, ‘The Savior of the world,’ implies that they looked on this world as miserable and lost. They saw that whereas prophets and angels had come to save it, this was the only real Savior, the author not only of temporal but eternal salvation.… And notice how the woman had spoken doubtfully, ‘Is not this the Christ?’ But they do not say, ‘We suspect’ but ‘We know’ that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” John Chrysostom (344-404 AD)

Suppose you were asked to use this story to teach a brief lesson on being a witness for Christ. What are the most important points you would emphasize?

Closing Prayer
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.

Psalm 22.27, 28

Psalm 22.26-28 (Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord is King)
The suff’ring King shall eat and praise with us the Lord.
Forever we His praise repeat and trust His Word.
Praise God above, all you who keep His vows and who His mercies love!

All nations shall repent and hasten to the Lord;
All those to whom His truth is sent shall praise His Word.
The Lord is King! His sovereign rule on high now we His people sing!

T. M. Moore

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, can show you how Jesus is central to all aspects of life in the world – and beyond! Our course is free, and you can study at your own pace, watching videos and using the free materials provided.

We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.