John 4 - NIV Quest Study Bible

During the early part of his ministry when Jesus learned his growing band of followers was arousing the Pharisees’ attention, he left the region, probably to avoid a confrontation with them. He later returned and faced their opposition (Mt 23:1 – 39).Women customarily went to the town well together when it was cool, either in the morning or in the evening. Such a trip provided them with social interaction as well as water. That this woman came alone in the heat of the day, combined with her history of failed marriages, suggests that she was an outcast.Racial and religious prejudices separated them. The Samaritans were descendants of foreigners who had been brought to the region centuries earlier to replace the ten tribes of Israel when they were deported by the Assyrians. The foreigners intermarried with the remaining Israelites, leaving behind a mixed race that worshiped God but did not accept any Old Testament writings beyond the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy). They claimed that God should be worshiped on Mount Gerizim (see Map 11 at the back of this Bible) rather than in Jerusalem. To Jews, the Samaritans were considered apostates and idolaters, and they represented the downfall of their nation and forbidden intermarriages between Jews and Gentiles.Divorce in Jewish-Samaritan culture could only be initiated by the husband, who had to state publicly that his wife was unclean, unlovable or incapable of fulfilling her wifely duties. Divorce therefore shamed a woman. Five men had publicly shamed this woman, and now she was most likely living with her current partner simply to avoid begging and starvation.No. John was not stating that this was Jesus’ second miracle ever; it was the second miracle Jesus performed in the region of Galilee, the home of most of his disciples (see Map 11 at the back of this Bible). While the first part of Jesus’ ministry took place in Galilee, the second part took place in Jerusalem. Though John recorded only eight of the signs, or miracles, Jesus performed during his three-year ministry, he did state that Jesus performed many other signs (20:30).God is not limited to one location, nor does he identify with only one nation. The whole universe is his, and he is present everywhere (Ps 139:7 – 12).True worshipers (v. 23) must worship in the power (enablement) of God’s Spirit and in accordance with his truth. In John’s Gospel truth is associated with Jesus the Messiah (14:6). We are to know and worship the one and only God — the God revealed in the Bible through Jesus the Messiah. True worship is a matter of the heart. It demands more than just outward motions. It is an inner submission of oneself to God (Ro 12:1).Jews despised Samaritans and avoided contact with them as much as possible. See Why was there tension between Jews and Samaritans? (4:9). In addition, Jewish religious teachers in Jesus’ day rarely spoke with women in public. Rabbis taught that women could not learn the Law and that a long conversation with a woman would lead a man astray. Jesus defied those cultural norms by reaching out to the Samaritan woman.Jesus taught his disciples to see the world as he saw it — as a great harvest of souls ready to enter the kingdom of God. The world was ready for the gospel, and the disciples were to do the reaping. Ultimately, Jesus would sow by giving his life on the cross so others could reap a harvest of souls.They probably maintained their families and work routines. They would have been more spiritually attuned after their encounter with Jesus, but only a few would have had the luxury of studying the Scriptures. Although many of their erroneous traditions and teachings needed correction, even the disciples had to rethink their interpretations of Scripture after Jesus was raised from the dead. It’s possible that some of the first members of the Samaritan church (Ac 8:1 – 25) were those who had heard Jesus themselves.This is similar to today’s well-known adage “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Those who remembered how rambunctious a certain man was as a little boy or how awkward he was as an adolescent likely found it difficult to submit to his authority after he was grown and had received a prophetic call. As there was friction and misunderstanding between Moses and his siblings Aaron and Miriam (Nu 12:1 – 15), so there was skepticism among Jesus’ neighbors who did not understand his true identity or mission (Jn 1:11).The miraculous signs and wonders Jesus performed were meant to validate his claims, not draw attention to him or gather a following. The Galileans were more interested in sensationalism than they were in having an authentic relationship with God. Jesus’ miracles were intended to inspire faith in people, not simply please them.