John 5:1-9a– Jesus is the answer to man’s inability

People are largely taken in by sensational news, especially concerning the miraculous. In recent years, we have heard of people flocking to a statue of Mother Mary crying tear drops of blood, or the statute of a certain elephant in a shrine that spilt out milk from its trunk. In the face of such human tendency, the description of what happened at the pool of Bethesda is understandable. All the elements in the making of a good legend are described in John 5:1-18. It all took place in a pool that was at Bethesda in the vicinity of Jerusalem, by the sheep gate with five porches. Occasionally the water would move and certain diseased individual found in the pool would report of being healed. This rippling effect of the water was believed to have taken place because an angel got into it and stirred the water. This thinking was encouraged by the Hebrews’ preoccupation with angels. Soon news of the so called miracle began to spread far and wide, and reached the ears of the masses in the city and countryside. So to see folks with all kinds of diseases gathering around that pool should not come as a surprise. John 5:3 tells us that a great number of disabled were there. They gathered there by the hundreds hoping to get into the pool first when the water was stirred. The sight at the pool was pathetic and distressing, except for one thing: the presence of Jesus there that day.

Jesus came alone to that pool that day. He approached a man who had been in his sick condition for thirty eight years. He knew that the sick man had been in that condition for a long time. The healing of this man by the Lord is truly a great story. The detailed step by step description of how he got healed, gives us lessons of how Jesus can also touch and deliver us from our inability. The question Christ asked him seems to be out of place. “Do you want to get well?” What a ridiculous question. He had been sick for 38 years, and furthermore he was there by the pool where people were purported to be healed. To ask him whether he wanted to be well seems preposterous. He was certainly not there to have a good sun tan. But in reality, the Lord knows that some people can be in a condition and do not really want to be well. They imagine that once they are healed, they could no longer get all the easy support they had been having, enjoying from friends and relatives. They imagine that they could lose their only means of getting financial support. Besides, once they are healed they must of necessity take responsibility for their life. Hence this question from the Lord is indeed relevant for anyone who wants to be touched. Personally, this question is a call to leave our past in order to enter into a new place with God. 

The answer of the man also tells us something. “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”  He wanted to be healed but he realized that he couldn’t do it by himself. It’s here that he came to the fact that it required faith for him to be healed. There is nothing he could do for himself, hence to get his healing, faith was imperative. At the command of Jesus to take up his stretcher and walk, he obeyed immediately. And instantly, he did everything as he was commanded.  The moment he responded in faith, he found instant healing. 

This man’s paralysis represents man’s inability. And the answer to all man’s inability is without a doubt, faith in Jesus. If we have an insurmountable issue, we need firstly to ask, do we want it solved? If we want, then we need to know that without the help and intervention of Jesus, it will remain insurmountable. Thirdly, we need to know that Jesus is always close by and ready to help. And if we by faith, allow His words to take effect in that issue, than we will find our resolution. Note, however, that it requires a personal response to Him! The answer to our inability is found in Christ. No wonder Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “…draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

John 4:46-52 – Jesus is the answer to man’s faith

Let’s take a minute and put ourselves in the shoes of the Nobleman. Nothing in life can be more miserable, more devastating than to have one’s son at the jaws of death. Here was a royal official of Herod’s court. He had everything he wanted at his disposal, yet he was at a point in life that the very thing he wanted most, the wholeness of his sick son, seemed to be eluding him. We are told that all these took place in Cana of Galilee, the town where Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding, by turning water into wine. This nobleman must have heard of the miracles that Jesus had done and knew that his only hope was in Him. On hearing that Jesus was in town, this ruler from Capernaum bee-lined for Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, who at this time was at the point of death. The word “imploring” in verse 47 is in the continuous tense. It is better translated as “begging” or “pleading.” This royal man, who had hardly bent his knees to anyone, would now be at the feet of Jesus and continuously begging Him to come and heal his son.    

Jesus words in verse 48 were dampening words. These words seemed cold, calculating and cutting. It’s like pouring cold water on that nobleman’s faith. He said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” Was Jesus discouraging him? Of course not! However, this man was the representation of man’s imperfect faith. We would often come to Jesus not because we recognize Him for who He is, but more for the signs and wonders we could get from Him. This man’s experience challenges us to believe in miracles, but we must always trust in the Lord. The Lord’s words here are an expression of His desire to see people wanting more of Him than just merely chasing what He can give. What Jesus said here is not an indication of His reluctance but a demonstration of His grace. For we see later that the son was indeed healed.

In John 4:49-52, we will see the faith of that man tested and strengthened. He did not come down and try to pull rank on Jesus. He was a nobleman after all. Instead, his cry was for mercy. He said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus’ reassuring words, “Go; your son lives” was met with unfeigned faith. Without hesitation, he got up and believed every word of Jesus.  Acting on Jesus words is a clear demonstration of trust. No questions of “…what if or but”, this man just got up and went on his way believing that what Jesus had said would come to pass. This is faith. It is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence or conviction of things unseen. People say, “Seeing is believing” but the assuring words of Jesus brought about an unusual reversal to that statement. For every Christian whose trust is in the Lord, “Believing is seeing.”

The tell-tale sign that this nobleman had completely trusted Jesus can be seen in the time indication in verses 52-53. He left the place at the seventh hour which is 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Traveling by a horse he should have been home by 5 pm. But we are told that the healing took place at 1 pm yesterday. It simply meant that the nobleman had stayed a bit longer in town. He trusted Jesus’ words so completely that he just took his time to travel home leisurely. Perhaps he went about doing his other business and was no longer worried about his son’s condition. One word from Jesus was more than enough. There was a marked difference between his urgent and breathless ride to Cana, and his casual and leisurely ride back home. Faith made the difference.

Jesus is the answer to man’s faith. That nobleman was rewarded for trusting Jesus. Like him, we must take Christ at His word. When he got home his whole family, and even his servants, were all willing to trust in Jesus as well. All of us have opportunities in life to develop faith in Jesus. No one is exempted from difficult circumstances in life. In our trials, God has a certain word for us in each of them. The pertinent question is: do we dare to trust Him?  Faith will be strengthened every time we put action to the word of God. No matter how trying our circumstances may be, let’s come to Him to hear His word and then to obey Him unquestioningly. It is the only way to a strengthened faith and a rewarding life.   

John 4:43-45 – What's a response to Christ?

Let’s recapitulate all that had happened in Samaria. To travel to Galilee, Jesus had to pass by Samaria. Being wearied, He stopped by Jacob’s well at Sychar and deliberately engaged a woman in conversation. The result was her conversion. She then left her water pot at the well and went in to town to share her testimony. Many folks came rushing to where Jesus was and discovered that He was indeed the Savior of the world. John 4:43 tells us that He stayed with them two days, probably to continue teaching them in their new found encounter with the Savor of the world. From thence, Jesus made His journey, as He initially intended, to Galilee. While on the journey to Galilee, he made a startling remark. He Himself testified that a prophet has no honour in his own country. 

To say that “A prophet has no honour in his own country,” seemed contradictory, if we see it in connection with verse 45 that tells us that “…when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him….” How do we reconcile the two? In the synoptic Gospels in Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4 and Luke 4:42, it is quite evident that the statement was made in connection to His rejection by the people at Galilee. But here in John’s Gospel, the author tells us that after what happened at Jerusalem at the feast, those Galileans who were there saw what He did, so they received Him when He came to Galilee.      

What was John’s intention in these three short verses? Jesus was probably preparing His disciples for the upcoming rejection. Here in Galilee some would warmly accept Him having encountered Him in Jerusalem. But by and large He was not widely accepted. Their enthusiasm in accepting all that He had done, should not be interpreted that they had faith in Him. A true reception of Jesus could be seen in one’s commitment to Him and the mission He came to do. It makes a follower want to follow His example to do the will of the Father. We have all acknowledged His Lordship over our life, now the mark of our reception and commitment to Him must surely be our wholehearted surrender to the assignment He has apportioned to us. In what we say and do, we will clearly show whether we have committed our life to Him. Let us let the conduct of our life speak!   

John 4:27-42 –The number one priority in life

In these verses we see a stark contrast in response, between the disciples of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. The disciples were amazed when they found Jesus talking to a woman. They must have wondered why Jesus should engage a woman in conversation all alone and a Samaritan at that. They must have had an unspoken mental block. They have not gotten over the social, racial or gender barrier in their mind as yet. The woman, on the other hand, was clearly touched by the revelation of Jesus and all that He knew about her. Setting aside what she came to the well to do, she left the water pot by the well and went into the city excitedly, indulging in some exaggeration. She said, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” Her excitement was understandable after all that Jesus had said, and the offer He had made to her. We are told that many who heard what she excitedly proclaimed went out of the city. Presumably to where Jesus was to discover for themselves. What is evident here is the disciples’ negative astonishment and the woman’s positive enthusiasm. In this contrast, we see the Lord giving lessons on what kind of heart every aspiring minister must seek to cultivate. We are led into how the followers of Christ should approach life.   

The disciples urged Him to eat something but Jesus response to them was, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” What Jesus said truly puzzled them. Stumped, they then wondered if someone had brought food to him while they were away. Ignoring their thoughts, Jesus re-emphasized what He had said with some addition, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” What is Jesus saying? He was making known the surpassing priority in His life and ministry. He came to do and fulfill the will and purpose of God in His life, and would not allow anything to stop Him till He had completed it. No barrier, be it social, gender or racial was going to distract Him. He had a singular objective i.e. to please God the Father and to obediently accomplish what He had sent Him to do. It was quite obvious that He was weary when He first arrived at the well. But when He envisaged what potential could happen with one transformed life, He set aside every apparent norm to reach out, even though it would be unusual to talk to a woman alone. He just wanted to do the Father’s will. Are we challenged by what we see in the Lord’s focus? God had made and redeemed us so that we can serve Him and His purpose for lost humanity. Like Christ we must live to do God’s will.

John 4:35-38 give us another key to a triumphant ministry i.e. to cultivate a sense of urgency. The field, the Lord maintained, is ready for harvest. We must learn to see the opportunity presented. Every situation is a God-given opportunity. Looking at a bouquet of roses, do we see the lovely flowers or do we see thorns? In every situation we can either see God’s moment or we can seek excuses to convince ourselves why it is not time yet. In working for God, there is no clear cut results. Sometimes we sow plenty and seem to get precious little. Sometimes we do not seem to have sown much and yet we get plenty. The idea is for us not to analyze too much but to simply obey. Evangelism is never an individual effort. It is the work of the whole community of God. One may sow but may not have the privilege to harvest. Others may not sow but at the critical moment had the joy of seeing a harvest. Our eye should be on God, and realize that whatever accomplishment, it is His victory.  Whatever we are doing we must cultivate a harvesting mentality. 

The response of the whole town to the Samaritan woman’s testimony tells us one thing – a true and good testimony is better than being theologically exact. A changed life speaks louder than a ton of purposeless jargon. Here we see many Samaritans who came out of the city to examine for themselves, tasted Jesus and found Him to be true. They could testify that He is indeed the Savior of the world. What is our priority in life? Are we bent on doing God’s will and allow it to be our all-consuming passion in life? Serving God is truly more important than the food we eat. Let’s be the kind of people who would give God our top priority and would go about His will and work with urgency.

John 4:16-26 – God is looking for true worshippers

Knowing God and how one will conduct his or her life are inter-related. Personal relationship with God will certainly provide the impetus in right living. Jesus shows this to be the case in His conversation with the Samaritan woman. To receive the living water He had offered, Jesus needed to deal with her blatant abuse of her sexuality. So He told her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” Taken aback, she then gave an answer that was not exactly wrong. The man she was presently living with was technically not her husband. She was not married to him. Although she had been married to five different men before, this present man she was living with was one she was not married to. In a sense what she told Jesus was true. So here’s a paraphrase of her response to the Lord, “You’re spot on.” But what she said following that was perceptive. She said, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” In saying this she was not making an attempt to evade the embarrassing knowledge Jesus had concerning her life. Her perception was a common view of Jews and Samaritans of her day. They believed that a prophet could have special insight into people’s problems. Prophets were believed to have intuitive gifts. So it was not a surprise to her that Jesus should have knowledge concerning her misused sexuality.  

The revelation concerning her sin could have triggered the desire to do what’s right. While she came to terms with her wrong, she was unsure of what to do to get right with God. She surmised that the only answer to her sin problem was to return to God in worship, and perhaps offer a sacrifice. Her dilemma, however, was where should her worship be offered. According to her forefathers, Mount Gerizim should be the place, but to the Jews, it should be at Jerusalem. Very much like believers in our days, many are also in a quandary not only concerning the function of worship, but also the where to and the how to. Yet we cannot soft pedal the importance of worship because it’s such an important and compelling devotion that is rightly due to God. 

What the Lord said concerning worship shows how important it is to do it rightly, and also to do so with the right understanding. Verse 22 implies that the Samaritans did not have complete knowledge in their worship. This is true because they relied only on the first five books of Moses, hence their revelation of God was grossly incomplete. Whereas the Jews who had a more complete revelation of God had led the way in worship. Like the Samaritans, many people who worship God have inadequate knowledge. Worse still, some even worship Him in ignorance.

Jesus asserted that the hour has come, and God is seeking for true worshipers, who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Notice it is not “in the Spirit” but “in spirit.” To worship in spirit is to worship God sincerely and honestly from the depth of one’s very being. By truth He meant to worship God based on complete revelation of Him. It is to worship according to what God had revealed concerning Himself through His Word. Hence knowing God through the Word is important. True worship is coming to God with an inner attitude of sincere and honest reverence and awe, being truly assured of Who He truly is. People who would worship God in such a spirit and truth are the kinds that the Father is still seeking. 

Jesus then proceeded to remove the peripheral issue in worship. He said that God is spirit. And since He is spirit, He is everywhere present, and so where one worships Him is inconsequential. These words imply that the place believers gather to meet God in worship should not be our focus. What’s important is that we make time to gather in His name, to know Him whom we worship, and to approach Him with the right attitude and in the right manner. On hearing Jesus’ sensible and logical explanation, she was led to recall the coming of the Messiah. So she honestly spoke her heart and said she knew that Messiah would be coming and when that happened, He would reveal everything concerning true worship. So Jesus told her that He is the Messiah the whole community was looking forward to. What she had heard was from the Messiah whom they were looking forward to.    

The Father is still seeking true worshipers today. Those that would honor Him from the depth of their being, sincerely and honestly. Those whose worship is based on true revelation God had made concerning Himself through the whole counsel of His Word. Hence, we must seek to know Him through the Word. And when we come to worship, we must be wholly present: spirit, soul and body. We must fully engage Him with our mind and with the certainty and assurance of Who we are worshiping. He is the all- powerful, all-present and all-knowing God. Let’s not lift our hands in praise to Him but allow our hearts to drift far away from Him. Let’s offer worship worthy of our God!

John 4:10-15 – The soul satisfying water

The quest of human life, and the irrational engagement in some of the most absurd activities, reveals the state of the human heart. As St. Augustine so rightly put, “(Lord) Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” If there is one word to describe the human soul, it must be this word - thirsty. It so aptly describes the state of the heart of the Samaritan woman who was at the well. And Jesus knew real well. So He started the conversation by asking for a drink of water. Startled by a Jew who was willing to engage her in conversation, she asked, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” Seizing the moment, Jesus went straight for the jugular. He addressed the need of her soul. He told her that if she only knew the gift of God, and who she was speaking to, she would have asked Him for a drink instead, and He would have given her living water. Jesus was pointing to what would bring lasting satisfaction. The water from Jacob’s well could quench her physical thirst, but could never quench her thirsty soul. 

The “gift of God” and “the living water” that Jesus was talking about in verse 10 is one and the same thing - the Holy Spirit. He is the soul quenching water of life. Jesus was indicating to her that what she needed was the soul quenching water that only the Holy Spirit could bring. Only God alone can give this living water, and here Jesus claimed that He is the giver of this gift and water. In other words, Jesus is saying that He is God.

In the conversation we can tell that the woman had interpreted Jesus words to be referring to the water from Jacob’s well. So her response to Him was understandable. She asked Jesus with what would He give her the water, when He didn’t even have an instrument to draw water from the well. Besides, the well was so deep. It was the well that Jacob had dug, a well that he himself and his children and cattle had drank from for generations. She then asked if Jesus considered Himself greater than Jacob. Jesus wisely redirected her to the real water she needed – the Holy Spirit. Here Jesus was talking about quenching her deep soul’s thirst. The water from the well could quench temporarily and she would feel thirsty again. But the water, the Holy Spirit, that Jesus alone can give, will quench one’s thirst again and again. This Holy Spirit will bring eternal life and become the source of man’s complete satisfaction.

The things of this world, no matter how satisfying, can only gratify for a moment. But an encounter with Jesus and the availability of His continual presence will bring lasting fulfillment to our life. Just as Jesus had offered to that woman, He is also offering us the eternal well of soul-quenching water. For us who have invited Jesus into our life, we already have the well within us. Are we drinking from that life-rejuvenating well daily and continually? It is foolhardy not to do so!  

John 4:10-15 – The soul satisfying water

The quest of human life, and the irrational engagement in some of the most absurd activities, reveals the state of the human heart. As St. Augustine so rightly put, “(Lord) Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” If there is one word to describe the human soul, it must be this word - thirsty. It so aptly describes the state of the heart of the Samaritan woman who was at the well. And Jesus knew real well. So He started the conversation by asking for a drink of water. Startled by a Jew who was willing to engage her in conversation, she asked, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” Seizing the moment, Jesus went straight for the jugular. He addressed the need of her soul. He told her that if she only knew the gift of God, and who she was speaking to, she would have asked Him for a drink instead, and He would have given her living water. Jesus was pointing to what would bring lasting satisfaction. The water from Jacob’s well could quench her physical thirst, but could never quench her thirsty soul. 

The “gift of God” and “the living water” that Jesus was talking about in verse 10 is one and the same thing - the Holy Spirit. He is the soul quenching water of life. Jesus was indicating to her that what she needed was the soul quenching water that only the Holy Spirit could bring. Only God alone can give this living water, and here Jesus claimed that He is the giver of this gift and water. In other words, Jesus is saying that He is God.

In the conversation we can tell that the woman had interpreted Jesus words to be referring to the water from Jacob’s well. So her response to Him was understandable. She asked Jesus with what would He give her the water, when He didn’t even have an instrument to draw water from the well. Besides, the well was so deep. It was the well that Jacob had dug, a well that he himself and his children and cattle had drank from for generations. She then asked if Jesus considered Himself greater than Jacob. Jesus wisely redirected her to the real water she needed – the Holy Spirit. Here Jesus was talking about quenching her deep soul’s thirst. The water from the well could quench temporarily and she would feel thirsty again. But the water, the Holy Spirit, that Jesus alone can give, will quench one’s thirst again and again. This Holy Spirit will bring eternal life and become the source of man’s complete satisfaction.

The things of this world, no matter how satisfying, can only gratify for a moment. But an encounter with Jesus and the availability of His continual presence will bring lasting fulfillment to our life. Just as Jesus had offered to that woman, He is also offering us the eternal well of soul-quenching water. For us who have invited Jesus into our life, we already have the well within us. Are we drinking from that life-rejuvenating well daily and continually? It is foolhardy not to do so!