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John 4-5

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John 4-5
 
These chapters are paramount for both Biblical and Systematic Theology. Here the apostle presented Jesus’ explanation of the shift in salvation history marked by His entrance into the world, and the doctrinal implications of the incarnation; it is no wonder that most confessions of faith cite these texts at some point! Further, Jesus’ famous evangelistic encounter with the Samaritan woman, and two of His “seven signs” are located in these chapters.
 
In Jn 3, the apostle contrasted the spiritual state of Nicodemus and John the Baptist, the former unregenerate and void of an ability to understand Jesus’ miracles and the advent of the kingdom of God, the latter insightful of Jesus’ place in God’s program, and resigned to the ministry God had assigned him. In ch 4, John provided another contrast. Here the narrative climaxes with the belief of the Samaritan village—who responded to the testimony of a woman(!)—in contrast with the fickle faith of the Galileans, who would not believe without a miracle:
  1. The Samaritan woman, and her town, believed in Jesus’ Self-witness (vv. 1-42). Jesus headed north after word got out about the number of baptisms He was overseeing, and He traveled the most efficient route, through Samaria. While resting at the place of Jacob’s well, a woman came to draw water (v. 7). She was startled that Jesus, a Jewish man, would have anything to do with her, “For Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (v. 9). Once she asked to receive the “living water” (vv. 10-15), Jesus changed the course of the conversation; the “living water” He provided was for those who acknowledged a spiritual thirst, resulting from their sin. Upon being confronted, the woman realized that Jesus was omniscient; what was she to do in the presence of a prophet (vv. 16-20)?! While she raised the question of where one should travel in order to worship, Jesus instructed her that while salvation is of the Jews, God is interested in people who worship Him “in spirit and truth” (v. 24). Jesus’ injunction elicited her veiled hope in Messiah, to whom she was speaking! When Jesus’ disciples returned, they rebuked Him for talking with the woman—who promptly left their unwelcoming company. While Jesus testified to His disciples about His mission to gather God’s harvest (vv. 31-38), the woman went to Sychar and testified of the One who ‘told her everything she ever did’ (vv. 28-30, 39-42). Ultimately, the Samaritan woman and the people of Sychar proved to be genuine believers, those who believed in Christ because of His word—even without a wondrous sign
  2. The Royal official, and the Galileans in general, would not believe without a sign (vv. 43-54). Already Jesus’ messages and persona were being overshadowed by the love of His signs. On the surface, John seems to commend the Galileans because “they welcomed Him” (v. 45). But as one has no honor in his hometown, they only welcomed Him “because they had seen everything He did in Jerusalem during the festival” (v. 45). Thus in the place where He had turned water to wine (cf. ch 2), Jesus was approached by a royal official whose son was about to die. To many, Jesus’ reply may have seemed remarkably uncompassionate: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe” (v. 48). But Jesus was not sent to earth simply to heal the physical infirmities of humanity; His was a mission of revelation and redemption, and the signs were simply means to that end. While the official and his household believed after he learned that his son was healed at the hour of his request, perhaps he should have believed at the moment of Jesus’ word
 
From Jn 4 the reader should understand that those who trust Jesus’ word are commended, even if that word is not accompanied by a sign. In ch 5, it becomes clear that at times Jesus’ miracles in fact did not prompt people to believe His messages—especially if His message was contrary to Judaism. The miracle at the pool of Bethesda (vv. 1-15), and the message that resulted (vv. 16-47), find their connection in the fact that the miracle was performed on the Sabbath (v. 9). Here one can detect Jesus’ agenda to confront Jewish leaders in that He chose to make a spectacle of only one lame man—when the pool was surrounded by “a multitude of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed” (v. 3). Jesus asked the man what seemed a ridiculous question, “Do you want to get well?” (v. 6). His mission was larger than healing even the large number of infirmed that surrounded the pool; He was taking on the selfish interpretation of Judaism proposed by the Pharisees, that which held more folk in bondage than even the diseases of the day. When Jesus healed the man, He then commanded him—on the Sabbath, no less—“pick up your bedroll and walk!” (v. 8). Jewish leaders had interpreted the command of seventh-day rest to include traveling only a certain number of paces, and lifting only specific weights. In obeying Jesus’ word this man had transgressed their interpretation of the Sabbath commands (cf. Gen 2.2-3; Ex 20.8-11; Num 15.32-36; Deut 5.12-15); “Therefore, the Jews began persecuting Jesus because He was doing these things on the Sabbath” (v. 16). Jesus responded to the chastisement of the Jewish leadership by clarifying the matter in relation to Himself. He did not attempt to correct their misunderstanding of Torah, or justify the “work” of the healed man, rather, He set forth His relation to the Father, and the implications of His entrance into the world:
  1. He said, “My Father is still working, and I am working also” (v. 17). One should not too quickly read over the fact that for Jesus’ comment, “the Jews began trying all the more to kill Him: not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (v. 18)! 
  2. “Then Jesus replied, ‘I assure you: the Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way’” (v. 19). In what seemed paramount blasphemy to the Jewish leadership, Jesus, a man no less (!), claimed to be in step with God to the degree that He exactly represented the Almighty, and had received authority from Him to judge the works of mankind (5.20-30). The implication? “All people will honor the son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (v. 23)
 
Knowing the need for validation of His outrageous claims, Jesus proposed that, besides the testimony of the Father (5.31-32), the Jews had also received the testimony of John the Baptist (5.33-35), and the miraculous works the Father had given Him to perform (5.36-38). Further, Jesus claimed that the Old Testament Scriptures in general (5.39-40), and the writings of Moses in particular (5.41-47), validated His claims as the Son of God. On the plains of Moab, just before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Dt 18.15). In short, Jesus concluded His self-defense before the Jews by stating that they should view the Scriptures as a storyline, which climaxes in Him and what He said.
 
 
*For a complete list of references, please see scripturestoryline.com