What is the meaning of John 4:16?

Jesus told her

• Here we pause on the Person speaking. John has presented Jesus as “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14).

• Every word the Lord utters carries divine authority (Matthew 7:29).

• He speaks directly to an individual, showing that God’s concern is personal (John 10:3).

• His initiative reminds us that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

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Go

• A gentle but firm command—action is required.

• Obedience is the doorway to deeper revelation (John 2:5; Luke 5:4-6).

• The woman must leave her water jar momentarily and move in faith, echoing the pattern, “Rise… and go” given to the paralytic (Mark 2:11).

• “Go” signals that following Christ often means surrendering immediate comfort for eternal truth (Matthew 16:24).

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call your husband

• Jesus pinpoints the hidden issue. Nothing is concealed from Him (Hebrews 4:13).

• By drawing attention to her marital history (John 4:18), He lovingly exposes sin, fulfilling, “He will convict the world of sin” (John 16:8).

• This call breaks cultural barriers—Jewish men avoided such topics with Samaritan women—yet Christ reaches across them (John 4:9).

• Bringing her husband would make the testimony verifiable, much like His instruction in Luke 5:14 for the leper to show himself to the priest.

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and come back

• The invitation does not end with conviction; it leads to restoration.

• Christ desires continued fellowship: “Whoever comes to Me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).

• Returning to Jesus with honesty opens the door to living water (John 4:14) and true worship (John 4:24).

• The pattern echoes Isaiah 55:7—“let him return to the LORD… for He will freely pardon”—and Revelation 22:17, “Let the one who is thirsty come.”

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summary

John 4:16 shows Jesus moving the Samaritan woman from casual conversation to heart-level confrontation. His authoritative word calls for obedient action (“Go”), honest confession (“call your husband”), and renewed approach (“come back”). The verse teaches that genuine encounter with Christ exposes sin not to shame but to invite repentance, leading to the satisfying gift of living water and full reconciliation with God.