What is the meaning of John 4:4? Now • “Now” situates the moment in real time, tying it to the preceding verses where “Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that He was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John” (John 4:1-3). • Scripture often uses “now” to mark a Spirit-directed transition (cf. Acts 8:26-27). Here it signals that Jesus is moving at exactly the right divine moment. He had • The subject is Jesus—fully God, fully man—who lives in perfect obedience to the Father’s will (John 6:38). • “Had” conveys divine compulsion, echoing statements like “the Son of Man must suffer many things” (Luke 9:22) and “I must preach the good news … for that is why I was sent” (Luke 4:43). • This sense of necessity underscores that every step in Jesus’ ministry, even travel routes, fulfills God’s redemptive plan (John 5:19-20). to pass • “To pass” indicates purposeful movement, not aimless wandering. Jesus’ journeys always serve kingdom objectives (Luke 19:10). • Passing through rather than around Samaria shows intentional engagement. It anticipates reaching “other sheep that are not of this fold” (John 10:16). • It models active pursuit of the lost, reflecting the shepherd who “goes after the one that is lost” (Luke 15:4). through Samaria • Most Jews avoided Samaria due to centuries-old hostility (2 Kings 17:24-41; John 4:9). Jesus overturns that barrier. • By choosing Samaria, He embodies the reconciling work later described: “He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one” (Ephesians 2:14-16). • The route sets up His conversation with the Samaritan woman, leading many in Sychar to confess, “This is indeed the Savior of the world” (John 4:42). • His action foreshadows the gospel’s advance into Samaria in Acts 8:4-8 and demonstrates that no region or people are outside His saving reach. summary John 4:4 reveals deliberate, God-ordained movement: at the divinely chosen moment, Jesus, compelled by the Father’s will, intentionally travels through a territory shunned by His contemporaries. This single verse showcases His sovereign timing, obedient heart, purposeful mission, and boundary-breaking grace, all pointing to the wider truth that the gospel is for every person, everywhere. |
    |