Commentary on the Gospel of John

                                  Chapter Four

                                                                                                                                      Verses 1-5 continued

One day the Father told Jesus to travel from Judea to Galilee but to go through Samaria. At that time, the Jews did not like the Samaritans because they had a different religion, and the Samaritans did not like the Jews. For this reason, the Jews seldom went to Samaria. When they traveled from Judea to Galilee, they went around Samaria. Jesus felt the need to go through Samaria because He knew that there were some people there who would become saved by His grace. Jesus knew that the key to reaching these people with the gospel happened to be a woman He would meet at a well. His Father arranged it all that way.

God has instructed His Church to operate in this same way. God instructs preachers to preach the gospel to crowds at certain times and places so that some of them might believe in Christ and become saved by grace. God also instructs personal witnesses to witness to a particular person or a small group of persons so that some might become saved by grace. All believers in Christ are His witnesses, but no believer should actually witness until instructed by God to relate the gospel at particular times and places to particular people. Unless empowered by the Holy Spirit, a believer's witness will not be effective. Acts 1:8; John 15:4-5. God has instructed His Church to operate as a team. God calls some believers to preach and witness, and they win many souls to faith in Christ, but He calls others to pray for souls to be saved or to simply support those who preach and witness. I Corinthians 12:4-31. Nevertheless, all believers should pray to be constantly in tune with the Holy Spirit so that if He should instruct a believer to witness to a particular person or group of persons at a particular time and place, that believer should certainly obey the Holy Spirit. John 15:4-5.