John 4:1-6 says,...

Our devotional verses today are John chapter 4 and verses 1 through 6, which read,...

v.1-3 - Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples that John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.

Jesus started in Galilee in the north by being raised there in the town Nazareth by His mother Mary and His earthly father, Joseph.  He travels to Judea in the south to be baptized, tempted by Satan, and start his ministry of calling people to repentance.  The idea to be in competition with John the Baptist would be counter productive so we see Jesus heading north to put some distance between the two of them who were preaching the same message.  Maybe this was to put the focus back on the message and not on the numbers.  Even though John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" in the sense of influence and importance, Jesus shows His humility to be the one to travel and in a sense say, "He must stay here and I must go to another place."

One last note before pushing on is the Apostle John's note that we know the detail of who was actually baptizing.  It seems Jesus is overseeing this activity physically done by His disciples.  God wants us through His word to know the right interpretation of what is being said and what is going on.  The details given are important for us to see the Bible's stress on accuracy.

v.4 - And He had to pass through Samaria.

Samaria is the region between Judea and Galilee.  It is filled with those who were referred to as "half-Jews."  Prejudice was prevalent between the Jews and the Samaritans.  A very religious Jew of the north or south would travel around the region of Samaria rather than come in contact with one if they were going north or south.  

We have Jesus who "had to" pass through Samaria.  It was a shorter route.  He wouldn't have to take so many steps.  He probably knew He would later be ridiculed for this move by the Pharisees.  "No real prophet or holy man would do this, but rather travel the longer route to stay away from 'those' people" would probably be their cry which they also voiced about Jesus on other occasions.  Jesus will keep putting Himself in the near vicinity of "tax collectors and sinners."

The "had to" phrase in this verse gives you the idea that God has a plan unfolding here and something big is about to happen.  

v.5, 6 - So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob's well was there.  So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.

Look at all the details here.  We have the city name.  We have pulled out the plot map and registered deed to see whose used to own the land.  We have the history of the water well that is still there.  We have the detail that Jesus, fully God and fully man, shows His physical weariness from the journey.  We also are given the time of day, the sixth hour, about noon if telling by Jewish time or about 6 p.m. if telling by Roman time.

This land used to be Israel's land.  There was a time when there was no Samaria between Galilee and Judea.  At this spot there is a history that goes all the way back to Abraham coming to the Promise-land, having his son Isaac who had a son named Jacob who had this well dug which was sometimes a cistern created to capture the water of a spring.  This grandson of Abraham, Jacob, had a son named Joseph and this very land they were resting at was originally given to him as an inheritance.  There is a lot of Jewish history tied to this place now occupied by the Samaritans.  

We are going to end there this morning with a bit of a cliff hanger for Friday.  What is going to happen at this place so detailed out for us?  Jesus, the New Covenant, is sitting in a place that represents a lot of history of the Old Covenant.  The story will unfold on Friday but rest assured, Jesus is there for a reason.  We will find out the reason is very similar to His recent conversation with a very religious Jewish man at night named Nicodemus.  Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, may we be directed by You today and nudged to 'have to' be in a place and before certain people because it is Your plan being fulfilled.  May our hearts be soft with compassion and our eyes open to see who You want us to see that needs the love of God.  Amen."

Pastor Adam