THE POWER TO SAVE

 

October 6, 2013 

 

  TELL OTHERS YOU BELIEVE (JOHN 4:39-42)

39 And from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done." 40 So when the Samaritans came to Him, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."     NASB 

Verse 39:

o   She’s a classic example of one who speaks to others about Jesus with excitement and courage.

o   She didn’t say, "Of what use can I possibly be for Christ?"

o   She didn’t stop to reason, but reacted because her conscience had had its burden of guilt removed.

o   She told of at she knew and testified of what she had found, but did it with a connection to a Person.

o   It was of Jesus she spoke and it was to Jesus that she pointed  - "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done,"

Verse 40:

o   This would have really caused a great stir and raised eyebrows among the religious leaders in Jerusalem to curl!

o   Jesus did not mind any social barrier that man had created; there will not be any such barrier in the kingdom

Verse 41:

o   These Samaritans had learned from the lips of the woman that Jesus was, "the Christ;" and now they have discovered for themselves that Jesus was, “the Savior of the world.”

o   The Gospel of John offers many portraits of faith.

o   Some people never believed.

o   Some believed and then turned away.

o   Others believed because of the signs Jesus did.

o   The Samaritans readily accepted Jesus, even without signs and wonders.

Verse 42:

o   All barriers separating them have now been pulled down.

o   We learn that the primary requirement of service for God is a personal relationship with Jesus.

o   We learn about the urgency of service, “…the fields, that they are white for harvest.”

o   We learn about the interdependence of the servants - "One sows’ and another reaps."

o   We learn that our aim is to bring souls into the presence of Christ.

o   We learn that if we really care then social barriers will not matter.

o   We learn that those whose lives have been changed by Christ will fearlessly share their faith with others.

o   We learn that those whom consider as outsiders , if not beyond God's grace are the very ones who most quickly recognize their need for salvation and will become the most devoted followers of Jesus. 

CHALLENGE OTHERS TO BELIEVE (JOHN 4:43-48)

43 And after the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast. 46 He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain royal official, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him, and was requesting Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe."     NASB 

Verse 43-44:

o   People like and believe things from afar (imported from a distance) are more valuable and preferable to the things that come from nearby.

o   We see in this verse that those who despise and reject the prophets or messengers of God are justly deprived of the spiritual benefits of their ministry.

Verse 45:

o   It is likely that these people only accepted Jesus because of what they had seen Him do in Jerusalem; and was mostly a superficial acceptance.

o   It is here that we see illustrated the “partial hardening” of Israel. 

Romans 11:25

25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in;     NASB 

 Verse 46:

o   The grace of God is free, and the Lord has His elect and precious ones, even of all ranks.

o   This nobleman probably was one of Herod's to whom Galilee belonged.

o   It may be that the nobleman was Chuza.

o   Many of God's elect seem to never come to Christ until they are driven by the sickness of their children.

o   This is a special means use by God to draw His own to Him. 

Luke 8:1-3

1 And it came about soon afterwards, that He began going about from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.     NASB 

Verse 47:

o   Many who come to Christ in trouble do not give Him the glory by faith that they ought, and are ready to limit Him to a certain way of working.

o   Although the nobleman believed that Christ could heal his son, he also believed that Christ's bodily presence was necessary, but he quickly learned to take Jesus at His word.

Verse 48:

o   Here Jesus is comparing the faith of this royal official to the faith of the Galileans and Jesus chides the Galileans for their reliance of Jesus’ works rather than on His words. 

GUIDE OTHERS TO BELIEVE (JOHN 4:49-54)

49 The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off. 51 And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed, and his whole household. 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed, when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.     NASB 

Verse 49-50:

o   Jesus granted the royal official’s request, although not in the way requested.

o   Jesus did it in such a way as to cure the royal official’s unbelief.

o   Such is the mind and weakness of people that they will be distracted with grief or fear and will draw their minds from heeding the instructions of Christ.

o   When this happens the mind is drawn from thoughts about spiritual things.

o   However, such is Christ's tenderness and mercy that when He has rebuked our faults, yet He will respect faith, even weak faith, and will answer prayer as it pleased Him to do so.

Verse 51:

o   Good news will, sooner or later, meet those who believe and rest on God's Word.

o   Christ's working will confirm faith, and experience and observation will prove the truth of what He says.

Verse 52-53:

o   Greater faith and encouragement will be gained by communicating your knowledge with each other, thereby helping each other in their knowledge of Christ.

o   For the servants knew the child's recovery, and the time of it; and the nobleman knew the Word that Christ had spoken, and the time of it; by putting these things together they mutually are drawn to know more  of Christ and His power and goodness.

Verse 54: 

“Literally, "this did Jesus again as a second sign." The pleonasm in "again," the "second," is only apparent. Other miracles had indeed been wrought between these two; but John emphasizes these two as marking Jesus' coming from Judaea to Galilee. The healing of the nobleman's child was the second miracle, only in respect of its taking place upon Jesus' withdrawal from Judaea into Galilee. Hence, the "again." He wrought a miracle again, when He again came into Galilee, and this miracle was the second, as marking His second coming.”

(from Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

CHAPTER 3	CHAPTER 4
A Man Named Nicodemus	An Unnamed Woman
A Man Of Rank: "a ruler of the Jews"	A Woman Of No Rank Or Title
Nicodemus Was A Favored Jew	The Woman Was A Despised Samaritan
Nicodemus Was A Man Of Impeccable Reputation	The Woman Had Nothing In Her Favor To Commend Her, (A Samaritan)
Nicodemus Came To Christ By Night	Christ Spoke To The Woman By Day
To The Self-Righteous Nicodemus, Christ Said "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”	To This Sinful Woman, Christ Spoke Only Of The Gift Of God