Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

The Disciples Return and Marvel

^<27>Just then His disciples returned and were surprised that He was speaking with a woman. But no one asked Him, “What do You want from her?” or “Why are You talking with her?”

^<28>Then the woman left her water jar, went back into the town, and said to the people, ^<29>“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” ^<30>So they left the town and made their way toward Jesus.

^<31>Meanwhile the disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

^<32>But He told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

^<33>So the disciples asked one another, “Could someone have brought Him food?”

^<34>Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. ^<35>Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe¹ for harvest.

^<36>Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. ^<37>For in this case the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ^<38>I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

^<39>Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ^<40>So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days.

^<41>And many more believed because of His message. ^<42>They said to the woman, “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.”

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

The woman’s simple and natural testimony

^<27>At that moment, Jesus’ apprentices returned and were surprised to see Jesus talking to a woman. But not one of them asked the woman, ‘What do you want?’ or asked Jesus, ‘Why are you talking to her?’

^<28>The woman was so taken up with her conversation with Jesus that she left her water jar and went back into the town with a spring in her step. She was so excited at her new life that she couldn’t stop talking to the people she met there about what had happened. She told them, ^<29>‘Come and see a man who knows all about my past. He’s told me everything I’ve ever done. Could this be the promised Messiah?’ ^<30>The people then came out of the town, eagerly wanting to meet Jesus for themselves.

^<31>In the meantime, Jesus’ apprentices urged him, ‘Teacher, have something to eat.’

^<32>But he told them, ‘I have food to eat that as yet you know nothing about.’

^<33>His apprentices didn’t understand what he meant, so they said to one another quietly, ‘Could someone have brought him some food secretly?’

^<34>Jesus taught them, ‘The food I eat is to do the will of the One who sent me and to complete his work. ^<35>Don’t you have a saying, “Harvest is still four months away”? But I tell you, look up right now and notice the fields all around you! Aren’t they already ripe for harvest? ^<36>Actually, even as we speak, this work is going on at this time. One worker is paid for reaping and harvesting a crop for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may share in each other’s joy when the harvest is gathered in. ^<37>The saying “This worker sows and that worker reaps” is true, you see! ^<38>I sent you to reap what others—not you—have worked hard for. Other workers have completed sowing and you have reaped the harvest of all their hard work.’

^<39>Soon many of the Samaritans of that town trusted in Jesus because of the woman’s simple and natural testimony, ‘He’s told me everything I’ve ever done.’ ^<40>So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to remain with them. He stayed two days, ^<41>and because of his message many more people trusted in him for themselves.

^<42>They told the woman, ‘We’ve trusted in him not because of what you said, but because we’ve heard the truth and have experienced him for ourselves. We’ve come to know that this man really is the Saviour of the world!’

Study Guide

In vv. 28-30 we see the Samaritan woman sharing her testimony with people in town. What happened that caused her to share her testimony?

How did the actions of the woman in John 4:28–30 compare to those of Andrew (John 1:40–42) and Philp (John 1:43–46)?

Read John 4:9, then 4:27, to understand the cultural tension between Jews and Samaritans. What do you think the Disciples thought and felt when Jesus agreed to stay with the Samaritans (v. 40)?

• How might a cultural situation like this affect our work in the harvesting of soles for Jesus?
• How can we overcome cultural differences like that?

Study Resources

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