Shifting from Judea to Galilee:

Introduction:

Good morning I hope everyone had a wonderful week, Last week we took a break from our series on the life of Christ. we talk about the importance of Reverence for God. this week we are going to be looking Jesus’s ministry moving towards Galilee, and the journey through Samaria.

Point one: Reason to move from Judea:

about month ago we talk about How Jesus ministry begin right after his baptism. we also saw that Jesus’s Ministry begin in Judea. Jesus and his disciples were seeing the fruits of their teaching as many were coming and learning, and being baptized. we can see this in John 3:22-26

John 3:22–26 NKJV

22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”

if you remember from this passage John’s disciples were jealous because of how fast Jesus and his disciples were growing. we also understand that it was not only John’s disciples that were jealous the Pharisees’s and the Sadducee’s were also jealous. we see that they have here of this person who is teaching lets turn in our Bibles to Jn 4:1-2

John 4:1–2 NKJV

1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),

which leads to the question why did Christ move his ministry to Galilee? Well there are two reason to why Jesus move his ministry to Galilee. the first is because of John being thrown into prison. we come to understand John was thrown into prison because he literally call out King Herod Lets turn in our Bible to Lk 3:19-20

Luke 3:19–20 NKJV

19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

John basically told Herod he was living wrong, and that he should be doing the things he was doing. being a tetrarch, meant having power in the roman culture at the time, and Herod did not like what he was heard nor did Herodias. the second reason why Jesus decide to move his ministry to Galilee, is that Jesus and his disciples have gotten to popular in Judea. we can see this in Jn 4:1

John 4:1 NKJV

1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John

Just from this verse here we come to see that the Pharisees’s were jealous that many people were coming to unknown man out in the wilderness who not taught by them. Jesus at this point in his ministry was not willing to deal with them, because it still too early. from these two reasons we come to see why Jesus move his ministry Galilee.

Point 2: Living Water

Just from this verse here we come to see that the Pharisees’s were jealous that many people were coming to unknown man out in the wilderness who not taught by them. Jesus at this point in his ministry was not willing to deal with them, because it still too early. from these two reasons we come to see why Jesus move his ministry Galilee.focusing on a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan women. Lets turn in our Bible to Jn 4:3-10

John 4:3–10 NKJV

3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

From this passage we see that Jesus and his Disciples come to a town in Samaria, known as Sychar. Jesus sends his disciples into to the town to buy provisions for their journey to Galilee. we also understand that Jesus is resting at this well, that was build by Jacob. Now the interesting thing that happens is a women come to this well during the heat of the day to draw water, this would be consider highly usual because most people would draw water either in the early morning or during the evening right before sunset. Now back to the well this Samaritan women comes up and we see that Jesus acknowledges her and asked her for a drink of water from the well. the reaction from the Samaritan women is quite common for any Samaritan. remember Jews have always look down on the Samaritans because of their mix blood. Now if we really break down this part of the passage we come to see a conversation between Jesus and this women. Just at the start of this conversation Jesus had already broken the culture’s normal by talking to this women here, we also see that Jesus was able to get her attention by asking this question in verse 10 “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked, and he would have given you living water.” Lets go look at the next couple of verse here in John 4:11-15

John 4:11–15 NKJV

11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

Now from these next five here in John, we see the Samaritan women begin to ask question here. where do get this living water? and are you greater than our father Jacob who build this well here? Now Jesus response to her questions by saying that those who drink from this well will thirst again, but those who drink from the water I give will never thirst again. What Jesus is talking about here is his teaching and the words of God. to have trust in God, by doing the will of God. because if you notice the next part where Jesus talks about the living the water become a spring. Here who ever listens to my words and does the will of God will come into everlasting life today many people still have access to this spring, but they must being willing to make changes in their lives, by doing the will of God, by serving others out of love, have faith, hope, trust in God, and in his son Jesus Christ. Just from this answer we see that the Samaritan women asks amazing question here “How do I draw this water?” for them in at this time they only had the torah, and the Apostle, if we go farther back to the Old Testament they only had maybe the Prophets, and little bits of law. Today we access of the whole Bible, we get to know every that God wants us know, remember what Bible means. God talks through his word the Bible, that is the only way God talks.

Point 2: anyone is welcome:

this allow us to move to our next section in our main passage. lets continue with John 4:16-19

John 4:16–19 NKJV

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

From these three verse here, we see that Jesus is testing her by telling her to go and retrieve her Husband. we see her response that she has no Husband. now then this interesting about this women who is from Samaria, because she is talking to a complete and total stranger about spiritual matters, to her she has no idea who this man is, but we see that Jesus see who she is, Jesus knows who she is exactly, because of his response “you are right, you have no husband because you have five, and the one you are living with now is not your husband also. Lets take a moment and dwell on this, we see that Jesus was willing to move his ministry, Jesus Could have completely gone our of their way by going around Samaria.