Key Thought

Jesus' ministry with his disciples involved baptizing. However, because of John the Baptist's association with baptism, Jesus carefully avoided conflict and confusion. While he highly regarded John's ministry, and John personally, he did not want to be confused with John. John was not the Messiah. Jesus was. John was not the Son of God. Jesus was. John was not the Savior of the world. Jesus was. John was not the King of Israel. Jesus was. In fact, Jesus still is Messiah, Son, Savior, and King. But to avoid confusion and conflict, to follow God's time table and not the world's expectations, Jesus went back to Galilee, his home.

Today's Prayer

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Father, I know there are all sorts of conflicts that go on today between religious leaders and their followers. Please help me to value those who have given their life to sharing the truth of Jesus. At the same time Father, please protect me from infatuation with these messengers and keep my heart focused on your Message, Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

The Pharisees heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more followers than John. (But really Jesus himself did not baptize people. His followers baptized people for him.) Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard about him. So Jesus left Judea and went back to Galilee. On the way to Galilee Jesus had to go through the country of Samaria. In Samaria Jesus came to the town called Sychar. This town is near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus was tired from his long trip. So Jesus sat down beside the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to that well to get some water. Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink of water." (This happened while Jesus' followers went to town to buy some food.) The Samaritan woman answered, "I am surprised that you ask me for a drink! You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman!" (Jews are not friends with Samaritans. ) Jesus answered, "You don't know about the thing God gives. And you don't know who I am that asked you for a drink. If you knew these things, you would have asked me and I would have given you living water." The woman said, "Sir, where will you get that living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with. Are you greater than Jacob our father ? Jacob is the one that gave us this well. He drank from it himself. Also, his sons and all his animals drank water from this well." Jesus answered, "Every person that drinks this water will be thirsty again. But the person that drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. That water I give will become like a spring of water flowing inside that person. That water will bring that person life forever." The woman said to Jesus, "Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty again. And I will not have to come back here to get more water." Jesus told her, "Go get your husband and come back here." The woman answered, "But I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right to say you have no husband. Reallyyou have had five husbands. But the man you live with now is not your husband. You told me the truth." The woman said, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship." Jesus said, "Believe me, woman! The time is coming when you will not have to be in Jerusalem or on that mountain to worship the Father (God). You Samaritans worship something that you don't understand. We Jews understand what we worship. Salvation comes from the Jews. The time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. That time is now here. And those are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers. God is spirit. So the people that worship God must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said, "I know that the Messiah is coming." (Messiah is the One called Christ. ) "When the Messiah comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus said, "That person is talking to you now. I am {the Messiah}."

— John 4:1-26 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.