SECT. III. Last-recorded Testimony of the Baptist: Observations of the Evangelist. JOHN iii. 22-36. AFTER these things, Jesus went, and his disciples, into the land of Judea; and there he continued with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Ænon near Salim, because there was much water there and the people came to him, and were baptized. (For John had not yet been cast into prison.) : There arose therefore a dispute, on the part of John's disciples with a Jew, concerning purification. And they came unto John, and said unto him, "Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne testimony, behold, he is baptizing, and all are going to him." John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me testimony, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I am sent before him.' He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore hath been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."1 He that cometh from above is above all; he that is from the earth is from the earth, and speaketh from the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; yet no one receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set his seal to this, that 'God is true.' For he whom God 1 v. H. n. sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that disobeyeth the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. SECT. IV. Our Lord's Conference with the Samaritan Woman: JOHN iv. 1-42. He WHEN therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John, (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples,) he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. Now it was necessary for him to go through Samaria. cometh therefore to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the portion of land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with the journey, sat accordingly by the well: (it was about the sixth hour.) There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, "Give me to drink." (For his disciples had gone away unto the city to buy provisions.) The Samaritan woman saith therefore unto him, "Why dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman?" (for the Jews have no communication with the Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said unto her, "If thou hadst known the bounty of God, and who it is that saith to thee, 'Give me to drink,' thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." The 1 Lit., Jesus is making and baptizing: v. H. n. 2 v. H. n. woman saith unto him, "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence, therefore, hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank thereof, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus answered and said unto her, "Every one who drinketh of this water will thirst again : but whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; but the water that I shall give him will be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life." The woman saith unto him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, or come hither to draw." Jesus saith unto her, "Go, call thy husband, and come hither." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus saith unto her, "Thou hast well said, 'I have no husband:' for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: thou hast said this truly." The woman saith unto him, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where all ought to worship." Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, believe me, The hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor at Jerusalem, ye shall worship the Father. Ye worship what ye know not: we worship what we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour cometh," (and now it is,) "when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit: 2 and they that worship him ought to worship in spirit and truth." The woman saith unto him, "I know that the Messiah cometh," (which meaneth Christ, i. e. Anointed;) "when he cometh he will tell us 1 Lit., shall not thirst for ever. 2 Or, God is spirit. all things." Jesus saith unto her, "I who am speaking to thee, am he." (And upon this his disciples came, and wondered that he was talking with a woman; no one, however, said, What seekest thou? or, Why art thou talking with her?) The woman, therefore, left her bucket, and went back into the city, and saith to the men, "Come, see a man, who hath told me all that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" They went out of the city, and continued coming unto him. In the mean while his disciples entreated him, saying, "Rabbi! eat!" But he said unto them, "I have meat to eat which ye know not of." The disciples therefore said one to another, "Hath any one brought him aught to eat?” Jesus saith unto them, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Do ye not say, 'There are still four months, and then the harvest cometh ? behold, I say unto you, 'Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are already white for harvest.'1 He that reapeth, receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto everlasting life: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth, may rejoice together. For herein is the saying true, 'One is the sower, and another the reaper.' I send1 you to reap that whereon ye have bestowed no labour: others have laboured, and ye have entered into their labours." And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that ever I did." When therefore the Samaritans had come unto him, they besought him that he would abide with them and he abode there two days. And many more : 1 v. H. n. believed because of his own word; and they said unto the woman, "We no longer believe because of thy saying: for we have ourselves heard him; and we perceive that this is indeed the Saviour of the world"-the Christ.1 SECT. V. On his Return to Galilee, Jesus, while at Cana, heals the Nobleman's Son, who was ill at Capernaum. JOHN iv. 43-54. Now after the two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee for Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath not honour in his own country.1 (When therefore he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him gladly, having seen all that he did in Jerusalem at the feast for they also went to the feast.) He came therefore again unto Cana of Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman,2 whose son was sick at Capernaum. He having heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, went unto him, and entreated1 him that he would come down,1 and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said unto him, Unless ye see signs and wonders, ye do not believe." The nobleman saith unto him, "Lord, come down ere my child dieth." Jesus saith unto him, "Go thy way, thy son is well." And the man believed the word which Jesus spake to him, and he went his way. But as he was now going down, his servants met him, and brought word, saying, "Thy child is well." He inquired therefore from them the hour when he became better. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." The 1 v. H. n. 2 One of the royal household: v. H. n. 66 |