Title: Jesus who passes through blocked road John 4:1-42

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), 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 Jacobs 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. 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. 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. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. 21 Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in
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spirit and truth. 25 The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things. 26 Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He.
The Whitened Harvest

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, What do You seek? or, Why are You talking with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, Rabbi, eat. 32 But He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him anything to eat? 34 Jesus said to them, 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 and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: One sows and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.
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The Savior of the World

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all that I ever did. 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ,[a] the Savior of the world.
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Samaria mentioned in todays Scriptures is located in the middle Palestine region and it is about 56km north of Jerusalem and about 33km from Mediterranean Sea.

As it is stated in 1 Kings 16:24, king Omri of Northern Israel bought the hill of
Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill. Since then until the nation collapsed, Samaria was the capital city of northern Israel.

In 2 Kings 17:24-4024 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land. 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land. 28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. 29 However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. 30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared the LORD, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 They feared the LORD, yet served their own godsaccording to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away. 34 To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the LORD had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, 35 with whom the LORD had made a covenant and charged them, saying: You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; 36 but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. 38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget,

nor shall you fear other gods. 39 But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. 40 However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. 41 So these nations feared the LORD, yet served their carved images; also their children and their childrens children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.

In verse 29, it says 29 However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. This reflects hostile relations between Jewish people and Samaritans.

In Rabbi literature, they call Samaritans Gutheans and it means these people came from Babylons city called Cuthah and it is a title of contempt.

2 Kings 17:24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities.
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In John 8:48, Jewish people said to Jesus, Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon? We can see from here contempt of Jewish people towards Samaritan had a long history.

However, Samaritans insist that their title as Samaritan was not originated from the city of Samaria, but it came from somerim which means those who keep the true laws.

Samaritans are from the bloodline of Joseph and their priesthood came down from Phinehas.

The struggle between Jewish and Samaritans began long before the collapse of Samaria which was in B.C.721 and it began since the battle between Ephraim and Judah. After the fall of Jerusalem in B.C.586, northern Israel was superior than Judah and Jewish who came from the captivity in Babylon had bitter experience because of that. Samaritans never acknowledged Jerusalem and Zion as Gods chosen sanctuaries. For Samaritans, Gods chosen place is not Jerusalem, but it is Mt.Gerizim which was Israels holy place previously. When temple of Samaritans was built for the first time on Mt. Gerizim, there was no problem, however, when they claim that the temple on Mt. Gerizim is the only holy place chose by God, there was a problem.

The Bible of Samaritans is Torah, the five books of Moses, and they claim that only they have this complete book of Moses and Jewish people do not have this book and their only prophet is Moses. Various attitudes towards Samaritans are expressed well in the Four Gospels; in Matthew it says hostile and in Mark it says they were ignored by Jewish, in Luke it says Jewish treated them fairly but did not like to be near them, and in John, it says Jewish and Samaritans forgave each other and lived in harmony.

Samaritans believe that in the end of the world, Dahap which means restorer will come and stand on Mt. Gerizim and begins new reign. This is different from Messiah of Jewish people, rather, it is same as the prophet like me in Deuteronomy 18:18.

Dahap has the same meaning as Israels Messiah and is the leader in the end and it is same as Elijah mentioned in the New Testament. (Matt. 11:14, Mark 9:11-) This Dahap will restore the temple on Mt. Gerizim and he is to come to earth in the 6000th year since the creation and he lives until he is 110 years old and prepare Gods new reign over the world. When Jesus was talking with a Samaritan women near the well of Jacob, Jesus freed religion from geographic limit and emphasized spirituality of religion.

John 4:21 Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
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You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
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Also, by the parable of a good Samaritan Jesus sharply criticized formality of Jewish religion and opened a new way of understanding human nature. Luke 10:26-37 He said to him, What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? So he answered and said, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,[h] and your neighbor as yourself.[i] 28 And He said to him, You have answered rightly; do this and you will live. 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30 Then Jesus answered and said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed,[j] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He who showed mercy on him. Then Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.
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Jesus not only passed through Samaria, but also made a way through the long obstructed ideology.

Since the nation of Israel was divided into southern Judah and northern Israel because of king Solomons sin, there was no coming and going between Jewish people and Smaritans. That period is exactly 748 years and about for 750 years there was no coming and going between Jewish and Samaritans and they never even talked to each other. As it is stated in Luke 17:11, Jesus and His disciples travelled around the border of Samaria. 11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. John 4:4-9 But He needed to go through Samaria. 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 Jacobs 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.
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This is the only record of Jesus and His disciples passing through Samaria.

When they needed to go to Galilee, there was a shortcut if they pass through Samaria. However, for Jewish despised Samaritans and did not even talk to them, they did not choose the shortcut and travelled around the border of Samaria.

But Jesus passed through Samaria. In John 4:4, it says But He needed to go through Samaria. Jesus intentionally decided to go through Samaria. Why would Jesus want to go through Samaria? Disciples wondered. From their ancestors time, Jewish people did not go through Samaria and now Jesus is telling His disciples that He is going to go through Samaria. So the disciples looked at Jesus strangely.

Jewish people and Samaritans are originally came from same people, but since the people were divided into northern and southern people, Samaritans engaged with foreigners and married Assyrians and they became crossbred. That is why Jewish people had contempt towards Samaritans calling them mixedblood people and they did not even talk to them for 750 years. And therefore, the road between Judah and Samaria was a blocked road. Just like North Korea and South Korea has a road through them, but it is blocked by the invisible line called the 38th parallel. For north Korea and south Korea has different ideologies, people cannot cross over from each other and there is no coming and going between them even though people might have relatives still living in north Korea. Samaritans worshipped foreign gods for 750 years and engaged in marriage with foreigners and brought about Gods wrath upon them. They did many evil things in the sight of the Lord. That is why Jewish did not even consider them as human and they did not pass through the land. But, now Jesus is saying that He is going to pass through Samaria. From Gods redemptive historical point of view, the reason why Jesus wants to pass through Samaria is because it is time to harvest. The crops are ripen. Jesus saw Samaria and it was time to harvest. If not harvest crops right away, ripen crops are about to rotten. The disciples said that there are still four months until harvest season, but in Jesus eyes, the crops are ripe to harvest. I hope you have Jesus eyes that see crops ripen enough to harvest.

Seeing a Samaritan woman ripen enough to be harvested, Jesus wanted to pass through Samaria to meet her and harvest her. For Jesus is God, He knew this fact.

For Jesus is God He not only knows what is before His eyes but knows even things that are thousands of miles away. Jesus saw a grain to be harvested in the land of Samaria.

People only realize when they are shown or told something, but for Jesus is God He knew everything even before He saw. John 2:24-25 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
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Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! On the way to Judah, Jesus saw the land of Samaria and there was a Samaritan woman who became white for harvest and saw that through that woman, people of Samaria was being harvested. That is why Jesus passed through Samaria with His disciples. While you believe in Jesus until this day, have you ever prayed for one soul and had a breaking heart that you wanted to lead that soul before God? Jesus saw this Samaritan woman coming to draw water to Jacobs well for she was thirsty. So Jesus went ahead and arrived at the well before this woman came and waited for her there. Our Lord waited at the Jacobs well to meet this thirsty Samaritan woman and at last, this Samaritan woman came to draw water.

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. 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. 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
Jesus asked her to give Him some water to drink.
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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. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. 21 Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. 25 The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things. 26 Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He.
The Whitened Harvest

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, What do You seek? or, Why are You talking with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, Rabbi, eat. 32 But He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him anything to eat? 34 Jesus said to them, 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 and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: One sows and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.
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The Savior of the World

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all that I ever did. 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He
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stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ,[a] the Savior of the world.

Through this incident, I hope you believe that for those who are thirsty, the One who will give you living water is near you and with Him, there is always living water prepared. A famous Korean comedian Mr. Baek Nam Bong died a few days ago at the age of 71 and world famous designer Andre Kim also died a while ago. We do not know when we will depart this world as well.

And therefore, whenever you receive the Word of God, I hope you have such attitude that you are receiving before Gods presence. Thessalonians received gospel not as word of man, but as the Word of God and consequently they received great blessings.

The Samaritan woman was waiting for Christ to come and Jesus revealed to her that He is Christ and the Samaritan woman left her water jar at the well and ran to the city to shout that she met Christ. People of Samaria came to Jesus and through this Samaritan womans testimony, many believed in Jesus. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified,
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So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ,[a] the Savior of the world.

During such process, Jesus spoke that Samaria became already white for harvest. John 4:35-38

Do you not say, There are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: One sows and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.
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If Jesus considered Samaritans enemies like other Jewish people and went around the border of Samaria, then how could have Samaritans be saved?

While you believe in Jesus until this day, have you ever been a blocked way to your relatives? The gospel must pass through such way, but cannot pass through because of the blocked way? Gospel should not be limited by time and space.

It is the gospel of salvation, gospel of eternal live, gospel of life and gospel that gives life. Even so, would you not spread this gospel to your relatives? We must all repent that we could not make a way through the blocked road and pass through it.

For each of us, we have friends and many relatives. However, we could not give them Gods redemptive series yet. We are not able to pass through the blocked road because of various reasons.

In Matthew 16:26, it says26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? If you do not spread the eternal gospel Gods redemptive series, then how will you be able to survive?

Have you not read the Scripture written by the Apostle Paul, that woe is me if I do not preach the gospel? 1 Corinthians 9:16

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
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There are souls that God determined to give eternal life, have you ever prayed for such souls?

My grandfather, my grandmother, my mother and father, my brothers and sisters, even my step brothers and sisters. Weve only hated them but never preached gospel to them, right? Although there is a way through it, but we cannot go through it just like Jewish and Samaritans for 750 years and just like the 38th parallel. Is it not a great sin?

What is Gods absolute command to us? 2 Timothy 4:1-2 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at[a] His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
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We only have titles as elders, deacons, deaconesses, but have we preached the gospel all the time?

God rejoices most greatly when we save one soul and bring before the Father. That is why Jesus did not go around the land of Samaria, but passed through it. From redemptive point of view, Jesus is the Lord of Salvation, the Lord of life.

In Matthew 9:13-14, it says 13 But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.[b] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.[c] And in Matthew 20:28, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
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For 750 years, there was no coming and going from the land of Samaria, Jesus saw one woman to be harvested in such land and saw many souls who will be saved through the woman, and decided to pass through Samaria. And He spoke, look at the field, it is already white for harvest!

The road that was blocked for 750 years is open and the Word of God passed through it. For our nation Korea too, I believe the 38th parallel will collapse and the Word of God will pass through it.

Is the road still blocked between you and your relatives? To Your friends, your neighbours, elderly people around you, is there anywhere that the Word of God cannot go?

Just like Jesus decided and said that He will pass through Samaria, I hope you also say that I will go to my uncles house, my aunts house my step brothers house to preach the gospel.

Go and preach the gospel of salvation, gospel of eternal life, gospel of life so that that family too is saved by the Word of God. I bless you with the name of the Lord you all have such work of God with you.

Please do your best in preaching this gospel. Please do not forget Gods spiritual voice that said to redeem the time even for one moment and spread these books Gods redemptive series. Gods redemptive series make you understand Bible and lead you to road of salvation.

I hope you pray first before you give Gods redemptive series to someone. I hope you pray to God asking for Gods grace so that this person whom youre giving the book to cannot help but read the book.

I bless you with the name of the Lord that you become the hands that spread Gods redemptive series so that this gospel of salvation is never cut off from generation to generation and receive the blessing of being abroad to North, South, East and the West. I bless you with the name of the Lord.