Question 1

Why did Jesus leave Judea when the Pharisees heard about His baptizing?

Accepted Answer

Jesus left Judea when the Pharisees heard that He was making and baptizing more disciples than John. He was not running away in fear, but He knew their hearts and did not push them into open conflict before the right time. His “hour” had not yet come. By going back to Galilee, He protected His followers and stayed in step with His Father’s plan. This shows that it is right to keep doing God’s work, but not to throw ourselves into danger carelessly when there is another path.

Question 2

What does it mean that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, yet He did not baptize?

Accepted Answer

The passage says Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, then adds that Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples did. This means the baptisms done by His followers still count as His work. He focused on teaching and calling people to follow Him, and then His disciples baptized those who believed. This helps us see that the value of baptism does not rest on the person who performs it, but on Jesus who gives it meaning and power. It is His baptism even when done by human hands.

Question 3

Why did Jesus Himself not baptize people in water?

Accepted Answer

Jesus did not personally baptize people, even though many were baptized as His disciples. One reason is to show that the power of baptism does not depend on the status or holiness of the person holding the water. Another reason is to avoid pride and arguments among people who might boast that they were baptized by Jesus’ own hands. By letting His disciples baptize, He honored their role, kept the focus on faith in Him, and taught that He is the true giver of new life, beyond the outward sign.

Question 4

What does it mean that Jesus "must needs" go through Samaria?

Accepted Answer

The words “must needs go through Samaria” can be read in two ways. Geographically, going through Samaria was a natural route from Judea to Galilee. Spiritually, there was also a deeper “must” in God’s plan. Jesus was on His way to meet people in Samaria who would come to believe in Him, starting with a Samaritan woman at the well. So this “must” points to both the ordinary path on the map and God’s purpose to reach people who were usually looked down on by the Jews.

Question 5

What is the significance of Sychar and Jacob’s well in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Sychar was a city in Samaria, near the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, a real historic place tied to Israel’s story. Mentioning these details shows that this meeting happens in a place loaded with old promises and family history. Samaritans lived there and claimed a share in that heritage. Jesus sitting at Jacob’s well sets the stage for Him to speak into that history and show that He is the One all those old stories were pointing to, even for people outside mainstream Jewish circles.

Question 6

What does Jesus being wearied with His journey teach about Him?

Accepted Answer

The passage says Jesus was “wearied with his journey” and sat on the well at about the sixth hour, around noon. This shows His real humanity. He did not only appear human; He truly became one of us and felt tired, thirsty, and worn out by heat and walking. At the same time, He is the Lord who knew what was in people’s hearts and was on a mission from God. So we see both sides together: He is the Son of God, yet He shares our weakness and can sympathize with our daily struggles.

Question 7

What was happening in the story when Jesus sat at Jacob’s well around the sixth hour?

Accepted Answer

Jesus had been traveling from Judea back to Galilee and had gone through Samaria. By the time He reached the area of Sychar, near Jacob’s well, it was about the sixth hour, likely around noon. The heat of the day and the distance walked left Him tired, so He sat by the well to rest. His disciples will soon go into the city to buy food while He stays there. This simple, everyday moment of rest becomes the setting for His deep talk with a Samaritan woman about living water.

Question 8

What does this short passage teach about discipleship and baptism?

Accepted Answer

This passage quietly shows a pattern: Jesus first makes disciples, then they are baptized. People hear His teaching, believe in Him, and then receive baptism as a sign of that new faith. It also shows that baptism carried out by His disciples is still counted as His work. For us today, this encourages a focus on real heart change and trust in Christ before the outward act. It also reminds us not to fixate on which person baptized us, but to look to Jesus, who is the true Lord of our discipleship.

John 4:1

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus Goes to Galilee

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John 4:1

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

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Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus Goes to Galilee

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