“A Faithful Stepping-Stone That Erases the Sound of My Own Existence, So That Only the Light of Jesus Christ May Be Exalted and Spread”

“A Faithful Stepping-Stone That Erases the Sound of My Own Existence, So That Only the Light of Jesus Christ May Be Exalted and Spread”

 

 

 

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony: ‘He told me everything I ever did.’  So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days.  And because of His word many more became believers.  They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world’” (John 4:39–42).

 

 

(1)   Today, I would like to meditate only on the final, sixth section of John 4:3–42, the passage that records Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman.  This final section is John 4:39–42.  When I read these verses in both Korean and Greek, the first thing that caught my attention was the relationship between the first half of verse 39 and verse 42. In the Greek text, verse 39 begins: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him” [Ἐκ δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν τῶν Σαμαριτῶν (Ek de tēs poleōs ekeinēs polloi episteusan eis auton tōn Samaritōn)].  Then, in verse 42, we read: “‘We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world’” [Οὐκέτι διὰ τὴν σὴν λαλιὰν πιστεύομεν· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκηκόαμεν, καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου (Ouketi dia tēn sēn lalian pisteuomen; autoi gar akēkoamen, kai oidamen hoti houtos estin alēthōs ho sōtēr tou kosmou)].  I believe these two verses form an inclusio.  Together, they create a literary framework that binds John 4:39–42 into a unified passage.  At the beginning, in verse 39, the Samaritans “believed in Jesus.”  At the end, in verse 42, they declare, “We no longer believe just because of what you said.”  Through this literary framework, John shows us that verses 39–42 form a distinct unit addressing the beginning and completion of the Samaritans’ faith.

The Chiastic Structure (Chiasmus, or Sandwich Structure)

 

A    Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus (v. 39).

       B    The woman testified, “He told me everything I ever did” (v. 39).

C     The Samaritans came to Jesus and urged Him to stay with them,

        and He stayed there two days (v. 40).

       B′    Many more believed because of Jesus’ word (v. 41).

A′    They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said,

        for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is

        the Savior of the world” (v. 42).

 

The beginning (v. 39): The townspeople’s faith began as an indirect and immature faith that depended on the woman’s testimony.

The conclusion (v. 42): After spending two days with Jesus, their faith made a great leap forward and became a personal, confessional faith grounded in hearing Him for themselves.

 

This sixth section (Jn. 4:39–42) is more than a simple record of an event.  It presents a pattern of redemptive-historical discipleship: indirect faith begins through the “voice” or “shadow” of the woman (A and B).  Then, after the Samaritans experience intimate fellowship with Jesus, the true temple and the true Holy of Holies (C), their faith reaches maturity.  They personally hear the Lord’s voice—His rhēma, or spoken word—and make their own confession of faith (B′ and A′).  Based on this chiastic structure, I have organized three biblical principles and practical applications that this passage offers to the members of Victory Presbyterian Church and to all who serve the Lord in their daily settings—their homes, workplaces, and church.

 

1.      First Principle: The Missionary’s Testimony (B) Is Simply the Pure Voice of a “Stepping-Stone” That Leads Souls to Remain Before Christ (Jn. 4:39).

 

The mystery of the original language and the biblical principle — martyrouses [μαρτυρούσης]: According to verse 39, the Samaritans first came to believe in Jesus because “the woman testified” [μαρτυρούσης (martyrouses)].  After the Lord’s true light had transparently exposed the shameful reality she had wanted to hide—the shame associated with her five husbands (vv. 16, 18)—the woman gladly threw away her worldly water jar as though it were refuse. She ran into the town and proclaimed the gospel: “Come, see!” (vv. 28–29; Phil. 3:8).  Her testimony became a powerful evangelistic signpost, opening the hearts of many Samaritans and moving them to come out and meet Jesus (v. 30).  Yet the spiritual principle revealed in the Gospel of John is that the voice and confession of a human witness are only a temporary and limited stepping-stone—a shadow—that connects souls to the Lord (1:23, 26).

 

2.      Second Principle: True Faith Reaches Its Fullness (A′) When We Personally Hear and Confess the Lord’s Voice—His Rhēma—Through Fellowship with Him (C) (Jn. 4:40–42).

 

The heart of the chiastic structure — “He stayed there two days” [ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ δύο ἡμέρας (emeinen ekei dyo hēmeras)] (C, v. 40): At the deepest center of the sandwich structure above, the central point is Jesus’ two-day stay in Samaria (v. 40).  The same pattern of rest and fellowship appears in John 1:38–39.  When the disciples asked Jesus, “Rabbi, where are You staying?” He replied, “Come, and you will see.” They then went with Him and stayed with Him that day [μένουν (menoun)].  The Samaritans broke through the formidable barrier of separation that the Jews had erected (4:9).  They respectfully welcomed the Lord into the very center of their lives.  During those two days, they received abundant spiritual nourishment through intimate new-covenant fellowship with Him and the living water of the Holy Spirit, which never runs dry (John 1:33; 4:14).

 

The leap into personal faith — “We have heard for ourselves, and we know” [ἀκηκόαμεν καὶ οἴδαμεν (akēkoamen kai oidamen)] (A′, v. 42): After spending these two days in intimate fellowship with Jesus, the Samaritans’ confession was dramatically transformed: “We no longer believe because of what you said. We have heard for ourselves [ἀκηκόαμεν (akēkoamen)—perfect tense], and we know for ourselves [οἴδαμεν (oidamen)—present form] that He really is the Savior of the world” (v. 42).  The fragile and pretentious framework of faith that borrows the will of another person or depends on someone else’s theological maturity is torn down completely before the cross.  Through the abundant illumination of the Holy Spirit, a firm and independent faith—like a rock—is formed within the true Holy of Holies of the heart.  There, believers hear and confess the Lord’s living and active word for themselves (2:21; 3:34; Mt. 16:18).

 

3.      Third Principle: The Final Conclusion of Salvation Is the Lord’s Sovereignty Over All Things, Through Which He Brings Life to the Whole World Beyond the Boundaries Humans Have Created (Jn. 4:42b).

The majestic climax of the confession of faith — “The Savior of the world” [ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου (ho sōtēr tou kosmou)]: The final title the Samaritans proclaimed when they opened their mouths in confession was not that of a shallow political king of the Jews or a hero in a competition for religious influence.  Instead, they boldly declared the great saving truth concerning the whole world: Jesus is truly “the Savior of the world” (v. 42).

 

Practical application for every believer: As we live out our faith in our homes, workplaces, and Victory Presbyterian Church, there is no need to become discouraged every day or continually calculate our prospects because of the weakness of our hypocritical and worldly old selves. The Lord does not bind Himself to our limitations.  On the cross at the third Passover, He declared, “It is finished,” establishing His faithful declaration of completed salvation as an eternal guarantee for all humanity (19:30; 1 Jn. 5:12).  We ought to joyfully embrace the principle of ministry expressed in John the Baptist’s confession: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).  We must gladly throw away as refuse the water jars of our titles as pastors and our accumulated experience in ministry (4:28; Phil. 3:8).  Day after day, we should expose ourselves transparently before the throne of the Lord’s grace—the table of His love—and worship the Father in spirit and truth (Jn. 3:21; 4:23–24; 21:12).  When I humble myself and become “nothing,” allowing only the Lord’s word—the One who is above all things—to be exalted and to flourish (3:31, 34), I firmly believe and am convinced that the Lord will continually pour out upon the lives of His people a cascading joy that the world can neither give nor understand (v. 29).  He will also continue to adorn His church in radiant glory as a bride whom the powers of Hades can never overcome (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 5:27).

 

(2)   Second, I would like to receive the lessons the Lord teaches us through these two statements: “The woman testified, ‘He told me everything I ever did’” [διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς γυναικὸς μαρτυρούσης ὅτι Εἶπέν μοι πάντα ἃ ἐποίησα (dia ton logon tēs gynaikos martyrousēs hoti eipen moi panta ha epoiēsa)] (Jn. 4:39, B); and: “Many more believed because of His word” [πολλῷ πλείους ἐπίστευσαν διὰ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ (pollō pleious episteusan dia ton logon autou)] (v. 41, B′).  One interesting point struck me as I meditated on the words “the woman testified” [μαρτυρούσης (martyrousēs)] in verse 39: I was reminded of John the Baptist: “He came as a witness, to testify concerning that light” [μαρτυρήσῃ (martyrēsē)] (1:7).  In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist’s defining identity is that of a person who bears witness to the light.  Interestingly, precisely the same word is used for the Samaritan woman.  Neither of them led people to Jesus by appealing to their own words or authority.  Rather, they served as a bridge, testifying to who Jesus is and directing people toward Him.  In this respect, the two are remarkably alike: both turned people’s attention away from themselves and toward Jesus Christ.

·      John the Baptist (John 3:30): “He must increase, but I must decrease.” He sent the disciples who had followed him to Jesus.

·        The Samaritan woman (John 4:42): When the Samaritans declared, “We no longer believe just because of what you said,” the woman did not become resentful or insist on remaining at the center of their faith. Her role in preparing the way had been fulfilled.

The Samaritan woman therefore occupies the role of a forerunner in the pattern of John the Baptist: she opens the way for the Samaritans to meet Jesus personally (C) and hear His word directly (B′), and then she steps out of the spotlight.  Indeed, the Samaritan woman has tremendous significance in the biblical history of redemption because she was an early missionary forerunner who prepared the Lord’s way in Samaria, beyond the boundaries of Judaism. What does this teach us?

 

(a)   John the Baptist, the great figure of the Judean wilderness, and the marginalized woman from Sychar in Samaria are brought together at the very heart of the biblical history of redemption. They embody one stewardship calling: “A faithful stepping-stone that erases the sound of my own existence, so that only the light of Jesus Christ may be exalted and spread.”  The woman’s journey as a forerunner who prepared the Lord’s way beyond the barriers of Judaism offers three biblical principles and practical applications for all members of Victory Presbyterian Church and all who serve the Lord in their daily lives.

 

1.      First Principle: The Ultimate Identity of Every Believer and Servant of the Lord Is to Set Aside One’s Own Reputation and Become a Voice That Testifies Only to the Light (Jn. 1:7, 23; 4:39).

 

The mystery of the original language and the biblical principle — [μαρτυρούσης (martyrousēs)]: Behind the woman’s testimony, through which the Samaritans were led to Jesus in John 4:39, stands the participial form martyrousēs (μαρτυρούσης), meaning “testifying” or “bearing witness.”  This word belongs to the same spiritual vocabulary as the word used in John 1:7 to describe John the Baptist’s mission: “to testify concerning the light” [μαρτυρήσῃ (martyrēsē)].  A witness does not boast before the world about the table of personal pride or the privileges of a false temple built over forty-six years (2:15, 20).  Rather, the witness gladly overturns and abandons the calculations and helplessness of personal thinking before the cross.  The witness lives as a pure channel that reflects to the world the beauty of Jesus Christ alone—the Person who came into the very center of life and cleansed the shameful past associated with the woman’s five husbands (4:17–18, 26).

 

2.      Second Principle: The Role of the Gospel Messenger Is to Bring Souls Face-to-Face with the Lord and Then Joyfully Disappear from the Spotlight (Jn. 3:30; 4:42).

 

The glory of self-denial — “He must increase, but I must decrease” (3:30): Even when John the Baptist faced the painful reality of losing the disciples who had followed him as they went to Jesus, he chose the joyful path of decreasing.  He testified that his inner being was already filled with joy—the joy of a friend who hears the bridegroom’s voice (vv. 26, 29–30).  The Samaritan woman in today’s passage likewise spent no time harboring even the slightest resentment when the townspeople met Jesus personally and stayed with Him for two days (4:40).  When they declared, “We no longer believe just because of what you said,” they effectively moved her out of the center and erased her role from the spotlight (v. 42).  Why?  Because she had fully understood that the greatest reward and crown of a servant of the Lord is to help souls move beyond the limited human voice (B), hear personally the living and active word of Jesus—the true temple and the true Holy of Holies (B′)—and stand firmly in an independent, rock-solid faith that possesses eternal life (2:19, 21; 3:34, 36; 4:36, 42).

 

3.      Third Principle: The Life of a True Believer Must Follow the Footsteps of a Missionary Forerunner Who Breaks Down Human Barriers and Expands the Reach of the Gospel (1 Jn. 5:4).

 

The complete collapse of the barriers that prevent people from associating with one another: The Pharisaic system of Judaism and the values of the world have continually built high walls of separation.  They confine themselves within boundaries of ancestry, privilege, presbytery, and denomination, judging and excluding others from outside those walls (Jn. 1:24–25; 4:1, 9).

 

Practical application for every believer: True worshipers, who have been baptized with the Holy Spirit from above and born again of God (1:13, 33; 3:5; 4:23), boldly tear down the boundaries of prejudice established by the world and move forward.  The daily lives of believers—in their homes, workplaces, and the wilderness-like world of our age—should be lives of pioneering faith.  Following Philippians 3:8, they should joyfully throw away as refuse the water jars of familiar comfort and personal reputation (4:28; Phil. 3:8).  They should humble themselves and go to souls who are thirsty and wounded like the Samaritan woman, proclaiming without hesitation, “Come, see!” and radiating the victory of the gospel (Jn. 4:29).  When we erase our own nameplates and move forward, placing our complete trust in the sovereignty of Jesus, the God who is self-existent (v. 26), I firmly believe and am convinced that the Lord will use our sincere voices as His testimony.  He will completely break the power of Hades and fill the whole church day after day with the completed rest and celebration of heaven.

 

(3)   Third and last, I would like to receive the lessons the Lord teaches us through the meaning of these words: “So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days” [ὡς οὖν ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ Σαμαρῖται, ἠρώτων αὐτὸν μεῖναι παρ’ αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ δύο ἡμέρας (hōs oun ēlthon pros auton hoi Samaritai, ērōtōn auton meinai par’ autois; kai emeinen ekei dyo hēmeras)] (Jn. 4:40).

 

(a)    At the heart of this journey, the Apostle John records the verb “abide” [μένω (menō)], a word that throughout the Gospel of John describes the mysterious and intimate spiritual union enjoyed by God and His people (15:4).  Jesus’ two-day stay in Samaria provides three concrete biblical principles and practical applications that the members of Victory Presbyterian Church and all who serve the Lord should seek to experience in their daily lives.

 

1.      First Principle: Holy Abiding with the Lord Begins When We Break Down the Human Barriers That Keep People Apart (Jn. 4:40).

 

The mystery of the original language — meinai [μεῖναι, “to stay”] and emeinen [ἔμεινεν, “He stayed”]: The Greek word meinai (μεῖναι), used in the Samaritans’ request that the Lord stay with them, and emeinen (ἔμεινεν), used to say that the Lord stayed there, both derive from menō (μένω), a key word in the Gospel of John meaning “to abide,” “to remain,” or “to dwell continually.”  At that time, the Jews regarded the Samaritans as unclean.  They erected a formidable barrier of separation and would not even share the utensils the Samaritans used (v. 9).  If the Lord had entrusted His heart to the rumors of religious competition within the Pharisaic system or to the opinions and reputations of people, He would never have entered Samaritan territory or stayed there with them.

Practical application for every believer: For all believers to enjoy the true Immanuel rest of walking with the Lord in their daily lives, we must first joyfully and completely overturn the human prejudices and preconceived ideas we have erected in the world.  When we tear down and empty ourselves of the false temple-building self—our Something self that seeks to boast in its wisdom and privileges—the Lord makes the center of our hearts the true temple, the true Holy of Holies, beyond any building centered on a physical location.  He begins within us an intimate fellowship of abiding and the living water of the Holy Spirit, which will never run dry.

 

2.      Second Principle: The “Two Days” Spent with the Lord Are a Time of Purification in Faith, When We Personally Hear the Gospel with Our Own Ears and Become Convinced of Its Truth (Jn. 4:40–42).

 

From an indirect voice to the direct Word: As the chiastic structure shows, the townspeople initially came toward Jesus after hearing only the woman’s indirect testimony (B) (v. 39).  But when the Lord stayed with them for two days (v. 40) and personally filled them with the living and active word of God, communicating it in a way they could understand (3:34; 4:41), their faith made a tremendous leap forward and matured.

 

Practical application for every believer: The true faith of a believer must not remain at a limited stage that depends solely on the stepping-stone voices of other people’s theological maturity or a pastor’s wisdom.  Each day, I myself must enter the secluded place where I sit alone with the Lord. I must pass through a time of personal, one-to-one fellowship with Him, transparently exposing all my shameful reality—including the shame associated with the woman’s five husbands—before the true light.  When we personally hear the Lord’s word with our own ears and engrave its assurance deeply upon our hearts as a settled conviction, we can finally stand firm in an independent, rock-solid faith. We will no longer be shaken by the barriers of our circumstances or by people’s reactions. Instead, we will confess without wavering: “Jesus Christ truly is the Savior of my life and of the whole world!”

 

3.      Third Principle: Even If My Name Decreases and Disappears, the Flourishing of the Lord’s Word Alone Is the Eternal Satisfaction of a Servant of the Lord (Jn. 3:29–30).

 

The fulfillment of the self-denial exemplified by John the Baptist: After the townspeople had stayed with the Lord for two days, they declared, “We no longer believe just because of what you said.”  The Samaritan woman did not harbor even the slightest resentment as she was moved entirely out of the spotlight. Instead, she joyfully stepped out of the way (4:42).

 

Practical application for every believer: The true strength of every believer and servant of the Lord lies in joyfully accepting the holy, sovereign necessity expressed in John the Baptist’s confession: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).  As we quietly draw the water of God’s Word and fulfill our calling to serve the hungry hearts of believers, filling their stone jars to the brim, whether in our homes, workplaces, or the church that is the body of the Lord, we must not try to prove our own contribution or establish a claim to recognition through our labor or our name.  Instead, we should joyfully throw away the water jar of our own thinking as refuse.  We must make the voice of Jesus, the Bridegroom Himself, rise like the radiant sun within the hearts of believers and flourish there.  That alone should be our greatest reward and our completed joy.  As we erase ourselves and move forward, placing our full trust in the Lord’s perfect accomplishment, I firmly believe and am convinced that He will completely break the power of Hades and continue to adorn the whole church brilliantly, day after day, as a blameless and glorious bride.