John 4 vs1-26 Jesus Will Talk to Anyone

(John 4:1-26, New King James Version)

Israel is divided into three areas (think of them as provinces or states). 
The southernmost is Judea. This is where Jerusalem is located. This is the where the Pharisees held the most power. 

The middle region is Samaria. This is where the Samaritans lived (imagine that!). More on them shortly.

The northernmost area is Galilee. This area was most free of the Pharisees' influence, because it is distant from Judea, and to get to it you had to cross Samaria, and good Jews stayed out of Samaria.

Back when God was upset with Israel for her unfaithfulness to Him, he saw to it that they were overrun by the Assyrians (and Babylonians) and carried away in exile. The Assyrian king then gave the land called Samaria to some non-Jews to settle. These people intermarried with some of the Jews who escaped exile. This was not Kosher. These people asked the king to provide them with some Jewish priests to help them appease the "gods" of that area. Well, the priests at that time weren't all that in tune with God. That was part of the problem. That did not stop them from taking the job and going to Samaria to set up a religious system similar to Judaism. They even built their own temple. This put them at odds with the real Jews south of them, when they came back (under Nehemiah and others) to re-establish Israel and the real temple worship.

Jesus had a mission to accomplish. What is a mission? It's an assignment to be accomplished. Soldiers are sent on missions into enemy territory. They normally have a goal and a timetable of activity to achieve that goal. Often that goal must be realized at a specific time (like blow up the bridge when the train is crossing, not before or after, for the most effect). 

Jesus' goal was the cross. He had a timetable of things he had to do to achieve that goal at exactly the right moment. This is why He would say things like, "My time is not yet come". The Father was guiding Him in that mission. If He was captured by the enemy before His time, is mission would be compromised and the goal not achieved. So there were times that Jesus was led by the Father to evade the enemy. Going to Galilee through Samaria was a way of shaking them off His tail.

So Jesus is pulling way from the Pharisees for awhile to let things calm down a bit. He's going back to Galilee, through Samaria, after the house cleaning He did in Jerusalem, where He claimed authority from His Father, and performed miracles. We only know about these miracles from Nicodemus referring to them.

He stops at a well and the guys go looking for a deli to buy something to eat.

So this woman comes to get water. She's not with other women.  Jesus asks for a drink and she's shocked. He's a Jew and talking to a Samaritan and a woman at that!

Now he tells her that she should ask Him for Living Water that would never run out. She of course, doesn't get it. Previously he talked to one of the religious rulers of the Jews (about the new birth) and he didn't get it, either. Nobody gets it.

Jesus had Nicodemus' attention because of the miracles he did. Now Jesus is going to get this woman's attention by something miraculous. He's going to tell her about her personal situation.

In reply, she says He's a prophet. 

So the burning question in her mind is: Is she in the right denomination? Who's correct about worshiping God, the Samaritans or the Jews?

It happens often enough. You start to talk to somebody about Jesus and they want to talk about religion. I knew a guy that always wanted to talk about some special he saw on the Discovery Channel about "God vs Satan", or the book of Revelation, or some such nonsense. Never wanted to talk about the core problem (his relationship with God) but some extraneous religious matter (who's the anti-christ?).

Jesus says that the day is coming (not yet for her, but at His resurrection) when these religious constraints on where to worship won't matter, but for now the Jews are right about where to worship.

She says, "Whatever." Actually she says, "Well... someday Messiah will come and settle it."

That's when He tells her He's the Messiah.

John 3 vs22-36 John Sets His Disciples Straight

(John 3:22-36, New King James Version)

Jesus comes back to Judea and his disciples are baptizing. The next chapter points out that Jesus Himself wasn't.
So Jesus sets up shop baptizing and people start flocking to Him and not John the Baptist. John practically tells his disciples that they weren't paying attention earlier when he said he wasn't the Christ, but Jesus was:  "He must increase, but I must decrease." He then goes on to repeat Jesus' message of salvation through belief on the Son. John is not confused about who Jesus is at this point.

John 3 vs1-12 A Secret Admirer

(John 3:1-21, New King James Version)

Nicodemus was one of the "rulers" of the Jews. Herod was the king, but the poeple who called the shots were the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of religious leaders.
Nicodemus comes to Jesus in secret for a reason. Public discussions with Jesus are contentious for the Pharisees. If Nicodemus wants a non-confrontational discussion with Jesus, it has to be in private.

Nic (can I call you Nic?) says to Jesus: 'We (others also?) know you're from God because of the signs." This implies that Jesus had been performing more miracles after the wedding. But they wanted a sign that He was more than a teacher. 

Once again, Jesus seems to ignore what He was just told and gets to the point."You must be born again." 

Jesus is speaking one language and Nic is speaking another. Jesus points out that He is speaking on a level above Nic's understanding. Nic's gotta play catch-up. 

"I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"  

Does this imply that Jesus thinks that Nicodemus thought Jesus could impart something to Him, that Nic had a yearning for more?

He's going to get more. He's going to hear God's plan: That the Son of Man must be lifted up as a sacrifice (like the snake in the wilderness was a type of) and that belief on this sacrifice was the "great escape" from condemnation.

This is the crown jewel of Scripture:

"¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." 

But we are condemned by our unbelief. And saved by our belief.

Some people believe that Nicodemus was approaching Jesus at night, in secret, because he feared being seen with Him by his buddies on the council. When Jesus died Nicodemus was so bold as to ask to bury the body, forever associating himself with Jesus (and endangering himself in the process). 

Nic may have been trying to get Jesus to "come on board" with the council, give the 'new guy" a few tips, but Jesus would only have association with men on His terms, not theirs.

John 2 vs13-12 Cleaning House

(John 2:13-22, New King James Version)

It's Passover, and people are coming to Jerusalem to sacrifice for their sin. They have to use Temple shekels for their sacrifice. Money changers are set up for that. Making merchandise of (taking a profit on) peoples sinful condition. They should have set up shop outside not inside the Temple. Jesus chases them out.

This Gospel shows this happening at the start of His ministry. The other Gospels show it happening at the end. Maybe it happened at both. We are the Temple of God now and the persecution of the Church at the start of the church age cleansed it. Are we going to see that happen again before Jesus returns?

Jesus calls it His Father's house, giving Him authority to clean it. The rulers want to see a sign of this authority. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He gives them this sign at His Crucifixion. Of course they don't understand and think He's talking about the building. 

They are going to be continually asking for a sign. If you don't want to see something, maybe you won't see it even when it's in your face. 

John 2 vs1-12 Water to Wine

(John 2:1-12,New King James Version)

When we left Jesus, He was talking to Nathanael about the things he would see.

Now we are told "On the third day..." Jesus and the guys went to a wedding in Cana.

Never gave it much thought til now: third day? What does that mean?

One thing that comes to mind is that His first miracle came on the third day, and His last miracle (His resurrection) came on the third day. Probably just a coincidence. 

The wedding was probably of relative, and Mary felt bad for the cousin or whatever when the wine ran out.

We can't assume Jesus and the guys drank it all so that Mary was upset and asked Jesus to replace it. It was more likely that the newlyweds couldn't afford much to begin with.

All through this Gospel, Jesus gives replies to people that seem unkind, or uncaring, or irrelevant. "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" seems that way, but it was probably done in a laughing manner, maybe like: "What am I gonna do with you?".
What might be happening is that Mary now expects her Son to start acting like The King and supplying peoples needs, and Jesus replies kiddingly (like I said) and then tells her it is not time for Him to be That King, yet.
But mom knows He'll comply, and He does. Of course, if Jesus make wine, it's gonna be GREAT WINE.
Then He and His mom, brothers and disciples go down to Capernaum. Later, His brothers are not going to be so accepting of His calling like Joseph's brothers didn't believe Joseph.
But Joseph was his brothers' deliverer. Same with Jesus.