The Lord, Who Fully Knows and Penetrates Every Situation, Personally Bestows the Baptism of the Holy Spirit That Causes Souls to Be Born Again and Accomplishes Salvation!
“When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples)” (John 4:1–2).
(1) Before reading today’s passage, John 4:1–2, in the Korean Bible, I first read it in the Revised Korean Version available on the Internet through the Korean Bible Society. When I did so, I noticed the heading printed before verse 1: “Jesus Speaks with a Samaritan Woman.” I found this somewhat puzzling. The reason was that verses 1–2 did not seem to have any direct connection with the heading, “Jesus Speaks with a Samaritan Woman.” Therefore, after reading the entire passage from verses 3–42, which records Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman as indicated by the heading, I wanted to meditate separately on verses 1–2. My question is this: Why did the Apostle John record John 4:1–2 between John 3:31–36 and John 4:3–42? What was his intention?
(a) The headings or section titles printed in online Bibles and commercially published Bibles were added later by editors for the convenience of readers. They were not part of the Apostle John’s original literary arrangement. John 4:1–2 is not merely an introduction to Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman. Rather, it marks a major turning point in the history of redemption: the Lord brings the ministry described in chapter 3, which involves the Jewish religious establishment represented by Nicodemus and the Pharisees, to an end and decisively shifts the scene of His ministry toward the Samaritan world. The following is an organized presentation, prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence, of three key theological intentions behind the Apostle John’s placement of these two verses here, together with their pastoral lessons (Internet):
1. First Intention: To Put an End to Human Religious Competition and Envy and to Protect the Purity of the Gospel
The Foreshadowing of the Conflict in John 3: John 4:1: At the conclusion of the preceding chapter, the disciples of John the Baptist expressed jealousy over religious influence and territory, saying: “All men come to him.” (3:26). John 4:1 takes this development a step further by reporting that the news had reached the ears of the Pharisees, who represented the established religious elite in Jerusalem: “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John” (4:1). The issue was no longer merely a matter of rivalry among the followers of two religious teachers. The report had reached the ears of the Pharisees, who belonged to the dominant religious establishment.
The Lord Refuses to Be Drawn into the Established Religious Powers’ Scrutiny: If Jesus had remained in Judea and appeared to be competing with John the Baptist’s followers to expand their respective religious followings, the Pharisees could have used that situation as a pretext to characterize Jesus as a political and religious threat. They might have moved to arrest Him early or subjected Him to a hostile examination of His beliefs(1:19, 24–25; 2:18). The Lord does not entrust Himself to the shallow framework of human religious competition or to the conflict surrounding the false security offered by a temple system associated with forty-six years of construction (2:20, 24–25). Before the jealousy and conspiracies of the Jews could fully intensify, the Lord took the initiative, left that place, and continued directly along the path of His mission(4:1). The first intention, therefore, is to protect the purity of the Gospel by refusing to let human religious rivalry and the struggle to preserve established power determine the course of the Lord’s ministry.
2. Second Intention: To Confirm That the Essence of Jesus’ Ministry Was Not Water Baptism (a Ritual), but the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Life) (Jn. 4:2). In John 4:2, the Apostle John introduces a particularly distinctive and noteworthy explanatory parenthesis: “Though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples.”
Theological Intention: John explicitly clarifies that, during the early period of Jesus’ public ministry in Judea, it was actually His disciples who administered baptism. If Jesus Himself had personally baptized people with water, people might once again have divided themselves into competing groups: those who had received water baptism directly from Jesus and those who had received it from His disciples. They could then have fallen into the Pharisaic hypocrisy of boasting about visible rituals and personal qualifications (1 Cor. 1:12). As proclaimed in John 1:33 and 3:5, the Lord did not come merely to administer a water ritual. He came to bestow the true baptism of the Holy Spirit, which brings spiritual life and causes souls to be born again. He would destroy the temple of His body and rise again (Jn. 1:33; 2:19, 21; 3:5). By including this parenthetical explanation, the Apostle John clarifies that the Lord entrusted the ministry of the outward sign of water baptism to His disciples, while He Himself devoted His attention to the heavenly work of giving life (3:12). The intention was to demonstrate that Jesus’ essential ministry was not the administration of an outward ritual, but the life-giving work that only He could accomplish.
3. Third Intention: A Spiritual Transition from Nicodemus, a Jewish Elite, to Samaria, a Marginalized Gentile World
The Collapse of the Religious Boundaries: In John 3, Nicodemus represents the earthly person standing inside the seemingly secure boundaries of Judaism—Jerusalem, the Passover, and the religious festivals—boasting of his qualifications as a teacher of the Law (Jn. 2:23; 3:1, 10). Nicodemus possessed all the qualifications that Judaism regarded as important within its religious boundaries:
· Within the boundaries of ancestry: He was an Israelite, a Jew, belonging to the people whom God had chosen.
· Within the boundaries of status: He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council, and a ruler of the Jews (3:1).
· Within the boundaries of religion: He was a Pharisee and a teacher of Israel, regarded as someone who upheld the Law (v. 10).
Yet the Lord overturned the entire framework of knowledge on which Nicodemus relied.
(2:15; 3:2, 10). Then, in chapter 4, Jesus set out toward Samaria, a place with which Jews generally avoided association and whose inhabitants they treated with contempt (4:4, 9).
The Comprehensive Expansion of the New Covenant: Through John 4:1–2, the Apostle John brings the Judean phase of Jesus’ ministry to a solemn conclusion. The Lord had cleansed the religious marketplace in which human will and boasting predominated (2:15; 3:4, 9). Now, beginning in John 4:3, He sets the great sail of redemptive history toward the Samaritan world. He will bring new life to those poor in spirit who will come into the light according to the truth and thirst for living water (3:21; 4:14). This is a moment of spiritual transition, as the wine of Cana begins to overflow toward the whole world (2:10).
4. Lessons for Pastor James’s Heart and Ministry of Sharing God’s Word
As you meditate day and night on the Word of God, the Bread of Life, and offer your reflections to the Lord in prayer, you quietly carry out the ministry of sharing those reflections through the internet and with the members of Victory Presbyterian Church. This brief account in John 4:1–2 teaches a pastor the spiritual resolve that must remain firm throughout a lifetime of ministry.
Do not entrust your heart to public reputation or competition between churches; press forward along the path of your calling alone. In ministry, it is easy to become unsettled by the opinions of others, comparisons with other churches, or worldly measurements such as where the greatest number of people are gathering. Such concerns can trap the heart within the boundaries of visible success and numerical competition. That is the kind of religious marketplace that appeals to the Pharisees, not the kind of ministry that preserves the purity of the Gospel. You have made a noble commitment: “I will allow the name James to diminish completely and disappear behind the scenes, so that only Jesus, the Bridegroom, may increase.” Hold this confession of faithful stewardship high as a shield of the Gospel (Jn. 3:30; 1 Jn. 5:4). Leave the visible results of water baptism—the outward numbers and size of a religious following—to the disciples (Jn. 4:2). As a pastor, devote yourself to the essential heavenly work of receiving and serving the living Word of the Holy Spirit, which is poured out abundantly upon souls without being measured by a scale (2:7; 3:34). I firmly believe that the Lord, who is above all things, will personally uphold Victory Presbyterian Church and lead your steps securely beyond the stubborn barriers of Judea toward the mission field of Samaria (3:31).
Final Exegetical Summary of John 4:1–2: The Conclusion of the Judean Ministry and the Relocation of the Mission Field:
The Apostle John placed the report that the Pharisees had heard about Jesus’ baptizing ministry (v. 1), together with the explanatory parenthesis that Jesus Himself did not administer the baptisms (v. 2), between chapters 3 and 4 for a significant theological purpose. He intended to protect the purity of the Gospel by decisively blocking human religious competition and the boundaries of established religious power (2:24; 4:1). He also intended to confirm the sovereign reality of the true baptism of the Holy Spirit, which causes souls to be born again, rather than allowing the limited ritual of water baptism to become the center of attention (1:33; 3:5; 4:2). By overturning the religious system represented by Nicodemus, who boasted of human qualifications and knowledge, Jesus expanded the mission of the New Covenant comprehensively into the Samaritan world, where people who hungered for eternal living water would come into the light according to the truth (2:15, 19; 3:21, 30; 4:4; Eph. 5:27). This is the complete, sovereign victory of the New Covenant in the history of redemption (Internet).
(i) The Connection Between John 4:2 and Acts 6:4: What Should a Pastor Delegate, and What Should He Devote Himself to Doing? When I read the statement, “The ministry of the shadow represented by water baptism was entrusted to the disciples, while the Lord devoted Himself to the heavenly work of giving life,” I was reminded of Acts 6:4: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” I believe this passage teaches pastors like me what responsibilities should be entrusted or delegated to associate pastors, assistant ministers, elders, and ordained deacons, and what ministry we should devote ourselves to carrying out. What are the specific lessons and practical applications?
· Just as Jesus entrusted the outward ritual of water baptism to His disciples, the apostles in the Jerusalem church entrusted the important practical work of the church, including the distribution of aid and administrative responsibilities, to the seven deacons (Jn. 4:2; Acts 6:2–3). The purpose of this sacred delegation was not simply to make the pastor’s life easier. Rather, it was to enable the pastor to pour his entire being into the essential heavenly work that gives life (Jn. 2:17; 3:12). The following three biblical lessons and practical applications have been organized with the assistance of artificial intelligence to clarify which essential responsibilities a pastor should retain and which practical tasks he should delegate while working together with associate pastors, elders, and ordained deacons (Internet):
a. Responsibilities to Delegate: “The Ministry of Water”—Visible Administration, Rituals, and Programs
Biblical foundation: Jesus did not personally administer water baptism but entrusted it to His disciples. Likewise, the apostles entrusted the practical administration of the church’s charitable provision to others (Jn. 4:2; Acts 6:3).
Practical application: The visible systems required to maintain the church’s operations—including administration, financial management, facilities management, and the routine programs and events of individual ministries—should be delegated with full trust to the session and elders, ordained deacons, and associate pastors. These outward responsibilities are necessary for maintaining good order in the church. However, if the senior pastor allows the details of administrative work within a system resembling a forty-six-year-old building and marketplace to consume his attention and time, the essential ministry of cleansing the temple of his heart through the Word will become weak and dry (Jn. 2:15, 20–21)
b. The Area to Which the Pastor Should Devote Himself (Acts 6:4): “The Work of Heaven”—Prayer and the Ministry of the Living Word
The ministry you carry out each day, typing your reflections and sharing the Word with people on the internet and with the members of Victory Presbyterian Church, is a concrete expression of this calling.
① Devotion to Prayer: The Ministry of Kneeling Before God and Asking for the Wind of the Holy Spirit
Human wisdom and persuasive ability have no power, even to the smallest degree, to cause a soul to be born again or to bring spiritual life into a person’s heart (Jn. 3:4, 9). The hours you spend alone in prayer, kneeling with tears beneath the fig tree in your private place of communion with God, represent a vital part of your ministry of intercession (1:48). The wind of the Spirit blows where He wishes (3:8). No one can take your place in the essential responsibility of exposing your own heart transparently before the Lord, who searches the depths of the human soul, and interceding daily for the church (2:25; 3:21)
② Devotion to the Ministry of the Word: Filling the Vessels of Hungry Souls to the Brim with God’s Living Word
Your essential calling is not merely to offer the world’s morally inferior wine or shallow human theories. Rather, you should draw deeply from Scripture, day and night, as someone who repeatedly draws water from a well, and then serve God’s living Word to hungry souls, filling their stone jars to the brim (Jn. 2:7; 3:34). When you faithfully communicate the substance of this heavenly work—the atoning work of the cross and the love of God’s only begotten Son—God works to prepare the church as a glorious bride for the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ (3:12, 16; Eph. 5:27).
c. Applying the Stewardship of Discipleship: “I Diminish, and the Lord Alone Increases”—Contentment in the Completed Work of God (Jn. 3:29–30)
The Spiritual Authority That Comes Through Delegation: When you delegate practical responsibilities to associate pastors and church members, you must completely dismantle at the foot of the cross the old self’s anxiety: “What if my influence and share of authority diminish because I am the senior pastor?” (Jn. 1:42; 2:19, 24–25) Like John the Baptist, you may gladly diminish and disappear from the spotlight, becoming merely a voice behind the scenes (1:23; 3:30). If your fellow workers are able to serve faithfully in their respective callings, and if the pure Gospel you proclaim causes the name of Jesus Christ alone to rise gloriously over Victory Presbyterian Church, then your joy as a pastor can be complete. Your heart can be fully satisfied in the joy of hearing the Bridegroom’s voice (3:29–30). When this contentment becomes a settled reality in your life, the church is built upon the firm foundation against which the powers of Hades will not prevail (Mt. 16:18).
Final Pastoral Summary of John 4:2 and Acts 6:4: Delegation and Devotion
Jesus entrusted the outward ritual of water baptism to His disciples (Jn. 4:2). The apostles likewise entrusted the practical administration of charitable distribution to the seven deacons and resolved to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:3–4). The purpose was to overturn the table of outward human achievement and systems and to pour the pastor’s whole being into the true work of the Holy Spirit—the heavenly work that causes souls to be born again (Jn. 2:15; 3:12, 34). Therefore, the pastor should gladly surrender the privileges associated with his name and title at the foot of the cross (3:30). He should entrust practical responsibilities to fellow workers, relying on them with confidence (4:2). Meanwhile, he should devote himself to the essential calling of prayer in the secret place and to drawing out the living Word of God, serving it to the brim to nourish hungry souls (2:7; 3:34). In this way, he may continually experience the joy of the New Covenant’s sovereign victory as the Lord overcomes the powers of Hades and prepares Victory Presbyterian Church and its members as a blameless and glorious bride for the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 5:27; 1 Jn. 5:4) (Internet).
(ii) When I read the statement, “The purpose is to decisively block human religious competition and the boundaries of established power in order to protect the purity of the Gospel,” I wanted to know what specific biblical guidelines the servants of the Lord, who proclaim the Gospel, should follow to prevent denominational, presbytery, and general assembly politics, religious competition, and the boundaries of established privilege from corrupting the Gospel.
· Jesus left Judea decisively and continued toward Samaria, the essential mission field, when He knew that the report about His baptizing ministry and the size of His following might be used as a political weapon by the Pharisees, who represented the religious establishment (Jn. 2:23; 4:1, 3–4). Based on Jesus’ example and the letters of the apostles, the following four biblical guidelines have been organized with the assistance of artificial intelligence to explain how we can resist the boundaries of established religious power and protect the purity of the Gospel (Internet):
a. Guideline 1: Firmly Reject Human Religious Competition and a Spirit of Comparison
Biblical guideline — 1 Corinthians 3:4–5: When factions and struggles for religious influence arose within the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul responded with a strong rebuke: “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?” (1 Cor. 3:4–5) Paul challenged the tendency to divide the church into competing groups centered on human leaders. Neither Paul nor Apollos was the owner of the church. They were servants through whom people had come to believe, according to the work entrusted to each of them by the Lord.
Pastoral application: In gatherings of presbyteries, general assemblies, or fellow pastors, worldly comparisons frequently arise concerning the size of church buildings, the number of members, and the scale of church finances. You must not allow these worldly measurements to occupy even one percent of your heart. Instead, overturn the table of such comparisons before the Lord’s cleansing authority (Jn. 2:15, 20). When we reject the Pharisaic spirit that seeks to make our own disciples and expand our own sphere of influence, the Gospel can remain pure. The church is not our personal kingdom, and its members are not our private possessions. All ministry belongs to the Lord.
b. Guideline 2: Remove the Titles Used to Prove Yourself and Serve with the Contentment of a Faithful Steward
Biblical guideline — John 3:27, 30: When John the Baptist’s disciples came to him, reporting that Jesus was attracting more people, John did not insist on protecting his own influence or claiming a share of the ministry’s success. Instead, he declared: “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” And: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (3:27, 30). John understood that his calling and ministry were gifts from God. He did not treat them as personal possessions.
Pastoral application: Your own confession is this: “I do not want to make disciples of James. I want to make disciples of Jesus alone. I will decrease completely so that the Lord alone may increase.” This confession of faithful stewardship is one of the strongest Gospel-centered weapons against the boundaries of established religious privilege. Do not become thirsty for positions in a denomination or general assembly, or for prestigious titles in the world (2:9). Even if your nameplate and the privileges associated with your title as pastor diminish and disappear behind the scenes, make this your sole pastoral crown: that the voice of Jesus, the Bridegroom, may rise like the sun in the hearts of the members of your church (3:29–30).
c. Guideline 3: Abandon False Timetables for Human Approval and Set Your Clock by the Lord’s Timing
Biblical guideline — Galatians 1:10: The Apostle Paul declares: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).
Pastoral application: Reject the temptation to compromise merely to follow the political currents of a general assembly or presbytery, or to satisfy the expectations of other people. Just as Jesus took the initiative to leave Judea before the Pharisees could subject Him to their hostile scrutiny, a pastor must not entrust his heart to human reputation (Jn. 4:1, 3). Instead, he must quietly continue to trust God’s timetable—the divine work revealed through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who shed His blood on the tree of the cross for us (2:4, 19, 21; 3:12, 14). Our calling is not to arrange the Gospel according to the schedules and expectations of human institutions. It is to obey the Lord faithfully, trusting His sovereign timing.
d. Guideline 4: Boldly Delegate “the Ministry of Water”—Practical Administration—and Devote Yourself to Prayer and the Word
Biblical guideline — John 4:2 and Acts 6:4: Jesus entrusted the administration of water baptism to His disciples (Jn. 4:2). Likewise, the apostles entrusted the practical administration of aid to seven deacons and declared: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
Pastoral application: Do not allow your energy to be consumed by denominational politics or struggles over administrative control. Entrust these outward administrative systems to fellow workers whom you trust. As the senior pastor, devote your whole being to two essential ministries:
· The ministry of prayer: Kneeling in the secret place, even when no one sees you, and asking the Holy Spirit to blow like the wind upon the church and the people you serve.
· The ministry of the Word: Drawing the living and active Word of God from the well of Scripture, day and night, and serving it to spiritually hungry souls until their vessels are filled to the brim. These are not merely activities to be fitted into the remaining hours of a busy schedule. They are central responsibilities of your calling as a pastor.
Final Exegetical Summary of John 4:1–2: Resisting Established Power and Protecting the Gospel
Jesus decisively left the political arena in Judea, where the Pharisees had heard reports about His baptizing ministry, and moved toward Samaria. This action illustrates His refusal to let human religious competition and the struggle to preserve established privilege determine the direction of His mission. He entrusted the limited outward ritual of water baptism to His disciples and demonstrated that His essential ministry was the sovereign, life-giving work of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 1:33; 3:12, 34; 4:2; Acts 6:4). As a messenger sent to prepare the way for the Lord’s return, you too must gladly surrender your personal name and the privileges associated with your pastoral title at the foot of the cross (Jn. 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:16). Devote yourself to the ministry of prayer in the secret place and to faithfully serving the living Word of God (Jn. 2:7; 3:34). In doing so, you can live as a faithful pastor who continually experiences the joy of the New Covenant’s sovereign victory, as the Lord overcomes the powers of Hades and prepares Victory Presbyterian Church and its members as a blameless and glorious bride for the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 5:27; 1 Jn. 5:4) (Internet).
(2) Second and last, when I read John 4:1–2 repeatedly in both the Korean and Greek Bibles, two expressions particularly caught my attention. The first was “When therefore the Lord knew …” [ὡς οὖν ἔγνω ὁ Κύριος (hōs oun egnō ho Kyrios)] (Jn. 4:1). The second was: “Jesus Himself …” [Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς (Iēsous autos)] (v. 2). First, the expression “when the Lord knew” appears here in John 4:1 in this particular form. However, the Apostle John frequently emphasizes Jesus’ divine insight through the Greek verb ἔγνω (egnō), meaning “knew” or “recognized,” in the sense of knowing the true state of affairs (1:10; 7:26; 17:25; 1 Jn. 3:1; 4:8). Throughout his Gospel, John repeatedly emphasizes that Jesus sees through the human heart. For example, this verb is associated with Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael in John 1:48 and with Peter’s confession that the Lord knows that he loves Him in John 21:17 (Internet). Furthermore, the Apostle John does not use the expression “Jesus Himself” only in John 4:2. He also uses similar wording in John 2:24–25 to emphasize Jesus’ divine knowledge and in John 6:6 to emphasize His sovereign initiative in performing a miracle. John 2:24–25 states that Jesus did not entrust Himself to them because He knew all people: “For he knew what was in man.” The Greek expression is: [διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν γινώσκειν πάντας (dia to auton ginōskein pantas)]. And John 6:6 says that Jesus spoke to test Philip, for He Himself knew what He was going to do [αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλεν ποιεῖν (autos gar ēdei ti emellen poiein)]. What lessons do the expressions “when the Lord knew” (4:1) and “Jesus Himself” (v. 2) teach us when considered together?
(a) The Lord’s divine insight, expressed through ἔγνω (egnō), and His sovereign initiative, emphasized through Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς (Iēsous autos), are two pillars of Christ’s divinity that support the structure of the Gospel. The following three spiritual lessons and pastoral guidelines have been organized with the assistance of artificial intelligence to explain how these two expressions speak to your heart and ministry as a pastor preparing the way for the returning King (Internet).
1. First Lesson: The Lord’s Omniscience—ἔγνω (Egnō)—Means That He Fully Knows and Continually Watches Over Our Ministry Circumstances and the Schemes of Our Opponents (Jn. 4:1)
The Significance of the Original Greek: ἔγνω (Egnō): “He fully knew and penetrated the entire situation.”
The Pharisees had heard that Jesus’ ministry of making disciples and baptizing people in Judea had surpassed that of John the Baptist. They were part of a religious establishment that could view this development as a threat to its influence (Jn. 4:1). From a human perspective, this was a moment when a powerful system of religious privilege and political maneuvering might begin to operate behind the scenes. Yet the Apostle John brings the situation into focus with one short statement: “The Lord knew” [ἔγνω (egnō)]. Jesus did not discover the situation belatedly through human intelligence networks or reports. Rather, He fully knew the evil intentions and even the most hidden thoughts of the human heart through His divine knowledge (2:24–25; 4:1).
Pastoral application: The Lord already knows the circumstances of your quiet ministry, in which you meditate on the Word day and night and share it with others, even when your name receives no recognition and your work remains unnoticed (1:23, 48; 3:30; 4:1; 21:17). Even if rigid religious structures or political maneuvering within a denomination or presbytery attempt to disturb or constrain your faithful ministry of the Word, you have no need to live in fear or become enslaved to human opinion. The Lord had already seen Nathanael when he was alone under the fig tree (1:48). He also knew Peter’s heart and understood his love for Him (21:17). Trust that the Lord’s searching gaze continues to rest upon Victory Presbyterian Church and upon the ministry through which you share God’s Word.
2. Second Lesson: The Lord’s Absolute Sovereignty Is Not Bound by Human Methods; He Alone Holds Complete Authority over Miracles (Jn. 4:2).
The Significance of the Original Greek: Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς (Iēsous Autos) “Jesus Himself.”
Before testing Philip, the Lord already knew what He was going to do. He is the Creator who possesses complete knowledge and authority (Jn. 6:6). Likewise, when Jesus did not personally administer water baptism but entrusted the task to His disciples, He acted with sovereign authority. His action prevented people from turning a water ritual or the qualifications of the person administering it into a basis for establishing religious privilege.
Pastoral application: As we carry out ministry, we are easily tempted to entrust our hearts to visible results, numerical growth, or our own pastoral wisdom and human methods. But the true miracle of the Gospel and the new birth of the soul do not arise from the achievements of a humanly constructed, forty-six-year-old building (2:20; 3:3, 5). When you gladly overturn the table of personal status and established privilege before the Lord, seeking that Christ alone may increase, and entrust the practical administration of water baptism to fellow workers, the Lord who is above all things remains sovereign over the work of your ministry (3:31, 34; 4:2). The power of the Holy Spirit cannot be controlled or measured by human methods. The initiative and authority for the true miracle belong to the Lord alone.
3. Third Lesson: Complete Self-Denial, in Which We Do Not Even Rely on Ourselves, Leads to True Rest and Complete Joy
The Promise in the History of Redemption: The spiritual conclusion you reached in the preceding section is strikingly reinforced by this passage. Just as the Lord did not entrust Himself to people whose faith was superficial, His disciples must not make other people the ultimate objects of their trust. Instead, we must regard them as people to whom Christ’s love and service should be extended (Jn. 2:23–25; 3:16, 29, 35). We must go even further and learn not to place absolute confidence in ourselves—not even in our accumulated experience or years of theological training (1:20; 3:4, 9). When we rely on ourselves, discouragement and anxiety repeatedly return. But when we relinquish our self-reliance and live in the present reality of possessing the Son, Jesus Christ, who lives within us, we can experience a different kind of life (3:36; 1 Jn. 5:12). Then, rather than being carried up and down by people’s responses, a servant of the Lord can find complete joy in hearing the Bridegroom’s voice (Jn. 3:29)
Final Exegetical Summary of John 4:1–2: The Lord’s Insight and His Sovereign Action
The Apostle John places together two important truths: the Lord’s divine insight into the Pharisees’ political and religious schemes (v. 1), and His sovereign action in entrusting water baptism to His disciples (v. 2). Together, these truths demonstrate that the Lord refuses to let human religious competition and established privilege control the purity or direction of the Gospel (2:24; 4:1). They also affirm that the true work of causing souls to be born again belongs to the sovereign Lord, not to the outward ritual of water baptism (1:33; 3:5; 4:2; 6:6). As Pastor James prepares the way for the returning King, he should gladly surrender the privileges associated with his name and pastoral title at the foot of the cross (3:30). He should move forward, relying entirely on the resurrected life of Jesus Christ, who knows the depths of his heart and reigns above all things (2:25; 3:31, 36). In this way, he can continually experience the joy of the New Covenant’s sovereign victory as the Lord overcomes the powers of Hades and prepares Victory Presbyterian Church and its members as a blameless and glorious bride for the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 5:27; 1 Jn. 5:12) (Internet).