33. He who has received his testimony has set to his seal (continued)
1. 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 Judæa 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 parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus on the well. It was about the sixth hour.
1.—[Therefore... Pharisees...than John.] The connection between this chapter and the last will be found at the 25th verse of the last chapter. The controversy between John's disciples and the Jews was the means of calling public attention to our Lord's ministry. It became a subject of common conversation and attracted the notice of the principal religious teachers of the Jews: viz., the Pharisees. They had been already disturbed by the ministry of John the Baptist and the crowds which attended it. (John i.19-28.) The deputation which they sent to John had been distinctly told by him that One greater than himself was about to appear. When therefore "the Pharisees heard" that Jesus was actually baptizing more disciples and attracting more attention than John, we can well imagine that their minds would be even more disturbed than before. A vague, uncomfortable feeling would arise in their hearts that this mysterious person, who had cast out of the temple the buyers and sellers in so miraculous a manner and was now baptizing so many disciples, might possibly be the Christ. And then would come the attendant