THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. John 4 As John the apostle continues to write what the Holy Spirit guides him to, he describes an illustrative incident that shows how far-reaching the influence and power of the Son of God are. Jews had believed that the Messiah would serve only them. They thought He would deal exclusively with their needs. In this part of Scripture, we learn that Christ is the Savior of the world. The event that revealed this truth began when Jesus deliberately left Judea. The sign of His deity related to His Father's house had caused hostility among the Jewish leaders. Now, the great success of His ministry increased His popularity among the people of that region and likely stirred further opposition from those same leaders. So, the Lord avoided controversy by leaving Judea and only returning occasionally. Sometimes, we must stay in a place despite all the opposition we face. Other times, we are best to leave as the Spirit guides us to avoid unnecessary controversy over divisive issues.
There are several "musts" in the Gospel of John. "Ye must be born again:" the necessity of regeneration. "The Son of Man must be lifted up:" the necessity of atonement. "He must increase, I must decrease:" the necessity of holiness. "He must go through Samaria," which illustrates the necessity of soul winning. "Must worship in spirit and in truth:" the importance of spiritual worship. "I must work the works of Him that sent Me:" the necessity of service. "Them also I must bring:" the importance of missionary effort. "Must rise from the dead:" the necessity of resurrection power.