The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (116 page)

3:8 The wind blows:
Or "The Spirit blows" (see textual note
f
). By capitalizing on the double meaning of this expression, Jesus reasons that if the direction and destiny of the wind is mysterious, then the mission of the Holy Spirit is even more so in the lives of believers (CCC 691). 
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3:11 our testimony:
i.e., the twofold witness of Jesus and John the Baptist (1:7, 19; 3:28). 
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3:14 the serpent:
A reference to the episode in Num 21:4-9. • Moses hoisted a bronze serpent upon a pole as a remedy for faithless Israel. Although God punished them with poisonous serpents, he promised to save everyone who looked to the bronze serpent in search of his mercy. Jesus sees this relic as an image of his own Crucifixion and the healing it will bring to a rebellious world (CCC 2130).
be lifted up:
A shorthand reference to the Paschal Mystery, when Jesus is lifted up
on
the Cross,
from
the grave, and
into
heaven (8:28; 12:32). 
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3:16 gave his only-begotten Son:
The earthly mission of Jesus is part of the heavenly plan of the Father, who displays the depth of his love through the sacrifice of his Son (Rom 5:8; 1 Jn 3:16; CCC 219). This verse marks a transition from the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1-15) to an extended monologue by either Jesus or the evangelist himself (3:16-21).
eternal life:
The expression refers both to the
divine
quality of new life in Christ as well as its
duration.
We receive this gift already on earth in the hope that we will possess it irrevocably in heaven (10:10; 1 Jn 5:13). 
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3:18 condemned already:
Unbelief is a form of rebellion that puts offenders outside the safety of the covenant. To reject the Son of God is to reject the light of faith in preference to spiritual darkness, death, and disinheritance (3:20; CCC 679). 
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3:22 baptized:
Clarification is made in 4:2 that only the disciples of Jesus were baptizing. 
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3:23 Aenon:
An uncertain location, probably in either Samaria (central Palestine) or the Jordan Valley (eastern Palestine). 
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3:24 put in prison:
John is imprisoned for reprimanding Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee.
See note on Mk 6:18
. 
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3:25-30
The ministry of John the Baptist is of real but secondary importance compared to the saving mission of Jesus. John humbly recognizes this and so directs his disciples to become followers of Christ.
See note on Jn 1:6
. 
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3:29 the bridegroom:
Jesus, whose bride is the Church (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:21-32). John the Baptist is the friend or "best man" of the groom who, in Jewish custom, arranges and manages the wedding celebration. John is content to fade into the background now that his duties are fulfilled (3:30). • The marital covenant between Jesus and the Church is an extension of the spousal relation between Yahweh and Israel under the Old Covenant (Is 54:5-8; Jer 2:2; Hos 2:16-20; CCC 796; 1612). 
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3:31 earth . . . heaven:
A contrast between the earthly origin and ministry of John the Baptist and the heavenly origin and ministry of Jesus Christ. 
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3:34 not by measure:
As the Messiah, Jesus possesses the fullness of the Spirit (Is 11:2) and his graces (1:16) (CCC 504). 
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3:36 believes . . . does not obey:
Faith is exercised when we trust in God and entrust ourselves to God. Because it involves both the
assent
of the mind and the
consent
of the will, it can never be a purely intellectual decision that exists independently of one's behavior (Jas 2:14-26). It is because faith and faithfulness are two sides of the same coin that the opposite of faith is not just unbelief, but disobedience (CCC 161). 
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4:4 had to pass through:
A divine necessity, dictated not by geography but by the missionary schedule given to Jesus by the Father. Jews normally traveled a longer route from Judea to Galilee by skirting around the eastern side of Samaria along the Jordan River. 
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4:5 Sychar:
Probably ancient Shechem, where Jacob purchased a field (Gen 33:18-20). 
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4:6 Jacob's well:
Nowhere mentioned in the OT but traditionally located at the foot of Mt. Gerizim in central Samaria. • The setting recalls the marital arrangements described in the Pentateuch. As the wives of Isaac (Gen 24:1067), Jacob (Gen 29:1-30), and Moses (Ex 2:15-21) were first encountered at a well, so Jesus is the divine bridegroom in search of believers to be his covenant bride (3:29).
the sixth hour:
About noon. 
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4:7-42
Centuries of animosity between Jews and Samaritans loom in the background of this episode. It began with the devastation of northern Palestine by Assyria in the eighth century
B.C.
, when masses of Israelites were deported out of the land and foreign peoples were forcibly resettled in the region (2 Kings 17:6, 24-41). According to the Jews of southern Palestine, the remaining Israelites (Samaritans) had defiled themselves by assimilating the practices of these pagan peoples and intermarrying with them. The enmity between Jews and Samaritans was very much alive in NT times, and both groups took steps to avoid interaction with one another, especially in matters of food and drink. 
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4:9 How is it . . . ?
Jesus oversteps the boundaries of Jewish tradition, which discouraged men from conversing with women in public (4:27), sharing a drink with a Samaritan (4:7), or associating with a recognized sinner (4:18). 
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4:10 living water:
An expression with two levels of kilkJ meaning. The woman takes it to mean "flowing" water, i.e., a preferable alternative to stagnant well water (4:1112). Jesus, however, is speaking of the life and vitality of the Spirit (7:38-39; CCC 728, 2560). • Several prophetic texts depict the blessings of the Lord as life-giving "water" (Is 12:3; 44:3; Ezek 47:1-12; Zech 14:8).
See note on Jn 3:5
. • Christian tradition associates living water with baptismal waters, which lead us to "eternal life" (4:14). Paul, in fact, describes Baptism in terms of drinking from the Spirit
(1
Cor 12:13; CCC 694). 
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4:15 Sir:
A respectful term of address. As the episode progresses, the perception of Jesus' identity becomes ever more clear: by 4:19 he is a "prophet", by 4:29 he is the "Christ", and by 4:42 he is the "Savior of the world". 
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4:18 five husbands:
The woman has endured multiple marital struggles. • The woman's personal life parallels the historical experience of the Samaritan people. According to 2 Kings 17:24-31, the five foreign tribes who intermarried with the northern Israelites (Samaritans) introduced five male deities into their religion. These idols were individually addressed as
Baal,
a Hebrew word meaning "lord" or "husband". The prophets denounced Israel for serving these gods, calling such worship infidelity to its true covenant spouse, Yahweh. Hope was kept alive, however, that God would show mercy to these Israelites and become their everlasting husband in the bonds of a New Covenant (Hos 2:16-20). This day has dawned in the ministry of Jesus, the divine bridegroom (3:29), who has come to save the Samaritans from a lifetime of struggles with five pagan "husbands".
See note on Jn 4:6
. 
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