Daily Bible Plan - John 4 & 5

19. December 2025

Devotion by Reverend Joseph Antwi

Theme: UNLEASHED2LOVE (Unleashed to Love) - John 4 & 5 Series: Gospel of John

Fortified City Church / Love City Church / Basel French Assembly / Luzern City Fellowship / ⁠PIWC Bern / ⁠Global prayer family

🌟 INTRODUCTION

Shalom, people of God!

I am very excited to bring you today’s devotion, and I want to applaud all of you for taking your chair time to read your Bibles from John chapters 3, 4, and 5.

Today, we will summarize and reflect on what we have read, focusing especially on John chapters 4 and 5. As we reflect, let us ask ourselves: Are we living out the love of Jesus in our daily lives—a love that crosses boundaries, heals the broken, and challenges empty religion?

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🌍 HISTORICAL CONTEXT: WHY SAMARIA MATTERS

Before we step into John chapter 4, it is important to understand the tension between Jews and Samaritans. Centuries of division, mixed worship, and religious hostility had created walls between them. Jews considered Samaritans unclean, while Samaritans rejected Jerusalem as the place of true worship.

Yet Jesus intentionally walked into Samaria. This was not accidental—it was divine. This reveals the heart of Unleashed2Love: a love that refuses to be limited by history, culture, or prejudice.

That is why, especially in FCC, we do not define ourselves by culture or geography. We can not be labeled as an African church. We have overcome the boundaries that divide humanity, living instead by Kingdom truth, where every nation, tribe, and people are united in Christ.

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PART ONE: JOHN CHAPTER 4

Unleashed Love That Crosses Boundaries

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1. Love Goes Where Others Avoid (John 4:1–9)

Jesus had to go through Samaria. This was not a geographical shortcut—it was a divine appointment.

Although His final destination was Galilee, Scripture tells us He needed to pass through Samaria. Jesus, led by the Spirit, saw in the spirit what others could not. He knew there was unfinished business waiting to be completed.

May the Lord also pass through our lives, our families, our churches, and every situation where there is unfinished work. May He bring healing, direction, and restoration.

Unleashed love does not avoid the uncomfortable or the rejected—it moves toward them.

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2. Love Sees the Heart, Not the History (John 4:10–18)

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman, He offered her living water. He knew her past, yet He did not shame her.

Even though Jesus could prophesy and revealed her life story, it was not for condemnation—it was for her future glory. Jesus did not define her by her mistakes. He defined her by the new life He was offering.

True love addresses the heart with grace, not guilt. It restores dignity and hope.

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3. Love Reveals True Worship (John 4:19–26)

Jesus taught that worship is not about location, but about spirit and truth. Then He revealed Himself plainly as the Messiah.

Jesus was not concerned with arguments over who He was or being perceived merely as a prophet. His goal was to reveal Himself as the Savior of the world.

Unleashed love always points people to Jesus, even when it challenges perception and tradition.

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4. Love Turns the Rejected Into Witnesses (John 4:27–42)

The woman left her water jar and ran into the city.

The one who had been rejected became a bold witness.

Unleashed love transforms lives and sends them out with testimony.

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PART TWO: JOHN CHAPTER 5

Unleashed Love That Heals and Restores

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5. Love Moves Toward the Broken (John 5:1–9)

Jesus healed a man who had been crippled for 38 years, but before doing so, He asked:

“Do you want to be made well?”

This question reminds us that God gives humanity the gift of free will. Heaven moves when we ask, seek, and knock.

The man did not answer immediately. He explained why he could not reach the pool. If he had known he was standing before the King of kings, he would not have wasted time explaining his limitations.

Many believers do the same thing—they define their problem instead of releasing faith.

Jesus healed him without showing off His power. The man did not even know who had healed him at first. God’s priority is restoration, not recognition. Later, the man discovered it was Jesus. May we, too, always remember that it is Jesus Christ who heals, restores, and delivers.

Jesus also instructed him, “Sin no more,” showing that some circumstances are connected to sin, and true healing includes transformation.

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6. Love Reveals Divine Authority and Deity (John 5:19–30)

After the healing, Jesus revealed His deity and authority. He explained that He does only what He sees the Father doing. He raises people from the dead and gives them eternal life, showing that life comes through Him alone.

Jesus said the Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son. No one is judged directly by the Father; judgment rests with the Word, the Son of God.

This is profound:

• Whoever has the Son has life.

• Whoever does not have the Son is already condemned.

This reminds us that Jesus is not just a prophet or teacher—He is the Word, the One who gives life and executes judgment. True love flows from One who has authority over life and death, demonstrating that divine power is exercised in mercy, justice, and restoration.

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🔥 CLOSING PRAYER

- prayer of Thanksgiving ps 103

- ⁠Ask for forgiveness 1john 2

- ⁠Pray over the word

- ⁠pray for your church, pastors and leadership

- ⁠command your morning by praying and declaring peace protection and abundance