Question: What did Jesus mean when He said, “Salvation is from the Jews”? We know salvation comes from God, so how can He say it comes from the Jews?
Answer: Let’s read the verse first:
John 4:22 (ESV):
“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”
The salvation Jesus refers to here is spiritual salvation — not deliverance from physical danger or worldly troubles, but the salvation of the soul through the Spirit of God.
When Jesus said salvation “is from the Jews,” He did not mean that the Jewish people themselves save others or give salvation to anyone. No person or nation can save a soul! Salvation is ultimately from God alone.
Rather, Jesus was emphasizing that salvation originates with the Jewish people and then extends to the rest of the world.
This is why Jesus was born into Israel, into a Jewish family, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies given through prophets like Moses, David, and others. The Messiah was promised to come through the Jewish nation.
After His birth and ministry among the Jews, Jesus began preaching the gospel to the Jewish people first. Only when many of them rejected Him did He extend the offer of salvation to the Gentiles—including Samaritans and other nations.
This pattern is clear in Scripture:
Matthew 10:5-6 (ESV):
“These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”
Only later, after Jewish rejection, were the disciples commanded to take the gospel to all nations:
Mark 16:15-16 (ESV):
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Similarly, the Apostle Paul explains this transition during his ministry:
Acts 13:45-47 (ESV):
“But the Jews… were filled with jealousy and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. But Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”’”
Therefore, salvation truly began with the Jewish people and then expanded to all nations.
Application: Have You Received This Salvation?
Have you personally received the salvation that Jesus brought to the Gentiles—salvation you were once unworthy of?
If you have, how are you treating this gift?
Salvation is not just a label or a cultural identity. It must be honored and lived out in holiness.
If you neglect salvation—by indulging in sin such as immodest behavior, drunkenness, gambling, sexual immorality, witchcraft, or theft after hearing the gospel—you are despising the grace of God.
The book of Hebrews warns us about neglecting salvation:
Hebrews 2:1-3 (ESV):
“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the message declared by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received a just penalty, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard.”
If you disregard the cross and the salvation offered through Jesus, you risk being lost.
Now is the time to repent and be sure of your eternal life.
Summary
Salvation is a divine gift that came through the Jewish people as part of God’s redemptive plan fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It began with Israel and was extended to all nations. This salvation calls for reverence, commitment, and a holy life.
Have you received this salvation? Are you living in a way that honors the price Jesus paid?
Shalom.
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