#206 - The Triennial Torah Cycle: A Hidden Key to the Gospel of John - John (pt. 37)
What if some of the details in the Gospel of John were designed to remind its original audience of the Scriptures they had recently heard read in the synagogue?
Today, Jewish communities read through the Torah on an annual cycle, beginning each year again in the seventh month of Tishri. But during the first century, Jewish communities in the land of Israel followed a Triennial Torah Reading Cycle, reading through the Torah over three years. Evidence suggests that some communities began the cycle in the month of Nisan.
This ancient reading cycle opens a fascinating window into the Gospel of John.
In this introductory lesson, we explore the work of Aileen Guilding and her book The Fourth Gospel and Jewish Worship. Guilding proposed that many of the themes, images, and even the timing of events in John's Gospel may be connected with the Torah and Haftarah readings being heard in the synagogue.
The story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 provides a remarkable example.
When we place the story within the proposed synagogue readings for the month of Shevat (Jan/Feb), an extraordinary collection of connections begins to emerge.
The readings include Exodus 2, where Moses meets his future wife at a well, and Hosea 2, with its powerful promise of Israel's restoration: "In that day...you will call me 'my husband.'"
Suddenly, John's presentation of Jesus as the Bridegroom coming to reclaim his bride becomes even richer.
Another reading takes us directly into the ancient dispute between Jews and Samaritans. Deuteronomy 27:4 instructs Israel in the Masoretic Hebrew tradition to erect an altar on Mount Ebal, while the Samaritan Pentateuch preserves Mount Gerizim—the very mountain at the center of the Samaritan woman's conversation with Jesus:
"Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." — John 4:20
Coincidence? Or is John deliberately weaving the synagogue readings familiar to his audience into the story he is telling?
Join us as we introduce the Triennial Torah Reading Cycle, examine Aileen Guilding's influential theory, and begin exploring how the Torah, the Prophets, Jewish worship, and the Gospel of John may fit together in ways that modern readers often miss.
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Lesson Handout: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/the-triennial-torah-cycle-the-hidden-key-to-the-gospel-of-john
Article: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/uploads/1/1/9/7/119763168/fig_tree_ministries_gospel_of_john_and_triennial_synagogue_reading_v2.pdf
Aileen Guilding Life and Work: https://www.academia.edu/2640173/Aileen_Guilding_her_Life_and_her_Work
Book "The Fourth Gospel and Jewish Worship" - https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Gospel-Jewish-Worship/dp/B0014ZYUPQ/ref=sr_1_1_so_ABIS_BOOK?crid=3MA82I0OEKJ7O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.91goByv-PHqn0mD5iyA-ffIUPjIJAa4lpB_X8RBpm_Nmv-6l37ocJcPdF8jRtLX385NXjImzokdeV0-_y54_9gDpHZJfw-3RNNXwWs8IdebfpZ30Xd3Ml1IjnkOkz3t16IeQGiLqB9Hoz5D7Gu9ZutwwnH4zR-4Fsip0LKuGofA7148Grl7s1NxG2BTiHNL-MYOGigjjOLwC3iQSSwSu1lSCmS90uIyMQxqr_AgSLQ0.8mqys_ON7zUWnJTxfrvpJs2oqAE-0Jknc2wRLG5caJE&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+fourth+gospel+and+jewish+worship&qid=1787344134&sprefix=the+fourth+gospel+and+jewish+worship%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-1
29 Jul 2026
#205 - Hidden Meaning of John 4 - Samaritan Woman at the Well - John (pt. 36)
John 4 is one of the most beloved stories in the Gospels—but what if it is about far more than a private conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman?
In this lesson, we explore John chapter 4 through the symbolic world of the Bible, uncovering how John's Gospel presents Jesus as the divine Bridegroom who has come to reclaim His bride.
Throughout the Old Testament, wells are repeatedly the setting for covenant and betrothal. Abraham's servant meets Rebekah at a well. Jacob meets Rachel at a well. Moses meets Zipporah at a well. By intentionally placing Jesus at Jacob's Well, John invites us to recognize a familiar biblical pattern: a bridegroom has arrived.
But who is the bride?
By the first century, the region once known as the northern kingdom of Israel was called Samaria. Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman becomes a symbolic encounter with the people of Samaria themselves—a people long separated from Judah, yet still sought by God.
We also examine Jesus' enigmatic statement that the woman has had "five husbands." Rather than focusing on her personal morality, we connect these words to 2 Kings 17, where five foreign nations were settled in Samaria following the Assyrian conquest. Their gods and religious practices profoundly shaped the identity of the region, providing a remarkable historical backdrop to Jesus' words.
Finally, we explore Jesus' statement that the woman is "living with a man who is not your husband." We consider how this points beyond an individual relationship to the political and religious realities of first-century Samaria, including Roman rule and the temple to Caesar Augustus built by Herod the Great in the city of Samaria (Sebaste).
Against this backdrop, Jesus calls His people away from earthly allegiances and back into a covenant relationship with God.
Join us as we uncover the historical, cultural, and symbolic richness of John 4 and discover how this familiar story proclaims God's enduring desire to restore His covenant people.
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www.figtreeministries.org **New Site!!
www.figtreeteaching.com (Old Site)
Lesson Handout:
https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/the-hidden-meaning-of-john-4-a-bride-at-a-well
Article: John 4 & the Samaritan Woman at the Well
https://www.figtreeministries.org/post/john-4-the-samaritan-woman-at-the-well
22 Jul 2026
#204 - History of Samaria and the Samaritans - John (pt. 35)
Before we can fully appreciate Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4, we must first understand the long and painful history between the Jewish people and the Samaritans.
In this lesson, we trace the history of the northern kingdom of Israel—from its division after Solomon, through the Assyrian conquest, to the resettlement of the land by five foreign peoples who would eventually become known as the Samaritans.
We'll examine how this history shaped Jewish attitudes toward Samaria by the first century and why Jesus' decision to travel through Samaria was so unexpected. We'll also explore the Samaritan claim of descent from Joseph, through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, and discover how the geography of Israel itself reflects one of the Bible's most compelling family stories.
The tribal territories place Joseph in the north, Judah in the south, and Benjamin between them—echoing the tension between Joseph and his brothers in Genesis. This remarkable biblical pattern provides a deeper backdrop to Jesus' ministry.
Just as Joseph chose forgiveness over vengeance and brought reconciliation to a divided family, Jesus calls His followers to forgive those who have wronged them. Only then can we truly fulfill the command to "love your neighbor as yourself."
Join us as we uncover the historical, geographical, and theological significance of Samaria and discover how understanding its past reveals a richer message in the Gospel of John.
In this lesson you'll discover:
- The history of the northern kingdom of Israel
- How the Samaritans originated
- Why Jews and Samaritans were divided in the first century
- The Samaritan connection to Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh
- The symbolic geography linking Genesis to the Gospel of John
- How Jesus fulfills the story of Joseph through forgiveness and reconciliation
If this lesson deepens your understanding of Scripture, be sure to subscribe, like, and share to help others discover the rich historical and cultural background of the Bible.
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www.figtreeministries.org **New Site!!
www.figtreeteaching.com (Old Site)
Lesson Handout:
https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/who-were-the-samaritans-the-history-behind-jesus-and-the-woman-at-the-well
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