John Calvin Commentary John 4:21

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father." — John 4:21 (ASV)

Woman, believe me. In the first part of this reply, He briefly sets aside the ceremonial worship that had been appointed under the Law; for when He says that the hour is at hand when there will be no particular and fixed place for worship, He means that what Moses delivered was only for a time, and that the time was now approaching when the partition-wall (Ephesians 2:14) would be thrown down. In this way, He extends the worship of God far beyond its former narrow limits, so that the Samaritans might participate in it.

The hour cometh. He uses the present tense instead of the future; but the meaning is that the repeal of the Law is already at hand, as it relates to the Temple, and Priesthood, and other outward ceremonies. By calling God Father, He seems indirectly to contrast Him with the Fathers whom the woman had mentioned, and to convey this teaching: that God will be a common Father to all, so that He will be universally worshipped without distinction of places or nations.