The Testimony of the Samaritans
Lesson 5
The Testimony of the Samaritans
(John 4)
Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.
Introduction: Every society has those who have a bad reputation, people considered inferior for some reason. Recall that Nathanael, a future disciple, asked regarding Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46. We find in Titus 1:12 the statement that “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” In this study John opens our eyes to the fact that Jews considered the Samaritans to be inferior. Why is this? The Jewish ancestors of the Samaritans were not considered by the Babylonians worthy to take as slaves, and those who remained intermarried with non-Jews who then adopted a different religion! When someone considers you inferior, your natural reaction is resentment. This forms the background for our study today - the Jews and Samaritans hated each other. Let’s dive into our study and see what we can learn about how Jesus approaches those who are hostile!
- The Trip
- Read John 4:1-3. Why would Jesus leave just when His success is growing? (Apparently Jesus thought it was too soon for the Jewish leaders to focus on Him. He left for Galilee which was far from Jerusalem.)
- Read John 4:4. Is that true? Did Jesus have to “pass through Samaria?” (As we will see, Jesus had an important reason to go the short way, rather than going around Samaria. But according to the Believer’s Commentary, Jews “often” skirted around Samaria to avoid dealing with Samaritans.)
- The Well and the Woman
- Read John 4:5-6. Can God get weary? (This is part of the proof that Jesus is fully human and fully God.)
- Anyone know what time is the “sixth hour?” (It was about noon.)
- Read John 4:7-9 and John 4:27. What do you think; is this woman being hostile or simply curious? (I vote that she is mostly surprised. Jesus’ disciples “marveled” that Jesus was talking with a woman, much less a Samaritan woman. One commentary said that a strict rabbi would not speak to a woman in public, not even to his wife or a female member of his family.)
- Read John 4:10-11. How would you react to what Jesus said if you were this woman? (He sounds crazy. This was a deep well, Jesus was not equipped to get any water, yet this Jewish stranger tells her that if she knew more she would be asking Him for water.)
- Read John 4:12. Why would this woman start talking about Jacob, a Jew? What does he have to do with getting water? (Jesus introduced God into the discussion and that God’s “gift” could give her “living water.” She is apparently thinking that Jacob gave them the gift of this well for water.)
- Read John 4:13-14. Is Jesus claiming to be greater than Jacob? (He is claiming to give better water.)
- Read John 4:15. Has this woman decided that Jesus is not crazy? (I think she believes that Jesus has some sort of superior water, but she does not yet understand what Jesus is saying.)
- Read John 4:16-19. Has the conversation between Jesus and this woman turned a corner? Is she thinking that Jesus is talking about more than special water? (The fact that Jesus knew all of this about her makes her think that He has a special connection to God.)
- Is she someone who needs a better connection to God? (Her visit to this particular well is unusual. It is unusual because it is at the hottest time of the day, and, according to the Life Application commentary, was not the closest well to her home. She seems to be avoiding meeting other women who know her, and the reason seems obvious - her controversial sexual past.)
- Was Jesus asking about her husband to make her feel bad? (In that society, Jesus should more properly have been speaking to her husband instead of to her.)
- Read John 4:5-6. Can God get weary? (This is part of the proof that Jesus is fully human and fully God.)
- The Gospel
- Read John 4:19-20. Why would this woman switch from talking about superior water to where people should worship? (It has now dawned on her that Jesus is talking about spiritual matters, so she asks about a fundamental spiritual dispute between Jews and Samaritans - where should they worship?)
- Wait a minute! Isn’t the spiritual issue this woman’s immorality rather than where to worship? (People like to avoid discussing their spiritual problems.)
- Why would Jesus raise the issue about her sexual past? (This is no accident. Her sins did not prevent Jesus from evangelizing her, but Jesus thought it appropriate to confront her with her sin. This is much different than the approach of those who claim the church should be quiet about certain sins because it will discourage people from coming to church.)
- Read John 4:21. How can Jesus say this? Clearly Jerusalem is the correct place to worship. (Jesus is now directly speaking about the gospel. Jesus has come to fulfill the symbolism of the sacrificial system in Jerusalem. He is going to make irrelevant the temple system of sacrifice.)
- Read John 4:22. How is salvation from the Jews? (Jesus first came to the Jewish nation. His mother is Jewish.)
- Read John 4:23-24. What do you think Jesus means when He told the woman she must worship “in spirit and truth?” (I think it means we must have the correct attitude informed by the truth of the Bible. The Holy Spirit is the source of a correct attitude. Those who reject the teachings of the Bible for “modern” attitudes fail in the truth department.)
- Read John 4:19-20. Why would this woman switch from talking about superior water to where people should worship? (It has now dawned on her that Jesus is talking about spiritual matters, so she asks about a fundamental spiritual dispute between Jews and Samaritans - where should they worship?)
- The Messiah
- Read John 4:25. Has this woman come a long way in her understanding? (She seems to have come from thinking Jesus was crazy, to thinking that He had some special water that would make her life better, to thinking about the Messiah.)
- Think about Jesus’ method of dealing with someone who is hostile.
- Read John 4:26. What has Jesus just told her? (He is the Messiah. The Albert Barnes Commentary says that this is the first time Jesus openly professed to be the Messiah. Notice that He made this declaration to a Samaritan woman.)
- Read John 4:25. Has this woman come a long way in her understanding? (She seems to have come from thinking Jesus was crazy, to thinking that He had some special water that would make her life better, to thinking about the Messiah.)
- The Message
- Read John 4:28-30. Why are we told that the woman left her water jar at the well? (This shows she believed it was her top priority to share the news about Jesus.)
- Jesus plainly told her that He was the Messiah. Why would she say, “Can this be the Christ?” Is she showing doubt? (When you ask a question, as we do in these studies, it involves the listener in resolving the issue. It makes them think.)
- How did her question work? (They decided to come and see whether Jesus was the Messiah.)
- Read John 4:31-33. Why would Jesus say something to the disciples that He would reasonably know they would not understand?(Jesus wants them to think about what He is saying.)
- Read John 4:34. Why would Jesus call His work “food?” (He was energized by doing the will of God. Have you ever been so involved in a task that you forgot you were hungry?)
- Read John 4:35-36. Why does Jesus keep speaking about food when He is clearly talking about people? (This analogy not only helps us to understand the nature of evangelizing, it also fits Jesus’ statement that sharing the gospel gives Him energy like eating food.)
- Read John 4:37-38. Are you encouraged by this analogy to farming? (This is wonderful! We do not have to take on our shoulders the actual conversion. What we take on our shoulders is being part of the process of converting others.)
- Read John 4:39. Does this mean that Jesus’ knowledge of her background converted them? (That was her testimony. Her testimony coupled with her question about whether Jesus was the Messiah created enough interest and belief that they wanted to know more.)
- Read John 4:40-42. Is this an illustration of Jesus’ farm analogy? It takes the woman and Jesus working together to begin the process of beginning the conversion of the Samaritans?
- Of all the people Jesus could have used to be His partner in converting Samaritans, why did He choose this woman?
- Friend, this story gives us a roadmap for converting those hostile to us, but not necessarily hostile to God. Why not pray right now that the Holy Spirit will help you to be apply the principles of this story to your witness?
- Read John 4:28-30. Why are we told that the woman left her water jar at the well? (This shows she believed it was her top priority to share the news about Jesus.)
- Next week: More Testimonies About Jesus.