2/22/09 the Woman at the Well Finds Christ

2/22/09 The Woman at the Well Finds Christ

1. Motivate

What kinds of things divides people from each other? - age - geography - culture - religion - race - gender - economic differences - language

What separates all peoples from God? - sin - rebellion - lack of knowledge

2. Transition

Today we look at the importance of crossing barriers to introduce people to Jesus

3. Bible Study

3.1 Jesus Crosses Major Barriers

Listen for why the woman in the passage was surprised.

John 4:4-9 (NIV) Now he had to go through Samaria. [5] So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. [6] Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. [7] When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" [8] (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) [9] The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Why did Jesus sit down by Jacob’s well? - tired from the journey, thirsty - was 6th hour, late, long day

Why was the Samaritan woman surprised that Jesus spoke to her? - she was Samaritan, - Jesus (to her obviously) a Jew - Jews did not associate with Samaritans

Note the non typical route Jesus took from Jerusalem to Galilee - usually they crossed over the Jordan - strict Jews would bypass Samaria

How might a person feel awkward due to another’s background, nationality, or race? - don’t know the jargon - don’t know how to act - feel you are being laughed at

1 2/22/09 The Woman at the Well Finds Christ

What kind of barriers did Jesus break down in initiating a witness with this woman? - cultural – the Jews and the Samaritans hated each other - religious – Jews felt the Samaritans were no longer even close to orthodox - gender – men did not talk to women in public - educational – he was a rabbi, she was just a woman (with little or no learning) - spiritual – she turns out to be living with a man and they are unmarried

Jesus set aside prejudice and ministered to Samaritans: - Luke 9:52 – 55; Jesus rebukes the disciples for their hostility towards the Samaritans - Luke 17:11-14; Jesus heals ten Samaritan lepers - Luke 17:17; Jesus praises the single Samaritan leper who returned and gave thanks - Acts 1:8; the resurrected Jesus challenged his disciples to preach in Samaria and beyond

How can prejudice affect a Christian’s witness? - you think you are better than the person from the other culture - by your perception, they don’t even know how to act in a civil way - you come across as patronizing or demeaning them - you are sure they are wrong (on everything, not just lack of faith) and you are right - it get’s up the other person’s defenses and you start out with two strikes against you

Jesus was from a culture hostile to that of the Samaritan woman He met at the well. Why was his approach of asking for water such a good one? - it’s a common need, everyone gets thirsty - He didn’t approach as a superior (a man, a Jew), He came with a simple need - it got the lady curious, it caught her attention - right away she wants to know why He is talking to her - she is now willing to talk, it opens a channel of communication

This meeting could have been termed a “coincidence” – two people who just happened to meet near a well. Jesus turned it into a divine appointment.

How can we avoid missing these divine appointments? - ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to share the gospel - realize God is directing your steps, your encounters every day, all day - be sensitive to God’s Spirit prompting you, opening your heart and mind to the needs of people you meet each day - be ready to start a conversation on something practical or appropriate to the situation

3.2 Jesus Meets Human Needs

Listen for how Jesus continues to gain the interest of the woman.

John 4:10-15 (NIV) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." [11] "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? [12] Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his

2 2/22/09 The Woman at the Well Finds Christ flocks and herds?" [13] Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, [14] but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." [15] The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

She was wondering why Jesus would ask her for a drink. How did Jesus answer her question? - if you knew the gift of God - if you knew who is asking you - you would ask for living water

What did the Samaritan woman think Jesus was talking about? - she is thinking literally - says he has no container to put down in the deep well - where are you going to get living water? - this is a famous well (Jacob’s well) are you greater than he?

 She is taking Jesus literally – at least at first.

How can confusion about spiritual things open the door for more discussion? - provides opportunity to clarify spiritual truths - you gain a better understanding of what they don’t know - helps you speak to the things they really don’t understand

Note that Jesus did not argue with her or try to answer her questions. What did he say would be the result of “drinking” the water he offered? - if you drink this water you will never thirst again - actually you would become a source of water - it would result in eternal life

Note Jesus’ use of water as a metaphor to teach about salvation. He spoke to a tangible need and moved on to spiritual needs.

How would you use some of these tangible needs to transition into spiritual issues? Bread - we need bread, food sustenance - not only physically but spiritually - Jesus is the “bread” of life

Light - we need light to see what is around us - it guides our way - Jesus is the light for seeing the way through life

Breath - we take air into our lungs, breath out carbon dioxide waste - we can breath out, confess our sins; breath in forgiveness

3.3 Jesus Cures the Sin Problem

Listen for a basic need of the Samaritan woman

John 4:16-22 (NIV) He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." [17] "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. [18] The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." [19] "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." [21] Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. [22] You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.

What do we learn about the woman in this passage? - she has no husband (currently) - she has had five failed marriages - she has a current live-in boy friend

Note that Jesus did not respond to her request for special water  He continued to expose her need for spiritual water.

Why is it essential that this woman, and any of us, be confronted with the sin in our lives? - that is our basic need - a person must be aware of the sin in their lives This may be one of - they must be convicted (convinced) of the reality of the sin the hardest parts of witnessing … the - they must see it as sin Holy Spirit must do - they must agree with God that it is sin (this is confession) the convincing.

Why would sharing your own testimony of how Jesus forgave your sins ease the transition into confronting sin? - you are admitting to someone your own foibles - it is a personal experience – someone else cannot deny your own experience - it is real life … someone can identify with your feelings, your attitudes - you are not standing in condemnation of them, you are saying you were in the “same boat”

How did the Samaritan woman respond to Jesus’ statements about her situation - changes the subject - obviously you are a prophet - our prophets say we should worship here - you Jews claim the right place is Jerusalem Why is it important to continue to bring people’s focus back on Jesus rather than try to debate all the sidetrack issues? - Jesus is who they need - Jesus is the one who forgave their sins - Jesus is the one who loves them - these other issues are not the main thing - keep the main thing the main thing … Jesus love is the main thing

4. Application

4.1 Keys to being an effective witness wherever you are - Ignore human barriers - Engage the needs of others - Lead them to consider Jesus as life’s ultimate thirst quencher

4.2 Consider the phrase “Truth is more caught than taught.” - People will respond to the Gospel when we live it before them - Pray that Jesus’ love and kindness will be demonstrated in your life - Look for ways to help, encourage, meet the needs of people around you

4.3 Closing prayer together: Thank you Lord for reaching out to me, in spite of my sin, to give me new life in Christ. Thank you for people who cared enough to tell me about the truth of God’s grace for me. Open my eyes to any prejudices that keep me from seeing people as God’s treasure. Show me how I can be a more credible witness of the truth that all people are God’s treasure.