She models a way of doing this with both conviction about what she has learned in the past and also openness to discovering new things about what God is doing in the world. conversation. What Does It Mean That "Your Life Is Hidden with Christ"? The solution is found in our focus in this essay: worship in the world without end. Jesus believes the same for you. a man to whom she was not legally married. Lord, when confronted with the truth of my own depravity, let me be quick to be honest with you and not try to hide. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.. When Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem, they were opposed by Samaritans. There were even Pharisees who were called the bruised and bleeding Pharisees because they shut their eyes when they saw a woman on the street and so walked into walls and houses! (Barclay). Plus, he was talking to her without anyone else around! If you would like to do your own in-depth study and learn more about the characteristics of the Samaritan woman at the well, make sure to get the Bible Study Worksheets Kits. They were hated by the Jews because of this cultural mixing and because they had their own version of the Bible and their own temple on Mount Gerizim. She struggled with shame, which is evident by the time of the day she journeyed to the well. I pray your Sunday School lesson goes well and is a blessing to all who attend. When he left, the people told the woman, " we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the savior of the world." There is no moving forward until you can clean up the immediate mess around you. John 4:16-19 says: He told her, Go, call your husband and come back.I have no husband, she replied. marks perfectly the spot where Jesus conversed with her. When we put our faith and trust in Him as the Living Water, we can bank on the fact that the well will never run dry (Psalm 37:4). Jesus He will never tire of us. She decides to take their theological discussion a step further and asks him about the proper place for worship, one of the major differences between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus encounter with this woman brings to light four core beliefs or exhortations that modern-day Christians can learn. Her current situation, living with a man who is not her husband, could be the result of several possible scenarios. RELATED: Jesus and the rich young ruler 7 modern lessons from an old Bible story. They survived through the time of Jesus, and even, in limited numbers, to the present day. What does the story of the Samaritan woman at the well teach us? She returns to her town and effectively shares her own experience with Jesus, inviting the villagers to come and see if they reach the same conclusion about him. She goes immediately and tells her family and friends. Blessings. As she referenced Jacob, she thought Jesus must be a crazy person to think that he could provide such a water that Jacob himself could not. Perhaps like the Samaritan woman, we need only acknowledge our place of brokenness, that place where we are attempting find satisfaction: I have no husband.. Salem Media Group. She was so happy that she ran to tell the rest of her village and the whole town was saved. Every now and then, God has to do that to us. Why was the woman at the well? So Happy you found this post informative. Jesus often taught spiritual lessons through parables or stories. Who was the Samaritan woman at the well? 4 Things Christians Can Learn from The Story of the Woman at the Well 1. suspicion by some rulers of His own nation, here is one of the despised Samaritans who received Leaving behind her water jar, the woman returned to town, inviting the people to "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did." Living water can be obtained only by those who recognize that they are spiritually thirsty. But it was not altogether for their living in sin when Jesus met her, but I feel sure her life was different from that time on. Jesus puts our sin and shame to death on the cross and calls us to walk in His light (John 8:12, 1 John 1:7, Psalm 27:1). She has been married 5 times, and is currently living in unrepentant sin, by living with her boyfriend (John 4:16-18). This was around noon-time during the heat of the day. The strict Rabbis forbade a Rabbi to greet a woman in public. We live in a culture where we are highly focused on the next best thing. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. Samaritans are first mentioned in the Bible in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the 5th century B.C. Sadly, we do not even notice the aching question behind our search for the next best thing. She thus asked Him about the true worship, whether it was of the Jews or the Samaritans. The story begins as Jesus and his disciples are traveling from Jerusalem in the south to Galilee in the north. Perhaps most importantly, we should notice that Jesus does not condemn her status but simply acknowledges what you have said is true (4:18), as he continues to engage her in theological dialogue, to which we now turn. Jesus knew her history but still accepted her and ministered to her. But after meeting Jesus, she was soooo happy that she lost her shame. What did Jesus mean when He said, You worship what you do not know in John 4:22? This was the beginning of a long-lasting hatred between Jews and Samaritans. Firstly, she was poor. Rev. He broke through the cultural barriers in order to love others. Hes especially interested in the ministry to save women. We come with our water jug to get the water we thirst for. The woman at the well seems to be a mysterious character in the Scriptures. At this point, Babylon had given way to the Persian Empire. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. He says: 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. - John 4:10. Many blessings to you as God fills you with His purpose. The 5 husbands of the Samaritan woman remains a mystery because she never addressed it. DO you think you are greater? And Jesus affirms that what she has said is true and indicates that he has seen and knows her more fully than she might have guessed. Think Daniel and the three Hebrew boys in Babylon. While Jesus was being eyed with She was an honest woman (John 4:16-18). can be observed from the language of the scriptures, that she did not understand what Jesus meant Types of Giving in the Bible, Examples What is Giving in the Bible? Jesus has paused to wait on you, to give you living water. "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet." Her name is Photina. The Jews hated the Samaritans more than they hated the gentiles. Jesus showed that the Gospel is for everyone. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. the disciples were shocked that Jesus, a Jew (v.9) and a Rabbi (1:38,49; 3:2,26;4 . What you have just said is quite true.Sir, the woman said, I can see that you are a prophet.. Jesus alone is the Living Water that fills our void. If a stranger could reveal her own story to her, this has got to be the Messiah. This Bible study of John 4 explores what the story of the Samaritan woman at the well can teach us today. Only the poor were left. The Samaritan woman went to draw water at noon because she was not welcomed at the local well where the women in her community went for water. What Do We Learn from Reading Jesus Genealogy? And boy, does he have a blessing for the ministry that women offer to help others. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The Your email address will not be published. Many of us are looking for our religious system to fill us, but it is only an encounter with the Messiah that can satisfy. They established as their center of worship a temple on Mount Gerizim, claiming it was where Moses had originally intended for the Israelites to worship. Not even their own female relatives, including their wives, sisters and daughters. Who is a lost woman in your life who needs to know Jesus? In Jewish culture, Rabbis did not speak to women in public. Jacob's Well is mentioned by name once in the New Testament in a passage ( John 4:5-6) which says that Jesus "came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the field which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. As far In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. But He took a shortcut through Samaria. Proud member People in the world, like the Samaritan woman at the well, need to know the consequences of their sin. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field ethat Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Weary from the countless times we have been rejected, hiding in certain areas because of shame, thirsty for living water, oftentimes we come to the well of religion, the well of an empty relationship, the well of work and striving in the heat of the day, hoping others wont see or recognize us. Jesus is sovereign and sees the sin within our hearts (1 Timothy 5:15). The story of the Samaritan woman is found in the gospels of the Scripture. Meanwhile, Jesus told his disciples the harvest of souls was ready, sown by the prophets, writers of the Old Testament and John the Baptist. Jesus knows her past and her pain, but He also knows her purpose. When Jesus chose to engage her in conversation this was new and different. Required fields are marked *. Without judgement, he relays the fuller story of her past, and she immediately understands that he is a prophet who knows and speaks the truth. So he decided to leave Judea and go to Galilee. As a Samaritan, she had similar beliefs so she should have know what Jesus was saying. The history of Samaria reminds us that no matter who you are or where you come from, there is Good News through Jesus Christ. Many were transformed by her testimony. Lord, help me know what questions to ask and give me the courage to always ask like a child. This fact suggests that she did not have any women friends which only happened if nobody wanted to be associated with her. Ashamed. She wanted to avoid the awkward stares and murmurs that she was sure to encounter if she came with the other women. What does it mean to worship in Spirit and Truth? Who was she really? her life. The Samaritan woman listens with open attentiveness to Jesus as she asks him questions about her faith and hope. The other women would have gathered their water early in the morning, before the heat of the sun beat down on them, before the tasks of the day wearied them . Instead, Jesus flipped the question. She had five husbands and she was living with a man who was not her husband. To explain the origins of the Samaritans, we must go back to the days of the kings. Nehemiah, a Jew, curried favor with the king and was able to return to Jerusalem to rebuild. Samaritans were a group of people who were part Jew and part Gentile. 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