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WEEK THREE

Day Three

DAILY SCRIPTURE

John 4:13-14

LEADER GUIDE QUESTIONS

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Know: Read John Chapter 4

Note: Mark keywords, including pronouns and phrases. (Woman, worship, eternal life, believe)

Ask questions: (Use tools such as interlinear bibles to search the original meaning of words- free tool here) For example:

• Who were the Samaritans?

• What is the relationship between the Jews with Samaritans?

• When

• Where is Samaria? Where does salvation come from, according to verse 22?

• Why didn’t the Jews like the Samaritans?

• How did the Samaritans worship?

Observation: Read Genesis 31-32

What: What does today’s study reveal to you about the nature of God? What truth do I need to apply to my life today?

“…the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:15

The Samaritans were a people who had a long history of tension with the Jews. While they worshiped the same God, the most significant difference was that they rejected the prophets and only had the Pentateuch for their scriptures. They were a mixed race since the time of King Ahab’s father, Omri (1 Kings16:24); the remaining residents from Isreal’s exile, mixing with the foreigners, both race and gods/ God. Jews and Samaritans were hostile toward each other’s holy sites. They disagreed about who Israel's rightful leader was and which mountain they were supposed to worship on. They also disagreed politically and socially.

It was not unusual for Jews to pass through Samaria. However, they often went around it to avoid interaction with the people of the town, even though it cost them further travel. The place where Jesus came to, Sychar, was significant to the scene you read about in chapter 4. This place was not only where God first met Abraham and made a covenant with him; the place where Abraham built an altar and called on the name of the Lord; it was where Jacob built a well.

If you read the story in your Observation pre-work, the story of Jacob picks up when he gathers his family to flee the oppression of his uncle Laban and returns home. On his journey, he had a wrestling match with God, the battle of Jacob’s self-will against God’s will. Where Abraham and Isaac willingly surrendered to the God who chose them, Jacob struggled with surrender. His story reflects the age-long battle of self-righteousness vs. God’s righteousness. Despite Jacob’s self-will, he got what God would have given to him willingly- His blessing. God gave him the name Israel because he wrestled with God. Israel bought that land for one hundred pieces of silver and later built an altar to the Lord, calling it El Elohe (The God of Israel), and then dug a well (Jacob’s well). What is interesting to note is that despite God’s name change, Jacob is referred to by his original name in most of his remaining story. Every time his name is mentioned as “Jacob,” he is relying on his self-effort, such as the revenge he and his sons enact on a village in response to the raping of his daughter. (Genesis 34).

{ Note: this land is also where Joseph dreamed his dreams, leading to his brother’s selling him into slavery. His father later gave him that piece of land as his inheritance. Four hundred and fifty years later, it is where the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and also where Joshua’s bones were buried.}

Because nothing in scripture is random, this story speaks of a deeper meaning. Jacob’s well represents the “Jacob-life.” It is the life each of us wrestles with. Our righteousness vs. Christ’s righteousness. It is not our ability, faith, or good works that make God pleased with us; it is in relying on Christ’s ability and faithfulness. We cannot get God to love or bless us based on what we do to earn it. Jesus earned for us. He hit the mark where we failed to do so. When Jesus sat on the well, he sealed the pollution and bondage of self-effort, and he offered living (Zoe) water.

This Samaritan woman represents every one of us. In the day's culture, for Jews and Samaritans, women had no rights. They could not divorce their husbands even if they were abused. Neither could they own property or have a voice in their judicial system. If they could not bear children, the husband had the right to divorce his wife and marry whomever they wished. If a woman was discarded, she had no means of support, so she had to do whatever was necessary to survive. This woman had a history behind five failed marriages and one other man who would not marry her. Considering the culture, it’s very likely she was divorced multiple times, more likely because of barrenness rather than adultery, as many have taught. Adulteresses were not marriageable women, so women who married five times did not have that history because they chose it. Like abusive husbands, who discard their wives, the five men represent our five senses. If we are led by flesh and emotions, they will fail us and lead to brokenness. The sixth man represents “man” (the number six represents man or fallen humanity- Adam). Having been born captive to sin and the nature of Adam, we had no rights. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” Romans 5:12 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Rom 3:23

Jesus is the seventh man. Jesus did not condemn the woman; instead, he asked her for the “water” of her devotion, and in return, he would offer her something greater. He provided unconditional acceptance. He fully satisfied the thirst she craved. “All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink! Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scriptures say!" John 7:37

Where Nicodemus failed to understand, the Samaritan woman perceived with keen accuracy. Nicodemus was trapped in a belief system that said he was justified by his righteousness and ability to keep the law. The woman at the well had been held captive by the oppression of her husbands, the law, and her flesh. Jesus offered her freedom she could only dream of. Once she believed Him, her eyes were open, and her spirit was made completely free and whole. The earthly man could no longer abuse her while her true self was lovingly held fast. Willingly, she devoted herself to Jesus, and in return, his love quenched her thirst.

When the disciples returned and saw Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman, they held their tongues from questioning the scene that may have insulted their prejudice. Instead, they concerned themselves with Jesus’ physical needs. Despite the hunger he must have felt, he responded, “Don’t worry about me. I have eaten a meal you don’t know about.” Jesus had enjoyed a kingdom feast. He feasted on the devotion of the Samaritan woman just as He feasted on the love of his bride- the church. When we drank his life-giving water and food, we were both satisfied.

Photini

The Eastern Orthodox Church has records that the woman at the well was the same Photini, recorded equal to the apostles and who strengthened the early church. The conversation she had with Jesus was the longest recorded conversation he had with anyone else in the Bible (and a woman, no less!). The conversation was sparked by the intelligence of political and religious knowledge, and it was rich with prophetic knowledge and revelation revealed by Jesus’ response.

Phontini was so convinced Jesus was the Messiah that she immediately ran and evangelized her village and, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, traveled far and wide, strengthening the early churches. Her life ended in a martyr’s death when she was thrown into a dry well by Nero, the evil persecutor of the early Christian church.

Jesus heals the nobleman’s son.

The second sign Jesus performed (the first was water being turned into wine) was healing the son of a nobleman. I want to focus on only one thing in this story - the nature of God.

The nobleman who approached Jesus had either seen or heard him turn water into wine. It caused faith to be stirred enough to believe that if Jesus could do such an extraordinary thing for the bride and groom, perhaps he could heal his dying son, so he risked the ask.

Notice that Jesus did not question God about His willingness to heal this boy. Jesus did not have to go into a prayer closet, question whether or not healing was on his ministry agenda, or beg for mercy. He KNEW what to do because He knew his Father. In this case, the first healing in scripture (John records all three years of Jesus’ ministry while the other three gospels record only his last year), Jesus only spoke a word, and the boy was healed. He didn’t even have to lay hands on him. Jesus was so confident in God’s willingness to heal, knowing his authority, he was assured of the outcome.

Jesus was God’s Son; they were in perfect unity. Jesus knew that God’s nature is Healer. (He is Jehovah- Rapha, The God who heals.) He only ever did what He saw His Father doing. so, with a word, the boy was healed.

For a deep study on Diving Healing, read:

Know:Truth: A Study on Divine Healing by Anna Thevaos

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