You are on the third John 1-6 Study Page of  

  ReadBibleAlive.com

Study No.16 : Living Water : John 4:1-15

A. Find Out:    

          

1. Why did Jesus stop at the well? v.6

2. Where were his disciples? v.8

3. Why was the woman surprised at Jesus' request? v.9

4. What did Jesus say he could give her? v.10

5. What effect did he say that would have? v.14

6. What was her response? v.15

 

B. Think :

 

1. How is Jesus' humanity seen here?

2. What do we learn about Jesus' attitudes towards people here?

3. What is it that Jesus is really offering this woman?

  

C. Comment :

  

      First we note that Jesus didn't at this stage of his ministry want to get in conflict with the religious Pharisees, and so leaves to go north to Galilee.

      Second, we see that he was human, like we are, and suffered tiredness just like we do, but never the less was willing to take any opportunity that came along even though he was tired. Are we?

  

      Third, we see that his attitudes are prejudice free. It was unusual in that culture for a man to speak to a woman in this way and especially a Samaritan woman. Jesus ignores all social barriers. Do we?

      Fourth, we see Jesus offering this woman a new source of life, water that lives, completely satisfies and creates a spring within that will continue to be a source of ongoing life. Although he doesn't explain it here, in John 7:39 Jesus shows he means the Holy Spirit when he speaks of living water.

     Fifth, note the woman's responses to Jesus. At first she is surprised at being approached by a Jew, and then thinks literally about special spring water. Although she seems slow to understand and continues to think materialistically Jesus perseveres with her. Jesus will persevere with us, even when we are slow.

    

D. Application?

1. Jesus was always available. Are we?

2. Jesus was free from prejudice. Are we?

3. Jesus persevered with the obtuse. Do we?

Study No.17 : Revelation : John 4:16-26

A. Find Out:

           

1. How did Jesus show insight? v.17,18

2. As what did she recognise Jesus? v.19

3. To what subject does she turn? v.20

4. Why needn't she worry about this? v.23

5. What sort of worship does God require? v.24

6. As whom does Jesus reveal himself? v.25,26

    

B. Think :

 

1. Why do you think Jesus asked about her husband?

2. What impact did Jesus' revelation have upon her?

3. Why do you think she started talking about where you can meet with

     God?

 

C. Comment :

 

      We see in this passage today the amazing way Jesus gives opportunity for people to open up to Him.

      First, Jesus shows his knowledge about people by gently asking about the woman's husband. He clearly knows things are not right with her and gives her the opportunity to confess her state. When she only partly does this he shows he knows all about her.

     We then see her response to this clear word of knowledge: you must be a prophet. But it didn't stop there, there was a stirring within her that said, "Well, I know my state, but how can I get right with God? You Jews say Jerusalem is the place to meet with God but as you hate us Samaritans I can't come there.

      Look, says Jesus, Samaritans worship without a clear background while Jews worship with all their knowledge of their past experience of God, but the truth is that it doesn't matter what your knowledge or history is, you can worship God anywhere you like as long as it comes from your spirit and is real.

     With a flash of insight the woman senses who this is. She has heard of a coming Messiah who will act and speak like this so is this him? Jesus gently confirms that she has found her Messiah.

     

D. Application?

  

1. Jesus knows us through and through and wants us to acknowledge the

     sort of people we are.

2. It's not where you worship but how you worship that counts.

Study No.18 : Special Food : John 4:27-34

A. Find Out:

        

1. How did the disciples feel as they saw the woman with Jesus? v.27

2. What did the woman do? v.28

3. What did she testify? v.29

4. What was Jesus' response to his disciples' about eating? v.32

5. What was their response to this? v.33

6. What did he say was his food? v.34

    

B. Think :

  

1. What prejudicial attitude is seen in the disciples?

2. What good response is seen in the woman?

3. What lesson do we learn from Jesus?

     

C. Comment :

  

      A rabbinical rule said, "Let no one talk to a woman in the street" but when the disciples returned their "rabbi" was freely talking with a woman. They had yet to learn that Jesus would cross any social boundary to reach a person in need. Will we? The woman (possibly put off by the disciples' disapproving looks) has good news to share and so she hastily departs and goes and tells everyone she knows about what has happened. The best witness is the one who can tell what Jesus has done for them.

      We then we see the disciples' apparent concern for Jesus' material well-being as they urge him to eat, but they find in his response that there is a spiritual nourishment which is equally sustaining. We are not to say from this that we don't need to eat but we are to learn that doing God's will and serving Him daily, also provides a nourishment that creates well-being. Many a servant of the Lord has come to a "serving situation" weary and tired, served as the Lord directed, and then found they were feeling completely refreshed afterwards. Such is the blessing of being a servant of the Lord!

    

D. Application?

 

1. God calls us to respect people as people, regardless of whether they are

     male or female.

2. Sharing the Lord's life means that life flows through us and refreshes us.

  

Study No.19 : Reaping the Harvest : John 4:35-42

A. Find Out:

          

1. Why did Jesus say to look at the fields? v.35

2. What sort of crop was being reaped? v.36

3. Who are the two workers involved? v.37,38

4. Why did many Samaritans first believe? v.39

5. So what did they do? v.40

6. With what result? v.41,42

    

B. Think :

 

1. What two activities are involved in bringing someone to the Lord?

2. Which one had the woman been involved in?

3. Which one was Jesus then involved in?

    

C. Comment :

 

      As Jesus continues talking to his disciples he explains that in the spiritual world there are needed sowers and reapers, just like the physical world. Sowers sow the word into people's lives by sharing testimony, telling of Jesus etc. Reapers bring the final word that bring others through into full faith. Look, says Jesus, the harvest is ready. Presumably they would have been able to see the people coming towards them from the woman's testimony. The woman had been a sower and had shared her testimony, the word had gone in and been believed and many now wanted to come and see Jesus.

  

      This Samaritan town was more open than many Jewish towns and so when the people came to Jesus they found in him what they were looking for and they urged him to stay with them, so he did! It's easy to miss this but Jesus stayed on with these Samaritans for two days, presumably teaching them and ministering to them. Jesus reaped and brought them through to full faith where they were able to say, "This man really is the Saviour of the world". If this isn't salvation what is? How tremendous was the response of this people, all because Jesus took time to share when he was tired and a woman shared with her people.

    

D. Application?

1. Sowers share their testimony to their friends

2. Reapers capitalise on the believe created.

Study No.20 : Second Sign : John 4:43-54

A. Find Out:

          

1. Why did the Galileans welcome Jesus? v.45

2. How ill was the official's son? v.47

3. What did Jesus say they would need? v.48

4. Why did the man leave? v.50

5. When was his son healed? v.52,53

6. How was this described? v.54

   

B. Think :

 

1. Why did the Galileans believe?

2. Why did the official believe at first?

3. Why else did he come to further believe?

   

C. Comment :

 

      This is a passage all about belief.

      First we are told (v.44) that Jesus knew that in the area where he came from, it would be difficult for there to be belief. When he gets there we are surprised to find that many of them welcomed him for the thing he had done in the temple in Jerusalem (2:13-25). They appear to "believe" in him, but believe what?

      So Jesus visits Cana where he had performed the changing water into wine (2:1-11) and there he is met by a royal official whose son is critically ill. This man appears to have partial belief, he apparently believes that if Jesus will travel with him to his son in Capernaum some 15-20 miles away and touch his son, his son will be healed. Jesus chides him saying these people will only believe AFTER they have SEEN a powerful miracle.

      There is yet a further level of belief to be observed! Jesus speaks a word of healing authority and then tells the man to go. The man GOES BELIEVING. This is believing WITHOUT SEEING. That he was right in believing is subsequently shown, for the son was healed at the moment Jesus spoke. Want proof that Jesus is the Son of God with authority? This is it! (v.54)

     

D. Application?

  

1. Faith comes in different levels. We can believe WHEN we SEE the

     miraculous, or we can believe BEFORE we SEE when we simply HEAR.

2. Pray for faith to be one who can believe the moment you hear .

 

RECAP No.3  "Touching People"  John 4

SUMMARY :  

       

In these 5 studies we have seen:

 

- Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman

- talk about living water, true worship and the woman's background

- the woman's testimony stirring many to come and seek Jesus

- the coming to real belief by the official whose son is healed by Jesus.

 

COMMENT :

  

     In the first part of this chapter we have seen Jesus establishing contact with a Samaritan woman and leading her by gentle provocation to think about spiritual things. He then gently challenges her about her personal life and reveals himself as the coming Messiah

  

     In the latter part of the chapter another personal encounter is witnessed where a desperate father receives Jesus' rebuke for his low level of faith.

  

     Jesus deals with different people in different ways.

  

LESSONS :

  

1. Availability and lack of prejudice are characteristics of Jesus - and us as Christians?

2. Jesus wants us to face the truth about ourselves.

3. Testimony is a powerful weapon in sharing the Gospel.

4. Faith comes at different levels.

     

   

PRAY :

  

     Ask the Lord to help you become the same powerful witness for him that you have read about.

   

  

PART 4 : "Father and Son"

  

     In this next chapter after seeing Jesus heal a long-term invalid, watch for some of the most profound words from Jesus about his relationship with God his Father in heaven. More than anywhere else in the New Testament, this chapter reveals things about the relationship of the Son to the Father.