The Woman at the well finds Christ

1
The Woman at the well finds Christ

• February 22

2
Think About It

• What kinds of things divides people from each
  other?
• What separates all peoples from God?
• Today we look at the importance of crossing
  barriers to introduce people to Jesus

3
Listen for why the woman in the passage was
surprised.

• John 44-9 (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.

4
Listen for why the woman in the passage was
surprised.

• 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.)

5
Jesus Crosses Major Barriers

• Why did Jesus sit down by Jacobs well?
• Why was the Samaritan woman surprised that Jesus
  spoke to her?
• Note the non typical route Jesus took from
  Jerusalem to Galilee

6
Jesus Crosses Major Barriers

• How might a person feel awkward due to anothers
  background, nationality, or race?
• What kind of barriers did Jesus break down in
  initiating a witness with this woman?

7
Jesus Crosses Major Barriers

• Jesus set aside prejudice and ministered to
  Samaritans
• Look up each reference and note what Jesus did
  for one or more Samaritan people
• Luke 952 55
• Luke 1711-14
• Luke 1717
• Acts 18

8
Jesus Crosses Major Barriers

• How can prejudice affect a Christians witness?
• Why was his approach of asking for water such a
  good one?
• Some might consider this meeting a coincidence
  How can we avoid missing what are actually
  divine appointments?

9
Listen for how Jesus continues to gain the
interest of the woman

• John 410-15 (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 flocks
  and herds?"

10
Listen for how Jesus continues to gain the
interest of the woman

• 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."

11
Jesus Meets Human Needs

• She was wondering why Jesus would ask her for a
  drink. How did Jesus answer her question?
• What did the Samaritan woman think Jesus was
  talking about?
• ? She is taking Jesus literally at least at
  first.
• How can confusion about spiritual things open the
  door for more discussion?

12
Jesus Meets Human Needs

• 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?

13
Jesus Meets Human Needs

• 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
• Light
• Breath

14
Listen for a basic need of the Samaritan woman

• John 416-22 (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.

15
Listen for a basic need of the Samaritan woman

• 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.

16
Jesus Cures the Sin Problem

• What do we learn about the woman in this passage?
• 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?

This may be one of the hardest parts of
witnessing the Holy Spirit must do the
convincing.
17
Jesus Cures the Sin Problem

• Why would sharing your own testimony of how Jesus
  forgave your sins ease the transition into
  confronting sin?
• How did the Samaritan woman respond to Jesus
  statements about her situation?
• Why is it important to continue to bring peoples
  focus back on Jesus rather than try to debate all
  the sidetrack issues?

18
Application

• Keys to being an effective witness wherever you
  are
• Ignore human barriers
• Engage the needs of others
• Lead them to consider Jesus as lifes ultimate
  thirst quencher

19
Application

• 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

20
Application

• 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 Gods grace for me. Open my eyes to
  any prejudices that keep me from seeing people as
  Gods treasure. Show me how I can be a more
  credible witness of the truth that all people are
  Gods treasure.

21
The Woman at the well finds Christ

• February 22