Christ 5.0 Lesson 12

Pinelake Student Ministry Christ 5.0 - Small Group Lesson 12

DRINK UP _______________________________________________________ Key Question What does God offer me? Biblical Truth Through His Son Jesus, God offers grace to all people, even those who some might consider unworthy and unacceptable. ________________________________________________________________ Activity/Introduction Ask: “When you use the word „stranger‟ what do you mean? What makes a stranger strange? Do you think strangers would find you strange as well? What kinds of differences identify those we might meet as strangers? If you saw Jesus, would you think He was a stranger?” Say: “Today, we will look at the story of two people who were seemingly strangers to each other – Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Despite their differences, their encounter changed lives forever.”

Scripture Have your small group read John 4:4-26.

Observation Use any of the questions below. 1. What things about today‟s Bible passage stand out to you? Encourage small group members to discuss any observations they have. 2. What are some reasons that Jesus, as a Jewish man, would not have wanted to interact with the woman? First, she was a Samaritan. Samaritans were a mixed race of part Israelite and part Gentile. Because of their racial and religious differences, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Drinking from the same vessel as a Samaritan would have meant ceremonial defilement for a Jew. Second, the woman’s history with being married multiple times would have made it likely that a respectable Jewish man would have avoided her as a sinful woman. 3. How did Jesus steer the conversation to sharing the gospel? Jesus started the conversation with a simple request. When the woman

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Pinelake Student Ministry Christ 5.0 - Small Group Lesson 12 expressed surprise since Jesus was a Jew and she was a Samaritan, He shifted the discussion to spiritual matters. He did so in a way that made the woman curious. 4. What did Jesus mean when He referred to “living water”? Living water meant God and eternal life that a relationship with God through Jesus brings. Jeremiah wrote of God referring to Himself as living water in Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13. 5. How did Jesus know that the woman had five previous husbands and was currently with a man who was not her husband? Jesus was a man as shown by His physical tiredness and need for water in john 4:6-7. However, He was also God the Son, which meant that He knows everything about every person. 6. What was Jesus‟ message on true worship? Jesus stressed the importance of worshipping what you know. We cannot worship God if we do not know Him. Where people worship is not as important as whom they worship and that their worship is real. Real worship is worshipping God the Father in spirit and in truth. Worshipping in spirit means that our worship is not just outward. It must come from within us. Worshipping in truth includes not worshipping our own version of God but worshipping Him as He really is. 7. Read John 4:39-42. What was the result of Jesus‟ conversation with the woman? The woman shared what happened with many people in her town. They believed in Jesus as a result of her testimony. Lives were changed forever because she shared her experience with Jesus. Application Use any of the questions below. 1. What are ways you think that today‟s Bible passage applies for us today? Encourage students to identify applications for today from the Bible passage. 2. Have you ever had a conversation with someone that you felt God had orchestrated? What happened? Have as many students as would like share their experiences. Discuss how God creates “divine appointments” for us to talk to others about Him. We should be sensitive to those times and trust that God will give us the words to speak. 3. What are some barriers that would prevent you from sharing the gospel with people who are different from you? How can you overcome those barriers?

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Pinelake Student Ministry Christ 5.0 - Small Group Lesson 12 Students could mention barriers such as discomfort with sharing to people with whom they don’t have much in common, fear, prejudice, etc. The way to overcoming these types of barriers is to rely upon God rather than on ourselves. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to move past all barriers to accomplish the will of God. 4. Do we focus more on physical needs or spiritual needs? Why? If we are honest, most of us would have to admit that we usually focus much more on physical needs than on spiritual needs. It is easy for us to push spiritual needs to the side but it is not easy to do so for physical needs for things like food, water, and shelter. However, ultimately it is our spiritual needs that are more important. 5. What does it mean to thirst for God? What things would a person who was thirsting for God do? Why do we so frequently not thirst for God? When people are really thirsty for water, they can’t get their minds off water. They eagerly anticipate water. They search for water to find. Water is their top priority. Thirst for God results in the same types of actions. People who are thirsty for God think about God. They search for Him. God is their top priority. We often do not thirst for God because we mistakenly think that our thirst is being quenched already. Things of this world – and even things related to church – can get in the way of thirst for God Himself. 6. Describe a time when worshipping God was especially meaningful to you. What do you think was different about that time of worship as compared to other times? Encourage several students to share their experience of worship. 7. What does it mean to you that Jesus was the Messiah (the Christ)? Most of the students at Pinelake don’t have Jewish heritage. The Jewish people were (and many still are) looking for the Messiah – the anointed one who would come and restore greatness to the Jewish people. For us, the fact that Jesus was the Messiah – the Christ – means that we have an opportunity to become God’s children and spend eternity with Him through believing in Jesus.

Prayer Ask students to pray that they will be receptive to God‟s divine appointments in their lives.

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Background Information for Small Group Leaders (Biblical information for small group leaders to prepare for small group time. This is not intended to be used necessarily for discussion during small group time.)

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Pinelake Student Ministry Christ 5.0 - Small Group Lesson 12 The focus passage for this week is John 4:4-26. Investigation John 4:4–6 Jesus was making His way from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north. Between Judea and Galilee was an area called Samaria. Samaritans were a mixed race of part Israelite and part Gentile. Racist feelings caused most Jews to take the long way around to the east through the Trans-Jordan. Jesus, not bound by racial prejudice, chose to go through Samaria where He had a divine appointment with a woman at Jacob‟s well in the city of Sychar. He was tired from His long journey. It was about noon (the sixth hour in Jewish time) and Jesus sat down to rest by the well. John 4:7–8 Why did this woman come alone to the well at noon? Most women came together in the cool of the early morning and used the time to socialize. Jesus later revealed that this woman‟s character would have been a possible topic for gossip. Scripture is not clear, but she might have intentionally avoided being with other women. It seems only natural that Jesus, a hot and thirsty traveler, would request water from a woman drawing water for herself. But the request surprised her. The disciples would have drawn the water had they not been buying food in town. John 4:9–10 Because of their racial and religious differences, Jews did not associate with Samaritans, which meant they definitely wouldn‟t share cups. Drinking from her vessel would have meant ceremonial defilement for Jesus since He was Jewish, and she was a Samaritan woman. So the woman‟s surprise was warranted. Jesus was more interested in changing the woman‟s heart than in following religious rules of the day. If the woman had only known who Jesus was, maybe her response would have been different. He shifted the conversation from physical concerns to spiritual concerns. Jesus implied that because of who He was, He could give her a gift from God that was greater than ordinary water. John 4:11–12 The well‟s source was at its bottom. The woman assumed this was the living water to which Jesus referred. She wondered how Jesus could obtain this water since He had nothing to reach it with. Jacob dug the well for his family and descendants. The Old Testament does not tell us when Jacob dug the well, but it probably happened around the events of Genesis 33:18–20. The well provided refreshment for many generations. The woman probably doubted Jesus could provide greater refreshment than Jacob. John 4:13–15 As He often did, Jesus used a physical reality to illustrate a spiritual one. Physical water refreshes the body for only a little while. Eventually, you have to draw more. But Jesus spoke of water that would refresh the soul forever. Jesus‟ living water serves as a well of eternal life that springs up within a believer. The woman had not yet understood. She could not follow the symbolism. But she was aware of her physical need for water. How wonderful it would be if she had “living water”! She would never have to come back to Jacob‟s well. Now the tables had turned. She was asking Him for a drink of water, just as Jesus had previously asked her. John 4:16–18 In response to her request, Jesus asked her to go call her husband. The request was proper because it was not considered good etiquette for a woman to talk to

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Pinelake Student Ministry Christ 5.0 - Small Group Lesson 12 a man without her husband present. This was technically true, but Jesus knew the real story. She had five husbands in the past and was now living with another man who was not her husband. Jesus wanted her to admit that the cause of her spiritual thirst was her sin. Jesus confronted the woman with her sin. John 4:19–24 The woman changed the subject to religion. She brought up an ongoing debate between the Jews and Samaritans about the proper place for worshiping God. Samaritans believed Mount Gerizim was the proper place to worship God, but the Jews believed Jerusalem was the proper place. The Samaritans followed the five books written by Moses, and these books did not establish a place of worship. So the Samaritans believed they could choose where they wanted to worship, and they chose Mount Gerizim. This tradition was passed down, so the woman at the well brought it up to Jesus. Jesus would not be diverted. Instead of directly answering her question, he addressed the heart of the matter. When Jesus told her “salvation is from the Jews,” He meant that salvation has its origin in the Jews. He also explained that worship was not confined to a place because God is Spirit. God desires worshipers who worship in spirit (absolute sincerity) and truth (absolute reality). Worship involves much more than location. To worship God in truth, you must know who He is. He has revealed Himself to us through His Word. Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, humans have a mixed-up view of God. But by His grace, we can worship Him in truth. John 4:25–26 The woman had some idea of who the Messiah was supposed to be. She knew the Messiah would reveal all truth. But Jesus declared He was the Messiah. Jesus normally did not make such a public claim. Many times He had urged His disciples to keep His Messiahship quiet. But in response to her statement, Jesus told her He was the Messiah. Jesus‟ words translated “I . . . am he” are literally “I am.” The name God used for Himself when he spoke to Moses was “I am” (Ex. 3:14). Jesus‟ use of these words may have been a statement of His identity as God.

Importance The woman at the well was astonished that Jesus was willing to talk to her, a Samaritan woman (v. 9). Secondly, she was amazed that He knew all about her (v. 19). As with the Samaritan woman, Jesus knows all about us, treasures us despite our sin and baggage, and is willing to communicate with us. This Scripture passage is important because it declares that through Christ God offers grace to all people, even those some might consider unworthy and unacceptable. Implications Some people make a mistake by saying, “My life is a mess right now. I‟ll trust in Christ when I clean it up.” In reality, we cannot clean ourselves up; only Jesus can change us. Jesus did not tell the woman to clean up her life before she could experience His living water. He met the woman at her personal point of need and understanding. How has Jesus met you at your personal point of need? How has He changed your mind to better understand Him? How can you share this personal change with your students?Some people may think others are unworthy of God‟s grace because of their race, status, or past sin. None of those issues prevented Jesus from sharing the truth with the woman.

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Pinelake Student Ministry Christ 5.0 - Small Group Lesson 12 No one is excluded from His offer of “living water.” Are there any students in your group who seem unreachable to you? How can you tear down the barriers to reach them with God‟s love?

Portions of this material used with permission from Student Life Publishing. © 2005 Student Life Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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