Jesus and the Woman at the Well

Jesus and the Woman at the Well

Table of Contents Leader Preparation.............................................................................................................................................1 Lesson Overview.....................................................................................................................................1 Lesson Objectives....................................................................................................................................1 Primary Scripture - John 4: 1-30; 39-41..................................................................................................1 Secondary Scriptures - Jeremiah 2:13 and Psalm 63:1-5.........................................................................1 Teaching Prep..........................................................................................................................................2 The Before & After (optional)...........................................................................................................................6 Text Message Questions and Invitation...................................................................................................6 Parent Email -..........................................................................................................................................6 Lesson Guide.......................................................................................................................................................7 Getting Things Started.............................................................................................................................7 Teaching Points........................................................................................................................................7 Summary................................................................................................................................................10 Application.............................................................................................................................................10 Announcements......................................................................................................................................11 Shared Prayer and Sharing of the Peace................................................................................................11

i

Leader Preparation Lesson Overview Jesus has an encounter with a woman at a well in Sarmaria at the place of Jacon's well. This encounter changes the woman and the community there and can change us too. In John 4 Jesus has been teaching and his disciples were baptizing in Judea and when the Pharisees heard of this Jesus decided to return to Galilee. Instead of avoiding Samaria as most Jews would, jesus travels from Judea to Galilee straight through Samaria on his way north. He then stops at midday at Jacob's well in a town of Samaria called Sychar. His encounter with the Samaritan woman, unnamed but cetainly not forgotten. He asks her for a drink and she at first refuses because she knows that a man and woman should not be talking without the husband of the woman present - and that a Samaritan and Jew should not be talking at all. But she asks for a drink of water - and later talks of living water - and talks about her past and present. And in the end he confesses that he is the Messiah and when she recongnizes that this is true Jesus offers her this new life in the Spirit through real repentance and forgiveness. She then goes to proclaim these truths to all of her communithy. She came into this encounter as a woman who was condemned for her sinfulness. For she had been married 5 times before and was living with a man who was not her husband. But she left this encounter with Jesus filled with the Spirit and forgiven and free. We are called to encounter Jesus and free ourselves by accepting Jesus into our lives. Jesus knows us completely - he knows all of our sins and all of our fears - and he loves us anyway. If we repent and accept Jesus as God and savior then that grace which is freely given can change our lives. Salvation comes through faith and the grace that Jesus gives us. When we live into that Grace then we will share these truths with everyone in our lives.

Lesson Objectives 1. To help the youth understand that a true relationship with Jesus will change everything about us. 2. That Jesus knows us completely with all of our sins and shortcomings and he still loves us. 3. That Jesus calls us to true honest repentance of our past ways and sins. And with this we are forgiven and free to live in the Holy Spirit.

Primary Scripture - John 4: 1-30; 39-41 This text in John 4:1-30; 39-41 tells the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Use the NIV translation.

Secondary Scriptures - Jeremiah 2:13 and Psalm 63:1-5 Jeremiah 2:13

1

Jesus and the Woman at the Well My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Psalm 63:1-5 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. John 7:8 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living waterwill flow from within them.” Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Acts 2:38 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Teaching Prep BACKGROUND on the Woman at the Well: The story of the nameless Samaritan woman at the well, recorded only in the Gospel of John, is a revealing one, full of many truths and powerful lessons for us today. The story of the woman at the well follows on the heels of the account of Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and prominent member of the Jewish Sanhedrin (John 3:1–21).

2

Jesus and the Woman at the Well In John 4:4–42 we read about Jesus’ conversation with a lone Samaritan woman who had come to get water from a well (known as Jacob’s well) located about a half mile from the city of Sychar in Samaria. This was an extraordinary woman. She was a Samaritan, a race of people that the Jews utterly despised as having no claim on their God, and she was an outcast and looked down upon by her own people. This is evidenced by the fact that she came alone to draw water from the community well when, during biblical times, drawing water and chatting at the well was the social highpoint of a woman’s day. However, this woman was ostracized and marked as immoral, an unmarried woman living openly with the sixth in a series of men. The story of the woman at the well teaches us that God loves us in spite of our bankrupt lives. God values us enough to actively seek us, to welcome us to intimacy, and to rejoice in our worship. As a result of Jesus’ conversation, only a person like the Samaritan woman, an outcast from her own people, could understand what this means. To be wanted, to be cared for when no one, not even herself, could see anything of value in her—this is grace indeed. But there are many other valuable truths we glean from this story. We learn that: 1) Only through Jesus can we obtain and receive eternal life: “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 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’” (John 4:13–14; cf. John 14:6). 2) Jesus’ ministering to those outcasts of the Jewish society (the Samaritans) reveals that all people are valuable to God and that Jesus desires that we demonstrate love to everyone . . . including even our enemies (John 4:7–9; Matthew 5:44) and those that are not like us. 3) Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:25–26; 1:41; Matthew 27:22; Luke 2:11). 4) Those who worship God, worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24; Psalm 145:18). 5) Our testimony about Jesus is a powerful tool in leading others to believe in Him: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world”’ (John 4:39–42). Additionally, we learn from Jesus’ dialogue with the woman at the well three absolute truths about salvation: As Lutherans we know that we are SAVED by Grace and faith – that Jesus is the conduit of our salvation 1) Salvation comes only to those who recognize their desperate need for the spiritual life they do not have. Living water can be obtained only by those who recognize that they are spiritually thirsty and come to Jesus in faith to receive his grace. 2) Salvation comes only to those who confess and repent of their sin and desire forgiveness. Before this immoral woman could embrace the Savior, she had to concede the full burden of her sins. This freed her to enter into a real relationship with Jesus her savior and redeemer. 3) Salvation comes only to those who take hold of Jesus as their Messiah. For the absolute truth is that salvation is found in no one else (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Salvation comes to us through grace and faith.

3

Jesus and the Woman at the Well EPHESIANS 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-Another Look We don't know her name or age. But her conversation with the Lord is his longest one-on-one chat recorded in Scripture. Reason enough to give our sister from Samaria a fresh look. It was high noon on a hot day. Jesus, tired from traveling, chose a sensible rest stop—Jacob's well outside the town of Sychar—while waiting for his disciples to go into town for food. When our unnamed woman appeared with clay jar in hand, Jesus made a simple request: "Will you give me a drink?" (John 4:7). But there was some problems here at the start-- (1) Jews weren't supposed to speak to Samaritans. (2) Men weren't permitted to address women without their husbands present. And (3) rabbis had no business speaking to shady ladies such as this one. Jesus was willing to toss out the rules, but our woman at the well wasn't. "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman," she reminded him. "How can you ask me for a drink?" (John 4:9). She focused on the law; Jesus focused on grace. An Offer She Couldn't Refuse He began, "If you knew the gift of God … " (John 4:10). If. A tantalizing invitation. And gift. A truly irresistible offering. Especially "the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:15). Instead of insisting she pour him a drink, the Lord offered her "living water" (John 4:10). Water from the ground was common, but living water? Now he had her attention. This polite but gutsy woman pointed out the obvious: "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?" (John 4:11). Her natural curiosity prompted her to ask questions, as seekers do today. Such queries are no cause for nervousness. Jesus knows how to handle doubt and disbelief. To quench her spiritual thirst, the Lord first confessed the truth about plain H2O: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again" (John 4:13). Then Jesus made a bold promise: "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst" (John 4:14). In one sentence he shifted from everyday life to everlasting life. Was our girl ready for that leap of faith? Not quite. She wanted whatever he was offering, but only so she could avoid returning to the well for water. If we're honest, we get this motivation. Eager to satisfy our physical desires, we overlook our spiritual needs. Time for an intervention. Speaking the Truth in Love Jesus told her, "Go, call your husband and come back" (John 4:16). Not an odd request, since women couldn't converse alone with a man in a public place. But Jesus' request was more about uncovering truth than about following society's rules. When she confessed, "I have no husband" (John 4:17), Jesus affirmed her answer, then gently exposed her sin: "The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband" (John 4:18). 4

Jesus and the Woman at the Well Five marriages didn't make her a sinner. Due to warfare, famine, disease, and injury, men in those days dropped like flies. A widow became either a beggar, a prostitute, or another man's wife. Each time, this Samaritan woman had chosen the best option. But sharing her bed with a sixth man who wasn't her husband? That was a sin. Did she fess up? Nope. She changed the subject. She talked about worship, Jerusalem, the differences between Jews and Samaritans. Again, we get her evasion. Before I knew Jesus as my Savior, if someone steered conversation down a spiritual path, I veered toward religion and away from relationship. Too scary, too personal. Finally, the woman at the well did her best to shut Jesus down. "When [the Messiah] comes, he will explain everything to us" (John 4:25). How stunned she must have been at Jesus' revelation: "I who speak to you am he" (John 4:26). The next moment, the arrival of his followers confirmed his identity and gave the woman time to process the truth: The Anointed One had come! Overjoyed, she left her water jar and went back into town to urge her neighbors, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (John 4:29). In any century, our response to the Lord is the same. We confront our true selves, experience God's grace, and share the good news. Digging Deeper 1. Psalm 42:2 describes the psalmist's thirst for God. For what are you spiritually thirsty? What promises do you find in Matthew 5:6 and John 6:35? 2. Despite this woman's five-husband past and immoral present, her future changed forever because of Christ. If you have a shameful history, what hope can you draw from Titus 3:3–7? 3. Like the Samaritan woman, Peter and John were compelled to share the good news (Acts 4:19–20). What have you seen and heard about Jesus that you're ready to share with others?

5

The Before & After (optional) Text Message Questions and Invitation We are having our IGNITE small group again this week. Please make this a priority. We NEED you to be a complete community. Do you ever get so thirsty that you just can't quench that thirst? Many of us are thirsty for something more than what water can give us. Come to Ignite and hear about how to quench that deep down thirst.

Parent Email Your youth will be having Ignite Small Groups this week. Please encourage them to attend. They will be learning a lot this week about how to enter into a real relationship with Jesus and be quenched by his life giving water. So many of our youth are struggling with things that are deep in their hearts. This week our lesson comes from John 4 - with the story of Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well. This woman's life was completely changed by this meeting and your youth's live can be changed too if they invite Jesus into theirs hearts and lives.

6

Lesson Guide Getting Things Started WELCOME your students as they arrive. Getting Started HIGHS and LOWS - invite your teens to talk about their ups and downs this past week or month. Give them an example by starting first and telling about the highs or lows of your week or month. End this with a gathering prayer. ACTIVITY: Ask them to go around and introduce themselves and answer this question - if you could only drink one thing for the rest of your life - what would you drink? (most will say WATER) Say Something Like: In this lesson we will witness Jesus' encounter with a woman at a well. Water is a key factor in this meeting. Jesus wants the woman to give him some water and she refuses. He then offers her LIVING WATER and her life is changed forever. Let's look at this story now.

Teaching Points READ: John 4:1-30; 39-41 (Invite all of the youth to turn to this passage and read a verse at a time) Say Something Like: In this story Jesus encounters this Samaritan woman at a well in Samaria. It is about noon day which means that it is the hottest time of the day and usually the community well is without people getting water. Jews would be inside to avoid the sun and heat. But this woman is there at noon day which is usually when she went - she did this to avoid the village people. ASK: Why do you think the woman wanted/needed to avoid other people while getting water from the well? (she was looked down upon because of her sin. She had 5 husbands and was living in sin with another man. She felt great shame because of her life's situation.) When the Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus was already there sitting by the well. Jesus asked her to give him some water. What was her response and why? (She was surprised that a Jew would ask her - a Samaritan and a woman - to give him water. This is because Jews and Samaritans did not mix - Jews thought them to be religiously impure - and woman and men did not interact unless the woman's husband was presnt). How did Jesus respond to her refusal to give him water? Verse 10 (He said that if she knew who he was she would be asking for the LIVING Water that he can give her.) Say Something Like: Jesus was using water as an illustration. Like water satisfies the BODY and a relationship with Jesus satisfies the soul. Let's think about that for a moment. Water satisfies the body because the body requires water for life. We are over 90% water and we cannot go more than a day or so without water and live. Try going a day without drinking any water or liquid with water. Your body will shut down after awhile and you can become seriously ill and even die.

7

Jesus and the Woman at the Well ACTIVITY: Saltine Eating Contest - supplies - extra salty saltine crackers and bottles of water for four volunteers. Ask forr FOUR volunteers to do this activity as a contest - most crackers in ONE minute SAY: The four of you are going to race and see who can eat the most saltine crackers in two minutes. Whoever completely swallows the most crackers wins. You might notice the water bottles near the crackers. Well, you can’t have any water. Sorry. The rest of you in the audience, your job is to cheer for all four of them. Make some noise. Ready, set, go! After the competition congratulate the winner. Say – I have a question for all four of you. What does your mouth feel like right now? (Get responses) How thirsty are you? (Get responses) What would you think if I said you couldn’t have any water till after church? (Get responses) Well, that wouldn’t be fair of me, would it? I can see you’re very thirsty, so each of you, go ahead and take a bottle of water to drink. Enjoy! You can go back to your seats now. [Volunteers return to their seats] ASK: Now turning back to our text...the woman still is confused and talks about the giver of the well - Jacob who used this well to give drink to his flocks and to the many generations since then. What did Jesus say to her in verses 13 & 14? (That whoever drinks of this water will become thirsty again. But those who drink of the living water will never be thirsty again.) The woman likes this idea and asks Jesus where she can have this water so she won't need to return to the well. She is mocking Jesus - wow. what a thought. In response to this mockery and dodging what does Jesus then tell her to do? verse 16. (To go call your husband and return with him.) Why do you think Jesus told her to do this - since he already knew that she had no husband? She is confronting her with her current sinful situation and to let her know that he KNEW HER and knew of her greatest shame.) After this interaction the Jesus decides to reveal something about himself to her. What did he reveal? verse 26 (After she talks about how when the Messiah comes we will understand all things - he tells her that he is the Messiah!) What does the woman understand at that moment? And what does she do? (She recognizes that Jesus is the messiah and she runs off to tell her village about how this man knew everything about her and that he is the Messiah). VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y2GlmTxpkM Modern interpretation of the woman at the well UNDERSTAND IT: Say Something Like: The woman at the well came to this situation burdened with great shame and weight. She came to get water for herself and her household. But what she got was an encounter with Jesus - a Jew - a stranger - and someone who knew her completely. Like water satisfies the body, Jesus satisfies the soul. We have a soul, which is basically the part of us that will live forever. It is the deepest part of ourselves that motivates us to do everything that we do. Like our body needs nourishment, our soul needs it too. Our soul craves something, but often we don’t realize what it 8

Jesus and the Woman at the Well is that our soul needs. This thirst will motivate us to fill our soul with things like being popular, having good looks, having a lot of cool stuff, being #1 at sports or other activities, being a rock star at video games and so on. Now, most of those things I just listed aren’t bad by themselves. But when we they consume us, they are bad. When we go to them to feed our souls, we’re missing out on something big. The only thing that can satisfy our souls is a relationship with God. When we decide to follow Jesus, the relationship begins. Then, we continually go to Jesus to satisfy our souls. Most of find Jesus in our lives through four basic areas In nature because of the wonder & awe of God's amazing creation. In community - because we are uplifted by the support and love of our fellow Christians at church or on mission trips or in this small group. In person prayer when we go to God with our needs and the needs of others - or Worship when we come to hear the word and receive the sacrament of communion and sings songs and pray with others. In studying and reading the bible - when we read in the bible we get to know God and learn how to follow Jesus' teachings better. How? Let me give you an example from my life and how one of these four ways helps me feed my soul the most (Give a brief personal faith share or example – Take a few minutes and share how Jesus satisfies your soul and how your soul is fed through one of the above ways. Give one specific example. For I enjoy taking walks in nature and praying. When I do this, I feel connected to God and have a sense of his presence. I especially enjoy doing this when I am stressed out, going through a tough time, or really busy. My soul gets filled with the love and peace of God. What works for you? Share it with students.) That’s one way that Jesus satisfies my soul. ASK: What are the ways that you experience God most? Or feed your soul the most? (Ask the youth to share how and where they experience God and have their soul fed - they receive living water and grow closer to God). Say Something Like: Wrapping up today’s message, we are going to watch a video titled Thirsty? As you watch the video, ask God to speak to you through the video. Listen to what he might be saying. There really is no right or wrong answer. Each of you might get something different from watching the video. You’re each going to get an index card and pen. (Begin passing out index cards and pens.) As you are watching the video, write down what God Is revealing to you through this video. Then, take that card with you. VIDEO: Thirsty - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKPot6MNZCY

9

Jesus and the Woman at the Well

Summary But there are many other valuable truths we glean from this story. We learn that: 1) Only through Jesus can we obtain and receive eternal life: “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 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’” (John 4:13–14; cf. John 14:6). 2) Jesus’ ministering to those outcasts of the Jewish society (the Samaritans) reveals that all people are valuable to God and that Jesus desires that we demonstrate love to everyone . . . including even our enemies (John 4:7–9; Matthew 5:44) and those that are not like us. 3) Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:25–26; 1:41; Matthew 27:22; Luke 2:11). 4) Those who worship God, worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24; Psalm 145:18). 5) Our testimony about Jesus is a powerful tool in leading others to believe in Him: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world”’ (John 4:39–42). Additionally, we learn from Jesus’ dialogue with the woman at the well three absolute truths about salvation: As Lutherans we know that we are SAVED by Grace and faith – that Jesus is the conduit of our salvation 1) Salvation comes only to those who recognize their desperate need for the spiritual life they do not have. Living water can be obtained only by those who recognize that they are spiritually thirsty and come to Jesus in faith to receive his grace. 2) Salvation comes only to those who confess and repent of their sin and desire forgiveness. Before this immoral woman could embrace the Savior, she had to concede the full burden of her sins. This freed her to enter into a real relationship with Jesus her savior and redeemer. 3) Salvation comes only to those who take hold of Jesus as their Messiah. For the absolute truth is that salvation is found in no one else (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Salvation comes to us through grace and faith. EPHESIANS 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

Application Say Something Like: After each session we will give you a way in which to apply what we have discussed at IGNITE. This will include a bible verse to read - a task to do during the week - and a challenge, Bible Verse: John 7:38 (NIV) 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living waterwill flow from within them.” 10

Jesus and the Woman at the Well Reflect on this as you consider how when we have real faith in Jesus it brings us a heart that will confess our sins - ask forgiveness - and give real repentance through a change of heart and behavior. In faith we are given a real relationship with Jesus and we will then receive rivers of LIVING WATER. TASK: Do one of the following things each day before our next Ignite small group. 1. Go to worship 2. Go To CHAOS on Wednesday from 6:45 to 8:15 at St. John's 3. Pray for a friend of yours who needs to seek God and forgiveness. Someone who has chosen the wrong path. 4. Read from these verses every day: • Jeremiah 2:13 - And the Lord says - My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. • Isaiah 44:3 - For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. • Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. • ACTS 2:38 - Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Challenge: Discipline yourself this week to become closer to God by doing the following: 1. Conosider your most habitual sin - confess in prayer - ask forgiveness - and stop doing it. 2. Read from the bible every day --- go online and google bible reading plans and choose one you like 3. Pray every morning as soon as you wake up or at least before going to school. Take 5 minutes to sit quietly and just pray - talk to God. Your day will be transformed. 4. Go to WORSHIP this weekend!

Announcements Remind the youth to do their HANDOUT Application. Invite them to go to Worship this next week.

Shared Prayer and Sharing of the Peace Invite the youth to pray at the end of the session. Do shared prayer with the cross and a candle OR Do a POPCORN prayer - you starting and having the other adult ending the prayer and inbetween invite anyone who wants to pray aloud to do so.

11

Jesus and the Woman at the Well Then offer peace to the group and invite them to share the peace with each other.

12