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    John 4:1-26
    ​Lesson 170

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    Jesus on salvation and the nature of true worship.
     
    Salvation is for everyone, Jew and Gentile.
    Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
    Study Tip:
     
    Does this passage warn us of something to avoid?
    Does it teach a commandment to follow?
    What difference can this passage make in your life?​ 
    Who was -
     
    Jacob -
    Also called Israel.  With his twin brother Esau, Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and Abraham's grandson.  Jews consider him the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Jacob, his father Isaac, and grandfather Abraham are three of the Old Testament's most important figures.  God chose Jacob over his older brother Esau to fulfill His promise to make Israel a great and populous nation (Genesis 48:1-22).  With his mother's help, Jacob conned his older twin brother Esau out of his father's blessing and birthright (Genesis 25:27-34; Genesis 27:1-45).  This included the land of Canaan promised to Jacob's father Isaac and grandfather Abraham.  Esau vowed to kill Jacob for his trickery (Genesis 27:41), forcing Jacob to flee to his Uncle Laban in Haran.  On his way, he had a vision of climbing a ladder ("Jacob's ladder")
    to heaven.  When he reached the top, God repeated the promise He made to Isaac and Abraham (Genesis 28:12-14).  Jacob and Esau eventually reconciled.  Jacob became such a shining example of faith that even when near death, he trusted God's promise to make Israel a great nation (Hebrews 11:21-22).  Jacob died at the age of one hundred and forty-seven (Genesis 47:28).  In time, Moses led Jacob's descendants out of slavery in Egypt.  Forty years later, Joshua led them into the promised land, thus fulfilling God's promise.  The twelve tribes of Israel are named after Jacob's sons.  It was Jacob's son, Joseph, who was sold into bondage by his brothers.  You can learn more about Jacob in Genesis 25:1-37:36. 
     
    Joseph -
    One of Jacob's sons with Rachel born in Haran.  As a youngster, Joseph was prideful, overconfident, boastful, his father's favorite son, and the apparent heir to the family birthright.  This riled Joseph's brothers, so to be rid of him, they sold him into bondage (Genesis 37).  Joseph became a slave in Egypt, but due to his leadership skills and the ability to interpret dreams, he found favor with Pharaoh and became a high-ranking Egyptian official.  Joseph forgave his brothers, fed them during a famine, and had his family brought to Egypt to live with him.  Joseph never forgot God's promise to his
    great grandfather Abraham to make Israel a great nation and is an example of faith and perseverance in the face of temptation and adversity.  His faith led him to trust God's promise even as he lay dying (Genesis 50:24-25).  Joseph died at the age of 110 (Genesis 50:22).  Four hundred years after his death, Moses carried Joseph's bones to be buried in the promised land (Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32).  You can learn more about Joseph in Genesis 30-50.

    The Gospel According to St. John

    The King James Bible    ​

    John 4:1-26
    Jesus is the Messiah
     
    1 When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

    2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

    3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

    4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

    5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

    6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

    7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

    8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

    9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

    10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

    11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

    12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

    13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

    14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

    15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

    16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

    17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

    18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

    19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

    20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

    21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

    22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

    23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

    24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

    25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

    ​26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
    ​Margin Notes:
     
    "He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee." (4:3) - Jesus left Judaea and returned to Galilee, a three-day journey.

    "He must needs go through Samaria." (4:4) - "He needed to go through Samaria."
     
    "Samaria." (4:4) - A Gentile city, founded by King Omri of Israel (1 Kings 16:23-24), located twenty-five miles north of Jerusalem in central Palestine.  Samaria was the capital of Israel's northern kingdom, the region of Samaria.  After the death of King Solomon, Israel was split in two.  The people of the northern kingdom made Samaria their capital, while those to the south kept Jerusalem.  Samaria was awash in idolatry (Jeremiah 23:13; Amos 6:1), and Ahab, King Omri's son, built an altar to the pagan god Baal there (1 Kings 16:32).  In 722 BC Assyrian King Esarhaddon conquered Samaria and carried away many of the Jews to Assyria (2 Kings 17:1-6).  The non-Jews who re-settled the area came to be called Samaritans (2 Kings 17:24) and practiced a hybrid religion that blended their paganism with Judaism.  Because they worshiped idols and followed only the five books of Moses in the Old Testament (the Pentateuch), Jews regarded the Samaritan religion as fraudulent, treated the people poorly (John 4:9), called them "half breed Hebrews," and destroyed their temple in 130 BC.  Bitterness still existed in Jesus' time, and some Jews tried to insult the Messiah by calling Him a Samaritan (John 8:48).  The Samaritans in turn despised the Jews and often refused Jewish travelers passing through Samaria a place to stay or food and water (Luke 9:51-53).  Samaritan's anticipated the coming of a Messiah, and as noted in John 4:5-42, Acts 8:5-8; 8:25 and 15:3, many Samaritan's accepted the Gospel early in Jesus' ministry.  Approximately 750 Samaritans live in Israel today.
     
    "Sychar." (4:5) - A small village located on Mount Ebal's eastern slope about two miles east northeast of Nablus.  It was a half-mile walk from Sychar to Jacob's well.
     
    "Wearied with his journey."  (4:6) - Being fully human, Jesus needed to eat and drink (4:8) and, as we see here, could tire. 
     
    "It was about the sixth hour." (4:6) - "It was about noon."
     
    "Buy meat." (4:8) - "Buy food."
     
    "Gift of God." (4:10) - A gift is free, given out of love.
     
    "And drank thereof." (4:12) - "And drank from it."
     
    "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." (4:14) - See also Isaiah 12:3; 44:3; and John 7:37-38.
     
    "Call thy husband." (4:16) - Jesus knows the Samaritan woman has no husband (4:17-18), just as He knows everything about us.
     
    "Thou hast had five husbands." (4:18) - Again, Jesus knows all about us.   
     
    "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain." (4:20) - Refers to Mount Gerizim.
     
    "Worship the Father in spirit and in truth." (4:23) - Means to sincerely worship God and not put on a show of false worshipping.      
     
    "I know that Messias cometh." (4:25) - "I know that the Messiah is coming."  The Samaritan woman might have learned this from Deuteronomy 18:18. 
     
    "I that speak unto thee am he." (4:26) - This is the first time Jesus proclaimed, He is the Messiah.


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    John 4:1-26
    Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
     
    1 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John

    2 (though Jesus himself didn't baptize them-his disciples did).

    3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
     
    4 He had to go through Samaria on the way.

    5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

    6 Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.

    7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink."

    8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
     
    9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?"
     
    10 Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."
     
    11 "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?

    12 And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?"
     
    13 Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.

    14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."
     
    15 "Please, sir," the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to get water."
     
    16 "Go and get your husband," Jesus told her.
     
    17 "I don't have a husband," the woman replied.
     
      Jesus said, "You're right! You don't have a husband-

    18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!"
     
    19 "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet.

    20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?"
     
    21 Jesus replied, "Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.

    22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

    23 But the time is coming-indeed it's here now-when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

    ​24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."
     
    25 The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming-the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
     
    26 Then Jesus told her, "I Am the Messiah!"
    ​This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's Questions:

    1.     What did Jesus mean by "salvation is of the Jews"? (4:22)

    ​2. What does "God is a spirit" mean? (4:24)




    To learn more about the Scriptures, explore your Bible each day.  These lessons shouldn't be your only contact with God.
    Answers: (Do you agree?) 
    ​​
    1.     By "salvation is of the Jews," Jesus meant that salvation is offered to mankind through Him, the Jewish Messiah, just as God promised in the Old Testament (Genesis 12:1-3).     

    ​​2. "God is a spirit" means that God is everywhere (Psalm 139:7-12).  Since God is everywhere, He can be worshipped anywhere.  In Jesus' day, Jews and Samaritans argued over where the best place to worship was.  The Jews believed Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 6:5-6), while the Samaritans believed Mount Gerizim (4:21).  In 128 BC, the Jews thought they had ended the argument when they destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim.  But, since God is everywhere, it doesn't matter where or when we worship as long as it is sincere (4:23-24).




    ​    Application thought for the day:
    What did you learn from todays lesson, and how can you apply it to your life?
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies; " "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
     
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