30. September 2024

Lesson 05- The Testimony of the Samaritans

Christmas Song for You

Sabbath Afternoon

Key Points & Supporting Texts:

  1. Historical Tension Between Jews and Samaritans
    • The northern kingdom of Israel was taken captive by Assyria in 722 BC, creating the Samaritan people with mixed religious practices (2 Kings 17:24-41).
  2. Religious Divide
    • Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim with a separate temple, intensifying the divide (John 4:20).
  3. Jewish Avoidance of Samaria
    • Jews usually avoided Samaria, revealing deep-seated cultural and religious biases (John 4:9).
  4. Jesus' Mission Through Samaria
    • Jesus chose to go through Samaria despite cultural norms, showing His purpose to reach all (John 4:4).
  5. The Impact of the Testimony
    • The Samaritans believed not only because of the woman’s words but because they encountered Jesus themselves (John 4:42).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why did the Jews and Samaritans hold such deep-seated animosity, and how did it impact their interactions?
    • Answer: Their differences stemmed from historical conflicts and religious disputes, leading to social isolation and deep mistrust.
  2. How does Jesus' journey through Samaria demonstrate His purpose?
    • Answer: It shows His inclusive mission, reaching beyond cultural and religious boundaries to offer salvation to all.
  3. In what ways can our testimonies lead others to seek Jesus personally?
    • Answer: Personal testimonies can open others to explore faith, but true belief often comes from a direct encounter with Christ through Scripture, prayer, or other means.

 

 

Sunday - The Setting of the Encounter

Key Points & Supporting Texts:

  1. Background Tensions with John the Baptist's Disciples
    • Jesus left Judea to avoid tensions with John’s disciples, showing respect and tact (John 4:1-3).
  2. Direct Route Through Samaria
    • Instead of the longer route, Jesus went through Samaria with a purpose (John 4:4).
  3. Jacob’s Well
    • Jesus rested by Jacob’s well, a symbolic place of tradition and heritage (John 4:6).
  4. Jesus Initiates Dialogue
    • Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink, breaking cultural norms (John 4:7).
  5. Surprising Conversation
    • The Samaritan woman’s surprise highlights the social barriers Jesus was willing to cross (John 4:9).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why was it significant that Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for water?
    • Answer: It defied social norms, indicating Jesus’ disregard for prejudice and His desire to connect with everyone.
  2. What role does tact play in witnessing to others?
    • Answer: Tact allows us to approach people respectfully, opening the door for meaningful conversations.
  3. How can we follow Jesus' example when facing cultural or social boundaries?
    • Answer: By being intentional, respectful, and showing love and understanding, we can bridge divides in our interactions.

 

 

Monday - The Woman at the Well

Key Points & Supporting Texts:

  1. Jesus Sees the Woman's Need
    • Jesus sought to open her heart by requesting a favor, engaging her in dialogue (John 4:10).
  2. Living Water Offered
    • Jesus used "living water" as a metaphor for eternal life, sparking her curiosity (John 4:10).
  3. Comparison to Nicodemus
    • Like Nicodemus, she initially misunderstood Jesus, taking His words literally (John 4:11).
  4. Thirst and Spiritual Fulfillment
    • Jesus highlighted the soul’s deeper thirst that only He could satisfy (John 4:13-14).
  5. She Asks for Living Water
    • The woman’s request shows her hope for relief from shame and isolation (John 4:15).

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does Jesus mean by “living water,” and why does it resonate with the woman?
    • Answer: Living water represents eternal life and spiritual fulfillment, offering her an escape from shame.
  2. Why might Jesus approach people differently based on their background, as He did with Nicodemus and the woman?
    • Answer: Jesus met people where they were, using language and metaphors they could understand, drawing them gently toward truth.
  3. How can we present the gospel in a way that meets people’s unique needs?
    • Answer: By understanding their circumstances and using relatable examples, we can make the message more personal and meaningful.

 

 

Tuesday - “Sir, Give Me This Water”

Key Points & Supporting Texts:

  1. Clean Water and Cleansing Spirit
    • Jesus’ offer echoes promises of spiritual renewal and cleansing (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
  2. Recognition of Sin and Need
    • Jesus asks about her husband, revealing her life’s struggles and need for repentance (John 4:16).
  3. Awareness of Spiritual Thirst
    • The woman’s desire for “living water” represents a deeper need for purpose and peace (John 4:15).
  4. Facing Reality for Transformation
    • Jesus gently exposed her reality to offer true healing and acceptance (John 4:18).
  5. God’s Spirit as Living Water
    • Jesus promised living water that cleanses and sustains, representing the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-38).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why did Jesus bring up the woman’s personal life, and how did it impact her response?
    • Answer: Jesus exposed her brokenness to offer her genuine healing and freedom from shame, helping her understand her true need.
  2. How does the living water that Jesus offers compare to other sources of fulfillment we may seek?
    • Answer: Other sources provide temporary satisfaction, but only Jesus’ living water fulfills the soul’s deepest desires eternally.
  3. What role does confession and acknowledgment of our need play in receiving spiritual transformation?
    • Answer: Acknowledging our need opens us to God’s grace and healing, enabling real change and spiritual renewal.

 

Wednesday - The Revelation of Jesus

Key Points & Supporting Texts:

  1. Jesus Reveals Knowledge of Her Past
    • Jesus addresses her personal life by mentioning her marital history, showing He knows her secrets (John 4:16-18).
  2. The Woman's Shift to Religious Debate
    • She redirects to the topic of worship, avoiding the deeper issue, but Jesus leads her to spiritual truth (John 4:19-20).
  3. True Worship in Spirit and Truth
    • Jesus emphasizes worship’s true nature, detached from physical locations, focused on spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).
  4. Jesus Identifies Himself as the Messiah
    • He reveals His identity to her as the Messiah, the only clear statement of this before His trial (John 4:25-26).
  5. Breaking Cultural and Religious Barriers
    • Jesus bridges cultural gaps by revealing His identity to a Samaritan woman, indicating the gospel’s reach (John 4:26).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why did the woman shift the conversation to worship, and how did Jesus bring it back to her needs?
    • Answer: She may have been uncomfortable, using religion to avoid personal issues. Jesus gently refocused on her spiritual needs.
  2. What does Jesus mean by worshiping "in spirit and truth," and how does this apply to us today?
    • Answer: True worship transcends places and rituals, focusing instead on a sincere relationship with God.
  3. How does Jesus' revelation to the Samaritan woman illustrate the gospel's inclusivity?
    • Answer: Jesus’ approach shows that no one is outside of God’s reach, underscoring His mission to break cultural and social barriers.

 

Thursday - The Testimony of the Samaritans

Key Points & Supporting Texts:

  1. The Woman Leaves Her Water Pot
    • She left her water pot, symbolizing her new priorities as she hurried to share Jesus with others (John 4:28).
  2. Her Bold Testimony to the Town
    • She invites others to meet Jesus, openly sharing her transformative encounter (John 4:29).
  3. Samaritans Respond and Seek Jesus
    • The townspeople come to see Jesus for themselves, moved by the woman’s testimony (John 4:30).
  4. Jesus Teaches His Disciples About the Harvest
    • He emphasizes the urgency of sharing the gospel, likening the Samaritan response to a ripe harvest (John 4:35-38).
  5. Many Believe Because of Jesus' Words
    • The Samaritans believe not only from her words but from their direct encounter with Him (John 4:42).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is it significant that the woman left her water pot behind?
    • Answer: This represents her new priorities; she was more focused on sharing Jesus than on her physical needs.
  2. How did the woman’s testimony lead others to faith, and what can we learn about the impact of personal witness?
    • Answer: Her testimony sparked curiosity and faith in others, showing how one person’s experience can lead many to Christ.
  3. Why did the Samaritans initially respond to Jesus more readily than many of the Jews?
    • Answer: Unlike the Jews, the Samaritans were open to His message, possibly because they had fewer preconceived notions about the Messiah.

 

 

Friday - Further Thought

Key Points & Supporting Texts:

  1. The Woman’s Faith and Immediate Mission Work
    • After meeting Jesus, she immediately shared the news, showing that every believer is called to witness (John 4:28-30).
  2. Jesus’ Disciples Missed the Potential Harvest
    • The disciples focused on physical needs, unaware of the spiritual harvest around them (John 4:31-38).
  3. Samaritans’ Open Reception
    • The Samaritans, without a strong messianic expectation like the Jews, were receptive to Jesus’ message (John 4:39-42).
  4. Inclusivity in Jesus' Ministry
    • Jesus reached across racial and cultural lines, showing that the gospel is for all (John 4:39-42).
  5. The Transforming Power of a Single Encounter
    • The Samaritan woman’s life and community were transformed by her encounter with Jesus, illustrating His power to change lives (John 4:39-42).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why did Jesus receive a warmer welcome in Samaria compared to among His own people?
    • Answer: The Samaritans had fewer preconceptions about the Messiah, making them more open to His message.
  2. What does the story of the Samaritan woman teach about God’s knowledge of our lives and His approach to us?
    • Answer: It shows that God knows us intimately and approaches us with compassion, drawing us to repentance and healing.
  3. How can we become effective witnesses like the Samaritan woman?
    • Answer: By openly sharing our experiences with Jesus, focusing on His transformative power, and living as testimonies of His love.
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Comments: 9
  • #1

    Vincent chipumfi (Saturday, 19 October 2024 02:21)

    Asking for teachers online study guide

  • #2

    Vivian Ray (Wednesday, 23 October 2024 19:03)

    Teacher's guide

  • #3

    Francis Busmai Tamilong (Friday, 25 October 2024 20:03)

    Please do allow Teacher study guide off line

  • #4

    katangoji wilson (Monday, 28 October 2024 02:19)

    Adveticst teacher

  • #5

    Aubrey mphalaleh (Monday, 28 October 2024 13:34)

    Am blessed with this teacher's guide, so powerful.
    Am waiting for this week's still

  • #6

    Craig Hull (Tuesday, 29 October 2024 06:39)

    The Samaritans were despised by their Jewish neighbors. The Jews despised the Samaritans even more than they despised their Roman oppressors. The Samaritans were viewed as corrupt, insincere, and to be avoided at any cost. That is why travelers from the regions of Galilee avoided the shorter route to Jerusalem via Samaria and instead detoured through Perea, taking the longer route to the city.

    The Samaritan problem started when Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727 b.c.) took most of the population of Israel as captives to Assyria to settle there. These Israelites comprised what are known as the ten lost tribes of Israel. To complete this work of depopulation, the new Assyrian emperor, Sargon II (722–705 b.c.), exiled even more of the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom.

    To unify the Assyrian Empire, people from Assyria and the Mesopotamian regions were brought into Israel to repopulate it. Thus, these newcomers mixed with the remnant of Israel, both religiously and racially. The outline here is but a brief overview of the events that transpired. Other negative incidents that occurred later on, such as the Samaritan attempt to sabotage the rebuilding efforts of the Jewish exiles when they returned to their country, only served to compound the problem and intensify racial tensions between the Samaritans and Jews.

  • #7

    Craig L. Hull (Tuesday, 29 October 2024 06:43)

    The Woman at the Well (John 4:1–15)

    In His encounter with this Samaritan woman, Jesus went against accepted protocol and the strictly practiced traditions of the Jews, all in order to reach her for His kingdom. For example, Jesus permitted her a private audience even though she was a woman from Samaria. He asked her for a favor, which was not socially acceptable, for the Jews had no dealings with such despised and so-called “impure” people, particularly a woman.

    In the culture of that time, asking for and receiving a favor from someone opened the door to friendship and obligated the receiver to return the favor. The woman seemed shocked that Jesus, a Jew, asked her, a despised Samaritan woman, to do something for Him, thus initiating a relationship. Let us consider her response: “ ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ ” (John 4:9, NKJV).

    It is interesting to note that the tasks that she intended to accomplish were left undone. She was supposed to take a jar of water to her village of Sychar, but in her excitement about her amazing discovery of the Water of Life, she left the filled water jar behind. She meant to give Jesus the drink of water to alleviate His thirst, but she failed because she left in such a hurry. When Jesus’ disciples came back with food to alleviate His hunger, they were utterly surprised that He was not hungry anymore.

    “Leaving her waterpot spoke unmistakably as to the effect of His words. It was the earnest desire of her soul to obtain the living water; and she forgot her errand to the well, she forgot the Saviour’s thirst, which she had purposed to supply.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 191. Jesus was deeply moved that such a despised woman opened her heart to Him as the long-awaited Messiah—a much better response than from many of His own people, who closed their minds to Him. So moved was Jesus in doing His Father’s work in reclaiming lost souls for the kingdom of heaven that He lost His bodily thirst and hunger, sated as He was in His soul by heavenly water and nourishment.

    Sometimes witnessing to others is done out of duty and viewed as drudgery. But witnessing should be a delight if Christ’s spirit flows out of the heart. Then it is heart work rather than hard work. For those who experience this Christ-centered outreach, it is truly an overflow of the Spirit that pours forth from the human heart spontaneously. That is why Jesus said to His surprised disciples: “ ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work’ ” (John 4:34, NKJV).

  • #8

    Lafayettel kerkula (Friday, 01 November 2024 00:17)

    Thanks God almighty for bringing us the teacher edition. May God continue to bless you.

  • #9

    Francis (Friday, 01 November 2024 20:03)

    I am blessed and waiting for next week

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