Sabbath School Lesson for October 26-November 1, 2024
Overview and Introduction of Lesson 5, The Testimony of the Samaritans
Memory Text: “Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.’ ” John 4:42 NKJV
There was a long history of unstable relations between Judea, where Jerusalem and Bethlehem were located, and Samaria just to the north. The northern kingdom of Samaria was overrun by Assyrians in 722 B.C. The Assyrians made it a practice to populate their conquered lands with captives brought in from other conquests, resulting in a strong, cultural mixture of Judaism and paganism in Samaria. It was not forgotten that, when the Jewish exiles were sent home by the Persians to rebuild Jerusalem, it was Sanballot, the Samaritan governor, who made Nehemiah’s work so difficult.
It’s no wonder that the situation over the centuries had caused the Jews to the south to view their northern neighbors with suspicion, avoiding them whenever possible. Apparently, the Jews in Jesus’ time viewed the Samaritans with more contempt than their Roman oppressors. To them, the Samaritans were a despised, impure people, making us wonder why Jesus saw them as a ripened harvest, ready to be reaped.
Looking at John, chapters 3 and 4, we discover these things:
- Sunday: The Setting of the Encounter–What brought Jesus to the well near Sychar, in Samaria?
- Monday: The Woman at the Well–Who was the woman Jesus met at the well?
- Tuesday: ” ‘Sir, Give Me This Water’ “–How did Jesus open up the conversation?
- Wednesday: The Revelation of Jesus–What did Jesus reveal to the woman at the well?
- Thursday: The Testimony of the Samaritans–How did the townspeople receive her witness?
Sunday: The Setting of the Encounter
The beginning of John, chapter 4, is thought to include the reason Jesus chose to minister in Galilee, north of Samaria. People were noticing that Jesus’ disciples were baptizing more than John the Baptist was. This probably caused some alarm among the Pharisees, but perhaps even some friction between the two ministries in Judea. In any event, for the time being, Jesus felt it would be more profitable for Him to work further north, closer to His hometown of Nazareth.
Most of the Jews would avoid going through Samaria, however, and take a longer route into Perea, just east of the territory of those contemptible Samaritans. But John 4:4 tells us that Jesus “needed to go through Samaria.” He knew there was work to be done there that would shock His disciples and begin their education about who He came to save.
Jesus found Himself sitting by Jacob’s well about a mile outside the town of Sychar, while His disciples went into the town to purchase some food. They probably thought that was the best way to keep their Master safe from those untrustworthy, unpredictable Samaritans.
But when a Samaritan woman came to the well in the middle of the day and found Jesus sitting there, she was surprised that He would request some water from her. It was unheard of that a Jew would ask a Samaritan for even the smallest favor, as that might start a relationship when the favor was returned, as was required.
Bible Verses:
John 4:1-4
- Why might Jesus have felt it was better for Him to minister in Galilee, north of Judea?
John 4:5-9
- What surprised the woman about Jesus request for water?
Monday: The Woman at the Well
Just like the encounter Jesus previously had with wealthy Nicodemus, the unlikely conversation that unfolded with the spiritually-thirsty woman at the well was nothing anyone would have expected. Instead of turning Him down or simply walking away, she began a conversation by asking Him about His request.
Jesus seized the opportunity to tell her about living water that can satisfy your thirst forever. Of course, Jesus is the fountain of living water, alluded to in Jeremiah 2:13 and Zechariah 14:8. Water, that ingredient so needed for man’s survival, is a perfect symbol of Jesus and eternal life that only He can provide.
Jesus later expounded on this in John 7:37, 38. This special living water is obtained by anyone who believes and accepts Jesus into his/her heart. Both this woman at the well and Nicodemus were in need of a conversion experience, and they found themselves drawn to the Son of Man who could provide it.
Bible Verses:
John 4:10-15, Jeremiah 2:13, and John 7:37-38
- Why is Jesus called a fountain of living water?
- How can we, too, have this kind of water?
Tuesday: ” ‘Sir, Give Me This Water’ “
Jesus often used the natural world to illustrate spiritual truths. With Nicodemus, He talked about being born again. Nicodemus questioned Him about how this was physically possible, just as the woman at the well questioned Jesus’ suggestion that living water would satisfy your thirst forever. They were taking the topic literally to avoid its spiritual implications.
As the truth began to sink in for the woman, however, the conversation suddenly turned from Jesus asking for a drink, to her asking for His living water. But, Jesus, aware that some issues needed to be cleared up before her request could be fulfilled, asked her to call her husband, so He could share the living water with him as well.
This shift in their exchange was necessary. Before she could fully appreciate the Savior, she must be brought to recognize her sin. Jesus’ suggestion to get her husband led her to admit her failed marital attempts and shameful, current lifestyle.
Bible Verses:
John 3:4 and 4:11-12
- How were Nicodemus and the woman at the well both avoiding spiritual truths?
- How do we do the same today, when we hear doctrines that we are not comfortable with?
- What is a better way to find spiritual answers?
John 4:16
- Why did Jesus make this unexpected request?
Wednesday: The Revelation of Jesus
The only response the woman had to Jesus’ request to go get her husband was that she had no husband (John 4:16-17). Then, Jesus went on to tell her about her past husbands, exactly how many there were, and that the man she was with then was not her husband. This gave her no choice but to admit that the Man speaking to her was a prophet (John 4:18-19).
But, she continued with a question to divert the attention from herself. She asked Jesus if Jerusalem was the place they should worship. Jesus, wise to her attempted change of subject, told her that God was not interested in the place of worship. He wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth, meaning that worship can be done anywhere. God is not tied to just one place (John 4:20-21).
She went on to express her belief that the Messiah would be coming, and He would know these things; but Jesus boldly asserted that HE was the Messiah. This was the only time we know of before His trial that Jesus openly said to someone else that He was the Messiah (John 4:25-26).
Bible Verses:
John 4:16-19
- How did this conversation about her husbands bring the woman closer to accepting Jesus as the Messiah?
John 4:20-22, Romans 2:28-29, and Galatians 3:29
- What did Jesus mean by saying that she didn’t know what she worshiped and that “salvation is of the Jews”?
- How do we become a Jew spiritually?
John 4:23-24
- Why must we worship in spirit and truth (v. 24)?
John 4:25-26 and Matthew 26:63-64
- Why was it important for Christ to reveal His identity to these two individuals?
Thursday: The Testimony of the Samaritans
The disciples, having returned at last with a fresh supply of food, were alarmed to see that their Master had been speaking with a woman; but they were hesitant to ask Him about it. Upon their arrival, the woman quickly left the well without her waterpot.
They were also perplexed that He didn’t seem to be hungry after so long without eating. Jesus mysteriously explained that He had other food that consisted of doing the will of His Father. He then pointed out that a harvest was all around them in the form of souls who needed to be gathered in.
In the meantime, the woman went straight to the men of the city and told them about her discovery of Someone she thought to be the Christ, or Messiah. The Samaritans were intrigued by her testimony and went to see Jesus for themselves. They urged Him to stay with them. So Jesus stayed and preached in their city for two days, convincing them that He was indeed the Savior of the world as the woman had declared.
Bible Verses:
John 4:27-30
- Why do you think the Samaritan woman went to the men of the city, and not the women, to tell about the Man she had met at the well?
John 4:31-34
- What kind of food had Jesus been eating while the disciples were gone?
- What kind of activity do you find yourself engaging in that causes you to forget your appetite, and feel satisfied? (A favorite hobby, for example.)
John 4:35-38
- What kind of harvest was Jesus referring to, and how might we also miss seeing ripened grain all around us?
- Which is more important–sowing or reaping?
John 4:39-42
- What might the disciples have learned by this unusual experience with Jesus in Samaria?
Friday: Final Thoughts
The first few chapters of John are packed with disciple-building experiences that grab our attention. Although there were people who stubbornly rejected the truth, there were plenty of spiritually-thirsty souls in the most unlikely places. Jesus’ close followers were soon to discover a very different Messiah than they had been taught in the synagogue.
Their faith in God was growing in practical ways that they couldn’t have imagined. Here’s how one author described their early experience in Samaria, when Jesus unexpectedly spoke to a lonely, needy woman at the well outside Sychar. Her animated testimony soon brought her entire city to hear Jesus preach.
“This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. Every true disciple is born in the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life.” ~Ellen G. White, “The Desire of Ages”, p. 195.
Next Week: More Testimonies About Jesus
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