Explore The New TestamentSample

SAY WHAT? (What is the passage saying?)

• What Jesus does in this chapter would have been considered shocking.
  • The Jews and Samaritans hated each other, and Jewish people would not go into Samaria. In fact, they would travel days out of their way to avoid the region of Samaria. Yet Jesus, a Jew, heads straight into Samaria.
  • Most Jewish men would not speak to women who were not their wives. Yet Jesus has a personal conversation with a woman.
  • Most religious leaders would not interact with anyone considered sinful. Yet Jesus spends time with this woman who was considered very immoral.
• The woman tries to avoid letting the conversation get personal, and tries to engage Jesus in a common religious debate of the time, but Jesus helps her to realize that this is personal and that God's truth is not something to be debated but applied to our lives.
• This woman, who had very likely been trying to avoid the people of her town (because of her reputation for being sexually immoral) goes running to those people to make sure they get a chance to meet Jesus. And they do! Because of the woman inviting them to meet Jesus, many of them put their faith in him.
• After his time in Samaria, Jesus headed north back to the region of Galilee. Upon arrival he heals a man’s son without ever coming in contact with the boy.

SO WHAT? (What are the underlying principles?)

• Jesus shows us that God is for everyone, and he didn't let cultural barriers keep him from his mission. No matter your background and no matter your sin, God is for you. And Jesus would not let any barrier keep him from pursuing you. And just like this woman takes the incredible discovery she made in Jesus and invites everyone to come meet him as well, we need to do the same.
• Instead of focusing on debating truth and being right, we need to focus on applying truth to our lives and being righteous.

NOW WHAT? (How will you personally apply this passage?)

• God is for everyone and won't let any barrier keep him from pursuing them. God gave us his mission, and we need to realize God is for everyone we meet. We need to make sure no barriers keep us from helping them connect to Jesus. What is stopping you from talking to people about Jesus and/or inviting them to church? Who do you need to make sure meets Jesus?
• Which of God's truths have you treated as an intellectual matter instead of a personal one? How do you need to apply that truth to your life?