John Worksheet - Chapter 4

John Chapter 4 Interesting Note: Today we read of Jesus talking about two essentials of everyday life: Food and Water.  Yet, rather than physical needs, Jesus is speaking of the spiritual needs of mankind. He tells a woman who has been looking for love from men and left unfulfilled that she can "drink" of the "Living Water" He offers and she will never thirst again.In this same chapter, He tells His disciples that His own "hunger" is satisfied when He does the will of His Father in heaven. Are you thirsty and hungry today, feeling an emptiness inside...? Are you weary on life's journey from lack of spiritual nourishment? Then, let's study John, Chapter 4 and learn about this water and food for our souls!  Chapter 4 begins with the word "Therefore....." so we know that it is concluding a thought that we left in Chapter 3 .(Remember the original documents of the Bible did not have chapters and verses, but we are glad man has added them to help us know how to find references!) Go back to John, Chapter 3:22-36 What were Jesus and His disciples doing? Where were they at? John the Baptist was in a different location with his disciples (learners, followers) doing the same thing. Where were they at? (Note: John the Baptist had not been thrown into prison yet)... John's disciples are having a discussion with a Jew about Purification. Remember we talked about the first sign Jesus performed in John, Chap. 2 which was the water (Purification Water used in Jewish customs) turned into wine and we saw a spiritual picture of "new wine" which represented a complete change of nature that Jesus brings to changed lives when we believe on Him. Obviously, the Jew want to discuss this with John and his disciples...how are we to be "purified" before God?.....Then John was alerted that Jesus and his disciples were also baptizing and more were going to Him. How did John respond to that news? Summarize verses 26-36 God is who sent Jesus to us. What does Jesus speak? What does Jesus give and how does He give it? "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (vs.35,36) So as we move into Chapter 4....we have the word Therefore....Let's look and see what it is there "for" ! 4:1 - "Therefore..... when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were)....... What did Jesus do? Where was He baptizing at? (we saw in Chapter 3) Now, he leaves that area of (4:3) and went away again .... where to? Please look at a map of Galilee and a map of Judea from a Bible map site and trace where Jesus went. It really helps out with these location changes. When Jesus left Judea to go up again into Galilee, where did He pass through? What city did He come near? It was near a parcel of land that Jacob (aka Israel) gave to his son Joseph. (Joseph was one of the 12 sons - which made up the 12 tribes of Israel )..... What well was there in that land? Why did Jesus need to sit by the well? (vs.6) (Did you notice how far the Land of Judea is up to the land of Samaria? Check your maps!)The time was about 6:00 pm ......... This was the time that the women came out to draw water from the well. A woman from Samaria came to draw water from Jacob's well. What did Jesus say to her? Where were the disciples now? This Samaritan woman is very surprised that Jesus is talking to her! Why? Because he is a Jew. (The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans). Here is a brief history lesson of why. WHO WERE THE SAMARITANS? When the Assyrians invaded Israel in 722 B.C., they took most of the educated Jewish people back to Assyria as their captives. They did leave some Jews in the land. The conquering Assyrians took over Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Many of the Jews left in Samaria married the Assyrians. But the Assyrians were not Jewish. Anyone who is not a Jew is called a Gentile in the Bible, and God had told the Jews not to marry Gentiles. The children born to these marriages were half-Gentile, half-Jewish. They were called Samaritians.They soon developed religious practices that were different from the ones commanded by the Bible. When the rest of the Jews finally returned to their own land, they would have nothing to do with the Samaritans.In Jesus' time, Jews wouldn't walk through the Samaritan's city -they walked all the way around it. Jewish people didn't even talk to Samaritans! But Jesus, even though He was Jewish, did talk to the Samaritan woman. He wanted to offer her living water, eternal life. What did Jesus tell the Samaritan woman when she asked Him why He talked with her? vs.10 She was interested in the natural sense in The Living Water Jesus offers her. If she drank from it, He said she would never thirst again! She reminded him of the obstacles in his way.... "You have nothing to draw with ... the well is deep ... You are not greater than our father Jacob, are you?" How did Jesus answer her? vs. 13 - When we receive Living Water from Jesus, we never thirst spiritually again because we are made complete and can stand before God. What does Jesus say the "water" becomes within' the believer? Let's look at a cross reference! In John 7:37-39, Jesus fully describes what rivers of living water is!.... Write out the definition from these verses!.... When would those who were listening and believing actually receive the Holy Spirit? Why would they have to wait in order to receive it at that time? O.K. She is convinced. She wants this living water! Jesus tells her to go call her husband to come there. She answers "I have no husband". He answers her: "True, in fact, you have had 5 husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.  " Woe! How would you like such a dark past revealed to a stranger like this? She immediately perceives from his correctness that he must be a "prophet". Rather than deal with her sin right away, she diverts to a religious debate (how convenient).From verse 20-24, put facts under the three religious headings as you read, put the facts under the one it belongs to: Was that interesting? What did you learn? Just to make sure you got it - What kind of people does the Father seek to worship Him? Obviously, the woman has heard some Old Testament teachings. They considered Jacob (aka Israel) their Father of their faith. Now she says that she knows that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ) ... What does she say the Messiah will tell them when He comes? vs. 25 - What does Jesus say to her? vs. 26 - Well, here come the disciples back from town. They have the food to eat! They are marveling that Jesus has been talking to a woman, but not one of them says a thing to Him about it. The woman left her waterpot and went into the city. What did she tell the men? vs. 29 - What does she want them to help her to determine about this man? vs. 29 They went with her back to where Jesus was at. The disciples were trying to get Jesus to "eat" the food they had brought back. What kind of food did Jesus tell them he already had to satsify Him? vs.32,34 Are you spiritually satisfied when you are doing the will of the Father? How did the Samaritan people respond to Jesus when they saw Him? vs. 40 - He stayed with them for two days, surely teaching them all they would need to know to grow and walk in their faith. During these two days, what else happened? vs.41 - No longer was it because of what the woman had told them, but now they had their own 'belief' based on hearing the words of Jesus. They said "....for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed ...The Savior of the World....." After two days.....He went forth from there INTO GALILEE.. What did Jesus say about prophets teaching in their own towns? What happened when He came into Galilee? How did the Galileans respond to Him? vs. 45 - What had they seen that caused them to believe and where had they seen these things? vs.45  Jesus came back to Cana of Galilee. What had he done there before? What was the beginning of His signs? Do you remember from John chapter 2? When a certain royal official heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him. What was his request? vs.46,47 - Did Jesus go down to Capernaum? Did Jesus heal him? How do you know? What does the fact that Jesus could heal him from such a distance tell you and must of told them about who Jesus is? When the man found out that his son was alive and the hour that the fever left was the same time that Jesus spoke ..... What was the result of he and his whole household? vs. 53 - they were saved. Verse 54 tells us this is the Second Sign that John selected for His Gospel and the second sign that Jesus performed when He came out of Judea into Galilee. How has this supported John's purpose in writing this Gospel? John 20:30,31 - Yes, please - write it out again! Application: Are you thirsty for living water? Do you have the Holy Spirit giving you rivers of living water to satisfy your spiritual thirst for God? Do you feel spiritually weak, not nourished, not able to find answers for others that need help from God's word? Do you need to make a fresh commitment to stay committed to this study or some study of God's Word on a daily basis? Yes, you do. Then, your food will be to accomplish the work that He gives you to do! There is a call on your life. Every believer has spiritual gifts that the body of Christ has need for. Ask the Lord what He has blessed you with in order that you might bless others. Remember what Jesus said, "Harvest is past, the fields are ripe (ready) for harvest!" The Lord wants you to share His love with everyone, even the one in the other spiritual camp like the Samaritan woman, who was deceived by her passed down religion and living in a life of sin ... as well as the very religious, such as the Jews who were deceived thinking they had the purification laws down and were the only ones with spiritual truth. These all needed the living water that Jesus had to offer them. Who has He laid on your heart? Your summary and prayer today: Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at http://www.read-the-bible.webs.com