Page 45 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

Study Section 7: The Woman at the Well

7.1 Connect

The hope of the Messiah lies at the heart of the Old Testament. From the third chapter of
Genesis (Genesis 3:15) to the third chapter of Malachi (Malachi 3:1), the Hebrew Scriptures
repeatedly proclaim that the Savior is coming. In fact, all three parts of the Old Testament canon
– the law, the Psalms, and the Prophets – make precise predictions about Him and His ministry
(Luke 24:25 – 27, 44 – 45).

But then the unthinkable happened; the Messiah came, and Israel rejected him. Under the influence of their
religious leaders, the people refused to embrace the One for whom they had been waiting and instead had Him
murdered.

It was not that the evidence was unclear. In fact, the Old Testament, written over a one – thousand – year
period, contains nearly three hundred references to the coming Messiah. All of these were fulfilled in Jesus
Christ and they established a solid confirmation of His credentials as the Messiah. Instead, it was that Israel’s
religious establishment felt threatened by Jesus’ ministry – He challenge their authority and confronted their
hypocrisy. Let’s learn about this today.

7.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to state why it was very unusual for Jesus to talk with a Samaritan
woman at the well.

2. The student should be able to explain why the woman was so interested in obtaining water that
would not require her to travel to the well daily.

3. The students should be able to explain why the Galileans welcomed Jesus when he arrived in Galilee.

7.3 The Living Water - John 4:1 – 26

The Circumstances

John 4:1 When Jesus knew that the Pharisees heard He was making and baptizing more disciples
than John (though Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and
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3
4
5
went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria, so He came to a town of Samaria
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called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn
out from His journey, sat down at the well. It was about six in the evening.

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