The Savior and the Lost

MEMORY VERSE: “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” —John 4:42

JOHN 4:7-14

WHEN Jesus sent his apostles out into the ministry he instructed them to “go not into the way of the Gentiles” and not to enter “into any city of the Samaritans.” (Matt. 10:5) Later Jesus said of himself, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matt. 15:24) The Israelites were God’s chosen people and, while God’s plan of salvation made provision for the ultimate blessing of the people of all nations, at the time of Jesus’ first advent special divine favors were still limited to the Israelites. This was in keeping with God’s own statement, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”—Amos 3:2

Our lesson finds Jesus in “a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.” But Jesus was not in Samaria to conduct his ministry there. He was traveling from Judea to Galilee, “and he must needs go through Samaria.” (John 4:4) Arriving in Sychar, Jesus sent his disciples into the city to buy “meat,” and he remained behind at a spot near where Jacob’s well was located. He was weary, and sat down to rest on the stones surrounding the well, and “there cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water:” and “Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.”

The woman recognized that Jesus was a Jew, and she expressed surprise that he should ask a favor of a Samaritan; for, as she said, “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” Who were the Samaritans? Originally the name Samaria applied to all that part of Palestine which was ruled by the northern or ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, which was set up when the nation was divided, after the death of King Solomon. The people of this entire area were then known as Samaritans.

However, when the Israelites were taken captives into Assyria, the territory known as Samaria was left practically desolate; so the King of Assyria had people from a number of places, including Babylon, move there. (II Kings 17:34) God’s displeasure was kindled by this, and he showed his displeasure by permitting beasts to afflict these new settlers of the Holy Land. Then a priest of Israel—perhaps himself an idolater—was dispatched to Samaria to instruct the people concerning Jehovah. The people then manifested an outward acceptance of the God of Israel, but continued to worship their own gods.—II Kings 17:41

We could refer to these as the “new Samaritans,” for such they were. Through the centuries, certain Israelites infiltrated into their ranks, and officially they professed to believe in the Books of Moses. But through these centuries a continued hatred existed between these new Samaritans and the Israelites and was still very much manifested in Jesus’ day. Remember the willingness of the disciples to call down fire upon these people and destroy them.—Luke 9:54-56

The Samaritan woman with whom Jesus talked at Jacob’s well expressed surprise when Jesus told her that he was in a position to give her living water to drink, and she asked him the source of this living water. “Art thou greater than our father Jacob?” she asked. Even these new Samaritans by now claimed allegiance to the ancient fathers of Israel. Jesus explained to her that those who drank the water of Jacob’s well would thirst again, “but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water … shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

JOHN 4:31-35

When the disciples returned from the city with food they invited the Master to eat, and he replied, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” Then he explained, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” The “work” referred to was the harvest work at the end of the Jewish Age—the preaching of the kingdom message to reach the pure of heart and separate them from the great. nominal mass of Israelites. At the end of the Gospel Age there is also a harvest work, in which the Lord’s people are participating.

The Samaritan woman reported her conversation with Jesus to her friends, professing her belief that he was the Messiah. They were interested enough to investigate for themselves, and, when they did, they also were impressed. This is indicated in our memory verse: “For we have heard him ourselves,” they said, “and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

QUESTIONS

Why was it unusual for Jesus to present the Gospel to a Samaritan?

Who were the Samaritans?

What was the “living water” that Jesus could give to the people?

What was the “work” that Jesus had been given to do?

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