New Believer's Bible Sample - Flipbook - Page 48
J ohn 4
page 1000
F I R S T
S T E P S
Share what you’ve
experienced
read JOHN 4:28-29
Because she had been married and
divorced five times and was living with a
man at present, this woman was a social
outcast. That is why she came to the well
at noontime, the hottest time of the day
(see John 4:6-7). She did not realize it, but
Jesus had an appointment with her. He
came not to condemn her but to lovingly
interact with her. He spoke of her deepest
need, the one that drove her to sin. He
refused to get sidetracked by unnecessary
religious or political discussions; he kept
to the subject. And so a lonely Samaritan
woman became the first female evangelist
of the New Testament. Despite being just
moments old in her faith, she simply had
to tell others.
Our job as Christians is not to isolate
ourselves from those around us but to permeate and infiltrate our circles of influence
with the message of the gospel.
For the next note on “Share Your Faith” turn to page 1008.
baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left
Judea and returned to Galilee.
4 He had to go through Samaria on the way.
5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village
of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to
his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and
Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samar
itan woman came to draw water, and Jesus
said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was
alone at the time because his disciples had
gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse
to have anything to do with Samaritans.* She
said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Sa
maritan woman. Why are you asking me for
a drink?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift
God has for you and who you are speaking to,
you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a
bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep.
Where would you get this living water? 12And
besides, do you think you’re greater than our
ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How
can you offer better water than he and his
sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13
Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this
water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But
those who drink the water I give will never
be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling
spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me
this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again,
and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16 “Go and get your husband,” J
esus told her.
17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman
replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a
husband—18 for you have had five husbands,
and you aren’t even married to the man
you’re living with now. You certainly spoke
the truth!”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be
a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you
Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place
of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is
here at Mount Gerizim,* where our ancestors
worshiped?”
21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman,
the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this
mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans
know very little about the one you worship,
while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time
is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and in truth. The Father is looking for those
who will worship him that way. 24 For God is
Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is
coming—the one who is called Christ. When
he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”*
27 Just then his disciples came back. They
were shocked to find him talking to a woman,
but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What
do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28 The woman left her water jar
beside the well and ran back to the village,
telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who
told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came
streaming from the village to see him.
31 Meanwhile, the disciples were urging
Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food
you know nothing about.”
:9 Some manuscripts do not include this sentence. 4:20 Greek on this mountain.
4
4:26 Or “The ‘I Am’ is here”; or “I am the
Lord”; Greek reads “I am, the one speaking to you.” See Exod 3:14.
