The City People Respond

Lesson #75

In this lesson we will skip over paragraph 2 and focus on the contents of paragraph 3, defined by John 4:39 – 42. This woman, who is downcast and rejected, comes to the well at noon to avoid others, is drawn into conversation by Jesus. What she hears causes her to believe that Jesus may be the Messiah. In her excited state she rises to the occasion and goes to the city to tell about this Jesus she met at the well. Her words and the change in her demeanor caused many of the city people to believe in Jesus and as a result they came to him and asked him to stay with them so they could hear and learn more. Jesus stayed there for two days and as a result many more believed in his word.

Notice the progression of faith. Jesus speaks to the woman and she goes to the city and declares that she may have found the Messiah. As a result many from the city believed and with others they came to Jesus. As they listened to Jesus, many more believed that he was indeed the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Jesus takes a trip to Samaria, a place the Jews avoided, and meets a woman the Jews would avoid at all cost and stimulates her faith to the point that she goes back to the city and witnesses to those who despise her and as a result they come to Jesus. We need to be careful and not show partiality when it comes to who we share our faith with.

When the woman went back to the city there was some doubt in her heart about Jesus being the Messiah, but her faith was strong enough to encourage the city people to go and check out Jesus. They did and their faith became stronger than the faith of the woman and they believed he was the Messiah, the Savior of the world. This raises a question about what Jesus may have told them that caused their faith to grow as it did. In our next lesson we will consider that.

Prayer

Father, this lesson points out how important it is to share our faith with those you put before us. I have learned as I wrestle with this that these people may not be attractive to me and may even desire to take my life. I think of the many who have been lead to salvation through the act of forgiveness or even in their love for the one who was taking their life. Father, I understand that being an effective witness may require me to step away from comfort and security that has silenced Christians in the western culture. Empower me to be more effective as your witness.