ADULT STS LESSON 139 CONVERSION OF THE SAMARITANS
MEMORY VERSE: “And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42).
TEXT: John 4:1-54
Our Lord Jesus Christ was on a journey from Judaea to Galilee with His disciples when, out of exhaustion, He stopped over at Jacob’s Well in Sychar or Shechem to rest. Sychar was in Mount Ephraim, a province of Samaria formerly occupied by the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:28- 43; 12:1-25). It was here that the bones of Joseph brought down from Egypt were buried (Joshua 24:32). But idolatry, disobedience and sin plundered their heritage and made the Lord to reject “…all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers… so was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria” (2 Kings 17:20-23). By the year 722 B.C., the northern kingdom had lost its territory in the Promised Land.
In their place “…the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon… and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof” (2 Kings 17:24). The whole territory of Samaria came under the possession of Assyria with a mixture of the Jews. These foreigners made their own gods and worshiped them (2 Kings 17:29-33). At the time Jesus ministered to the Samaritan woman at the well, the relationship between the Samaritans and the Jews of the two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) of the southern kingdom was that of discrimination, rivalry, contempt and hatred against one another.
While the Samaritans boasted falsely of being descendants of the holy fathers and claimed to belong to the patriarch Jacob (John 4:12), the Jews saw them as a mixed race unworthy of the Abrahamic heritage. Christ was however, determined not to allow this age-long animosity to hamper His mission to the lost, Samaritans inclusive. God expects true Christians to put aside all racial, tribal and man-made divides and reach out to all and sundry with the gospel.
METHODS AND HINDRANCES TO EFFECTIVE SOUL- WINNING (John 4:1-9,11-15,17,20; Matthew 10:22-26; 12:15; Acts 8:1-4; Proverbs 11:30; James 5:20; 1 Corinthians 9:19-22; Acts 18:24-28; 13:7-12; 19:11,12)
Although opposition, especially from the Pharisees, had started mounting against His ministry, Christ would not be deterred by any of such distractions. His teachings and popularity had begun to upset their evil system but because His ministry was a young one, He decided to leave Judaea for Galilee. The Lord’s relocation from Judaea to Galilee teaches some valuable lessons.
One, there is nothing strange about faithful ministers experiencing hardship on the field of service.
Two, when preachers experience great success in ministry, they should bear in mind that such will generate malice, envy and hatred from Satan and his cohorts.
Three, it is neither cowardice nor unbelief if ministers of Christ retreat in the face of life-threatening persecutions. The Master counsels, “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another” (Matthew 10:23). This wise act does not only further the gospel; it also deprives persecutors of their evil design.
Four, the loss of one city is the gain of another as “they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them” (Acts 8:4,5). After the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, with its capital, Samaria, in the firm grips of the Assyrian army, foreigners were brought in to Israel to help as peace-keepers in the conquered territory (2 Kings 17:24). As the foreigners began to intermarry with the remnant Jews in the land, a mixed race emerged.
In the opinion of the Jews who lived in the southern Israel, these people of the mixed race (the Samaritans) were impure. So, they were hated by the pure Jews who felt that, through intermarriages with foreigners, they betrayed the Jewish nation and people. And to avoid possible taunting, the Samaritans put in place an alternate worship centre (John 4:20). Thus, the woman Christ met in Samaria was so engrossed in tribal sentiment that she almost missed a great opportunity being presented to her.
Hindrances to effective soul-winning include persecutions against the preachers of the gospel (John 4:1-3), restrictions to the preaching of the gospel through laws and edicts, racial prejudice (Acts 10:9- 23), considerations of self above the gospel, distracting arguments (John 4:11,12), misunderstanding of the gospel message, religious affiliation, etc. These must be worked on and removed if we want our presentation of the gospel to be effective.
MESSAGE AND WISDOM OF EFFECTIVE SOUL-WINNERS . John 4:6-26; Proverbs 11:30; James 5:20; Daniel 12:3; 1 Corinthians 9:19-22; Proverbs 4:7; James 1:5; Ephesians 2:8; Isaiah 12:3; 41:17,18; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 13:1; Revelation 22:17; Isaiah 55:1; John 4:27-30,39-42; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 4:14,15; Luke 1:77-79.
It takes the wisdom of God to pull prejudiced sinners out of their shell of self-conceit into the kingdom of God. Here, Jesus demonstrated the necessity of divine wisdom in the act of soulwinning. This wisdom is sometimes manifested in simple, straightforward and seemingly harmless’ question or sentence, which the Holy Spirit uses to lead a sinner to conviction and conversion. Some of such questions and sentences are found in John 4:7,13,16; Acts 8:30; 26:27.
In wisdom also, Jesus cleared the woman’s confusion by making her understand the great difference between the water from Jacob’s well and that from His fountain (John 4:10,13-15). The fact that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world and the Source of “living water” (Isaiah 12:3; 41:17,18; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 13:1; Revelation 22:17) should be central to all messages of the soul-winner. In other words, a soul-winner’s message is incomplete without the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah. Christ is the One who fills us with His grace and truth (John 1:14) and grants us constant refreshing (Revelation 7:17). He is God’s “unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15; John 3:16) who was given to rescue man from the bondage of sin.
In spite of this truth, many sinners are yet to know that He is God’s bestowed special Gift. A great light dawned on the Samaritan woman on hearing the greatest revelation of all times: “I that speak unto thee am he” (verse 26). This simple statement from Christ eventually led to the breaking of the Samaritan woman’s religious guard. As a matter of fact, the conversation with the Messiah was too sacred, and the effect on her too overpowering to allow for its continuation. Therefore, she left her water-pot and went to the city immediately to make Him known to others.
As soon as we become partakers of the life that is in Christ, we should go forth sharing same with our relatives, friends and neighbours. Apostle Paul did the same after the Lord met him. “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). “…Now we believe …and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (Verse 42). At the invitation of the Samaritan woman, the people trooped out to hear Christ themselves. Her confession was, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did…” (verse 29). Many of them believed on Him, and their uniform testimony was that: “…this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (verse 42).
MINISTRY AND MINISTRATION OF THE PURPOSE- DRIVEN CHRIST (John 4:31-38; 9:4,5; Philippians 3:13- 16; John 4:43-54; Psalms 107:20; 103:1-3; 1 Corinthians 1:22)
“In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat” (verse 31). Christ’s consuming passion and propelling desire for the salvation of perishing souls constrained Him to set aside His personal comfort. He temporarily ignored the urge for food to enable Him minister to the spiritually hungry ones. He felt that the need to eat cannot be compared with the urgency this ” I have opportunity to rescue a dying soul presents. Meat to eat that ye know not of” (verse 32).
The work of the Father was His delight. He set aside food to do that which matters most. He said, “…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (verse 34). If we would truly follow His steps, it becomes expedient that we devote ourselves diligently and passionately to the service of God so that we might gather in the end-time harvest before wastage sets in. The Lord pointed to the urgency of the need to harvest multitudes of famished souls into the kingdom of God before they get lost eternally.
Hence, He saw no other business more inviting and urgent than the preaching of the gospel. As believers, we must avoid every form of procrastination. “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest…” (verse 35), He warns. The challenge of spreading the gospel is ever-growing as human population is growing and the coming of our Lord draws near. Today, multitudes of people are yet to hear the message of salvation. The spiritual corn field is ripe already for harvest. Delay on the part of the Church in reaping the ripened harvest of souls will lead to irrecoverable loss. The Lord reminds us that: “…he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together” (John 4:36).
As the gospel work leads to the eternal salvation of precious souls, the Lord will reward us both here and in eternity if we remain faithful (Mark 10:30; Daniel 12:3). Jesus arrived in Galilee after a today stop-over in Samaria and was gladly received by the Galileans. They had been witnesses of the miracles He performed in Jerusalem during the feast and took advantage of His presence to welcome Him warmly. He avoided Nazareth and instead, went to Cana of Galilee because His own people denied Him honour out of familiarity, having been raised among them. While in Cana, a certain nobleman travelled several miles from Capernaum to seek healing for his son who was sick and at the point of death. He had heard of Christ’s notable miracles and believed that if he could come face to face with Jesus, his son would live.
Whatever Christ did in the past, He can still do the same now if only we believe. No matter how critical our situation, we should meet Him by faith and His power will avail for us. The nobleman pleaded with Christ to hurry down with him to Capernaum because of the critical condition of his son. He did not know that distance is not a barrier to the King of kings and Lord of lords. He was unlike the centurion who, “answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (Matthew 8:8). The Lord gently rebuked him for seeking after signs and wonders instead of the word of God. The nobleman persisted in his request saying, “…Sir, come down here my child die” (verse 49). Though faith does not give God conditions, yet it persists until the answer comes. Jesus responded to his request by uttering a word of authority, saying, “Go thy way; thy son liveth” (verse 50).
The man believed and his son was healed the same hour. Christ’s word brought healing to the dying child and wrought salvation in the whole family as “...himself believed, and his whole house” (verse 53). Whenever the Lord offers His benefits to us, His power will always readily accomplish whatever He has promised provided we do not shut the door to our blessing through unbelief.
Questions for review:
- What do we learn from the Lord’s relocation from Judaea?
- Who were the Samaritans? What feud existed between the Jews and Samaritans before this time and why?
- Enumerate some of the hindrances to effective soul- winning.
- What do we learn from the way Jesus opened up the woman’s heart to the gospel?
- What is the central message in soul-winning?
- Mention some of the reasons some believers do not give preaching the urgency it demands.
- How soon should a believer begin to preach the gospel?
