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Advent Lessons

Lesson 11 · June 12, 1909

The Woman of Samaria

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Lesson Scripture: .

Lesson Helps: chapter 19; , chapter 10.

Place: Shechem, or Sychar.

Persons: Jesus; John the Baptist; the woman of Samaria; the disciples; the Samaritans, a mixed people, their religion a mixture of the true and false. See .

Note: It was about this time that John was cast into prison, as recorded in , for reproving Herod for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife. He was probably imprisoned in the castle of Machaerus (the Greek name means, The Black Fortress), east of the Dead Sea. Jesus went to Galilee on hearing this, and on His way passed through Samaria.

Questions

  1. 1.That no strife might arise over His own and John's labors, what did Jesus do? Through what section of Palestine did He pass? .
  2. 2.As He came to Jacob's well, what did He do? Through what region did He pass to reach this well? Near what city was the well? . Note 1.
  3. 3.Who came to the well? Relate the conversation that took place. .
  4. 4.What did the woman understand the living water to be? .
  5. 5.What reply did Jesus make? .
  6. 6.What conversation followed? .
  7. 7.Of what did Jesus' words convince the woman? .
  8. 8.What old controversy did she bring up in trying to turn the conversation from her soul's condition? .
  9. 9.What emphatic reply did Jesus make? .
  10. 10.What only is the nature of true worship? .
  11. 11.In whom was the woman's hope? .
  12. 12.What reply did Jesus make? .
  13. 13.What did the disciples find on their return? How were they affected? .
  14. 14.What message did the woman bear away? What was its effect? .
  15. 15.Relate the conversation which then occurred between Jesus and His disciples? What was the work of Jesus? .
  16. 16.What did He say in order to arouse them to a sense of God's urgent demands upon them? . Note 2.
  17. 17.Who receives wages? What principles of sowing and reaping did He enumerate? .
  18. 18.What was the result of this one woman's work? . Note 3.
  19. 19.What urgent invitation came to Jesus? What was the result of His work in Samaria? .

Notes

1. "Jacob's well is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but was made famous by the meeting of Jesus with the woman of Samaria at that place, as recorded in . It is located near Shechem, otherwise known as Sychar, the modern Nablus. This is one of the very few spots in Palestine which have been closely identified with our Saviour's presence. It is about half a mile north from Joseph's tomb at the base of Mt. Gerizim. ⟦Maundrell?⟧, in 1698, found the depth of the well to be 105 feet, with 15 feet of water. Captain Anderson, who visited it in 1866, found it to be only 75 feet. It may have been twice that depth originally. When visited by Farrar in 1870, it was only about 20 feet deep, and was in a state of hopeless ruin."—"Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia."

"Sychar,—a name of reproach applied by the Jews to Shechem."—Id.

2. One practical lesson to be gained from the narrative of this woman from the city of Sychar is that she began her work near her home. This is where we ought to begin. To the man whom the Saviour healed in the country of the Gadarenes, He said, "Go home to thy friends, and tell how great things the Lord hath done for thee." . The world now is "white already to harvest," and faithful, home missionary work is the need of the hour.

3. Such is the effect of simple witness born for Christ. We would scarcely have selected this woman as the one to bring a revival of godliness to the wicked village of Sychar. But many "believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did." The secret of her success lies in the fact that she had a face-to-face talk with the Saviour. This changed her from a life of sin to a life of righteousness. Before we can bring souls to the Lord, we, too, must have a personal interview with Jesus, and experience a transformation of life.

Bible texts in this lesson

John 4:1-42 · 2 Kings 17:24-41 · Luke 3:19 · Luke 3:20 · John 4:1-3 · John 4:4-6 · John 4:7-10 · John 4:11 · John 4:12 · John 4:13 · John 4:14 · John 4:15-18 · John 4:19 · John 4:20 · John 4:21 · John 4:22 · John 4:23 · John 4:24 · John 4:25 · John 4:26 · John 4:27 · John 4:28-30 · John 4:31-34 · John 4:35 · John 4:36-38 · John 4:39 · John 4:40-42 · John 4:5-30 · Mark 5:19

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This lesson PDF Whole quarter PDF · 13 lessons