Family Devotion Guide
Sunday, June 14, 2020
The Gospel of Reconciliation
John 4:1-25
ASK
The Jews and Samaritans
Q: What were the three reasons why Jews hated Samaritans?
- The Samaritans were considered half breeds.
- The Samaritans had a different place of worship.
- The Samaritans believed only in the first five books of Moses.
Q: What are some differences between Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman?
He was a man; she was a woman.
He was Jew; she was a Samaritan.
He was considered to be pious; she was immoral.
He was a Pharisee; she was prostitute.
He was a politician; she had no status whatsoever.
He had a name; she was nameless.
He came at night to protect his reputation; she who had no reputation came at noon.
He came seeking; she was sought by Jesus.
Three Ways in Which We Can Fight Racism with the Gospel
Q: What are the three ways in which we can fight racism with the Gospel?
- The power of proximity (vv1-4)
- The power of hope (vv5-16)
- The power of worship (vv16-25)
1. The Power of Proximity (vv1-4)
Because of the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in us, we are agents of change.
Q: Why did the apostle John mention that Jesus had to go through Samaria? Was there another way?
Jesus intentionally went to Samaria to encounter this Samaritan woman. Samaria was a difficult place where there was racial tension.
You must be willing to interact with people who are of a different race, gender, or social class than you are.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
–Acts 1:8 (ESV)
Jesus never called us to shy away from difficult places, but rather He calls us to infiltrate those places with the gospel.
2. The Power of Hope (vv5-16)
Jesus did not only break the geographical custom to get to the Samaritan woman, but He also broke ethical customs when he met the woman.
There are two pictures in verses 5-6:
The first picture is of a wearied Christ. We are given a picture of the humanity of Jesus.
The second is of the woman. She was a Samaritan, and she undoubtedly had many opportunities to return the hatred of the Jews for the Samaritans by hating the Jews in return.
Q: Why did Jesus say to the woman that He would give her living water?
Jesus was referring to himself. If she would trust in Jesus she would never thirst spiritually again. The Gospel leads us to people who are different than us so that we can point them to the hope of Christ.
3. The Power of Worship (vv16-25)
Q: What very important aspect of the Gospel did Jesus bring out in verses 16-18?
Sin and its gravity.
Q: What did Jesus mean by worship in truth?
- It means that we must approach God truthfully, that is, honestly or wholeheartedly.
- We must worship on the basis of the biblical revelation.
For a man or a woman would not worship merely by being in the right place and doing certain right things, He would worship in his spirit, which could be anywhere. Spirit means man’s spirit and not Holy Spirt.
PRAY
–Pray for greater love for people.
–Pray that God will bring people together and heal racism.
–Pray that God will use you to bring change concerning racism.