Sunday, March 13th, 2022
WDW — February 16th, 2022
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” —Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)
Why did Jesus have to die?
Jesus died that we may worship God freely and confidently in His presence
Bible Reading: John 4:7-26
“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.). The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied.Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
*This passage may be familiar, it was also used during “Week Two • Jesus Crosses Borders.” You can read it here:
https://charlotteannrobinson.com/2022/03/07/lent-2022-week-two-jesus-crosses-borders/
Discussion Questions:
1. In today’s text Jesus reveals His identity as the Messiah, the promised Savior of the Israelites. But, He also says that the day would come when people of every nationality would worship Him. What does this tell us about Jesus?
It tells me that Jesus, when He looks around He sees His children, not as Jew or Samaritan, just simply His creation. Jesus is all about inclusion not exclusion. Jesus loves all of creation and wants to have a relationship with all His children. Jesus does not need us. But, amazingly, He loves us passionately, and in His goodness He wants us to live with Him forever. We are the ones who are in need of Jesus, in need of what only He can provide…He is our salvation, our solid rock, the perfecter of our faith. “
God is holy, eternal, almighty, and totally self-sufficient. He does not need any created being, but we do need Him. All of creation is dependent on the life that God alone sustains.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.“ —Hebrews 12:1-2 (NRSVA)
2. In Jesus’ day, it would have been unusual for a Jewish man to talk to a woman who was considered sinful. How does this conversation demonstrate Jesus’ love for her? For you?
Jesus sees the hearts of people, He knew of her sin before He spoke to her. He knows my sin and yours too, His love is stronger than all our sins. Jesus paid for our freedom from sin on the cross. We need only to seek forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. My experience with forgiveness is, it is much harder to ask for forgiveness than the actual act of sinning. I don’t necessarily think that this is a bad thing. Seeking forgiveness is confessing and admitting our wrongdoing with remorse. Through Jesus’ ministry it is clear that He came to not only to save His chosen people, the Israelites but for all humankind. From the very foundation of the world, God loved all that was created.
“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” —Genesis 1:31 (NRSVA)
3. What do you want to say in response to Jesus?
Jesus, thank you for creating me and calling me your child. I’m sorry for my sinfulness. Please help me to live the life I was created for, help me to be a light for you wherever I go. I am so very thankful for the opportunities I have to worship you, to read your word and to share you with the people in my life. I am nothing without you, you are my everything.
“Without God (we) would have no life at all. Outside of Christ there is no reality. There is no logic. There is no reason for anything. Everything was made for Christ. Your next breath comes from Christ and is to go back to Christ.” https://biblereasons.com/being-nothing-without-god/
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my saviour; you save me from violence.”
— 2 Samuel 22:2-3 (NRSVA) —
Friends, thank you for joining me on this Lenten journey. Welcome to Week • Three, I look forward to reading more about the “love” of Jesus. I am blessed to be able to share my thoughts and most importantly my faith with you. God Bless 💟
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
References:
HOPE SEEKER 
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