Tuesday, May 30, 2023

John 4:1-42 | Small Group Questions


The Gospel of John is a unique and powerful account of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Written by John, one of Jesus' closest disciples, this gospel presents a deep and thoughtful perspective on the person and work of Jesus. Unlike the other three gospels, which are known as the Synoptic Gospels and focus on Jesus' actions and teachings, John's gospel emphasizes the spiritual and theological significance of Jesus' life and ministry. For this series I will write some of the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions | Talking to the Wrong People | John 4:1-42

Through powerful imagery and profound theological insights, John reveals the nature of Jesus as the Son of God, the light of the world, the bread of life, and the hope of Israel. The Gospel of John has been called an intimate gospel for the way that Jesus personally interacts with others. Jesus had a personal conversation with Nicodemus in chapter 3 and today we’ll see another personal conversation with a woman here in chapter 4. As we read our passage it’s important to know that there was a history of animosity between the Jews and Samaritans. Most Jews would have never traveled this path to Galilee even though it was shorter, they would have traveled by the Jordan River to avoid the Samaritans.

1) There are times in the Christian life that we should avoid people, but in many occasions we need to be the light of the world. Where do you need to have a greater engagement with those around who you are far from Jesus? 

2) Read John 4:1-6. We learned about the strained relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans. Jesus chose to walk into a territory where there was a hostile relationship. Share about Jesus walking into your life to meet you in a situation. 

3) Read John 4:7-12. Jesus’ pattern was to engage people who are far from God and this woman fell on that list. Throughout His life Jesus associated with sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10-13, Luke 15:1-2). How does this make you feel? 

4) While asking this woman for a drink, Jesus is able to turn the conversation from physical to spiritual (read John 4:13-20). Thinking about Jesus’ interaction with this woman, what can we learn about engaging people in spiritual conversations? 

5) It seems like Jesus touches a sore spot in this woman’s life, she has been divorced several times. Jesus knows the areas of our life that are broken and in disarray. How can we lovingly exposes sin in someone’s life while showing grace upon grace? 

6) Read John 4:21-26. Jesus teaches this woman that our worship can take place any where and needs to done in spirit and truth. Do you have anything from your past that hinders you from grasping this truth Jesus spoke? 

7) As the story comes to a conclusion we read that Jesus teaches the disciples how to talk to all the wrong people (read John 4:31-42). Thinking about the harvest, where do you see God opening doors in your life to share the love of Jesus? 

Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus. 



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