The Coolidge examiner., 1937-01-14
Imbroved n SUNDAY
Uniform oC-~~-
-:-LESSON = -
BY REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST,
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
g Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for January IL
JESUS THE WATER OF LIFE

PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus Answering a
Woman's Question.
JUNIOR TOPIC-How a Stranger Be
came Friend.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-Jesus Meets My Greatest Needs.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-Jesus Meets Our Deepest Need.
Life, light, water, bread are ele-
mental, fundamental things. Life
must come from God. But it can
exist only where there is light, and
only God gives light. Nor can life
continue where there is no water
and no bread.
1t is therefore a blessed and sig
nificant fact that Jesus was de-
clared to be the life of men. He
also says of himself that he is the
light of the world" (John 9:5);
1.-The bread of life" John $3.50. In
our lesson today we see Him as the
one who gives Giving water" ".
10).
The incident at Jacobs well in
Sychar took place when Jesus,
leaving Jerusalem because of in
creasing hindrance to his work,
goes up to Galilee. Unlike his Jew
ish brethren, who detoured around
the land of the hated ''half-breed"
! Samaritans, he must needs 60
through Samaria," for there was
sin-sick soul that needed him.
Space will not permit full con-
sideration of all the beauty and the
depth of spiritual truth found in
this story, but let us note that we
here have
1. A Sinner Tactfully Approached
(vv. 7-16.
Every Christian is by his very
calling a soul-Winner. We dare not
delegate this responsibility to the
pastor or missionary. AS soul-win-
ners we are vitality interested in
our Lords approach to this woman
who was far from God, apparently
hopelessly involved in sinful associ-
ations, d citizen of a hostile nation
and an adherent of another reli-
giouS faith.
BY asking a favor of her he tact
fully placed himself Gas does any
petitioner) for the moment, on her
own plane. He was not a distant,
learned religious leader deigning to
cast a bit of religious philosophy
to her. He was a tired, thirsty
man asking for a drink of water.
But he was more! He was the
| gracious Son of God, declaring to
her that he was ready to give to her
the water of life.
ii. A Moral Problem Faced (vv.
1919.
One may speak knowingly of the
! promises of Gods Word, and may
understand the way of salvation"
but one will never find peace and
| Joy until there is frank and open
facing Of sin in the life. Let us
make no mistake at this point, for
the moral law of God is the same
now as it was on that far-off day
when Jesus brought the woman of
! Samaria face to face with her own
! sin.
III. A Theological Problem Solved
(vv. 1920.
Possibly in an effort to evade her
moral problem by theological dis
| 10 nti in
day, TODD, and partly because of
her ignorance of true worship, she
asks a question about a controver-
sial matter relating to outward GER
emony. Is it not a singular thing
how men who know nothing of spir-
itual life delight in the propagation
and defense of organizations, and in
the conduct of outward religious ex-
erciSes?
True worship is revealed ". 23)
as being Cd I'm spirit" We do
not cast aside all external helps to
worship, but real worship goes
through and beyond both place and
| symbol to real soul-communion with
God (2) I'm truth" Sham, super
stition, hypocrisy, have no place in
true worship. We can worship in
truth only when we really know
the truth. MacLaren rightly said,
"The God to whom men attain by
any other path than his historical
revelation of himself is dim, color
less abstra ction, peradventure. an
object of fear or hope, as may be,
but not of knowledge" Truly spoke
Jesus - I'VE know what we Wor-
ship" ". %.
w. The Messiah Declared (vv.
25, 26).
Jesus honors this poor fallen
woman by making to her his first
declaration of himself as the Mes
siah. He is the high and exalted
one, but he is at the same time the
friend of sinners. To the learned
ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus, he
spoke of the new birth. To the
poor woman of Samaria he declares
his Messiahship. He is no respecter
of persons. Neither are those who
| truly follow him.
And she fortnight left her water
pot and went to bring others to him.
Let every simmer saved by grace"
go and do likewise.