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THE FIRST MIRACLE (John 2:1-12)
ICEBREAKER
You know, I start out this week with a little game that we’ve done before. I like to pull this one out every now and then because, it’s fun! It works, people seem to enjoy it, especially youth, and it’s easy to put together. It’s pyramid. And I’m not going to go through all the instructions on how this works since we’ve done it a number of times together. But I’ll provide a link here to a video that does go over all the rules right at the beginning of the video if you’re newer here. So click up here if you need that help. The words for this week are as follows:
ROUND 1
WATER, MARRIAGE, MOTHER, JOY, CHANGE, RESPECT
ROUND 2
WINE, MIRACLE, FEAST, SERVICE, FAITH, CELEBRATE,
TRANSITION
After playing the game you can say: Each of the words in the game have something to do with a story from the life of the Savior. Can anyone figure out which one it is? And the answer is, Jesus’s changing of water to wine at the marriage in Cana. Jesus’s first miracle. And sometimes I think that we, as members of the Church, are a little uncomfortable with Jesus’s first miracle. And we may even avoid teaching the story, which I believe would be a mistake. Because it’s got some excellent lessons to teach us. But we may wonder, “Wait, what? Jesus’s first miracle had to do with making wine? Why would he do that?”
Jesus Drank Wine?
And so, before we start digging deep into the fertile soil of this story, lets deal with the elephant in the room. I have never taught this lesson, to a group of youth at least, without the following question coming up. It goes something like this. Wait, wine is bad. Why is Jesus making wine and having people drink it? And the explanation I’ve most heard from teachers over the years is “Oh, it wasn’t really wine, it was more like grape juice.” Can you do me a favor? Don’t say that. As a church, let’s abandon that explanation because it’s just not founded in truth! And truth is what we’re really after, right? Yes, the wine of Jesus’s day had alcohol in it and yes, Jesus drank it. Can we be OK with that? We have plenty of examples of people getting drunk or merry after the drinking of wine in the scriptures, so it was obviously fermented wine. But of course, as members of the Latter-day church, who believe in and live the Word of Wisdom, that’s hard for us to accept. Because we’ve been taught from our youth that alcohol=bad. And since Jesus was good, Jesus would never have drunken alcohol. But he did and yet, it wasn’t “sin”. How could that be? Because he, and the people of his day, were not under any commandment to do so. I find this to be a good opportunity to explain the difference between principle-based commandments and circumstantially based commandments. The Word of Wisdom is a circumstantial commandment—a commandment given to a specific set of people, at a specific time, for a specific reason. Not because God changes, but because times change, and circumstances change. For example, in the Old Testament, there was a circumstantial commandment against eating pork. We’re not under that same obligation today as God’s people, which is good, because I love bacon. But not drinking wine is not the same thing as, “Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness” which apply to all people, at all time periods. Those are principle-based commandments that always apply. In regard to alcohol then, getting drunk has never been acceptable to our Father in Heaven but moderation in its use was the instruction in Jesus’s day. That’s an unchanging principle. But why do WE live a no-alcohol-at-all policy. It tells us right in the Word of Wisdom. We live the Word of Wisdom today "in consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" (D&C 89:4). Conditions are different now. The dangers of alcohol consumption are greater. The conspiracies of the alcohol industry are highly problematic and perilous to our happiness and progress. So with great love and concern for our well-being, our Father in Heaven and living prophets have instructed that we are better off, nowadays, by just not touching the stuff at all. I hope that makes sense.
But that’s not really the principle that I would want to focus on in this lesson. With that out of the way, let’s talk about what this miracle is really all about.
SEARCH
The search activity is pretty simple here. I just invite my students to read John chapter 2 verses 1-11 looking for truths that it teaches us. And to help them out a little bit, I ask them to keep the following questions in mind.
What does this story teach us about Mary and Jesus’s relationship?
What truths does the miracle itself teach?
Why did Jesus do this miracle? What was his purpose for doing it?
Also, remind them not to ignore the JST change for verse 4 in the footnotes.
What wilt thou have me to do for thee?
Question #1, What does this story teach us about Mary and Jesus’s relationship?
I believe this story shows that Mary and Jesus must have had an incredibly close and wonderful bond as mother and son. When Jesus begins his ministry it seems highly, highly likely that Joseph has passed away. The last we hear of him is at the temple when Jesus is twelve. And if that’s so, then the relationship that Mary enjoyed with her oldest son would have deepened and increased as they relied more on more on each other’s strength. So when they run out of wine, Mary instinctively turns to her son for help. She doesn’t make a demand; she’s definitely not asking for a miracle. She’s simply presenting the problem and hoping he might be able to help. Running out of wine at an event as important as a marriage would have been embarrassing for the host.
And the way Jesus replies to her is so exemplary. It’s so good. But we’re going to need a little help from the JST to clarify it. Because at first glance, it doesn’t look very good. So let’s be clear, Jesus does not say, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” Ouch, that sounds so harsh and disrespectful to our modern ears. Like he’s saying, “Woman, what do you want me to do about it? You want a miracle or something? My hour hasn’t yet come.” That’s NOT what’s happening here. When Jesus calls her “Woman”, that’s not a disrespectful term in Biblical times. In Jesus’s day, “woman” was a term of endearment, respect, and familiarity—spoken with great love and honor, like we might use the word “dear”, or “sweet”, or even “ma’am”. And according to the JST, what does Jesus actually say to his Mother? Look at footnote 4a:
“Woman, (or my dear, sweet Mother) what wilt thou have me to do for thee? That will I do; for mine hour is not yet come.”
So the sentiment Jesus is really expressing here is, “It’s not time for me quite yet to go out and preach and heal and bless others. Right now, I’m here to help and serve you. What can I do for you? I’d be happy to help.” Jesus is showing sensitivity to his mother’s needs and desires—a willingness to lend a hand and alleviate her worries. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all, regardless of age, respected their parents, their siblings, their spouses in this way? I imagine a lot of the family and marriage problems we see in the world would be greatly diminished. Jesus loved and served his Mother.
And then Mary’s response also shows something about their relationship. She says to the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”. What does that show? Her complete and total trust in his ability to handle this predicament properly. She didn’t feel a need to micromanage, or make demands, or coerce him. She had confidence in him. What a beautiful example of a son honoring his mother and a mother honoring her son.
It’s telling and instructive to me that the first miracle of the Savior was not about healing or the demonstration of his power or defeating evil but was performed in response to the particular needs of a loved one. It was done to help his mother.
TRUTH
If I’m sensitive to the needs of my loved ones and seek to help them and treat them with respect and trust, then our relationship will flourish.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Ponder one of your own family relationships. Perhaps even one that you’re struggling in right now. What’s something you could you do this week to serve them or show them more love and respect?
And I can promise you, that if you do that thing, it will have a positive effect on that relationship, because you’re seeking to follow the Savior’s example.
CONCLUSION
What we see in the Marriage of Cana is an excellent example of a mother-to-son relationship of mutual trust, respect, and love. The kind of relationship we should all seek to have with those around us, especially our family members. We can learn a lot from the first families of dispensations. Adam and Eve, the Smiths, Lehi and Sariah, and here, the Holy Family. They show us what family life can be. If you’re a parent, seek to have that kind of relationship with your children. If you’re children, seek to have that kind of relationship with your parents. If you’re a spouse, seek to have that kind of relationship with your wife or husband. If you’re a sibling, seek to have that kind of relationship with your sisters and brothers. A helpful spirit. A respectful spirit. A “what wilt thou have me to do for thee? That will I do” spirit. I think we’ll find that as we focus our efforts and love outward, that those same virtues will return to us. Our family relationships will become rich and mutually fulfilling.
And that’s the principle I would most want to teach from this story. But there are some other things I feel we could learn here. Just a few additional thoughts to consider:
Just do it
There’s a great one-liner in this story that I think we should point out. Maybe it is taken a little out of context, but it’s true statement, nonetheless. When Jesus offers to help his mother solve this concern of hers, she turns back to the servants and says, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”. Now that’s some good advice for all of us. Listen to Jesus. Whatever he instructs, whatever he asks of us . . .just do it. It’s the Nike principle. And the result of this willingness to follow his instructions? Well, what happens in the story because they listened? AA problem was solved. Joy was increased. Faith was confirmed. A miracle was performed. I believe we’ll experience similar outcomes when we “just do it. “
Power to Change
Now how about our second question: What truths does the miracle itself teach?
Remember that Jesus was always teaching. His actions always carried a deeper symbolic meaning in them. Why water to wine? What does that teach us about Christ’s power?
Christ has the power to change things and change them for the better. When people are willing to put their trust in him and his instructions, good things are always the result. When the wine is delivered to the governor of the feast, he’s surprised. Why? Because the wine Jesus has made is obviously very good wine. Like Wow! This is the good stuff. Why are they bringing this out now. Usually the host will serve the good wine first. It makes a good first impression. It’s what they’ll remember. It’s near the end of the feast you bring out the cheaper stuff, because at that point, the guests are less likely to notice. But this wine that Jesus makes, is really good. What does that teach us? Jesus makes all things better. He has the power to change things, to improve them. In his hands and under his direction, even water can become wine, trials can become blessings, and mere mortals can become Gods. He can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Jesus can change things. Also, Jesus has the power to fill what is lacking in our lives. When we’re running out of faith, determination, strength, perspective, or the power to endure, if we turn to him for help, he can provide us with what is lacking and extra—six waterpots full even! These were BIG waterpots. They could hold two or three firkins apiece, that’s like 30 gallons. That’s a lot of wine! Jesus can provide what we need in abundance. We’ll see that principle come up again with the feeding of the 5,000.
Increasing of Joy
Another thought, wine was used in festivities and social events. It was associated with celebration, festivity and happiness. And isn’t that what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about? Gladness and cheer? In Doctrine and Covenants 128:19 Joseph Smith asked the question, “Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received?” His answer: “A voice of gladness” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:19). It’s telling and instructive to me that the very first miracle Jesus performs was not about healing, or demonstrating power, or defeating evil, but the increasing of joy. Making an already good celebration, that much better. Christ’s gospel can do the same for us. It just makes life better. More joyful.
The faith of his disciples was strengthened in him
Our last question to consider: Why did Jesus do this miracle? What was his purpose for doing it?
The JST makes another significant change to the story, right at the end. Sadly, we don’t find this one in the footnotes. But in John 2:11, we read the phrase, “and his disciples believed on him”. The JST changes that to, “the faith of his disciples was strengthened in him.” What does that teach us about Jesus miracles? It shows us that one of the reasons Jesus performed miracles was to strengthen faith, not to create it. Because miracles don’t have a very good record at creating faith in people. It has to exist already for miracles to really have a profound effect. If miracles created faith, Jesus would have changed the water to wine in front of everyone, right? But he didn’t. Only those servants who were with him at that moment, his disciples, would have known about the miracle. The first miracle was more private than public. God can do these kinds of things in our lives as well. They may not always be huge miraculous displays of divine power and majesty, but more often, they’re personal, intimate, and smaller manifestations of his love and care for us. Often given in response to a particularly felt need that’s important to us. These minor miracles are given for the very purpose of strengthening our faith. Faith that has already been planted and nourished by our own desires and trust in God.
Therefore, Jesus performed miracles to confirm faith, not to create it.
TWO CONVERSATIONS
Moving on now to John chapters 3 and 4. And in these chapters we find an account of two personal conversations between Christ and individuals. So we get to see how Jesus worked one-on-one with people. And these two people couldn’t have been more different, but they both have important truths to teach us.
CONVERSATION AT MIDNIGHT (John 3:1-21)
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker then I like to do a symbolism activity. Two ways of going about this. I’m going to display some random objects on the screen. And honestly, I have no preconceived ideas of what you should do with these. I just randomly selected some different things and want to encourage you to devise a spiritual metaphor or lesson using one of these objects. How could you relate that thing to the gospel, or to Christ? And share. OR, another method would be to gather up a bunch of random objects from around your home, enough to provide everyone in your class with their own unique object and challenge them to do the same kind of thing. Who can come up with a spiritual lesson using their object? It’s the kind of thing we do as gospel teachers all the time. We come up with object lessons, illustrations, metaphors to help teach gospel principles. I’m always on the lookout for how I can incorporate different things into lessons. And I’ve found this activity to be a really fun way to introduce the idea of interpreting figurative or symbolic language.
TRANSITION
And that’s an essential skill to have because there’s something that we absolutely must understand about the way Jesus taught. Jesus LOVED symbolism. He was a poet at heart and was fond of injecting figurative language into his conversations with people without warning. He’d just throw it in, and individuals often initially misunderstood him.
A few examples of this. In Mark 8:15 Jesus tells his disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” And then they start to whisper to each other, “Oh, it’s because we don’t have any bread with us. He’s hungry. Maybe somebody should go buy some. “ And Jesus has to stop them and correct them. “I’m not talking about physical leaven, and bread. I’m trying to teach you a spiritual lesson about the doctrine of the Pharisees”.
In a similar vein, In John chapter 6 Jesus teaches the people that he was the bread of life and that they would need to eat his flesh and drink his blood to be saved. And they object and say, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” They’re taking him literally, but we know that he was speaking of the sacrament.
Later Christianity is going to make this same kind of mistake which will lead to some fairly profound doctrinal misunderstandings that only the Restoration will clear up. Jesus taught, “I am in the Father and the Father in me”. Early Christianity will take that literally and end up with a great misunderstanding about the nature of the Godhead. Jesus teaches, “Take, eat; this is my body. And . . . this is my blood . . . which is shed for many”. Great divisions are going to arise in the Church over whether that’s literal or figurative.
SEARCH
Well, here in John chapters 3 and 4 we have two excellent examples of this issue. Let’s see if you can find them. On the first page of John chapter 3 can you find an example of somebody misunderstanding Jesus by taking him too literally?
And it’s right there at the very beginning. After Nicodemus expresses wonder at the great miracles Jesus has been doing, the Savior wastes no time getting right to the heart of the matter and challenging some of Nicodemus’s misconceptions about God. And he looks at him and says, in verse 3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
And then Nicodemus says something so enormously silly that you almost can’t believe it’s coming out of a grown man’s mouth. And, I suppose it’s possible he’s being facetious, but he says in verse 4, “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” And you can almost see Jesus face palming at that statement and saying, “Oh, Really? Nicodemus. You think that’s what I mean. Of course a man can’t literally be born again. I’m speaking figuratively here.” I think that’s why he later gently rebukes him a bit and asks, “Art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things?” You’re a religious leader, and you struggle to grasp these basic spiritual concepts?
And then, we see another example of this in John chapter 4. On THAT first page, can you find an example of someone misunderstanding Jesus’s symbolic language.
Verse 10. In this chapter, Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for a drink of water from Jacob’s well and she acts surprised that Jesus is talking to her. And so Jesus responds with:
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
And how does she respond?
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
You don’t have even have anything to draw water with. How can you give ME water then? Then, Jesus begins to teach her and eventually corrects her misunderstanding.
So I offer to you and me the same warning. Let’s be very careful about how we interpret and apply scriptural truth. That’s not to say that there aren’t any literals in the gospel. There are plenty. But we should always be on the lookout for symbolic truth in the things we read in scripture.
There was an Anglican Preacher by the name of Frederic Farrar who wrote one of the most important and powerful books on the life of Christ. And he made the following comment about these kinds of mistakes:
“They would never have arisen if it had been sufficiently observed that it was a characteristic of Christ’s teaching to adopt the language of picture and of emotion. But to turn metaphor into fact, poetry into prose, rhetoric into logic, parable into systematic theology, is at once fatal and absurd”
Frederic Farrar (Life of Christ, p. 564)
Hopefully we won’t make the same kind of mistake. So we’re going to practice this skill with three different symbols that Jesus uses in his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 and with one symbol from the conversation between Christ and the woman at the well in John 4. And a comment about this here. The exchanges between Christ and these two individuals are quite complex and chock full of great principles and insight. To truly get to the meat of them, you almost have to go verse by verse. I’m not going to do that here and as a teacher you probably won’t have time to do that either. Instead, we’re just going to give our students a taste of those conversations, and then encourage them to go back and discover more in their own personal study. So the verses I’d like to draw your attention to are:
John 3:3-5
John 3:8
John 3:14-17
John 4:10-15
And for each of these sections I want you to follow these three steps.
Identify the symbol and what it represents.
Ponder attributes of the symbol and how they relate spiritual truth.
Consider how the symbol prompts action. (What is it that you feel the Lord wants us to DO because we understand the symbol).
As a teacher, you may want to do the first symbol together as a class as an example, and then allow your students to try it out on the other three.
Born Again/John 3:3-5
What’s the symbol in these verses? Birth. Jesus tells Nicodemus and all of us that we need to be born again if we ever wish to enter the kingdom of God. And what is it that he’s comparing birth to? It’s conversion. Conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The moment we decide to consider ourselves his disciples and commit ourselves to living according to his teachings. And there’s an ordinance associated with conversion that draws on the rebirth imagery. And that’s baptism. Baptism is symbolic of a rebirth. So why would he use birth as a symbol for that idea?
Well, what do we know about birth? A few thoughts.
Life begins at birth.
You get a new name and a new set of parents when you’re born.
At birth you have water, blood, and spirit.
And then, think of some of the changes that take place at birth. You go from a state of darkness to light.
A state of confinement to freedom.
And what qualities do babies possess. They are completely innocent and pure.
And trust me, your students will probably come up with quite a few more. But now the fun part. How do these things help us to understand the principle of conversion?
Well, our spiritual lives really begin at conversion. It represents the commencement of our spiritual journey on our way to our ultimate desired destination . . .exaltation, to “see the kingdom of God.” We’ll never arrive at that destination if we never begin the journey.
Like a baby, when we’re baptized, we get a new name. We take upon ourselves the name of Christ and become a part of His family. We are now called upon to represent the family. We’re given a new set of parents when we’re converted. Jesus becomes our Father, and he provides, and protects, and presides over us. That’s why the scriptures refer to members of the true church as “the children of Christ”. And then the Church, symbolically becomes our Mother who nourishes and loves us and helps us to grow.
At birth, you have water, spirit, and blood. I’ve been present at the birth of each of my four children and I can attest to that fact. Are the same things present at the ordinance of baptism? Yes. You have the water of the font. The spirit of the Holy Ghost. And the blood of Christ that cleanses and purifies and justifies.
Like a baby, when we’re converted, we go from a state of darkness to light. We go from the darkness of worldliness and sin and falsehood to the light of truth, and spirit, and heavenly guidance.
Also, when we’re converted, like a baby, we go from a state of confinement to freedom. We’re loosed from the chains of sin and addiction and ignorance and given the freedom that comes with truth, and righteousness, and revelation.
And then, like little babies, we come forth out of the water innocent and pure and clean, justified by the blood of Christ.
Can you see how instructive and powerful this kind of exercise can be? Can you see why Jesus chose symbolism to teach people? In just one word or image, he can teach a thousand truths and fill our spirits with countless insights and lessons.
TRUTH
So our truth here and call to action: If I wish to see the kingdom of God, I must be “born again” or truly converted.
Now you try the next three on your own. What do you learn from these other symbols in these chapters? A few thoughts . . .
The Wind/John 3:8
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
What’s the symbol? The wind. And what is he comparing the wind to? The Spirit or people that have been born of the Spirit.
What are some attributes of the wind?
It can come both softly OR powerfully.
You can’t see it, but you can hear it.
You can’t see it, but you can feel it.
Wind can have a profound effect on what it touches.
How is that like the Spirit? The spirit can be both soft or powerful. I’ve had both types of experiences. More often than not my experience with the promptings of the Holy Ghost are still and small, like a refreshing breeze. But then, there have been a few times in my life where I’ve had more of a Day of Pentecost, “rushing mighty wind” kind of experience (Acts 2:2).
Also,
You can’t see the Spirit, but you can hear his voice.
You can’t see the Spirit, but you can feel its effects on your heart and mind.
You can’t see the wind, but it’s certainly there, and it’s real. What a great symbol for the Spirit.
And what does Jesus mean by “so is everyone that is born of the Spirit”. I think he means that you can’t really tell just by looking at a person that they’ve been born of the Spirit. But you discover it, by watching the effect they have on others and the world around them. This would be an important thing for Nicodemus to understand, that one will see a born-again person through their actions and attitudes and not just outward things like circumcision or religious clothing .
TRUTH
Our truth and call to action: If I wish to see the kingdom of God, I must receive, feel, and follow the influence of the Spirit.
The Brass Serpent/John 3:14-16
Another symbol here in chapter 3. And you have to know your Old Testament to get this one. There was a physical object lesson that Moses used to teach the Children of Israel an important spiritual truth. The symbol of the brass serpent. Do you remember this story? The people were being bitten by venomous snakes and many were dying. And so Moses makes an image of a serpent out of brass and lifts it up. And then he makes them a promise that as long as they’re willing to just look at the serpent on the staff, they would be healed. They would be saved from the deadly effects of the venom. And the Book of Mormon adds to our understanding of this story in telling us that there were many people who wouldn’t look to the brass serpent for two specific reasons. You can see this is in Alma 33:19-22. They didn’t believe it could heal them AND they were slothful. Unbelief and laziness. It seemed too easy, too simple. And so they perished.
So what is Jesus comparing the Brass serpent to?
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This is by far the most personal and poignant symbol he’s shared with Nicodemus thus far. He’s saying, “I’m that brass serpent. I’m going to be lifted up myself. I’m going to be killed. But, in that act, I will save mankind from the venom of the adversary. Whosever believeth in me, Nicodemus, will not perish, but have everlasting life. Looking upon me and my sacrifice will save you if you can just overcome disbelief and slothfulness. You can be healed from the bite of the “serpent” and not just live, but live forever.
And maybe a quick clarifying thought on this. Some are confused with this symbol for Christ because the snake usually represents Satan. And I do believe that in this case, the snake does represent Satan. I don’t think the snake itself represents Christ. I mean, even in the story itself, the snakes are the problem. But consider this, in Old Testament times, a symbol of victory over something was to hold it up after you killed it. If you killed a certain animal and wished to show your power or conquest of it, you might hold it up for all to see. Those that taxidermize the heads of animals they’ve hunted understand that idea. They defeated the animal. And, although it’s kind of gruesome to contemplate. Back then, if you defeated an enemy, you might decapitate them and raise their head on a sword or spear for all to see to say, “I’ve conquered them”. That’s what I feel is going on here. The brass serpent was a representation of a snake being conquered, overcome, and killed. So yes, the brass serpent is a symbol for Christ in the sense that He defeated the snake. His atonement and resurrection overcome the venoms of death and sin.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, (to be lifted up for all to see) that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, (from the venoms of death and sin) but have everlasting life.
TRUTH
Therefore, the truth and call to action here. If I wish to see the kingdom of God, I must look to Christ and believe in Him. Then I will be healed of sin and death and receive eternal life.
Living Water/John 4:10-15
One more, what’s the symbol found in these verses? Living water. Jesus compares all that he has to offer us to water. And what does Jesus offer us? Oh, so much. His gospel. His love. His mercy. His atonement. His example. His ordinances and covenants. These things, if accepted, can be like a well of water springing up unto everlasting life inside us. Why is water a good symbol for all of that? We NEED water to live. There’s only so long we can go before we perish without it. I know this firsthand as I’ve done a lot of backpacking in the desert. You have to plan very carefully as to the amount of water you bring and know exactly where and if there will be any available water sources as you go. I remember not planning this very well on a particular hike and ended up getting severely dehydrated. It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced. I felt dizzy, I felt exhausted, I felt nauseous, and I distinctly remember getting to the point where I felt like lying down and going to sleep. But when I finally did get some water. Oh, it felt so good. The best drink of water I’ve ever had. Living without the gospel is much the same. Without the living water of Christ, our spirits, our faith, and our joy cannot live. Life becomes harder and more nauseating, in a sense. The temptation to just give up can become very real. Without Christ’s living water, our souls eventually shrivel up and die. And it’s sad that so many spend the bulk of their lives seeking refreshment from the wells of worldly waters. Money, power, popularity, sex, pleasure, ease and luxury, may provide temporary pleasure and relief, but they’re never satisfied. You have to keep going back and back again to get more and in greater and greater amounts. Their effect is fleeting, and the thirst always returns. I’m convinced that those who only seek gratification in these things will eventually become disillusioned and discouraged. There’s only one kind of water that can satisfy what we REALLY need deep inside us. There’s only one kind of water that leads to everlasting life. The living water of Christ. It provides purpose, direction, fulfilment, comfort, and joy—the things that we all really need and are seeking for most.
TRUTH
The truth and call to action. If I wish to see the kingdom of God, I must drink the living water of Christ’s teachings and atonement. Only they can continually satisfy my deepest spiritual thirsts.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
So now, to liken the scriptures with these symbolic lessons, you can invite your students to choose at least one of the following questions to consider. Perhaps you could have them choose the question that coincides with the symbol that they most connected with.
So for the symbol of birth, I’m going to steal a question from Alma: He asked his people: “Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
For the symbol of wind: When have you heard or felt the influence of the Spirit in your life?
For the symbol of the brass serpent: Have you ever experienced a time when you felt looking to Christ helped to heal you? What happened?
And for the symbol of living water: What are you thirsting for most in life right now? Is it . . .
Forgiveness
Closeness with god
Acceptance
Meaning and purpose
Love
Happiness
Unity and Friendship
Knowledge
Have you ever seen the living water of Christ provide you with one of those things or other blessings? How?
CONCLUSION
Don’t you just love symbolism. Ah! It’s so powerful. Let’s not forget that Christ’s overall desire for Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman was to lead them to see the kingdom of God. That was the purpose of each of the symbols. To help them arrive at that point. Why? Because he loved them. In Nicodemus’s case, he loved him enough to challenge him and his preconceived notions about his own righteousness, the nature of the spirit, and the true mission of the Messiah. With the woman of Samaria, he loved her enough to offer her what she needed most, the living water of his gospel. And that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it? Love. That’s why Jesus was sent in the first place. For God SO loved the world, he sent his Only Begotten Son. I’m glad that little word is in there. The Father doesn’t just love the world, he SO loves the world. And we can have eternal life by just looking to his Son and drinking the living water he has to offer us. I testify that God loves you. That Jesus loves you. And that they have all we ever need if we’ll just accept it from them. That we’ll all realize this and turn to the true source of all healing and happiness and purpose is my prayer and may the SYMBOLS of Jesus Christ’s gospel continually bless and instruct you.
NOTE
Now, I would like to spend a little more time with you in John chapter 4, with the woman of Samaria, I feel her story has some truths that can further enlighten us.
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL (John 4:1-42)
ICEBREAKER
And for an icebreaker, I like to have my students do the following handout activity. I invite them to compare and contrast the two individuals that we just met in John chapters 3 and 4. Nicodemus and the Woman of Samaria. The juxtaposition of these two characters is not coincidental in my mind. I believe there’s an important message that John wants us all to get by placing these two particular stories side by side. So, by using the information you find in the provided verses, fill in as many of the details about them as you can. Some are stated and some are implied, so I’ve also provided you with a word bank to help with the activity.
So person #1 in John 3:1 and 10 is of course:
Nicodemus
He’s male
He’s Jewish
His social status would “Respected Leader” right, because it says he is a ruler of the Jews and in verse 10 that he is a master of Israel.
His financial status would be “Rich” for the same reason. Nicodemus was learned, respected, and was one of the elite of the Jewish community.
His outward spiritual status would be “righteous”. And I put that in quotes because there are different ways, we might define that term. He’s a Pharisee and the Pharisees were considered by themselves and others, to be among the most righteous of people because of their strict adherence to both the written and oral laws of Judaism.
So that’s our first person. How about Person #2 now?
Name: She remains unnamed in our story. Perhaps reflecting on the fact that people like her are often forgotten or remain nameless to us. The unnamed masses of humanity.
Her gender? Female, obviously
Her religion would be: Samaritan. The Samaritans were like a break off group from Judaism. Their origin goes back to Old Testament times when the Assyrians conquered and scattered the Northern Kingdom. And the Assyrians didn’t carry everybody off, but they did leave some groups of Jews behind in the area but also brought in other people from the surrounding countries and nations to the region. And over the centuries, with intermarriage and a mixing of cultures and religions, a new form of Judaism was created. So the Samaritans believe in many of the same things as the Jews, the Torah for example, but also had some Pagan influence mixed in with it. And plus, the Jews considered the Samaritans to be half-breeds almost. They didn’t have PURE Jewish blood. And thus the two groups hated each other.
Her financial status would be poor. We know that because she’s out drawing water for herself. If she were rich, servants would have been drawing water for her.
Her social status would be: Outcast. The reason we might assume this is because of the time of day she’s going out to draw water. Verse 6 tells us that it’s the 6th hour of the day. That’s a significant detail. That would be noon in our time. Normally, women would not go draw water in the middle of the heat of the day, but early in the morning, or later in the evening. The wells of a city were typically gathering places where women would socialize with one another. She comes in the middle of the day, alone. That’s probably why Jesus was able to have this one-on-one conversation with her. And based on verse 18, we learn something about her past that probably would have had an impact on her reputation, especially amongst the women of the city.
And that leads us to her outward spiritual status. That would be sinner/adulterer. Jesus reveals that she has had five husbands in her past, and that she’s not married to who she’s currently with. There’s a lot of implications in that revelation and some troubling assumptions we could make. But she’s had a troubled past to say the least.
Highs and Lows
Now what’s the message in this contrast? What do YOU think John was trying to show us by placing these two stories next to each other? Nicodemus is representative of the highest of the high in Jewish society. He’s rich, male, respected, and a ruler amongst his peers. The Samaritan woman on the other hand is representative of the lowest of the low in that society, in their eyes of course. She’s not just a woman, but a poor woman, and not just a poor woman, but a poor Samaritan woman, and a sinful poor Samaritan woman. An adulteress. You couldn’t get two more different kinds of people. The highest of the high, and the lowest of the low. And yet, what do they both have in common? Jesus teaches both of them. He challenges both of them and invites both of them to look to him and believe.
What’s the message in that? The gospel of Jesus Christ is for EVERYONE! God and Jesus love and invite all to come unto them. Remember John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The scriptures often deal in extremes. And they do that for a specific reason. If both ends of the extreme are covered, what does that mean for everything in between? That’s right. NO ONE is excluded. Because if Jesus loves and invites the highest of the high and the lowest of the low, then everybody else is included. And that would have been an important message to the people of Christ’s day where religion and nationality was fairly exclusive. This is evident in the Samaritan woman’s response to Jesus’s request for a drink of water. In verse 9 she says, “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans”. Case in point, Jewish people would often take a longer, more arduous route between Galilee and Jerusalem just to avoid setting foot on “tainted” Samaritan soil. But not Jesus. I like how verse 4 puts it, “He must needs go through Samaria”. He just had to do it. Jesus avoids no one. Jesus doesn’t try to go around anyone. The very juxtaposition of these stories conveys to us the message that neither birth nor gender nor position nor social status establishes us as citizens in the kingdom of God but rather humility, faith, and a willingness to declare and testify. The highest of the high may never enter; the lowest of the low need not fear exclusion. Nothing will keep us from the desired blessings of discipleship if we accept Jesus with faith and a willingness to change. With all of those things going against her, Jesus still offers her the living water of His light and His love. No matter who we are, no matter what rejecting sorrows or compromising sins we’ve experienced in the past, the Son of God grants us access to the depths of His well. We need only ask for them.
With that in mind, I might consider at this point showing my class a video of this story. There is a new one the Church recently produced with their Bible Videos project, and it’s beautiful and very well done. There’s only one problem I have with it. It ends too quickly. If they’d only continued a little longer with the story, then I’d recommend it. Instead I recommend this older video (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-06-1710-the-woman-at-the-well?lang=eng) OR (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWFdE_WO7mI) that includes more of the story and a postscript that tells us what she does next which I think is important. As your class watches. Invite them to look for the following things.
What helped the woman to come to know that the man she was speaking to was Christ?
How is the Samaritan woman a good example to us?
A few brief thoughts on these questions. What helped her to come to know that she was speaking to Christ?
One, as we’ve discussed already, the way he treats her. He doesn’t judge or ignore her but through his words and actions shows that he accepts her and sincerely desired to bless her. That must have been a refreshing experience for her. Although she does seem to put up a bit of resistance throughout the conversation, as people often do when it comes to the gospel message. Jesus asks her for a drink, she comments on how Jews and Samaritans don’t typically talk to each other. Jesus offers her living water, and she questions his meaning and his ability to do so. He tells her personal things about her past, and she quickly changes the subject back to religious differences between Samaritans and Jews. Finally, Jesus reveals to her that it doesn’t matter where you worship as long as you worship in spirit. All of Jesus’s efforts to push past the barriers finally shine through and she shares her faith in a future Messiah who will come and reveal all things. He found the loose brick so to speak. Jesus was persistent in his efforts to give her the living water of his gospel. And oh, don’t you just love that moment? Can you picture it? Jesus looks her in the eyes and says, “I that speak unto thee am he”. That Messiah you’re talking about, you’re looking at him. Ooooh. Goosebumps. Can you imagine that moment? Perhaps we’ll all have a similar experience some day in the future. And Christ will look at us and say, “You are speaking to the Savior of all mankind. I am he.” Here, you get to watch this wonderful progression of how she first sees him as only a Jew, then a prophet, and finally, the Christ. Hopefully, our understanding and testimony of who Jesus is and what he means to us will also grow and deepen over time.
And how is she a good example to us? I love what she does next. Verses 28-30.
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
She leaves her waterpot behind and runs into town to spread the word. I think that’s a significant detail. She decides to leave behind worldly water, to share the living water of Christ of others—to fill their spiritual vessels. Her thirst has been quenched, and she can’t help but go to share it with others. Even with those that had probably not treated her too warmly in the past. And as the crowds of Samaritans are coming out to see him, I picture the Savior pointing to the approaching multitude as he gives his disciples and all of us the great promise of sharing his living water. What is it in verses :35-36?
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
Did you see the promise? The wages of taking part in the harvest? They are . . . the fruits of life eternal, and rejoicing. Ah, sounds like a payroll I’d like to be on. A harvest I’d like to reap in. And I have. And I can testify that that promise is true. There is great rejoicing in inviting and sharing.
TRUTH
The gospel is for all. It doesn’t matter who we are, just how we respond to the living water.
If I seek to share the living water of Christ with all, both they and I will rejoice.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
How can I follow Christ’s example in this? A suggestion. Jesus overcame social and cultural and even spiritual differences to reach this woman. How can you overcome those same barriers with the people around you? What Samaria’s do you need to travel through?
Have you ever received the wages of working in those kinds of fields? When have you rejoiced in the harvest? What happened?
CONCLUSION
I hope that we can learn from both Jesus and the Samaritan woman in this chapter. This story is a magnificent example of the power of the gospel to change people. May we always seek to share the living water of Christ with all we see.
