Living water: The Woman at the Well
After Jesus was baptised, he went around from village to village teaching about God’s kingdom and many people started to follow him. At one point, they had to go through the region known as Samaria. They got to a place where there was a well. Jesus was tired so he sat down by the well and he sent his followers to the village to get food. About noon that day, a Samaritan woman came to the well and Jesus asked her for a drink. The woman was surprised because there was a lot of racial tension between the Jews and the Samaritans. They avoided each other at all costs and the woman said to Jesus, “Why are you a Jewish man asking me a Samaritan woman for a drink of water.” Jesus said, “If you knew who was speaking to you, then you would ask me for a drink and I would give you living water.” The woman said, “Where are you going to get this living water? You don’t even have a bucket.” Jesus said, “Anyone who drinks the water from this well will be thirsty again. Anyone who drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty again and they will live forever with God.” The woman said, “Give me some of this water.” Jesus said, “Go back into the village and bring your husband.” The woman said, “I don’t have a husband.” Jesus, said, “You are right. In fact, you have had five husbands and you are not even married to the man you are living with now.” The woman said, “Sir, I see that you must be a prophet. So why is it that you Jews say that we have to worship in Jerusalem but we have always worshipped over here where our ancestors did?” Jesus said, “That doesn’t matter anymore. What is really important is that God is looking for people who will worship him as the true God with their whole hearts.” The woman said, “I know that when the promised saviour comes, he is going to explain all of this to us.” Jesus said, “That’s me.” The woman left the bucket right where it was and ran into the town. She said, “Come, see a man who has told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the promised saviour?” The people came to see Jesus and they asked him to stay with them and Jesus stayed there for two days. Many of the people believed. They said to the woman, “We believe now not just because of what you have said but because we heard it for ourselves and we know that this man is the promised saviour for the whole world.”
Authority: Lowered through the Roof
Jesus was going from village to village teaching the word of God and healing people. One day, he was in a house teaching and there were a lot of people, so many people that there was standing room only. Some people brought a paralyzed man on a stretcher to be healed by Jesus. Since there was no room to get in, they got on the roof, tore it up, dug a hole in it, and lowered the paralyzed man in his stretcher right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he looked at the paralyzed man and said, “Your sins are forgiven.” Now there were religious leaders in the crowd. When they heard that Jesus say this, they were thinking to themselves, “Who is this man? Why is he speaking like this? Only God can forgive sins.” Jesus knew what they were thinking so he turned to them and asked, “Which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven or get up and walk? I have the authority to forgive sins and I will show you.” He turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Get up and go home.” Immediately the man got up, picked up his stretcher and walked out praising God. The people were amazed and said, “We have never seen anything like this before.”
Forgiven: Jesus and a Sinful Woman
One day, a religious leader named Simon invited Jesus to have dinner with him in his home. In the town where Simon lived, there was a woman who was known to be immoral. When she heard that Jesus was having dinner at Simon’s home, she showed up carrying a bottle of expensive perfume. She entered the home and when she saw Jesus, she walked over to him. She began to cry and her tears fell on Jesus’ feet. She wiped them with her hair and then she pour the perfume all over his feet. Simon was thinking if Jesus was really a prophet, he would know that this woman is a sinner. Jesus knew what Simon was thinking and he said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you. There was a man who loaned money to two other men. To the first he loaned what was equivalent of two month’s salary and to the other ten times that amount. Neither of these men was able to pay him back so he forgave the debt of both of them. Simon, which man will love him more?” Simon said, “I suppose the one who owed him more.” Jesus said, “That is right. You see this woman? When I came into your house, you didn’t even give me water to wash the dust off my feet but she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me as you should by giving me oil for my head but this woman has pour expensive perfume all over my feet. Her great love shows that she has been forgiven much. Someone who has been forgiven a little loves only a little. Then he looked at the woman and said, “Your sins are forgiven.” The people in the house said, “Who is this man who even forgives sin?” Jesus spoke to the woman again and said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
The Weeds: Harvesting of Souls
Jesus was travelling teaching people about God’s kingdom and large crowds came to hear him. One day he told them this story. He said, “The kingdom of God is when a man goes out and scatters seeds on the ground. The farmer doesn’t know how it happens but gradually the seeds sprouts and grows and grows and when it is ripe, he harvests it. Later Jesus told another story to the crowd. He said, “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who went out to plant wheat in his field but that night an enemy planted weed in the same field. When the crop sprouted, the farm hands came to the farmer and said, “There are weeds growing in your field. The farmer said, “An enemy did this.” The farm hands said, “Do you want us to pull up the weeds?” The farmer said, “No, if you pull up the weeds, you may accidentally pull up the wheat too. Let them grow together and when harvest time comes, I will tell the people harvesting to separate out the wheat and put them in my barn and the weeds to burn them in a fire.” Then Jesus left the crowds. He had already chosen twelve men to be his closest followers called his disciples. They went up to him and asked, “Jesus, what does that story mean?” Jesus said, “Pay close attention to what I am about to tell you. I am the farmer and the field is the world. The wheat represents those who hear God’s words and do what it says. The weeds represent those who disobey God and don’t do what he says. The enemy is Satan and the people doing the harvesting represent my angels. At the end of time, I will send my angels and will separate out those who disobey God and don’t do what he says and all things that cause people to sin and they will throw them out in the fire that never goes out. The people who hear God’s word and do what it says will thrive in God’s kingdom.
Astonishment: Jesus Calms the Storm
One day Jesus was teaching a crowd about God’s kingdom and his disciples were with him. When evening came, Jesus decided to head to the other side of the lake. He and his disciples got into a boat and decided to cross. Jesus fell asleep in the back of the boat. A little while later, while they were crossing, a storm developed and the wind and the waves started bashing the boat flooding it. So the disciples woke Jesus up and asked him, “Don’t you care if we die? So Jesus stood up and told the storm, “Stop” and it did. The wind stopped and the water was completely calm. Then he turned to his disciples and asked, “Why were you afraid? Where is your faith?” The disciples were filled with both fear and amazement. They asked each other, “Who is this guy? Even the wind and the waves obey him.”
Freed: Demons Cast Out
After Jesus had calm the storm from the lake, he and his disciples arrived at the shore of another country. In that country there is a man who was controlled by demons. He lived in the tombs and he was naked. He was very strong. In fact the people tried to tie him up with chains but he broke free every time. He would wander the countryside yelling and screaming and he would cut himself with rocks. When he saw Jesus, he ran to him and fell to his feet. Jesus told the demons to come out of the man. The man cried, “Jesus, son of the most-high God. Do not torment me.” Jesus asked, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion, because there are many of us. Please don’t send us far away. Send us into those pigs.” Jesus gave them permission and they left the man and went into the pigs. The pigs ran down the hillside and about two Thousand of them drowned. When the herders saw what had happened, they ran into town and told everybody. The town’s people came out and when they got there, they saw the man who had been filled with demons sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind. They were very afraid. They told Jesus, “Please leave us. Go away. Jesus and his disciples were getting back into the boat and the man came up to him and said, “Please let me go with you.” Jesus said, “No, I want you to go home and tell your family about all the wonderful things God has done for you and the mercies he has shown you. The man did. He went home and told his family, his friend, and everyone he could in the surrounding ten cities all the wonderful things that Jesus had done for him. They were amazed.
Life: Jairus’ Daughter and the Bleeding Woman
When Jesus and his disciples returned to the other side of the lake, there was a large crowd waiting for them. In that crowd was a religious leader named Jairus who had a twelve year old daughter. When Jairus saw Jesus, he came up to him and said, “Jesus, my only daughter is sick and dying. Please come and heal her. Jesus agreed so they all started walking to Jairus’ house with the crowd. In the crowd was a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding disorder for twelve years. She had gone to several doctors and spent all of her money for her treatment but her condition only worsened. She thought to herself, “If only I touched the edge of Jesus’ clothes, I will be healed.” She made her way through the crowd and reached out to touch the edge of Jesus’ clothes. Immediately she was healed. Jesus knew that power had gone out from him. So he turned around and started asking, “Who touched me?” His disciples said to him, “Jesus, there is a large crowd pressing in on us and you are asking who touched you?” Jesus got near to look. When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she came and fell in front of him and told him everything. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” At the same time, someone from Jairus’ house came and said to Jairus, “Don’t bother Jesus anymore. Your daughter has died. Jesus looked at Jairus and said, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” They left the crowd there and Jesus and his disciples along with Jairus went to his house. When they got to the house, they saw a huge crowd had gathered and they were crying and mourning the girl’s death. Jesus took Jairus, his wife, and three of his closest disciples to the room where the body was laid. He took the girl’s hand and said to her, “Little girl, get up.” Immediately she got up and the people in the room were amazed.
Come: Jesus Walks on Water
Jesus was doing many miracles and teaching large crowds of people. One day after he finished teaching a crowd, he said to his disciples, “Go into the boat and go across the lake while I send the crowds away.” So his disciples got into the boat and he started across. Jesus sent the crowds home and he went to the hills to pray. He was praying all night. Meanwhile his disciples were not making much progress across the lake because the waves were strong and the wind was against them. At about three in the morning, Jesus went to his disciples walking on the surface of the water. When they saw him, they were afraid and shouted, “It is a ghost!” Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid. It is just me.” Peter who was one of Jesus’ disciples said, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come on.” Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. When he saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and started to sink. “Save me!” He shouted. Immediately, Jesus caught him by the hand and pulled him up. He said to Peter, “Why do you have such little faith? Why did you doubt?” When Jesus and Peter got back into the boat, the wind died down and everything was calm. The disciples bowed down and worshipped Jesus as the son of God and said, “You really are the son of God.”
The One: Who Do People Say That I Am?
Jesus and his disciples continued to travel from village to village and Jesus was teaching the people. One day, he asked his disciple, “Who do the people say that I am?” They replied, “Most of them thinks you are one of the prophets.” Jesus asked them, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter exclaimed, “You are the promised Saviour, the son of God.” Jesus told him, “Peter, you are blessed that God has revealed this to you but don’t tell anyone right now. Jesus began to explain to them God’s plan for him was to go into Jerusalem. “The religious leaders will reject me and they will cause me to suffer and even to die. But three days later, I will come back to life.” Peter pulled Jesus aside and said, “There is no way this is going to happen.” Jesus told Peter, “Get away from me. You are talking like Satan. You do not have God’s viewpoint.” Jesus began to teach the rest of the people, “If anyone wants to follow me, he will actually have to do it. He will have to turn away from his own interests. He will even have to be willing to suffer. Whoever wants to protect his own life is going to end up dying. But whoever dies because he is following me is going to live with God forever. What good will it do someone if he gets everything he wants in the world but to lose his soul? If someone rejects me because he is afraid of what people will say, I will reject him when I return to rule my father’s kingdom.”
