The Ministry And Miracles Of Jesus Series

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.”