Will You Come to Jesus?

John 7:32–39

Summary: In John 7:32–39, Jesus proclaims that those who come to Him will never thirst again and promises to satisfy their deepest longings with rivers of living water.

Application: This passage challenges Christians to examine where they seek satisfaction and fulfillment in life and to turn to Jesus as the ultimate source of true and lasting contentment. It encourages believers to find their spiritual nourishment solely in Him and to share His life-giving message with others.

Teaching: The transformative power of finding satisfaction in Jesus, illustrating how He alone can quench our spiritual thirst and provide abundant life. It emphasizes the importance of living in reliance on Christ for true fulfillment and sharing His message of hope with a world in need.

How this passage could point to Christ: Just as Jesus offers living water to those who come to Him in John 7, He fulfills the Old Testament promises of God being the source of life and satisfaction. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Scriptures, offering eternal satisfaction to those who turn to Him.

Big Idea: By finding true satisfaction in Jesus and relying on Him for spiritual nourishment, Christians can experience a transformed life of contentment and abundance, overflowing with His life-giving message to impact the world around them.

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Good morning,

To say today is a hard day is an understatement, at 2pm today we will celebrate the life of Bill Granger. I know if he were here he would ask the question that outlines our message for today. Will you come to Jesus? And if you have, where do you seek your satisfaction and fulfillment today?

John 7:32–39 NIV

The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

1. Step Boldly: Seek Satisfaction

John 7:32–34 NIV

The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

We are to focus on Jesus' bold proclamation amidst opposition, this emphases that true satisfaction begins with a courageous step towards Him, aligning with the theme of finding contentment solely in Jesus.

Through the first 2 parts of this confrontation we have seen the crowd, the people of Jerusalem, and now the Religious leaders, the Pharisees come into the picture. They hear the whisperings of people beginning to believe, as well as those questioning them. They were known to break Roman peace, especially when it came to messianic uprisings.

As the guards approach, Jesus did not stop teaching. And we see the focus of the teaching shift from the question of “where he came from” to his departure.

Jesus is telling them his time is short, he is standing in a mixed crowd and with gaurds coming towards him he stands firm.

Imagine the scene, how powerful it would be for those who believe, and how powerful it should be for us.

As the guards step towards him, He steps out even more. Are we willing to do the same?

Picture a bird leaving its nest for the first time. It looks down, hesitates, but then spreads its wings. That's the moment of stepping out! In our lives, we often stay perched in the safety of our comfort zones, but God's calling us to soar. Are we willing to jump out of our nests and embrace the sky He created for us?

2. Sip Freely: Spiritual Nourishment

John 7:35–37 NIV

The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

Here we explore Jesus' invitation to come and drink, seeing the universal offer of spiritual nourishment to all who feel their spiritual thirst, to illustrate the inclusiveness of Jesus' call and His role as the source of eternal satisfaction.

This of course led to more questions. Jesus has a way of making us dive deeper, and want to know more. At this time we see the teaching end. Jesus just sort of lets this linger.

We jump ahead a few days and on the last day, which is the day of the Water Ceremony.

A ritual of bringing water from the pool of Siloam and pouring it at the base of the altar was part of the daily festival celebration. This ritual memorialized the miracle of water from the rock in the wilderness (Num 20:2–13) and became symbolic of hope for messianic deliverance (Isa 12:3). The Festival of Tabernacles was associated with God providing rain (Zech 14:16–18), and Zech 14 was to be read on the first day of the feast (according to the rabbinic text Babylonian Talmud Megillah 31a). The seventh day of the festival, the last official day (Lev 23:34, 41–42), had a special water-pouring ritual and lights ceremony (according to the rabbinic text Mishnah Sukkah 4.9–10; 5.2–4). The festival came to be a celebration of God’s future restoration of Israel and the extension of salvation to the nations. Jesus’ invitation draws on those expectations of future ideal reality under the rule of the Messiah.

John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 7:37.

Jesus let’s them know, He is the living water. We have seen Jesus use this name already, with the Woman at the Well.

He provides the spiritual nourishment we need.

Where are you seeking fulfillment today?

Sports

Money

Work

The World?

Are you thirsty?

Water is provided, just like the bird in the nest, while it’s time to step out, everything we need has been provided.

3. Share Generously: Overflowing Life

John 7:38–39 NIV

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Here we see the promise of living water flowing from believers, showing us how an intimate relationship with Jesus results in an overflow of life-giving spirit, impacting others and fulfilling the deepest longings.

Jesus makes a profound point here

While he is the living Water, those who beleive in Him will have streams os living water flowing within them.

What does this mean?

It is an allusion to the Spirit

The Holy Spirit within each of us

Through Him, the Lord works

Through him more are filled

Having a true relationship with Christ results in an overflow of the Spirit.

Conclusion

How is the rivier within you? IS it springing forth, or is something holding it back. Is there an issue you need to deal with in order to truly allow the living water of Christ to nourish you this morning?

Everything discussed by Christ in this moment has to do with the Spirit.

Through the Spirit we are given the courage to step out, like the little bird

Through the Spirit we filled and have the ability to drink from the cup of the Lord

Through the Spirit we share Christ with others

Where is your overflow going? Do you have any? Or is your well run dry?

Jesus promises those who come to Him will never thrist, the living water runs freely.

If yours has stopped, then it is us who has put up that barricade and stopped the flow.

The transformative power of finding satisfaction in Jesus, illustrates how He alone can quench our spiritual thirst and provide abundant life. It emphasizes the importance of living in reliance on Christ for true fulfillment and sharing His message of hope with a world in need.

Open your heart, Come to the Lord and let the living water flow.

Consider a glass of water. If we only fill it halfway, it will still quench thirst, but it isn’t fully utilized. Our lives can be like that glass; they need to be filled and overflowed with the living water of Jesus. When we allow His presence to fill us completely, we begin to share that life and refresh those around us, demonstrating His love in action. It’s a call not to just receive but to let the flow continue.