Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Recap from last week.

Christ extends a universal invitation to come to him and drink.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” ().

1.

If you’re thirsty (if you realize your need and are not attempting to satisfy your need in some other non-eternally satisfying manner)

2. Come to me (acknowledge you are unable to satisfy your own need and come to the only one who can eternally satisfy your need – but coming isn’t enough)

3. Drink (appropriate the gift that Christ offers, unlike the rich man who came but went away sad because he couldn’t give up all and follow Christ)

Interpretive challenges in 7:38.

Let’s pause for a moment to acknowledge a few challenges that present themselves in verse 38.

The church has long held various opinions as to the interpretation of this verse.

Primarily the varying positions have fallen on two sides, the Western and the Eastern church.

The early church Fathers and the manuscripts from their geographic areas reflect their conclusions in this debate.

Before summarizing the three primary points of the debate, let me first acknowledge that regardless the position you take, there appears to be little change in meaning and even less change in application.

You may then wonder why any time should be taken at all.

Here’s why.

I expect that you, as a believer, are not only reading the text of Scripture but that you are studying Scripture in some kind of depth.

With that said, any depth of study of , beyond a simple reading of the text in one version, will present the reader with these conflicts.

Nearly every commentary you could read will discuss this challenge.

The challenge consists of three areas, (1) punctuation, (2) antecedent of “his heart” and (3) the source of the scriptural quotation.

The first two challenges are closely tied together.

The punctuation in the verse will affect one’s conclusion as to the antecedent of “his heart.”

Most translations punctuate the verse according to what many would refer to as the traditional view (A below), but more and more commentators and modern translators are translating similarly to ‘B’ below.[1]

A If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.

He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said,

"streams of living water shall flow from within him [the believer]."

B If any one thirst, let him come to me;

and let him drink who believes in me.

As the Scripture has said, "streams of living water shall flow from within him [Christ][2]

Regardless of one’s conclusions, both views agree to the following important realities.

Christ is the source of living water.

Even if one concludes that the living waters are flowing out of the believer’s innermost beings, this reality is only true because the Holy Spirit indwells that believer and is the ultimate source of the life-giving streams.[3]

The believer simply becomes an “intermediate source through whom the living waters he receives from God's Son will flow.”[4]

Both views accept that the believer is not the source of life for other men.

They may be a channel used by the Spirit, but they are not the source.

The life-giving river is sourced by the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer.

Results of Accepting Christ’s Invitation (7:38-39)

Purpose Statement.

All who believe in Christ are dramatically transformed by the Spirit.

The Spirit had not yet been given.

John offers us an inspired footnote in 7:39, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

The Spirit’s role in the OT.

We are not going to do an in-depth study of the role of the Spirit prior to the life of the church, but this verse does imply that the work of the Spirit was different prior to Christ glorification than after His glorification.

(1) Both Genesis and Job reference the active work of the Spirit in creation (, ).

(2) Samuel, affirmed by Peter, speaks of the Spirit’s work in the revelation and inspiration of the Old Testament scriptures (; ).

(3) As well, the Spirit was active on certain people at certain times for specific purposes.

The Spirit empowered Samson but left him.

The Spirit came on Saul but later left him.

Joseph, Joshua and Daniel are all said to have had the Spirit upon them.

(4) More definitively, scripture authors would argue that no one has ever been saved or sanctified or empowered for service or guided in wisdom and prayer without the active work of the Spirit in their lives.

Yet, this passage in , and many others, would indicate that the role of the Spirit in the life of a believer is unique following the ascension of Christ to heaven and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost.[5]

Characteristics of this unique role.

1. Conversion.

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment . . .

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” ().

2. Enlightenment of the word.

Enlightenment of the Word is something that is accomplished by the Spirit throughout the entirety of the life of a believer.

The Spirit’s first and most prominent enlightenment comes when He reveals the truth of the gospel to an unbeliever (; , ).[6]

3. Regeneration.

God regenerates () according to His will () through the Holy Spirit () when a person believes () the Gospel as revealed in the Word ().

4. Baptism into the Body of Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

().

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

().

5. Indwelling.

(1) He indwells all believers (; ; and ).[7] (2) He indwells only believers (; ; and ).[8] (3) He permanently indwells ().[9]

6. Sealing and preserving.

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” ().

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” ().

7. Sanctification.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” ().

Cross reference .

8. Empowerment to do the work of service.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” ().

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” ().

Cross reference ; ; ; and .[10]

9. Intercession.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” ().

Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

As a result of this dramatic and beautiful work in the life of a believer, the Spirit’s transformative work in a believer’s life will have external and beneficial results, visible and experienced by those around them.

As the scripture has said.

John seems to quote from the Old Testament as he writes, “the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” ().

But, none of you likely know of an Old Testament passage that offers that direct quote.

Where exactly is John pulling this from?

Even Chyrsostom, an early church father of the fourth century, concludes that this exact statement is nowhere in scripture but then reasons that scripture in general talks about grace and salvation and eternal life and living water.[11]

It then appears that this statement is in no particular place in the Old Testament scriptures, but it is affirmed throughout in substance and in spirit.

Barnes.

Jesus probably intended to say, not that there was any particular place in the Old Testament that affirmed this in so many words, but that this was the substance of what the Scriptures taught, or this was the spirit of their declarations.[12]

Where then might the substance or spirit of this quote derive in the Old Testament?

And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

().

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east . . .

The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out . . . to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

Going on eastward . . . it was ankle-deep.

Again he measured . . .

and it was knee-deep.

Again he measured a thousand . . .