Gospel of John 7:37-39
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Introduction
Introduction
When Jesus was at the Feast of Tabernacles He stood and cried out to anyone who was spiritually "thirsty" to come to Him. He would then provide an over abundance of spiritual "water," by the Holy Spirit abiding deep within the believer's innermost self.
Is there a deep longing that you have? In this time of the Cornoavirus it would be surprising if you had no great desire for things to be different than they are right now.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 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.
Verse 37
Verse 37
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
The image of rivers of living water coming out of a person's heart are not very pretty, but somehow the image works very powerfully to tell us that Jesus can grant us an overwhelming source of life-giving power. Think of the expression: "Like getting a drink from a fire hose." That’s pretty much the idea.
The image of rivers of living water coming out of a person's heart are not very pretty, but somehow the image works very powerfully to tell us that Jesus can grant us an overwhelming source of life-giving power. Think of the expression: "Like getting a drink from a fire hose." That’s pretty much the idea.
There are only three persons mentioned here: Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and you.
Jesus stood up and spoke
Jesus stood up and spoke
Jesus' rising to his feet indicates he had something important to say (vs. 37). Rabbis usually sat when they taught.
“If anyone is thirsty”
“If anyone is thirsty”
For the previous seven days that priests got water at the Pool of Siloam and poured its water at the base of the altar.
Water is symbolic of the Law in the Old Testament which should be in the believer's heart (), which a person internalizes and shares with others ().
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
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What is your thirst? Your great desire?
Have you brought it to God in prayer?
Have you asked Jesus to help you?
Here’s an outline of some of the terms used here, and what they mean:
Here’s an outline of some of the terms used here, and what they mean:
Belly - Inner being
Glorified - Jesus is not yet glorified, or enthroned in heaven.
Thirst - a desire for spiritual fulfillment.
Come to Jesus - trust in Him.
What is your greatest thirst? Your great desire?
What is your greatest thirst? Your great desire?
Have you brought it to God in prayer?
Have you asked Jesus to help you?
Verse 38
Verse 38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
This is quite a powerful image.
Similar to getting a drink of water from a fire hose.
There will be enough, don’t worry.
For at least the first seven days of the feast, priests marched in procession from the Pool of Siloam to the temple and poured out water at the base of the altar. Pilgrims to the feast watched this ritual, which Jews throughout the Roman world thus knew; it was even commemorated on souvenir jars they could take home with them.
The Holy Spirit is received from Christ and then handed on to other believers.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
The Holy Spirit is received from Christ and then handed on to other believers.
Public reading of and was part of the ritual. These passages taught that water would flow from the Temple, bringing life to all the earth.
English Standard Version Chapter 14
8 [TM ‹❐ On that day ❐› TM] living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
Public reading of and was part of the ritual. These passages taught that water would flow from the Temple, bringing life to all the earth.
And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.
This is a powerful image that most modern readers will miss. The Garden of Eden was evidently a place that had rivers flowing out of it as well.
A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.
Genesis 20:10
So, Jerusalem will become something like a new Garden of Eden, at the center of the world. It will be source of life and everything that gives life.
Although the Jewish scholars of the time saw water as a symbol of the law, John follows the texts of the Old Testament and sees it as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (; ; ).
To summarize: Water represented the law, according to the traditions of the Jews living at Jesus time. Also, during this festival, water was collected at the pool of Siloam, and poured out at the base of the altar in the Temple. In addition, passages from and told about how Jerusalem would one day become the source of a great river that would bring life-giving water to the world. Then, Jesus, at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles said that those who were thirsty could receive water from Him. This water would become like a huge river.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
eze 36:24-27
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
(; ; ).
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Although the Jewish scholars of the time saw water as a symbol of the law, John follows the texts of the Old Testament and sees it as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (; ; ).
To summarize: Water represented the law, according to the traditions of the Jews living at Jesus time. Also, during this festival, water was collected at the pool of Siloam, and poured out at the base of the altar in the Temple. In addition, passages from and told about how Jerusalem would one day become the source of a great river that would bring life-giving water to the world. Then, Jesus, at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles said that those who were thirsty could receive water from Him. This water would become like a huge river.
Joel 23:28
Verse 39
Verse 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.
Most of Judaism did not believe that the Spirit was prophetically active in their own time but expected the full outpouring of the Spirit in the messianic age or the world to come. ...
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Although the Jewish scholars of the time saw water as a symbol of the law, John follows the texts of the Old Testament and sees it as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
To summarize: The Jewish people were looking for the Holy Spirit to be poured out at the time of the Messiah. Jesus is saying that is exactly what He is going to do. But, at the time Jesus says this, it hasn’t quite happened. But, now, in our time, it has happened.
Our greatest needs and desires are fully met, and then some, by the Holy Spirit overflowing in us.
We might think our needs and desires are different, but if they are, they will never have any possibility of satisfaction, only of destruction.
This process was something long anticipated. It was still not fully realized, even as Jesus explained it. But now, it is fully here, almost.
Jesus, thorugh the Holy Spirit, fulfills our greatest and deepest needs. There is no alternative that will work.
Come to Jesus to be filled to overflowing with joy.
