Day 952: Water for the thirsty - John 7 vs 37 - 44

37-38 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.'” 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.

40-42 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43-44 So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. John 7:37-44 English Standard Version.

The 'feast' mentioned in today's verses was the Feast of Tabernacles – also known as the feast of Booths. It was one of three major celebrations given by God through Moses which male Jews were expected to attend in Jerusalem. As time went by a custom grew in which each morning during the feast a priest would fill a golden vessel with water from the Pool of Siloam, and bring it back to the altar. He then poured out the water on the west side of the altar, while another priest poured a drink offering of wine on the east side. It's thought that the ritual was to illustrate Isaiah 12:3 where the prophet had said: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” However, on the eighth and final day of the feast, the ritual was not repeated.

Now if that custom was still practised when Jesus lived, imagine how startling and significant the words which He cried out on the great last day of the feast would've been! (vs 37-38). We aren't told if the people people saw Jesus' words as a link to Isaiah's picture of 'a well of salvation', but we do see from vs 40-42 that all of what Jesus was saying and doing was causing speculation to grow as to who He really was. Some confusion arose because many of them thought Jesus was from Nazareth and didn't know He had been born in Bethlehem. But what is the important explanation that John gives in vs 39?

John says that Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit. The same prophet who'd spoken of 'wells of salvation', also told how God had said: “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.” (Isaiah 44:3) That was a promise given to Israel's spiritual descendents. And through the prophet Ezekiel God had also said: “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.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

This is the background to what Jesus later told His disciples just before He went to the cross. He said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17)

It's not that the Holy Spirit hadn’t been in the world before, or that He had never been active in the lives of God's people. But what Jesus was going to do at Calvary by being the sacrifice which would perfectly wash away the sins of many, would open the way for the Holy Spirit to dwell permanently in the lives of those thirst after God. Look again how Jesus sets out this wonderful promise of His Spirit living in our life. (vs 37-38)

It is for ANYONE who is thirsty for a relationship with their Creator. He doesn't say it's for those who are good enough, rich enough, clever enough or religious enough. It’s for those who thirst. And then He says it is simply by 'believing on Him' that the promised Spirit will live within us. May we not be among those with divided opinions about Christ. May we be among those who believe He is the Son of God, and who have believed on Him for forgiveness of our sins.