Rivers of Living Water, John 7:18-52

 We’re almost half way through chapter seven, and over half way through the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), our eight-day camping trip.

The location is Jerusalem. The atmosphere, joy. Thousands of Sukkahs (little huts), are scattered throughout Jerusalem. Giant menorahs illuminate the night, reminiscent of the wilderness wanderings and God’s pillar of fire by night. The days are filled with, laughter, singing and dancing. Day after day the Priest, draws water with a golden pitcher from the pool of Siloam. He walks once around the altar. Silence falls. The water pours. Isaiah 12:3 is said for all to hear:   

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

And prayers are made to the Lord of the Harvest, for a good season of rain.

This joyous celebration will even be held during the Millennium. Zechariah 14:16. 

As we saw in our study last week, Jesus showed up about midway through the feast. He’s been gathering crowds and teaching. They questioned how He was able to teach since He wasn’t educated in one of the rabbinical schools.

Jesus addresses their concerns, and then provides a three-part message with three short phrases, about where He’s from, where He’s going, and when He’s gone.

The message can easily be missed, because as He teaches, the crowd is interacting, and He responds, but all the while maintains definite purpose and direction.  

But first, He sets the stage, so the trajectory of His message is from a proper perspective.

John 7:19, Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

That short phrase is the gospel in a nutshell.

The law of Moses, exposes sin. There are none righteous, all have sinned (except One). Romans 3:23.

Why do you seek to kill Me?  That’s the big question. Jesus came to die, as the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world. Not, for breaking the Sabbath.

He is not defending Himself to prevent them from killing Him. He’s correcting their trajectory (again).

We all swing the hammer, hold the nail.

 

²⁰ The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

When He gave food for the belly they said, He’s the Prophet, the King.

When He gave food for the heart they said, He has a demon.

Out of abundance of heart, mouth speaks. Luke 6:45.

 

²¹ Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel.”

He did many other marvelous works, healings, etc. But He’s talking about healing the man at the pool of Bethesda, on the Sabbath, when He was last in Jerusalem. John 5.

²² Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. ²³ If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? ²⁴ Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

The male child was circumcised on the eighth day. If it happened to land on a Sabbath, they used common sense wisdom, righteous judgement, and completed the circumcision.

The letter kills, the Spirit gives Life. 2 Corinthians 3:6.

On another Sabbath Jesus was in a synagogue in Galilee. There was a man with a withered hand and they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Of how much more value then, is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Matthew 12:9-13.

Again, remember, Jesus is not trying to keep them from killing Him. He’s making sure the world knows the reason He dies has nothing to do with breaking the Sabbath.

²⁵ Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? ²⁶ But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?

Knowing the rulers wanted Him dead; they noted the courage of Christ; and the cowardice of the rulers.

Does the world see the courage of Christ, in us? Do they see and know indeed that Jesus truly is the Christ?

Perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18.

 

²⁷ However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

Oh great. Why’d they have to say that? They were on the right track, “this is truly the Christ.”

They recognized Him. Creation knows the Creator. But the messed-up mind, and sin filled soul, takes over, and says, “However, we know…”

There was a false belief that said no one would know His generations; that Messiah would, suddenly come; just pop up from nowhere.

They misinterpreted at least a couple Old Testament texts:

Isaiah 53:8, “…who will declare His generation?”

Malachi 3:1 “…the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple.”

However, Scripture is clear regarding Christ. From the line of David, in the town of Bethlehem, a virgin will give birth to a Son. (Isaiah 7:4, 9:6-7; Micah 5:2.) 

Daniel 9:25 indicates the time of His arrival. 

Over three hundred other Messianic prophecies, all fulfilled in, Jesus Christ, our LORD.

They had no excuse for not knowing. Neither do we.

²⁸ Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. ²⁹ But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

Now, Jesus launches into His message about where’s He’s from, where He’s going, and when He’s gone.

The people must’ve thought, “Hey, we were just talking about that”

They only thought they knew where Jesus was from. He sets them straight and basically tells them:

You know Me and where I’m from, but the Truth is, My Father sent Me. You don’t know Him, but I know Him, I’m from Him, He sent Me.

I don’t know if it’s even possible. But it sounds like, He opens His heart and reveals, that He’s longing for Home; perhaps a bit, Homesick. He repeatedly mentions His Home, where He’s from, His Father.

He doesn’t stop there. He’s on a roll, with a definite goal.

His next words won’t be about where He’s from, but where He’s going. And then, after that, at the climax of the celebration, He will announce the climax of His mission, it won’t be about where’s He’s from, or where He’s going, but about when He’s gone. But not really, gone.

Jesus endured the rejection, ridicule, pain, sorrow, suffering…by keeping His eyes on the prize. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despised the shame, and is sat down at the right hand of the Father. Hebrews 12:2.

In a minute dear child, you will be in eternity; only what’s done for Christ will last. Hold fast.

 

³⁰ Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. ³¹ And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. ³³ Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. ³⁴ You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

³⁵ Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Jesus told them, where He came from, and where He’s going. Same answer for both. His Father.

But those who thought themselves so wise and prudent, didn’t have a clue what He was talking about. They thought perhaps He was going to the Jews outside of Israel, the “Dispersion.”

I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Matthew 11:25.

 

³⁷ On the last day, that great day of the feast…

The last day, the grand finale of the feast of tabernacles.

Remember the scene. Thousands of sukkahs (little huts). Giant menorahs illuminating the night. Great joy. Singing, cheering, dancing. Priest with gold pitcher; water from Siloam.  

But this time the priest goes not once, but seven times around the altar.

Silence falls. Water pours. At this point, day after day, all week, Isaiah 12:3 was quoted for all to hear: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

Just think, Jesus, (which means: The LORD is Salvation) was standing right there, in their midst.

Now on this last day, at this point, rather than quoting Isaiah 12:3, they quote, Isaiah 44:3, which states:

“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.”

It is believed that at this moment…

Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

This great invitation echoes all the way to the last page of Scripture:

Revelation 22:17, The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

The invitation is still open, at the moment, but won’t be forever.  

³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 

John 20:22. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 2:2-4. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 

⁴⁰ Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” ⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Christ.”

The Prophet and the Christ are One in the same.

Each time Jesus speaks, people are drawn to Him. Then, there’s an internal decision all must make, some turn toward, others away.  One makes the heart softer, the other harder. One time, the hard heart will grow so hard, it will no longer be drawn, and then… it’s too late.

 

But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” ⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of Him.

He was from David, born in Bethlehem. They were right about that, wrong about Him.

 

⁴⁴ Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

⁴⁵ Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

⁴⁶ The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

The officers went to arrest Jesus because of His words, but instead they were arrested by His Words.

 

⁴⁷ Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? ⁴⁸ Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? ⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

Notice the typical response; a personal attack. “Are you also deceived.”

Lord, please keep our heart and tongue, from ever having such an evil spirit.

They said the crowd was accursed; but some of the crowd believed and were blessed. They themselves, the accusers, were deceived, and accursed.

 

⁵⁰ Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, ⁵¹ “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

⁵² They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

Another personal attack. Are you also from Galilee? Galilee was a derogatory term; like: “You’re from the other side of the tracks.”

They didn’t know the Book they bragged about.

The prophet Jonah came from Galilee. 2 Kings 14.

The prophet Nahum, is believed to be from Galilee. (Capernaum means city of Nahum).

We’ll conclude our John 7 study here; because the last verse actually belongs with the first verse of chapter 8.

⁵³ And everyone went to his own house.
8:1, But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

 

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for making it simply, and perfectly, clear, why You came to die, where You’re from, where You were going, and what takes place after You’re gone. Mostly, Thank You, for the great invitation. We accept. We invite, You Holy Spirit, to fill us, body, soul and spirit.

We love You, forever.

Amen.