May 15
10
Reading of God’s Holy Word
“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. 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?’ So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’ The officers answered, ‘No one ever spoke like this man!’ The Pharisees answered them, ‘Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, ‘Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?’ They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.’” (John 7:37–52, ESV)
Introduction
As you can see verses 37 through 52 contain two rather distinct episodes. Verses 37 through 39 tell us of Jesus standing in the temple and proclaiming, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink”, whereas verses 40 through 52 tell us of the division that existed among the people concerning their opinion of Jesus. Some were willing to confess that Jesus was the Prophet, or Christ. Others were on the fence and were willing to give Jesus a hearing. And others were decidedly hostile. They were ready to arrest Jesus in that moment.
I’d like to give the bulk of our attention to the first section – verses 37 through 39. I have two reasons: One, verses 37 through 39 are incredibly rich and deserve our attention. And two, I managed to dip into verses 40 through 52 in last weeks sermon and have already covered what is at the heart of that text.
An Overview of Verses 40 Through 52
Let me make a few observations concerning verses 40 through 52 before we set our attention on 37 through 39.
One, notice that at the heart of this passage is the thing we discussed last week – namely, Jesus’ origin. The people are divided concerning their opinion of Jesus. Some say he is good; others bad. Some are ready to confess that he is the Prophet, or the Christ; others want to arrest him. And much of the discussion comes to center upon the question, does Jesus come from the right place in order to qualify as the Messiah? Verse 40: “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?’” (John 7:40–42, ESV) This we discussed in detail last week. The conclusion was this: Jesus did indeed have the correct earthly origins. More than that – and this is John’s emphasis – he had heavenly origins as well, having come from above, that is, from the Father.
Two, notice in verses 40 through 52 that the division that existed between the people was such that even the officers were unwilling to the lay their hands upon Jesus, though they had been given an official task of arresting him. The officers were temple police. They were drawn from the Levites and were given the task of maintaining order within the temple precincts. Remember that all of this took place during the Feast of Booths, and so their job was a most important one given that great crowds were gathered in this place. But as they approached Jesus to arrest him they could not follow through with it. And what was their reason? The officers said, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46, ESV) It wasn’t that Jesus was particularly dynamic. It wasn’t that he was an unusually skilled communicator (though I’m sure he was very skilled). No, it was the way in which he spoke. He spoke as one who had authority. He did not merely teach about the law, or the significance of the Feast of Booths. No, he claimed to be the fulfillment of the law – the fulfillment of the Feast. Great teachers have come and gone, but no one has made the claims that Jesus made. “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46, ESV)
Three, notice that while most of the Pharisees, and others who possessed religious authority, rejected Jesus’ claims, some were beginning to express sympathies towards him. Nicodemus (who was himself a Pharisee), appears again in the narrative. He is the one who came to Jesus at night with questions. Not a word has been said about him since chapter 3, but here he is again. This time he is standing up for Jesus. It’s not as if he fully identified himself as a follower of Christ. He certainly did not give a full-blown confession of faith at this time. But he did stand up. In verse 51he said to his fellow Pharisees, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:51, ESV) And notice the pushback he received! The only thing he did was suggest that they give Jesus a hearing before judging him! And what do they say? “They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.’” (John 7:52, ESV) It was an insult for them to say, “are you from Galilee to?” It meant, are you one of these poor and ignorant Galileans willing to believe this nonsense?
This interaction between Nicodemus and his fellow Pharisees is important for a few reasons: One, we learn more about Nicodemus. It appears that the Spirit was indeed working upon his heart. He will eventually identify with Jesus publicly as he will take part in providing a proper burial for him. Here we see that the Spirit is at work drawing him to Christ and to the Father. Two, we gain insight into how difficult it would have been for a member of the religious elite to follow Jesus. To identify with Jesus would mean enduring scorn. To follow Jesus would involve suffering great loss. Three, this interaction between Nicodemus and his fellow Pharisees reminds us that while many of Jews rejected Jesus, some believed. Though John uses the term “Jews” to refer primarily to the religious elite who were opposed to Jesus, he inserts little nuggets like this to remind us that not all rejected Jesus. Some believed. Most of the early Christians were Jews. Most came from among the common people – the Galileans, for example – but some who held high positions were also willing to identify with Christ in his humility and suffer, by the grace of God.
An Exposition of Verses 37 Through 39
Let’s turn our attention now to the saying of Jesus which stirred up the great division described in verses 40-52.
Take your eyes back up to verse 37 where we read, “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.’” (John 7:37, ESV)
Remember that Jerusalem is at this time packed with people celebrating the Feast of Booths. This holiday, as I’ve said in previous sermons, was the camping holiday of the Jews. People would flock to Jerusalem, would construct shelters out of branches, and would camp out for seven days. It was a time of great celebration as the people rejoiced concerning the harvest. They would feast and worship, offering up great sacrifices to the Lord. Many expected Jesus to be there. They were eagerly awaiting his arrival. At first he roamed in Jerusalem secretly, but when the time was right he suddenly “went up into the temple and began teaching.” (John 7:14, ESV) We don’t know exactly when he began to teach, and we don’t know much about what he taught, but John is specific here. He tells us that “on the last day of the feast, the great day”, Jesus uttered these words: “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.’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)
This particular saying of Jesus is clearly marked off as being significant. For one, he uttered it on the last day, the great day of the feast. This is probably the seventh day of the feast. It is the day in which everything came to a climax. Jesus waited for this moment to say what he had to say. Two, notice that he stood up. Teachers would typically sit, while students would stand (sounds like a good idea to me). And so by standing Jesus drew attention to the significance of what he was about to say. He usually sat, but to say this, he stood. And three, notice the text also emphasizes that he cried out. He shouted this saying. He had probably been teaching in a natural voice for some time, but here he shouts. And what was Jesus so concerned to emphasize? He shouted ,“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.’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)
Even if we knew nothing concerning the context in which this saying of Jesus was uttered – even if we knew nothing of the historical setting, nothing of the biblical context – this saying of Jesus could still be appreciated for its great beauty, and for the magnificent offer contained within. Are you thirsty? Come to me and drink, Jesus says. And not only will you be satisfied by the living water that is found in him, but you yourself will overflow with this living water and will serve as a conduit of blessing to others as well.
I hope it is clear It is clear that Jesus is not offering to quench physical thirst here. He is not offering physical water to be received by the physical mouth. No, Jesus is calling out to those who are spiritually thirsty. He is calling to those who are parched of soul. He is urging them to drink with the mouth of faith. He offers spiritual water – water that flows from him and satisfies eternally. “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.’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)
Even if we knew nothing of the context in which this saying of Jesus was uttered, it could still be appreciated as a most beautiful saying – a most appealing offer. But how much more appealing it is when we begin to consider the historical and biblical context in which these words were uttered.
First, let’s consider the historical setting.
Remember that Jesus uttered these words on the last day – the great day – of the Feast of Booths. Remember that one of the public rituals preformed at the Feast of Booths was the daily pouring of water from the pool of Siloam. D.A. Carson summarizes this ritual nicely, saying:
“On the seven days of the Feast, a golden [pitcher] was filled with water from the pool of Siloam and was carried in a procession led by the High Priest back to the temple. As the procession approached the watergate on the south side of the inner court three blasts from the šôp̄ār—a trumpet connected with joyful occasions—were sounded. While the pilgrims watched, the priests processed around the altar with the [pitcher], the temple choir singing the Hallel (Pss. 113–118; cf. Mishnah Sukkah 4:9). When the choir reached Psalm 118, every male pilgrim shook a lûlāḇ (willow and myrtle twigs tied with palm) in his right hand, while his left raised a piece of citrus fruit (a sign of the ingathered harvest), and all cried ‘Give thanks to the Lord!’ three times. The water was offered to God at the time of the morning sacrifice, along with the daily drink-offering (of wine). The wine and the water were poured into their respective silver bowls, and then poured out before the Lord. Moreover, these ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles were related in Jewish thought both to the Lord’s provision of water in the desert and to the Lord’s pouring out of the Spirit in the last days. Pouring at the Feast of Tabernacles refers symbolically to the messianic age in which a stream from the sacred rock would flow over the whole earth (cf. J. Jeremias, TDNT, 4. 277f.).”
So it was with this ceremony fresh on the people’s mind that Jesus stood and shouted, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink…” (John 7:37, ESV) His message was unmistakably clear. What the pouring of the water during the Feast of Booths symbolized was fulfilled in him. He was the rock who the people of Israel drank from in the wilderness. He was the long awaited Messiah. The last days were coming upon the people as the outpouring of the Spirit was soon to take place.
This was the historical context surrounding Jesus’ words, and I think it adds to the beauty and significance of them. Now what about the biblical context?
Notice that Jesus states in verse 38 that his offer is in fulfillment to scripture. Verse 37: “…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.’’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)
The question is, which Old Testament scripture is Jesus referring to when he says, “as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’”? Actually, you could look long and hard in the Old Testament for this phrase, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”, and never find it. The reason is that this is not a direct quotation of any particular Old Testament text, but rather a composite or all encompassing statement which serves to summarize a great theme which runs throughout the Old Testament scriptures, namely, the promise of a coming day when God would pour out waters of blessing and salvation upon his people.
Consider Isaiah 55:1: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1, ESV)
Listen to Isaiah 58:11: “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.” (Isaiah 58:11, ESV)
Hear also Isaiah 12:1-3: “You will say in that day: ‘I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:1–3, ESV)
Listen to the prophet Joel in 3:18: “And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord…” (Joel 3:18, ESV)
And consider Zechariah 13:1: “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” (Zechariah 13:1, ESV)
So you can see that it was common for the prophets of old used the imagery of water to refer to the day when the Christ would appear. He would quench the thirst of his people; he would make his people like a “well watered garden” and “like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail”; he would be a fountain to them, cleansing them from sin and uncleanness. Many more Old Testament scriptures could be sited which contain this theme of waters flowing to the people of God in the last days. If I had the time I would mention more. In particular I wish I had the time to go to the vision of Ezekiel 47:1–12 to demonstrate that Christ is the fulfillment of that prophesy. Also, I would go to Nehemiah 9 to show that, by the time of Nehemiah, the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles) had certainly been used to bring to remembrance the Exodus, the Manna that was given from heaven, and the water that, o two occasions, was provided from the rock as the people wandered in the wilderness. But time will not permit. You will have to look at these things yourself.
The point is this: Jesus was referring to these scriptures, and to others like them, with his summery statement, “as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’”.
One question that has puzzled students of the Bible in the past, and continues to be a source of debate today, is this: Out of whom will the rivers of living water flow. Jesus says, ‘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.’’” The question is, out of who’s heart will the rivers of living water flow.
Some say that the rivers of living water will flow out of Jesus’ heart (or, more literally, belly). certainly the texts could be read in that way. “His” could be referring to Jesus.
Another opinion is that “his” is referring to the believer. When the believer believes in Christ – drinks of Christ – the believer becomes a fountain of living water – the believer becomes a conduit of blessing to others.
Really, the two views are not all that different. Both see that Jesus is the ultimate source of living water. No one would claim that the believe has the ability to prove living waters to others, in and of himself.
The difference is this: the first view sees the passage as only talking about Christ. Christ invited people to drink of him (to believe) – and it is of Christ that scriptures speak, saying, “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’’ The second view agrees that we must drink of Christ by faith – he is the source of living water. But it sees the text as saying something more, namely, that the believer, once he or she drinks of Christ, then overflows with this living water, blessing others too.
I’ve come to believe that this second view is the correct one. I will not provide an argument for it here, (again, for the sake of time). If you are interested I would be happy to provide you with commentary excepts from Hermon Ridderbos, Leon Morris, or D.A. Carson, who all prefer this second view.
If this second view is true – that it is the believer out of who’s heart, or belly (what is at the core of man), that living waters flow once we believe in Christ – then this passage is saying something similar to that which Jesus said to the woman at the well in chapter 4: “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” (John 4:13–14, ESV)
I think this is the meaning: Jesus not only satisfies our spiritual thirst and the longing of our soul as we trust in him, but he works within us in such a way that the living waters are abundant waters – they bubble up and overflow for the benefit of those around us. This is similar to the concept of the believer bearing fruit.
Now the question could be asked, how exactly does Christ quench our spiritual thirst? John clarifies this for us when remarks in 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.” (John 7:39, ESV) The living water that Jesus speaks of here is the Holy Spirit. It is through the sending of the Spirit that Jesus quenches our Spiritual thirst.
This is consistant with the Old Testament witness:
Isaiah 44:3: “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.” (Isaiah 44:3, ESV)
Ezekiel 39:29: “And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”” (Ezekiel 39:29, ESV)
Joel 2:28: “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. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.” (Joel 2:28–32, ESV)
It is the Holy Spirit who gives life. It is the Holy Spirit who cleanses and renews. It is the Holy Spirit who quenches the human soul with streams of living water.
John remarks, “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.” (John 7:39, ESV) The Spirit would not be poured out with New Covenant power until after Jesus was glorified. Christ would have to suffer, and die, and on the third day rise. He would have to assessed to the right hand of the Father before the Spirit would come in New Covenant power.
Jesus will emphasize this very thing as his ministry progresses:
John 14:15: “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 forever, 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, ESV)
John 16:7: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7, ESV)
It would be a mistake to think that the Spirit did not exist prior to Christ sending him. The scriptures are clear that the Spirit has always existed. He is God eternal along with the Father and Son. And it would also be a mistake to assume that the Spirit was not active prior to being sent by the Son. He was clearly active under the Old Covenant. In fact, it can be argued that he functioned under the Old Covenant in much the same way that he functioned in the New. What must be confessed is that it wasn’t until the New Covenant – after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ – that the Spirit was poured out in power. The New Covenant is rightly called the age of the Spirit. The Spirit would be poured out with great power, and upon all of the peoples of the earth at Pentecost. This is what is meant when John says, “for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Application
The unbeliever must be urged to drink of Christ initially.
Worldly things will never quench the thirst of the soul.
The Spirit quenches the thirst of the soul.
Washing
Life
Right relationship with God
Union with Christ
The Christian must be urged to drink of Christ continually.
We do not eat only once, nor do we drink only once. These are proper metaphors, in part, because they encourage ongoing, habitual, perpetual activity. We are to believe in Christ, and we are to go on believing. We are to partake of Christ, and we are to go on partaking.
Through prayer
Through the word
Through fellowship with others in the body of Christ
Through the Lord’s Supper
The Christian must be urged to be a conduit of living water to others.
Are you like the Sea of Galilee or the Dead Sea? A pond, or a great river?
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16, ESV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)
