Jesus Invites Anyone who Thirsts to Come and Drink
John 7:35–39 (NKJV)
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’?”
Christ Reveals the “Living Water”
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, 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.” 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.
Message
See v35-36.
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’?”
They misunderstood what Jesus said in John 7:33-34. Jesus was going back to the Father but they wondered whether He would go to teach the Greeks.
I. He who Believes in Jesus gets the Living Water (37)
See v37.
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34) was the great day of the feast. This feast was one of three great yearly feasts. It lasted for eight days. The 1st and the last days were the most solemn. The Lord commanded to keep the feast for them to remember their dwelling in tents during their passage through the wilderness. [1]
On that great day, Jesus stood and cried out,
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” (37)
II. Rivers of Living Water will Flow out of his Heart (38-39)
See v38.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Jesus introduced ‘living water’ to a Samaritan woman in John 4:10, 13, 14 and again here. Jesus invites ‘anyone who thirsts’ to come to Him and drink. ‘he who believes in Jesus’ gets the living water. This water flows out of his heart.
See v39.
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.
This water is the Holy Spirit, given to those who believe in Him. The Holy Spirit was to come after His glorification, that is, after His death and resurrection.
Without Jesus, people are spiritually dead. Their souls thirst and are dried and dead. They have no love, no compassion, no understanding – no ability to love either God or neighbour. They need living water from Jesus to revive. After believing in Him, they love God – thank Him, praise Him, worship Him, listen to Him, talk to Him… And they love their neighbours – pray for them, listen to them, talk to them, share the Good News with them, invite them to the church… A millionaire may not give anything, but the believers of Jesus start to give. This proves that they became richer than the millionaires.
References
[1] Alexander Cruden, A.M. Cruden’s Complete Concordance to the Old and New Testaments. Zondervan Publishing House. P654.
