I want to start off with a geography question this morning. What is the greatest river in the world? Well that depends on how one measures greatness. If I mean what is the longest river in the world, that would be the Nile in Africa. The Nile is 6,650 km (4,132 miles) long. That’s 1,500 km longer than the distance between Victoria, BC and St. John’s, NL! Or if by greatness I mean the volume of water the river discharges, that would make the Amazon River in South America the greatest. Approximately 20% of all the freshwater discharged into the world’s oceans is from the Amazon River alone. Or if by greatness I mean the river most people depend on, you could argue that the Yangtze River in China is the greatest. It’s the third-longest river in the world and one of the busiest with commercial traffic. It also pushes water through the world’s largest hydro-electric power station.
But none of these is the greatest river in the world. There’s another river that is greater than the Nile, the Amazon, and the Yangtze put together. “A river whose streams make glad the city of God,” in the words of Psalm 46:4a. Strangely this river doesn’t hold any water and yet you can drink from it and wash in it. In fact if you don’t, you’re not really alive. Although this river doesn’t have a formal name let’s call it the River of Life. It’s the greatest river there is because it flows from Christ, and it flows through every Christian.
Although you won’t find the River of Life on any world map it’s not an imaginary river because God’s Son says it’s for real. Jesus made that pronouncement at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. This was an annual religious celebration around October when the Jews would live in make-shift shacks for seven days to be reminded of how their ancestors had lived in tents for 40 years when they travelled to the Promised Land. That exercise helped every Jew of every generation remember that this world is not their home – a truth we would do well to remember.
One custom at the Feast of Tabernacles to help the Israelites remember God’s miraculous care for his people during their years in the wilderness was to pour water out onto the altar of burnt offering. This symbolized how God had made water gush from a rock in the wilderness so that his people did not die of thirst. This custom also served as a prayer for God to keep providing abundant rains for the harvests. It was perhaps at this point in the feast when Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37, 38).
This was not the first time Jesus had offered such water. He had done so before when he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Jesus told that woman that he could give her water that would quench her thirst for good. He was of course talking about the forgiveness of sins that he had come to win – forgiveness which that Samaritan woman desperately needed because she was living with a man who was not her husband. But Jesus’ disciples needed forgiveness too for wanting to be master and not servant. Every human needs forgiveness if they’re hoping to live forever in the eternal joys of heaven.
Do you believe that? Many don’t. Last week I was reading a study about why people quit formal Bible study. One reason was anger. People were angry to hear that because they yelled at their kids every now and then, or because they got jealous of someone else’s nicer house that they were deserving of hell just as much as the terrorist who has killed dozens. It just didn’t seem right or fair to them. They figured that they should be given some credit for their good behavior. But is that what you would think about the expensive tablet you got for Christmas if it only worked half of the time? Would you still call it a good tablet if it only powered up on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays? And then when it did turn on, it would only run half of the apps you had installed? Would you be happy with your gadget? Of course not. You would call it a piece of junk because it’s not doing what it was designed to do. Likewise we were designed for a purpose - to love one another perfectly, not just with our actions but also with our thoughts. We were also designed to be pure, to be content, and to be always thankful. When we are not, we’re no less frustrating to God and to the people around us than a tablet that only works half of the time.
While we would quickly ditch a tablet that only worked half of the time, God does not do the same to us. He sent his Son to fix the broken connection between heaven and earth. That’s what Jesus was getting at when he stood up on the Feast of Tabernacles and invited people to drink from him. But not everyone in our text was so certain they needed what Jesus was offering. The Apostle John records these reactions to Jesus’ statement. “…some of the people said, ‘Surely this man is the Prophet.’ 41 Others said, ‘He is the Christ.’ Still others asked, ‘How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?’ 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus” (John 7:40-43).
Oh how frustrating these comments must have been for Jesus! Some confessed him as the promised Savior, but others were not so sure. They correctly acknowledged that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem, but as far as they knew, Jesus was not from Bethlehem and therefore could not be the Messiah. If only they would have investigated a little more. They would have found out that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem!
Friends, when we don’t bother to compare our opinions and impressions about God with a careful study of his Word, we too can end up missing out on who Jesus really is. And that would be bad news because he is the only source for the River of Life. Apart from Jesus nothing can quench our thirst to find the meaning of life. Apart from him we will find no salve to soothe our guilty conscience. Therefore as we begin another year of getting to know Jesus here at St. Peter’s, let us listen ever more attentively to his Word, so that he may keep holding us close to himself.
But many view getting to know Jesus better as if it’s a burden, like having to read yet another book on Canadian history for class. But getting to know Jesus better is a blessing not a burden. Listen to what else Jesus said about the River of Life. “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:38, 39).
The River of Life is not only awesome because it flows from Christ, it’s awesome because it flows through every Christian that we may be a blessing to others. When Jesus spoke about water flowing through believers he was referring to the Holy Spirit, as John explains for us. Jesus had in mind the work the Holy Spirit would do after Pentecost and beyond. Of course, the Holy Spirit had already been at work in the lives of believers, no one could have put their faith in Jesus without the Holy Spirit. But after Pentecost the Holy Spirit would equip believers so that they would be a blessing to the people around them. For the disciples at Pentecost this meant speaking in foreign languages they had never studied before so they could tell more people about the way to salvation. For you it may mean you have the gift of hospitality and enjoy making people feel at home. For others you may have the gift of encouragement, or the gift of leadership, or the gift of showing mercy. All these gifts from the Holy Spirit are welling up inside of you like flood waters eager to burst its banks and wash over others in a refreshing stream.
Isn’t that promise worth remembering when you’re feeling a bit worthless? So you didn’t get the grades you wanted. You didn’t get to take the vacation you were hoping for. You were passed over for a promotion again. Everyone around you seems to pity you. But Christians are not to be pitied – not when Jesus says that the River of Life flows through us. Think of it like this. The Nile may stretch over 6,000 km, but many of you cover that distance in a year through your travels – including your daily trips to the office, to school, and to do errands around town. Think of all the people you meet along the way that you get to influence. The Amazon may discharge 20% of the world’s fresh water into the oceans, but what is that compared to the words of eternal life you release into a world that is choking on the fear of terrorism and Ebola? And the Yangtze may push water through the world’s largest hydro-electric plant, but the ever-energetic Holy Spirit is pushing through you to cheer up lonely and lost souls with news about Jesus.
It’s the greatest river there is, this River of Life, and you don’t have to go to Africa, South America, or China to see it. It flows from Christ and his Word, and it flows through you. Go get someone wet with its waters! Amen.
SERMON NOTES
List what many consider to be the three greatest rivers in the world, and write down one interesting fact about each.
Jesus spoke the words of our text during the Feast of Tabernacles. What Old Testament event did that feast commemorate? Why did Jesus speak about water at that feast?
The River of Life flows from Christ. Why is it so awesome? But why do so many people think they don’t need to drink from it or be washed in it?
What illustration could you use with someone who thinks that God is unreasonable for wanting to punish people who sin “once in a while”?
What does it mean that the River of Life flows through every Christian? How is this truth an encouragement to you?
