JESUS THE LIVING WATER
TEXT: John 7:37 – 44
INTRODUCTION: When we read scripture like that presented in our text this morning we always seem to think about how strange it is that the people that saw Jesus do the miracles, speak the words, and make the claims that He did how they could possibly have missed the fact that this was the messiah they were seeing. Think about meeting a man that was perfect in all His ways and not thinking that this must be the Christ. Well in our text today, at least a portion of Jesus’ listeners did just that. They, like so many people today tried to explain the truth away, reason the facts away or just simply refuse to accept that this was the Christ, the Messiah, Jehovah Adonai, God in the flesh.
Read text/prayer
I. Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles
A. Our text takes place the last day of the feast.
1. The legalistic Jews are doing everything they can to find Jesus at the start of the feast.
a. They wonder at why they cannot find Him.
b. Jesus’ reason for appearing at the great feast mid-week was because the Jews sought to kill Him. (John 7:1)
2. Jesus told Hid brothers, who by the way, at this time did not believe in Jesus either, that He would not go up to the feast at the beginning because “My time has not yet come.”
3. Our text picks up in verse 37 at the last day of the feast.
4. It would serve us well at this time to understand the reasons for the feast and just what the Feast of Tabernacles is.
II. The Feast of Tabernacles.
A. Commemorated the 7th month, 15th day. Roughly October
1. A 7 day feast that ran from Saturday the Sabbath to Saturday.
2. No servile work.
3. Honor GOD completely, dress, rest, worship etc.
4. Each day an offering made by fire unto the LORD was offered. (LORDS Feasts Lev. 23:1 – 2)
Note: LORD here is all caps and means Jehovah Adonai. Jehovah, the Jewish national name for the self-existent God and Adonai meaning Master, LORD, LORD.
B. Every day the priests would pour make the trip to the well and draw the water and make the trip back. Then at just the right time they would pour it out round about the Altar of God.
1. Day 1 – burnt offering made by fire.
2. Day 2 – meat offering made by fire.
3. Day 3 – Sacrifice and drink offering…HOW???
C. The last day there was the Holy Convocation then twice as much water was poured around the altar.
1. This commemorated Moses bringing forth water from the rock in the wilderness.
2. Scripture tells us that Jesus was that rock.
1 Cor. 10:4 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
D. There were three GOD commanded feasts, they were:
1. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Passover.
2. The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.
3. And the Feast of Booth’s or Tabernacles.
E. These were to be eternally observed. (Lev. 23:21, 31, 41)
Note: The Hebrew word here translated ‘ever’ is ‘olawm’ and means eternal or ever lasting.
1. It was always to be a time of great rejoicing.
2. Great food and drink, wonderful fellowship and worship of God.
3. This Feast was to show thankfulness to the giver of all great gifts.
III. JESUS AT THE FEAST.
A. Had taught in the Temple since mid-festival.
1. People marveled.
a. JESUS declares His doctrine is God’s.
b. He gives all glory to God.
c. Told the Jews they did not keep Moses Law.
A. When the harvest and fruit of the land were gathered in, there was observed this very joyful occasion.
1. They were to dwell in booths to remind them of the wilderness wanderings, but also to point them to the future. Hebrews 11 tells us that they all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.
2. They were persuaded of them and they embraced them.
a. They were looking forward to that day when they would celebrate this great feast in the millennial age.
b. That is the a part of the great hope for this earth.
3. This holy season will be observed during the Millennial reign of Jesus:
Zech. 14:16-18 16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
a. This feast is not only prophetic of the Millennium, but also points to eternity and the everlasting Kingdom.
Rev. 21:3 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God".
b. This is the fulfillment of the great Feast of Tabernacles.
c. For seven days in the seventh month they were to rejoice.
d. This speaks of the final and full rejoicing of God's earthly people. (His heavenly people will be with Him in the New Jerusalem.)
e. Brothers and Sisters, there is a great future ahead for us!
I. ANOTHER GREAT REASON.
A. Remember it’s the last day of the feast.
1. The people are celebrating the fact that God gave them water from the rock in the wilderness.
a. The rock was JESUS.
1 Cor. 10:4 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
b. It was on that day that they poured out a double portion of water in the temple.
c. All of a sudden, JESUS stands.
John 7:37-38 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
2. JESUS is saying “you’ve been waiting for the savior, here I AM.”
