INTRO:
- This is a climactic moment. We’ve been talking the last few weeks about this extended scene that happens at the Feast of Tabernacles. There have been debates and discussions. There have been misunderstandings and confusion. Now we come to a moment when Jesus has something to shout out.
- What exactly does Jesus want us to understand coming out of this big moment? Let’s find out.
BACKGROUND ON THE FEAST OF BOOTHS:
- This festival was called the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. It was the third of the three great Jewish festivals (with Passover and Pentecost/Weeks). These were the festivals that required the attendance of Jewish males over a certain age.
- In the Festival of Booths the people lived in temporary booths to commemorate the time of Israel wandering in the desert (Leviticus 23:40-43). It was originally a seven-day festival, with an eighth day added later. It also served as a harvest festival.
- Note that the passage tells us that Jesus’ words come on the last and greatest day of the Feast. This is important. On that day the priest would take a golden pitcher to the pool of Siloam and fill it. He carried it through the Water Gate while the people recited Isaiah 12:3. He would then pour the water out on the altar in the Temple as an offering to God. While that was going on, the Hallel (Psalm 113-118) was sung by a choir accompanied by flutes. All of this was meant as an act of thanksgiving.
- This also serves as a reminder of the abundance God had given, as compared to those lean years in the desert.
- It may well have been (and, in fact, seems likely to me) that Jesus cried out (v. 37) at the moment the priest was pouring out the water on the altar.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM JESUS HERE?
1. JESUS IS THE SOURCE.
- John 7:37.
- Everything flows from Jesus. He is the source.
- He is offering everyone who is spiritually thirsty the chance to be satisfied. Elsewhere He speaks of being the bread of life. In both, we are pointed to longing of our souls and the need that we have for the food and drink that Jesus offers.
2. WE ARE CALLED TO BELIEVE IN HIM.
- John 7:38a.
- This “belief” needs to be properly defined. Here we are not talking about an empty intellectual assent to who Jesus is. No, we are talking about trusting in Him, taking Him at His word, following His instructions, and investing our whole life in Him.
- We have a pathetic “empty belief” today is so many of our churches. People claim to be Christians despite having no interest in following Jesus. People think they are saved because they made a “profession of faith” years ago, even though nothing changed in their lives after that.
3. DOING THAT WILL CAUSE AN ABUNDANCE OF LIVING WATER TO FLOW OUT OF US.
- John 7:38b.
- What would this “stream” look like?
a. Overflowing goodness.
b. Giving into others’ lives.
c. Transformation of our lives.
- One thing that this brings out is that faith is not “all about me.” It’s absolutely clear that it will, properly lived, transform my life, but note the image of stream of living water flowing out from within me. It’s an image of a life that is impacting and benefiting those around them.
- The Christian life is much more than “me and Jesus.” It’s a life where we are a billboard for the transforming power of God. It is a life where our life touches many lives.
- I think of the parable of the four soils.
- At the end of that parable, Jesus said that the good seed would produce 30x, 60x, or 100x harvest. That’s abundant. That’s overflowing.
4. THIS WILL HAPPEN THROUGH THE SPIRIT.
- John 7:39.
- This verse does not mean that the Spirit didn’t exist before this. No, we know that the Spirit was pre-existent because He is part of the Trinity.
- This verse also does not mean that the Spirit had never touched lives before this. No, we know that we have instances of the Spirit at work (both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament story up to this point) where He was active in lives.
- Instead, what this verse means is that there is something new happening. The Spirit is going to work in lives in a new, dramatic way. And (this is important!) it will available for everyone who believes in Jesus, not just an occasional person.
- This is a huge thing: Jesus revealing what He intended to bring about through His mission here on earth. A new thing in human lives – the Spirit working so powerfully in believers that their lives would overflow with “living water.”
- This was not operational yet. It would happen after Jesus was glorified (v. 40), which meant after His death, resurrection, and ascension.
- Jesus is here proclaiming that He is the fulfillment of all this feast anticipated.
- We need to recognize the centrality of the Spirit in this age.
- This is a major part of Jesus’ plan. The Spirit within us creating overflowing lives.
- We do not emphasize the Spirit nearly enough. He is central and crucial for this era.
- We don’t grasp/discuss/emphasize this idea as much as we should.
- Why not?
a. Our preaching tends to be Christological.
b. Our definition of “belief” often doesn’t include obedience.
c. Many of us think of the Spirit only in terms of Pentecostal gifts.
d. We don’t have a vision for soul and life transformation.
WHAT'S WRONG? Are we fully experiencing what Jesus said should happen?
- What would it look like if we caught this vision?
a. Higher expectations for what will happen in salvation.
b. Higher expectations for impacting those around us.
c. More attention to daily yielding to the Spirit.
d. More power and impact in our lives.
e. A practical impact of faith in our lives.
f. A world flooded with goodness from the lives of Christians.
- It is painful to ponder, but we must face it: the church in America is not experiencing what Jesus promised here in the way we should.
- We are not surrounded by “overflowing” lives. We are more often surrounded by unchanged lives.
- We need to hold high these words of Jesus and ask: how can we see this in our lives and in the church in America?
