THE TEACHING OF JESUS.
John 7:37-39.
JOHN 7:37. “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.”
The last day of the feast of Tabernacles, the eighth day, was to be a ‘holy convocation’ (Leviticus 23:36), a calling together of Israel for a special assembly for religious purposes. In Jesus’ day, the custom was to draw water from the pool of Siloam to pour on the altar on each of the first seven days of the feast; but not on the last day, the eighth day. It was on this day that Jesus stood up and offered Himself as the water of life for all who are spiritually thirsty.
The offer, first of all, is for “any man,” or ‘anyone,’ as we might say. This is the scope of the gospel: it is the ‘whosever’ of John 3:16 and elsewhere.
Second, it is ‘they who hunger and thirst after righteousness’ who ‘shall be filled’ (Matthew 5:6). There are no conditions to the supply, just that we should have the sense of our need of it. No pre-conditions will procure this ‘blessing’ for us: just a spiritual thirst after what Jesus is offering.
Third, there is but one thing to do in the face of this need: “Come unto me.” We must cast our all upon Jesus, and put our trust wholly and entirely in Him.
And fourthly, having “come” unto Jesus with a genuine thirst, we not only “come,” but also avail ourselves of the “drink” that is on offer. Our life is wrapped up with His.
JOHN 7:38. “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
This answers to John 4:13-14, when Jesus said to the woman at the well, ‘Whoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’
“As the scripture hath said” seems to be a general reference to any number of scriptures, but it is significant that Zechariah 14 was customarily read on the first day of the feast of tabernacles. Zechariah 14:8 certainly fits here: ‘And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem…’
What springs ‘up into everlasting life’ (John 4:14) in the believer, flows “out” as “rivers of living water” (John 7:38) unto others. The convert to Christianity is not only refreshed himself, but becomes a conduit whereby the blessings of the Holy Spirit are passed on to others.
JOHN 7:39. “(But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
Literally, ‘This He said concerning the Spirit, which those believing in Him were about to receive.’ This speaks of the outpouring of the Spirit which continues through the ongoing work of the Apostles and others in going forth into all the world and preaching the gospel to all nations and peoples.
“For the Holy Ghost was not yet given” means, ‘not yet given in all His fullness.’ That event had to await the “glorification” of Jesus: i.e. His death, resurrection and ascension.
