A Drink of Jesus’ Water
Scripture Reference:
John 7:37 ’In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink."
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Introduction:
In the beginning of John chapter seven, the city of Jerusalem is in quite a bit of commotion. People from all walks of life were preparing for the Feast of the Tabernacles. Not only was this a great time of religious fellowship, it was also a time that brought into Jerusalem visitors, and visitors meant more revenue. The citizens were excited and yet at the same time, weary; as this feast lasted for several days.
One of the spiritual purposes of this particular feast was to bring back to rememberance the journey their forefathers made out of Egypt into the land of divine promises. On the last day of the feast their minds were to recall how that God supplied water --- life giving water --- for their forefathers out of a rock as they journeyed in the wilderness hundreds of years ago. God never wants us to forget the things He has done for us in the past. Being thankful for the past helps us to receive from God our needs today.
On this last day the priest takes w ith him a vessel of gold and goes down to the pool of Siolam. There, he draws up three logs of water and then carried them in triumphant procession through the water gate into the temple courts. Then, the trumpets begin to sound and the singers begin to sing forth, " with joy shall ye draw waters out of the wells of salvation." Then the priest pours out the water. The water flows past the altar and down the steps into the streets of Jerusalem and the priest voice proclaims: "If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink." If we were obedient, then rivers of water would flow forth from our bellies, our inner most beings.
This act of worship was a type and shadow of the divine water that flows from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In Christ there is not only "life" offered; He offers "Rivers of Life."
Rivers refers to its non stopping abundance. John 10:10, ’I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it MORE ABUNDANTLY."
Oh how I wish people could come to the understanding today, that coming to Jesus does not "TAKE" from us, but rather it "ENRICHES" our lives! While in the grave Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave and took the keys of LIFE EVERLASTING, FREE and ABUNDANT and gives those spiritual keys to His children. The Good Shepherd does not make our life miserable. The only real joy of life comes from walking with Him in sweet fellowship.
A few days ago I was mowing our lawn and I was in a hurry to get it finished so I could do something else that was pressing. I went for a long time without stopping for a rest or for a drink of water. When I did stop oh how good that water tatsed. But that is not the water Jesus was referring to. He was speaking of the water of SAVING GRACE. Have you drank of this water?
1. THE POVERTY HE EXPOSED:
This feast celebrated the safe gathering of their seasons crops. It was a time of great fellowship and gaiety. The atmosphere was filled with festivity. In the book of Deuteronomy 16 we find that the people were commanded to REJOICE. God wants His people to find the JOY that is found in Him. Yet, beyond their cries of laughter and amusement take note to:
A: THE DESOLATION JESUS BEHELD:
Looking deep into their hearts and minds, we find in Verse #37, "In that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." Here Jesus was speaking unto the multitude of worshippers that were gathered about Him. For seven days they arose each morning and came to the steps of the courts of the temple. Offering their sacrifices and singing their psalms, they had gone in the evening time into the hills. Rather than forgetting the goodness of God upon their forefathers and themselves, they dwelled in some hand made booths in the hills as they reflected upon their fathers journeyings throughout the wilderness. Yet, despite their rituals, they were still thirsty. They still did not have the inner peace and joy of God within them.
All the forms and acts of religion cannot begin to satisfy the hungry soul. It may perhaps stir us but cannot change us. Acts of worship alone cannot give us the water that satisfies the thirst of the inner man. Despite being a member of the richest, proudest and most sanctimonious part of society and being a member of the great Sanhedrin we find Nicodemus coming to Jesus in John 3:2 " The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher from God, for no man can do these miracles except God be with him." Despite Nicodemus’ fasting two times a week, and keeping all the religious Jewish feasts in great detail, we find him seeking out more, for he was still thirsty. All his religious observances left him empty! Only Christ Jesus saves and satisifes the soul of man! Praise the Lord! The good thing about drinking from the water that Jesus offers, the more you drink, the more you want to come back for more and more and more and more!
When I was a young boy, our home place had the best well water. I remember going to the well many hot summer days and drawing up a pail of cool, clear refeshing water. There was nothing like it anywhere. Our next door neighbor had a well just about 500 feet from ours, but their water tasted nothing like ours. And that is the way it is with Jesus. Nothing comes close to His joy and His peace and His contentment.
But good tasting water, no matter how good it is, must be personally tasted before it can be enjoyed or understood. I urge you today to come and personally taste of His goodness.
B:) THE DANGER HE BEHELD:
In verse #37 we read " Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to Me, and drink." Hunger and thrist are the two most pressing needs of the physical body. Without water we can literally thirst to death, an excruciating death. We can go much longer without food than we can without water. Without water the vital organs of the body begin to go into shock and shut down. We soon die without water. Jesus reminded them, "I am the Water of Life" or in other words, "I am what keeps you alive, eternally, fully alive." Without water we perish and without Christ and His forgiveness, we perish!
C:) THE DIVISION:
In verse #43. " So there was a division amomng the people because of Him"
As His words rang throughout the air it stirred a division among the people. While a few believed, others rejected Him and accused Him of being an impostor. Eventually this division so multiplied, they bound Him and crucified Him.
I find it exactly that way today. Sunday after Sunday thousands upon thousands of ministers stand behind church pulpits and preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified and resurrected from the grave, sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for our needs. And the message is received by few and rejected by the majority. Even amomg those who sit before their minister Sunday after Sunday and hear the words over and over again,"If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink" they have yet to taste of the good living water of Jesus. Like the Jewish people they have observed their religious rituals and have done their few good deeds, but they do not have the inner water that supplies them with abundant joy and peace from above.
I am not against Christain Observances, such as baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Church Membership and other acts of worship, but unless we have made personal peace with God, through asking Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins and to create in us a new and clean heart, there is no way we can enjoy HIS LIVING WATER. Do you have those rivers of water flwoing within you this day? You can! It’s abundant and its free!
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