Streams of Living Water
Streams of Living Water
John 7:25-52
Main Idea: As the one sent from and returning to heaven, Jesus offers us the Spirit of life.
I. Where He Comes From (7:25-31; 40-52)
The crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths begin to speculate: “Do the authorities know that Jesus is the Christ?” (7:26). However, they doubt Jesus’ qualifications on two levels:
The messianic tradition and literature of the day expected a “sudden” and unexpected appearance of the Christ (7:27; cf. Mal 3:1)
Jesus was known to be from Nazareth and Galilee, rather than Bethlehem and the house of David (7:41-42; cf. Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1)After the seeming disappointment of the crowds leaving Jesus just a few months earlier (cf. 6:66), Jesus’ brothers (cf. 2:12; Matt. 13:55) see an opportunity for him to showcase his miracles and works out in the “open” and to the “world” as the crowds make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. However, this suggestion was from a place of “unbelief,” desiring worldly glory through worldly means (cf. 6:14-15, 26).
While the crowds argue about his earthly birthplace, Jesus challenges their understanding by asserting his true origins go back much further than his hometown. John 1:18:“No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” Those who do not know and recognize Jesus do not truly know God the Father who has sent him (cf. 8:19; Matt. 11:27).
Despite the mounting opposition and an arrest warrant out for Jesus (7:32), “no one laid hands on him” (7:30a). John tells us a few reasons why:
The guards are struck by the wisdom and authority of Christ: “No one ever spoke like this man!” (7:46)
The Pharisees arrogance and pride (7:47-52) that blinded them to reality or an honest investigation (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-10)
In God’s sovereignty, Jesus’ “hour had not yet come” (7:30b)
“We find here a striking example of the restraining hand of God upon His enemies. Their purpose was to apprehend Christ. They sought to take Him, yet not a hand was laid upon Him! They thirsted for His blood and were determined to kill Him; yet by an invisible restraint from above, they were powerless to do so. How blessed, then, to know that everything is under the immediate control of God. They could no more arrest Christ than they could stop the sun from shining… Until God’s foreordained hour struck, and the incarnate Son bowed to the Father’s good pleasure, he was immortal.”
~ A.W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John
II. Where He Is Going (7:32-36)
While the ‘muttering’ continues around Jesus, he intrigues the crowds further by speaking not only of his divine origins, but also his heavenly destination in his “ascension.” Like so many others in John’s gospel, the crowds interpret Jesus’ words in strictly “earthly” ways (cf. 2:19-20; 3:3-4; 4:10-11; 5:6-7; 6:51-52).
There is a deep irony in their misunderstanding; while Jesus was not speaking of going to the Dispersion and preaching to the Greeks, this is precisely what happens after his ascension into heaven, as the gospel goes forth “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) through the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 16:7: I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
III. What He Offers (7:37-39)
As part of the Feast of Booths, the Jews observed a special “water-pouring ritual” that remembered God’s faithfulness to them in the wilderness, petitioned the God of the Harvest for abundant rains, and created expectation for the coming Messianic age (cf. Isa. 12:3), including the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (cf. Joel 2:28-29).
At the climactic moment of the feast (the “last” and “great day”), Jesus cries out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (7:37b-38). Jesus presents himself as the fulfillment of what the water festival depicted, that we might believe and be saved and satisfied (20:30-31; cf. 4:13-14).
This ‘living water’ is the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is poured out on all of God’s people after the crucifixion (“glorification”) and ascension of Jesus (cf. Acts 2). The Holy Spirit and water are often connected throughout the OT (Isa. 44:3; Jer. 2:13; Zech. 13:1).
1 Corinthians 10:1–4: For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
“Moses struck the rock and water flowed to quench the people’s thirst. At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus offers living water to those who come to him. Jesus is the Rock. Jesus will be struck. Water will flow from Jesus, and Jesus will give the Holy Spirit to sustain his people on their journey to the Promised Land.”
~ Jim Hamilton, ESV Expository Commentary
Just as the Lord provided water from the rock that was struck (cf. Ex. 17) in the wilderness for a grumbling, unworthy people, so too will Jesus be struck and then provide “rivers of living water” for unworthy people. If we want to satisfy our spiritual thirst with this living water, we must “drink” and "believe" in Christ. He will cause the life-giving Holy Spirit to well up inside of us and overflow to the world around us.
Revelation 22:17: The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.