John 7:37-39

John 7:37-39

And in the last great day of the feast, Jesus had stood up and cried out while saying, “If someone should thirst let him come to me and let him drink.  The one who believes in me – just as scripture said – rivers of living water will flow out of his heart.”  He said this regarding the Spirit, whom the ones who believe in Him were about to receive.  For the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet being glorified.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

We have an interesting and often overlooked point here in this passage.  Jesus says that those who should thirst should come to Him for a drink.  What’s interesting about this is that Jesus isn’t just handing out free drinks here.  Jesus is telling people that they need to discern if they are thirsty.  If they are thirsty they come to Him.  Jesus isn’t going around randomly imparting spirituality into people.  Jesus disciples those who discern their desire for spirituality and who come to Him.

Are you thirsty?  Have you come to Jesus and drunk from what He has come to offer?  Have you made yourself available to Christ?

Second Thought:

When Jesus speaks about rivers of living water, he is likely making an allusion to the story in Exodus 17:1-7 where we hear the Hebrew people receive water from a rock.  This passage has many layers of truth to discern.  Jesus is speaking of Himself as the spiritual rock out of which the river initially flows.  However, Jesus indicates that others will have this river flow out of them, too.  So each of His followers are like that spiritual rock in the wilderness that sustains people.  To make this really cool, remember that Jesus renames his primary disciple.  The one who was known as Simon becomes Peter.  Peter means Petra in the Greek.  Petra means “rock.”  Jesus is telling us that if we come to Him, we can become like that spiritual rock and spew forth exactly what people need to survive in the wilderness of life.

Do you think of yourself as a spiritual rock?  Do you see yourself as having something spiritual flowing out of you that others can receive?  Where does that something come from?  What is it?

Third Thought:

At the end of this passage we have a unique expression.  John seems to be saying that the Spirit is not yet in existence at this time.  Of course, we know this is not what John means.  The Spirit was present in creation and all throughout the Old Testament.  What John is saying is that the Holy Spirit hadn’t yet been given to human people so that God dwells within us.  Jesus hadn’t yet died.  He hadn’t yet been raised.  He hadn’t yet given out the Holy Spirit to His disciples when He met them after the resurrection.  It’s not that the Holy Spirit hadn’t yet come into existence.  The Holy Spirit hadn’t yet been given out to dwell with mankind because Christ had not yet died.

Do you believe the Holy Spirit is within you?  How do you know? 

Passage for Tomorrow: John 7:40-52