The Gospel of John (2-17-2013)
Lesson 22 – John 7:36-41
It is possible that the dialog and encounter that we find
that ends in v. 36 could possibly still be mid week. However, we find the
Apostle John gives us a new time marker in v. 37 telling us that at that point
it was the end of the week for the feast of the tabernacles. He says that it
was a great and popular day and because of this we could assume that everyone
in all likelihood would have been there and wouldn’t have missed this part of
the celebration for anything.
It was here, in this setting, that Jesus purposely chose to
stand up speaking very loudly and make a public display of Himself. He wasn’t
irreverent. And, He wasn’t disruptive. Those who were in charge did not realize
that He was a planned part of this festival sent to it and to them by the One
that they claimed that this gathering was for.
In standing in this public place probably in the most
prominent spot of the festival it tells us in v. 37 that He cried out, meaning
very loudly, so that all could hear, a Promise to a then hungry and thirsty
crowd promising to satisfy their thirsty souls with refreshing waters that
would give them long lasting satisfaction.
V. 37-8 The first thing that He says after standing is that
if you are thirsty come to me and I will give you a drink. That got everybody’s
attention. There were probably not too many there on that day at that time that
were not thirsty and would not have been ready for a free drink. Have you ever
been to an event with lots of people? Water is at a premium. But, now when He
had their attention He explains His meaning telling them that He was not
referring to refreshment in physical terms, but was going deeper providing a
drink that was deep and satisfying, telling that this drink will in the end
turn into a river that could not be contained and would gush out spilling
refreshing water everywhere.
In v. 39 the Apostle John tells us exactly what Jesus meant
by this statement and exactly what He was offering. He tells us that He was
referring to the Living refreshing Water of the Presence of the Holy Spirit of
Life that was promised to all those who would receive His offer. What many of
them probably wanted was a physical drink much like the woman at the well, but
Jesus was here to offer them more. He wanted to satisfy a need that they did
not realize that they had.
Water like food has a way of coloring every area of our
life. When we are thirsty, or hungry for that matter, life can appear to be
more difficult or tense. Depending how thirsty that we are, we are
proportionately driven to seek out water to quench our thirstiness. Depending
how thirsty we are, our priority in our life may shift from whatever we are
doing or are focused on and the thirstier that we are the more that water now
becomes our priority and center of focus. Quenching our thirst for water makes
whatever we are doing in life tolerable and manageable again.
Just meeting the need
for water and food, quenching our thirstiness and satisfying our hunger makes
life ok even if life is difficult. God and the Holy Spirit have this effect on
life. Jesus’ promise was descriptive and accurate. What He was/is offering is
no exaggeration. Receiving God and the Presence of the Holy God referred to as
the Holy Spirit puts all of life no matter how difficult into perspective
allowing us to deal with what we are up against as if we were satisfied
regarding the essentials of food and water. As Promised here in v. 39, the
river of refreshment provided by God’s Spirit is always abundantly available no
matter how much this life pours on the heat.
He is saying here that whenever we are tired and thirsty
from the heat and difficulty of daily life there remains available a glass of
cold water very near at our beckon and disposal to refresh us to continue our
often difficult journey before us. In life no matter how difficult it is, if we
have nourishment and refreshment to go on we can handle just about anything
that comes our way.
It says in v. 39 that the Holy Spirit had not yet been given
meaning that it was a promise yet to be delivered or fulfilled, and He was not
yet to show up still for a little while. He was due soon and He would manifest
Himself guaranteed, but He had not arrived yet. He could not yet come or
manifest in the complete way that Jesus meant and Promised. There was something
that was yet to happen that had not been completed before the fullness of the
Promise could transact. What He had Promised was a new complete version of
God’s Presence in life that would fill every dimension and aspect of life and
it would never need an upgrade to a better version…it would be complete.
But, His offer would cost. And, it would cost big. Someone
would have to pay. The price of this offer, however, was beyond man’s ability
to afford to pay for what was offered. Not to worry though, there was still
hope. Along with Jesus’ offer of the gift
of the Spirit and the benefits that were attached came as another part of
the packaged offer that made this an offer that would be hard to pass up. Even
though man could not in any way afford to purchase what Jesus was offering, the
unique part of this offer was that not only did the product that was offered have
unbelievable benefits, but along with the offer was the offer to pay the full
price for this offer, asking no repayment in return except to believe and
receive what was offered, and, to live life accordingly to get the benefit of
His packaged deal.
Prior to this, that is the Holy Spirit’s arrival as offered
by Jesus, God’s Presence moved men and rested on them from the outside pressing
or urging upon them God’s will and direction for their life. However, what was
offered here was a new thing..a new type of the Presence of God. It was a New
and Living Presence of God now more Personal and more Real. God would now
become part of their life. This is what He was offering them. But, it would
require a change in their life to receive what He was offering them. The
biggest change required was a change in focus…from themselves to God.
To us this may seem a strange statement coming from Jesus at
the end of this festival. Such a statement would be hard for us to understand,
v. 37-8. Making such a public statement at the end of this great festival shows
the significance of what Jesus was saying. Again, to us its meaning would be
difficult to grasp, especially if John had not given us the clarification that
is found in v. 39. But, to those present their response in vs. 40-1 to what He
said tells us that it indeed meant something to them. All that had gone on that
week culminating with Jesus’ statement in vs. 37-8 confirmed what they had been
thinking about Him making them 99 per cent sure of what they believed about
Him. All that remained was their assessing some remaining details about Him deciding
whether it was all there or not as to whether or not to give Him full
endorsement.
The people had been taught and brought up in a society that
knew enough of what was supposed to happen next as far as the prophetic order
of events. From what Jesus declared publically at this festival it made them
more convinced than ever that He indeed could actually be the Messiah. But, one
should ask what was the connection concerning the meaning of what was said and
their reaction in vs. 40-1. Those there
on that day evidently heard something in what He said that connected Him with
something that they were aware of or knew that convinced them that He indeed
was the One that they should be looking for, i. e. the Promised Messiah.
To us from our perspective and background it may be somewhat
of a mystery as to what He said that caught their interest. But, from their
response to what He said it must have been something pretty significant and
something that they were readily familiar with. It is good to remember that
cultures and backgrounds and heritage play a big part in national understanding
and perspective and that this is probably the case in this passage. Israel was
structured functionally different than other nations. It functioned on
foundational principles that made its people and society function and think
differently. A statement like this, vs. 37-8, may not mean much to us, but as
we see from their response that it did to them. The reference that Jesus made
to drinking water and refreshment and the flowing of Living waters had been
part of their cultural background and teaching as we find prophetic references
to this in the following passages: Is. 12, 43:19-21, 44:1-8, 55:1-6. It is
statements such as this that we find Jesus making that would identify Him
specifically with the people of Israel asking them to believe that He is indeed
the Promised One.
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