Come to Me and Drink

John 7:25-52 

Key verse 37b

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

1. Read verses 25-31.  What were the people wondering about? (25-27)  What then did Jesus cry out? (28-29)  What was Jesus’ point?  How did the crowd respond? (30-31) 

2. Read verses 32-36.  What did the chief priests and the Pharisees do?  Why? (32)  What did Jesus say was going to happen? (33-34)  How did the Jews interpret his words? (35-36) 

3. Read verses 37-44.  What great invitation did Jesus give on the last and greatest day of the Feast? (37-38)  What did Jesus promise to those who come and believe? (37-39)  How did the people respond? (40-44)

4. Read verses 45-52.  Why couldn’t the guards arrest Jesus? (45-46)  How did the Pharisees become upset? (47-48)  How did Nicodemus intervene? (50-51)

Come to Me and Drink

John 7:25-52 

Key verse 37b

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

Introduction:

Jesus continues where he left off in chapter 5 in revealing himself as the Christ to the Jews who are becoming increasingly hostile. He reveals himself to them as one whose origin and identity are divine and whose mission is one of love to save people by divine revelation.

Jesus reveals himself as the one about whom the Jews were celebrating during the Feast of Tabernacles: The rock that gushes forth living water. And he invites all to come and drink – even those who want to kill him.

1. Read verses 25-31. 

ANSWER:

Joh 7:25-31  At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?  26  Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?  27  But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."  28  Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,  29  but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."  30  At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.  31  Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"

The word “know” is repeated 6 times in the verses above. This indicates that knowing Jesus and his origin is the central issue of the passage.

What were the people wondering about? (25-27)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:25-27  At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?  26  Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?  27  But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

They were wondering why the temple authorities were allowing Jesus to speak publicly and were not acting to apprehend him (26). They were astonished by Jesus’ courage and boldness to be speaking in the temple courts under such circumstance.

The people speaking here were the “people of Jerusalem” in contradistinction with the Jewish pilgrims to this feast. The residents of Jerusalem knew about the plot against Jesus but the Jewish pilgrims knew nothing about it (20).

They seem to rely on the Jewish authorities to tell them what to believe. Hence, they were greatly confused by their leaders who now seemed to have changed their mind about Jesus, allowing him to speak publicly without saying a word to him (26).

They reasoned that official opinion about Jesus could not have changed – that it was impossible to conclude that he is the Christ because the facts about his origin were well known and because “when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from” (27).

These Jerusalemites probably believed, as did other Jews, that the Christ would come “from David's family and from Bethlehem” (42-43; Mat 2:5; 2Sa 7:12; Mic 5:2). But they also believed that the identity of the Messiah would remain unknown until his public appearance which would come suddenly and unexpectedly as though he came from out of nowhere.

What then did Jesus cry out? (28-29)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:28-29  Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,  29  but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."

He said basically that he was from above; his origin was divine.

Jesus cried out these words because he had to emphasize this point.

Once again the word “know” is repeated four times. Jesus helped them to know him in terms of his origin, mission and identity.

Jesus knew what they were saying amongst themselves. He had a broken heart for these confused people and wanted to teach them. 

Earlier, Jesus had cleared the temple in holy anger. Had this place been rightly used for Bible study under the guidance of religious leaders (i.e. had they gone and done their homework, Mat 9:13, 12:7), they would have found Jesus to be the Christ a long time ago (17).

What was Jesus’ point?

ANSWER:

Jesus acknowledged that the crowd knew something about him; they knew his name and address. We can learn a lot about a person by knowing his name and address. But that does not tell us what is inside a person. Judgments based on superficial knowledge often lead us astray. This is especially true when we are looking at Jesus. Then what is it that we must know about Jesus? It is that Jesus came from God. When we see Jesus, we must see God who sent Jesus. We can find a good example of this in Simeon (Lk 2:28-32). He took the baby Jesus in his arms at the time of his circumcision. Moved by the Holy Spirit, he saw God in Jesus and he saw God’s salvation for the whole world in Jesus. With his human eyes, he saw only a baby. But when he had spiritual insight through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he saw God. While at the Feast, the people in the crowd saw the grown up Jesus and heard his powerful Bible message. But instead of seeing God in Jesus, they despised him based on their human knowledge about him.

Jesus denied that he was there “on his own”. He was not there to teach them, as they supposed, because of his own ambition to gain glory for himself. Rather, he was sent by his Father. His aim was to do the will of his Father and bring honor to him. He denied that he was governed by the same dark passions that ruled in the hearts of those who disbelieved him.

Like Jesus, we are from God with an origin, mission and identity from above (1Jn 4:6, 4; Psa 87:6; Jn 3:3; Mat 16:18). Knowing Christ and who we are in him on these terms is critical – these should arise in our heart for the fruit of right practice to come forth in our life.

The point here is that human beings have many ideas about God. They say many things based on their human observation and reason. But Jesus is different. Jesus knows God. Jesus was sent by God. Jesus came to us so that we can know God. When we simply accept Jesus, we can know God truly.

How did the crowd respond? (30-31)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:30-31  At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.  31  Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"

They got angry at him. They attempted to arrest him and teach him a lesson but they failed (30). John says it was because “his time had not yet come”. 

If they had accepted Jesus’ words they could have come to God and could have known God. But their pride was hurt when Jesus did not credit them for their human knowledge.

God absolutely protects his servants who live by his time schedule. 

Still many in the crowd put their faith in Jesus (31). They were moved by Jesus’ words and by Jesus’ courageous faith. Then they remembered the miracles he had done. In the light of God’s powerful word, they could correctly see the evidence. Heavenly epiphanies were conceived in their hearts from above concerning the evidence, the sign miracles which pointed to Jesus’ identity, and they could reason correctly and understand that he was the Christ (1Jn 5:20).

When we proclaim the gospel message by faith, there are many who will believe. May God help us to proclaim that Jesus is the way to God on all of our campuses without giving up.

2. Read verses 32-36.

ANSWER:

Joh 7:32-36  The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.  33  Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me.  34  You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."  35  The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?  36  What did he mean when he said, `You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and `Where I am, you cannot come'?"

What did the chief priests and the Pharisees do?  Why? (32)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:32  The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

They sent temple guards to arrest Jesus.

On hearing the crowd whispering such words of faith in Jesus, these religious leaders recognized that he was winning the hearts of the people, drawing them by his powerful words to believe in him as the Messiah. They perceived this as a threat to their power over the people and acted immediately to stop it. So they sent temple guards to arrest Jesus. They were not interested in truth but in living a prosperous life in this world.

The Pharisees were political and religious opponents of the chief priests who were mostly Sadducees. But here they joined forces against Jesus, their common enemy.

What did Jesus say was going to happen? (33-34)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:33-34  Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me.  34  You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."

The religious leaders thought they had power to take Jesus’ life. But Jesus told them that it was his Father who sent him who had the full control over his life. At his Father’s right time, Jesus would go back to his Father who sent him (33). At that hour, he would voluntarily surrender his life (10:17-18) to be hung on the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He would die and on the third day rise again. Then he would go back to his Father in heaven and sit at his right hand to reign in glory forever. 

The guards were now coming to arrest Jesus but he was not worried. He entrusted his life in God’s hands (30). He focused instead on these religious leaders and proclaimed the words of life to them with a compassionate heart. 

Jesus solemnly warned these religious leaders in love that there remained only a “short time” for them to listen to his words of life (34). Later on, God in his wrath was going to send the Roman legions against the city to destroy them for being incorrigible, unremorseful murderers of his One and Only beloved Son. At that time, they will look for their Messiah for deliverance but will not find him. They will not go to heaven but will instead die in their sins (8:21, 24). He says solemnly, “where I am, you cannot come” (34).

Jesus’ words of warning echo those of Pro 1:24-30 which reads, “But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,  25  since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,  26  I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you --  27  when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.  28  "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.  29  Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD”.

Here we see that Jesus preached the gospel to the religious leaders equally with the love of God. Though they wanted to arrest him and kill him, Jesus loved them and used all his wisdom to help them somehow accept the gospel message. Jesus never retaliates. Jesus always preaches the gospel with love. His truthful warning to them to repent or perish eternally under God’s wrath was proclaimed with a heart full of grace and divine love.

How did the Jews interpret his words? (35-36)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:35-36  The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?  36  What did he mean when he said, `You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and `Where I am, you cannot come'?"

They were in total darkness so his words were nonsense to them (1Co 2:14). 

They made fun of him. They cynically wondered if now, having failed to deceive them, he was planning to go and teach the ignorant people who were easy to deceive such as their Grecian brothers or the Greeks.

Ironically, their words accurately foretold the course Christianity took after Pentecost. Jesus would indeed be preached as the Messiah with great success among the Greeks throughout the empire. The Gospel of John was, in fact, written to proclaim Jesus as the Christ to the Greeks of Asia Minor.

3. Read verses 37-44. 

ANSWER:

Joh 7:37-44  On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."  39  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.  40  On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."  41  Others said, "He is the Christ."  Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee?  42  Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"  43  Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.  44  Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

What great invitation did Jesus give on the last and greatest day of the Feast? (37-38) 

ANSWER:

Joh 7:37-38  On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Jesus invited all the spiritually thirsty people to come to him and drink. Even now he invites anyone to come to him who is disenchanted with the flesh life and who recognizes his inner thirst for something which the world cannot seem to satisfy.

The occasion on which he gave this invitation was “the last and greatest day of the Feast” (the Feast of Tabernacles, Lev 23:33-44, Num 29:12-40). On that day there was a water pouring ceremony. This ceremony commemorated the event in which God made water come out of the rock for the people to drink when they were in the desert (Ex 17:1-7). At that time, the people were extremely thirsty. As we know, human beings need to drink water regularly. Without water, we cannot survive long. After three days without water, a person’s body begins to crave water as a matter of life and death. This is why the people of Israel were so distressed that they grumbled in the desert. God had mercy on the people of Israel and made water come out of a rock. It was an abundant supply of fresh and pure water. They drank as much as they wanted and their thirst was gone. 

Jesus announced here, in short, that he was the true rock that was going to gush forth with living water to quench everyone’s thirst (Jn 20:22; 1Co 10:4; Isa 52:15). He was the rock that would be struck by crucifixion and by the spear thrust to his side (19:34). Living water was going to gush forth from his dying breath and from his veins and from his pierced side so that all can come and drink. What Jesus announced here was that his death and resurrection was the fulfillment of all of that which the Jews were now celebrating and the means through which he is the true rock at Horeb foreshadowed in Moses’ Law as the source of life-giving, satisfying water (Jn 1:16-17). Perhaps at the very time at which the water was being poured out, he arose and shouted that everyone was now invited to come to him for a drink – to come for a drink to the cross where he was to be slain.

What did Jesus promise to those who come and believe? (37-39)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:37-39  On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."  39  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

He promises the Holy Spirit (38-39). From the Holy Spirit we receive the benefit of:

Salvation
Jesus called the Spirit “living” water because the Spirit whom he gives applies the life-giving benefits of his sacrifice on the cross to dead sinners, making them alive. The Spirit washes away all the deadly poisons of the impure desire for this world and of guilt and condemnation from our heart and brings us the saving knowledge of who Jesus is and what he did through the words of God so that we can enter into a love relationship with God (Jn 17:3; 15:3; 6:63).

Satisfaction
From the Holy Spirit, streams of living water flow from within us. That is because the Spirit whom Jesus gives us opens our eyes to Christ through the words of God and gives us the knowledge of Christ’s powerful work on the cross and of his glory and love for us so that we are his true worshippers, finding Christ as the object of our love, adoration, fascination, and the fountain of our joy and strength and finding the fullness of life in a love relationship with him in which our heart is his exclusive possession, satisfied and ruled by him (Jn 16:14; 14:21; 17:24, 26).

Source of blessing
Jesus does more than merely satisfy our own thirst. He makes the streams of living water flow from within us into other’s lives. He makes us a blessing to others like the Samaritan woman who was compelled to share the life-giving news of her fantastic discovery to all the people of Sychar.

Two conditions are attached to this promise. We must: (1) come to him; and (2) believe in him. These two things, coming and believing, must be combined into one action:

John’s Gospel does not contain the word “repent” but nevertheless, repentance is a requirement for salvation (2Ti 2:19; 1Co 6:9a) and repentance is involved in coming to Jesus. To come to Jesus for a drink means to come out from the life of attempting to quench one’s thirst with worldly things.

We must believe in Jesus and in the efficacy of his sacrifice on the cross to save us:
(a) To put sin to death within us and bring us forgiveness and cleansing and deliverance from sin’s effects, the deadly guilt and shameful desires; and...
(b) To make our heart alive with holy desires – alive with desire to love and adore him, to know him and be loved by him and delight in him and worship and faithfully serve him.

It is not clear the exact Scripture to which Jesus referred in verse 38. He may have referred to the Scripture which had just been proclaimed by the priests during the ceremonies on that occasion. But he may also have referred to the general point made by a number of OT Scriptures such as Isa 55:1-3, Eze 36:25-27, Isa 44:2-4, etc. Either way, Jesus was saying that he was now repeating what his Father had promised long ago in Scripture. Jesus’ promise of life from the Spirit was no new invention of his but a promise founded on God’s words and a promise which was fulfilled in himself.

The author remarks that, “Up to that time the Spirit had not been given” (39). This meant that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit would come only after Jesus’ death on the cross (Jn 16:7). But it doesn’t mean that there was no salvation work by the Spirit in people’s hearts prior to Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit and was filled with the Spirit without limit (Jn 3:34; Luk 4:18-21) and was doing his Messianic work by the power of the Spirit (Jn 6:63; Mat 12:28) and was giving salvation to people like the Samaritan woman and many others by the power of the Spirit and his words (Luk 19:9; Mat 9:2). And prior to Jesus’ coming, the Old Testament believers were saved in the same we are by the Spirit applying the future redemption of Christ to them (1Co 10:3-4).

How did the people respond? (40-44)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:40-44  On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."  41  Others said, "He is the Christ."  Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee?  42  Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"  43  Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.  44  Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

The response to his message was divided (43). 

Some reacted to his words as though impressive evidence about Jesus’ identity had been presented to them (40-41a). Their reaction suggests that saving faith was arising in their hearts – that spiritual light of life was transferred to them by the power of the Spirit through Jesus’ word (Jn 5:25; 6:63, 37; 1Thes 1:4-5).

Still others remained unable to discern any truth in Jesus’ words (41b; 1:5). Instead, they despised him because of their knowledge concerning his human origin (because he came from Galilee) and they wanted to seize him (44).

4. Read verses 45-52.

ANSWER:

Joh 7:45-52  Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"  46  "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared.  47  "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted.  48  "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?  49  No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law -- there is a curse on them."  50  Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,  51  "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"  52  They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

Why couldn’t the guards arrest Jesus? (45-46)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:45-46  Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"  46  "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared.

The temple guards who had been sent to arrest Jesus four days ago had been totally captured by Jesus’ words and went back to their bosses and ended up praising Jesus’ powerful message delivery. 

This shows the irresistible power of Jesus’ words. 

How did the Pharisees become upset? (47-48)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:47-48  "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted.  48  "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

The religious leaders became all the more angry. They revealed their hatred and murderous spirit. They arrogantly despised not only Jesus, but all the ordinary people who had simply accepted Jesus’ message by calling them cursed people.

How did Nicodemus intervene? (50-51)

ANSWER:

Joh 7:50-51  Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,  51  "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"

Nicodemus tried to speak rationally to them. But they would not listen. They were determined to reject Jesus. 

Nicodemus had gone to Jesus at night in 3:1-21 in compliance with the Law to investigate Jesus and now he recommended his colleagues to do the same. Perhaps he thought that they too might be persuaded to believe if they would only spend some time to investigate Jesus’ teachings.

The reasoning of the Pharisees is exposed here as ugly and foolish; they were shown to be in the darkness (Ro 1:21):
1) Their statement in verses 48-49 was proven wrong because Nicodemus was one of their own number and he believed in Jesus. There were others like him (12:42).
2) They refused to handle the situation according to the Law, as Nicodemus pointed out. The law's exhortation to make a thorough investigation when passing judgment (Deut 1:16, 17:2-5, 19:15-19) would include hearing the accused, as later rabbinic teaching makes clear (m. Sanhedrin 5:4; Exodus Rabbah 21:3).
3) Their retort to Nicodemus in verse 52 was an insult: They called him a Galilean. And their claim in verse 52 was clearly wrong. They claimed that “a prophet does not come out of Galilee”. Jonah was from Galilee (2Ki 14:25). Also the Babylonian Talmud later stated, “There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets” (b. Sukkah 27b).

In conclusion:

Jesus is the Christ, the smitten rock that gushes forth living water. May the Lord Jesus be revealed to us as we come to him with a believing heart – revealed as the object of our worship and the source of our happiness and strength that we may be a blessing, revealing of the knowledge of him and his glory to all those around us.

One word: Come to me and drink

 But it appears 7 times in the KJV and 8 times in the Greek (G1097 ginosko appears three times and G1492 eido appears five times).

 The source of this idea is not precisely known. Some expositors think that it is derived from Scripture (Mal 3:1; Isa 53:8; Dan 7:13) and others from Apocrypha. For example, MacArthur writes, “Only information regarding Messiah’s birthplace was revealed in Scripture (Mic. 5:2 Matt. 2:5, 6). Beyond that, a tradition had developed in Jewish circles that Messiah would appear suddenly to the people, based on a misinterpretation of Isaiah 53:8 and Malachi 3:1. In light of this, the meaning of this phrase most likely is that the identity of the Messiah would he wholly unknown until He suddenly appeared in Israel and accomplished Israel’s redemption.” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary, exposition on John 7:27). Robertson writes, “This is a piece of popular theology. “Three things come wholly unexpected - Messiah, a godsend, and a scorpion” (Sanhedrin 97a). The rulers knew the birthplace to be Bethlehem (Joh 7:42; Mat 2:5.), but some even expected the Messiah to drop suddenly from the skies as Satan proposed to Jesus to fall down from the pinnacle of the temple. The Jews generally expected a sudden emergence of the Messiah from concealment with an anointing by Elijah (Apoc. of Bar. XXIX. 3; 2Esdr. 7:28; 13:32; Justin Martyr, Tryph. 110).” (Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, exposition on John 7:27)

 The term “temple guards” is not found in other translations. The KJV reads, “...and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.” The Greek word from which the term “temple guards” is translated is 

G5257 ὑπηρέτης huperetes (hoop-ay-ret'-ace) which means, “1. an assistant or helper; 2. (literally) an under-oarsman; 3. (generally) a subordinate” (Jonathan Kristen Mickelson, Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries) The NET text note on verse 32 reads, “Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing “police” duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (see K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).” (Biblical Studies Press, New English Translation, 2006) “The primary responsibility of the temple guards, who were drawn from the Levites, was maintaining order in the temple precincts as a kind of temple police force.” (Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: John, Acts, Pg 77). See Lk 22:4,52 and Acts 4:1; 5:24,26. “These officers were members of the temple police, charged with the maintenance of law and order within the precincts of the temple. They were Levites. Their commanding officer, called “captain of the temple,” wielded considerable power, second only to that of the chief priest. For this reason he was usually chosen from one of the leading chief-priest families.” (John Phillips, Exploring the gospel of John: an expository commentary, Pg 150)

 The chief priests were drawn from the ranks of the most wealthy and influential priestly families; they were aristocrats from the priestly line, members of the upper class in Jewish society. Many were corrupt and held power through their direct interface with the local client kings (the Herods) and governors appointed by Rome*. In contrast, the Pharisees belonged chiefly to the middle classes. Prominent Pharisees like Gamaliel (Acts 5:34) were those who attained their status by years of diligently studying the Scriptures. They held sway among the general populace through the appeal of their conservative teachings and lifestyle. The teachings of the Sadducees were, by comparison, much more earthbound (Mat 22:23). But both were corrupt (Mat 16:12; Luk 12:1; Mat 23:33).
*Sanders writes, “In the first place, the aristocrats had to get along well with the prefect or procurator. They needed his backing when there was trouble, and they could not cross him in any way. They mediated between prefect and people, presenting the behavior of the populace to the prefect in a good light. On the other hand, they also had to keep the masses from offending Rome too much. If Roman soldiers and Jewish crowds came together and blood was spilled, the aristocrats failed... What was the role of the Pharisees in this aristocracy? Apparently they played no part or a very small part. When a high priest such as Ananias (in our story) or Caiphas (at the time of Jesus) wanted help or advice, he turned to his peers, other aristocratic priests and laymen of wealth, not to the Pharisees. The Pharisees disappear from Josephus' history between the years 6 CE, when Rome sent its first prefect, and 66 CE, when the great Jewish revolt began. The Pharisees drop out of the story because Rome decided that its one high-ranking official would deal with the aristocrats, especially the high priest.” (E.P.Sanders, Jesus in Historical Context, Pg 9)

 The first Greek word in verse 33 (G3767 οὖν oun) is not translated for us in the NIV. That same word is translated “Then” in the KJV which reads, “Then said Jesus unto them...”. But it is translated “Therefore” in the NAS and AMP. The NAS reads, “Therefore Jesus said, "For a little while longer I am with you...” The word “therefore” would suggest a direct connection between Jesus’ words in verse 33 and the religious leaders’ attempt to seize him in the previous verse.

 Jesus was going back to his Father in heaven and yet he said, “where I am, you cannot come”. This is because Jesus was already with his Father in his presence even while he walked the earth. (34; 8:29; 16:32; 17:24).

 Lev 23:36 indicates that the Feast of Tabernacles lasts 8 days but Deu 16:13 indicates that it lasts 7 days.

 “For six days the water parade took place once each morning. Then on the seventh day it was repeated seven times. On the eighth day there was no water ceremony, but it was a solemn time of reflection and prayer. Whether the events in John 7:37—39 took place on the seventh or eighth day is not clear because either day could technically be called “the last and greatest day” (7:37) since the eighth day was not really an original part of Tabernacles… The expression “the great day” is not specifically found in the Jewish sources though either the seventh or eighth day could be so designated depending on one’s point of view.” (Gerald L. Borchert, John 1-11, New American Commentary, Pg 290) “On the seven days of the Feast, a golden flagon was filled with water from the pool of Siloam and was carried in a procession led by the High Priest back to the temple. As the procession approached the watergate on the south side of the inner court three blasts from the sopar — a trumpet connected with joyful occasions — were sounded. While the pilgrims watched, the priests processed around the altar with the flagon, the temple choir singing the Hallel (Pss. 113—118; cf Mishnah Sukkah 4:9). When the choir reached Psalm 118, every male pilgrim shook a lulab (willow and myrtle twigs tied with palm) in his right hand, while his left raised a piece of citrus fruit (a sign of the ingathered harvest), and all cried ‘Give thanks to the LORD!’ three times. The water was offered to God at the time of the morning sacrifice, along with the daily drink-offering (of wine). The wine and the water were poured into their respective silver bowls, and then poured out before the LORD.” (D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, Pg 322)

 “Jesus’ words are capable of two different interpretations, depending on how the text is punctuated. Either Jesus is the source of the living water in the quotation from Scripture in v. 38 or the believer is the source. RSV, TEV, NJV, and NAB prefer a punctuation that understands the water as flowing from the believer: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me [Jesus] and drink; The one who believes in me, as Scripture said, ‘Rivers of living water shall flow out of his [the believer’s] heart.’” JB and NEB utilize a punctuation that assumes the water flows from Jesus: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me [Jesus]; And let him drink who believes in me [Jesus]; As Scripture said, ‘Rivers of living water shall flow our of his [Jesus'] heart.’”” (Charles H. Talbert, Reading John: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel, Pg 153)

 The divine protection Jesus received bears some resemblance with 1Sa 19:19-21.

 The NIV text note on the word “prophet” in verse 52 reads, “Two early manuscripts the Prophet”. It would be a true statement if the Pharisees had said that THE Prophet does not come out of Galilee. Nevertheless, they would still be wrong about Jesus on two levels: His birthplace was Bethlehem in fulfillment of Mic 5:2 and his origin was from heaven. Moreover, they would be guilty for not having investigated Jesus and his background thoroughly as Nicodemus suggested. 

 Source: Biblical Studies Press, New English Translation, 2006

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink

John 7:25-52

Key verse: John 7:37-38 “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Two weeks ago, through Shepherd Jonathan, we learned the first part of chapter 7.  The main point was “If we choose to do God’s will, we get to understand Jesus teaching whether it came from God or not.”  Chapter 7 is a pivotal chapter in John’s gospel.    Now Jesus openly taught with a loud voice at the feast of Tabernacles so that everybody could hear it.  He knew his time in this world would be over soon. If you carefully read John’s gospel, only 6 months was left for him in this world. He would die on the cross as a pascal lamb at the next Passover.  So he was ready to teach the word openly and boldly.  

This chapter appears to be very complex and looks like boring with many controversies and arguments about the nature of Jesus.  However, it is natural when we think that the whole theme of John’s gospel is about who Jesus really is.  As we have learned so far through John’s gospel study, John proclaimed that Jesus is God the creator in the beginning and God the incarnate who was visiting this world and was dwelling among the sinners. Throughout John’s Gospel, John demonstrated Jesus to us God the incarnate through carefully chosen miracles and the events.  Do you know why Apostle John wrote this gospel?  According to John 20:31, ultimately, John wanted us to know and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He proclaimed that it is the only way for us to the eternal life. (John 20:31)

Today, I want to study about the remaining part of chapter 7. In the today’s passage, there was Jesus’ controversy in the feast of Tabernacles.  Everybody at the feast was talking about Jesus and asking who He really is. Some said “He is a good man”, others said “He is the prophet”, or others still said, “ He is the Christ”, but still others said, “No, he is a deceiver”. Who do you think He is?

I’d like to think about first, why it is so important to know who Jesus truly is and second, what does knowing Jesus mean? And third, the meaning of the feast of tabernacles, and lastly, what is the living water, which Jesus promised to give who believes in Him? 

Are you thirsty yet? I pray that God may quench our thirsty souls and give us streams of living water.

I. Is Jesus the Christ? (7:25-36)

In the halfway through the feast of Tabernacles, Jesus no longer hid himself in the crowds and openly taught the people in the temple courts. Jesus often cried out loudly. He pointed out their murderous intention and violation of Moses law.  His teaching stirred up the crowds. Look at verses 25-26. “At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?  Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ” .   The people of Jerusalem knew Jesus was the one who the religious leaders tried to kill and they were very apprehensive of Jesus’ teaching.  They wondered whether the Pharisees and the religious leaders acknowledged Jesus is the Christ. 

It was obvious that Jesus was the hottest topic during the feast of Tabernacles.  Since his public ministry, Jesus was controversial figure and I think some degree he still is. 

Look at verse 27. “But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”  The people of Jerusalem questioned Jesus' messiahship on the basis of where he came from. They thought that the Messiah should come mysteriously from unknown place and his origin should not be known; so since they knew that he came from Galilee, he can’t  be the messiah. Their knowledge was superficial and inaccurate.  They did not try to know what he did or what message he preached, but they focused on what the human background he had.

Look at verses 28-29. “Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” 

Then, why is it so important to know who Jesus is.  Look at verses 28-29 again.  Unless we know Jesus personally, we do not know God the Father who sent Jesus to us.  We cannot truly comprehend God unless we know Jesus whom God sent.  Although the Jews claimed they were God’s chosen people, they did not know God the Father and they did not have any relationship with God unless they know who Jesus is. Some people may say I believe God, but I don’t believe Jesus.  It is absolutely impossible to know God without knowing Jesus.  

God the Father is the source and standard of all truth, so truth is based on relationship with Him. Jesus has such a relationship, and the Jews did not, as Jesus says: You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me. Jesus continues by speaking again of the Father and of his dependency on the Father. Now he says that he has not come on his own (v. 28) and that the one who sent him is true ( v. 28). 

Here, Jesus claimed that He is the one, whom God sent and He knew God, but they did not know Him.  It was a bold statement; either Jesus was the one God really sent, or He was a crazy megalomaniac and a blasphemer that deserved to be stoned. What do you think?  When the people of Jerusalem heard of Jesus’ claim at first, they were horrified and wanted to arrest Jesus and handed him over to the authority, but they could not because his time has not yet come.  In this passage, at least three times, the crowds or the religious leaders tried to arrest Jesus, but they could not do that because it was not yet God’s time.  Any men cannot interfere with God’s plan unless God allowed it.

However, not all people in Jerusalem rejected Jesus.  Look at verse 31. “Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?”  In the midst of skepticism and unbelief, many in the crowd put their faith in him.  They may be a minority, but God always leaves some remnants of God’s people in the midst of unbelievers.  We all know how miserable North Koreans live.  Almost three million North Koreans were starved to death. One of my friends who had been in North Korea many times and every time when he went in North Korea, he saw the miserable condition of North Koreans and his heart was so broken, so when he prays, he cries out and so upset and finger pointing to God, “Lord, why? Why do you just watch over this terrible guy, Kim, Jongil  whose family had brutally ruled North Korea last 65 years?  O, God, why are you so silent?”  Sometimes God’s action seems way slow but He is not silent. He is working and he is preparing for in his own time schedule.  Recently, my friend met a few underground Christians in Pyungyang who were teaching their children about Lord’s prayer and Apostle’s creed under the blanket at night before they became 6 years. When the children reach 6 years, they have to join the kindergarten and memorize all of the communist ideology, so before the children go to kindergarten, their parents teach them about Jesus with a risk of their lives or being expelled to the concentration camp.  God always leaves his remnants and He is still working.

Then, what was the difference between the believers and unbelievers?  Yes, some believers were touched by the Spirit or God’s grace for sure.  But what made them difference besides? I think that the believers opened their hearts.  They saw Jesus and his many miracles objectively and accepted the facts with humble hearts.  That’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3).  Those who are poor in spirit are sincere and their hearts are often broken, so are open for the word of God.  

Then, why is it so important to know who Jesus is? To know who Jesus is and confess our faith determines our eternal life.

Our faith is solely based on Jesus, the person.  Although there are many moral teachings in the Bible, I don’t think our faith can survive if we don’t know personally who Jesus is. When I talked to my son David, do you know who Jesus is, he said, Of course, I know, I know who Jesus is. I heard about him all my life.” But  I am not quite sure he really know Jesus because there is no sign of it. Let’s say he knows Jesus.   Is knowing who Jesus is enough?  Yes, it is the first step for sure, but I don’t think that is enough.  Let’s read John 20:31. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” 

You have to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Believing Jesus demands action or decision.  If you truly believe Jesus is the Christ, how come your life style is same, no change at all?  If you know Jesus and believe in him, you have to obey and stop sinning and your life style should be changed.  No matter how much you enjoy, you have to give up your old life style and make a small step toward to Jesus.  Otherwise, it is not believing at all.  You still do not know who Jesus truly is.  Your knowledge does not help you at all. You have to make your action plan and do it.

II. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink (7:37-44)

Look at verses 37-38.  “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  In the climax of the feast, the last and the greatest day, Jesus stood among the crowds and cried out in a loud voice so that everybody could hear it. Why was the feast of Tabernacles so important to Jesus and us?

 Let’s think about the meaning of the feast of Tabernacles.  The feast of Tabernacles is one of the three great feasts along with Passover and Pentacost. Seven months after the Passover which generally falls to October in our current calendar.  God wants the Israelites to remember how God dwelled with them in the desert. The Almighty God came to the slave people, the Israelites and was dwelling among them. God literally lived with them in the tent and guided them in the desert.  Do you know what is the characteristics of the slave people?  The slave people always complained, or grumble.  “Lord, we are thirsty.  Why did you bring us to this and have us dying of thirst in this miserable desert.  Then, God gave them water from the rock.  They grumbled again, “Lord, we are hungry and why did you bring us to desert and make us starve to death?  Then, God gave them manna from heaven. They grumbled again. Again and again, God helped them and guided them in the desert for 40 years. It was a great celebration of God’ grace and mercy upon the Israelites in the desert.  The living God lived with them in the tent.   During the feast, the Jews are supposed to dwell at the booth made by the grass and tree branches.  Many Jews still do celebrate this at the booth for a week.  They practice to remember God’s grace by living in the booth and they remember their real destination is not this world but the kingdom of God.

On each day of the feast there was a procession of priests to the pool of Siloam to draw water. This symbolizes how God provided them the water from the rock when they were dying of thirst in the desert.  The priests returned to the temple with the water and went in procession once around the altar with the choir chanting Psalms 113-118.  Let’s read  Psalm 118:1-2 and 14-15.  “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Let Israel say: ‘His love endures forever.’” (118:1-2) “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous; ‘The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’”(118:14-15) After chanting and shout of joy, the water was poured out as a ceremony at the morning sacrifice. On the seventh day of the festival the priests processed around the altar with the water not once but seven times. It is the climax of the festival.  They feel the presence of God among them.  At this high point, God the incarnate, Jesus cries out again loudly, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink (v. 37). As they drank the water in the desert given by God, they must come to Jesus to drink the water.  

Water is the source of life.  In our body, if we don’t drink even a few days, we easily become sick and even die, so even when you are fasting, you must drink a plenty of water.  So God gave us a signal of thirst in the body, which means we should drink the water. Thirst is a strong signal for us to drink.  If we don’t have water to drink in the desert, it is unbearable. I often go to hiking in the mountain.  When I go to hiking, I make sure to carry at least 2 liters of water because I know how thirst is dangerous and unbearable.  My mouth, throat, and tongue are dried up,  and I feel like dying of thirst.   Just like our physical body, our souls feel thirsty when our spirit dries up. Only Jesus can give us the living water.  

Then, what is the sign of spiritual thirst.  They feel empty, irritable and angry.  Sometimes, they feel miserable because of meaninglessness. They seek something cool so that their heart could be filled.  However, the complacent people don’t feel the spiritual thirst. They feel O.K, but it is not O.K.  They will die of spiritual thirst. 

I have had many ups and downs in my life, but when I think about myself, I am very unlikely person to be a believer. According to the late missionary Samuel Lee, I am an intellectual hedonist, which I don’t know exactly what he meant, but I think he meant I was a spiritual wanderer.  When I was young, my family was poor and my nation was hopelessly corrupted and I was sick with TB. I was angry, full of complaint and rebellious toward God.  I was thirsty, but nothing quenched my soul.  Eventually, when I studied Mark gospel sincerely in 1975, God opened my heart.  The word of God quenched my thirsty soul.  That was long time ago. Now, I feel O.K.  Outwardly God blessed me abundantly. I am an O.K Christian. I am a tenured full professor in the college of Pharmacy. I am physically healthy.  So I am complacent. I feel O.K.  I don’t feel thirsty.  If you don’t feel thirsty although you are dehydrated, it is dangerous.  In fact, very young baby or very old nursing home residents often become very sick and die of dehydration because they don’t feel thirsty or they cannot drink by themselves and their caregiver ignores their thirst.  Our UBF ministry has been characterized by a manger ministry, but just like everybody else, we have become complacent when we grow.  It is a dangerous sign.  We have to be spiritually thirsty again and seek Him only.  

The Psalmist sang, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Ps 42:1-2). 

Jesus says “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” The Almighty God gave the Israelites  water from the rock in the past. Now the spiritually thirsty souls must listen to Jesus’ invitation and come to Him and drink.  What Jesus offers is the fulfillment of the very things they were celebrating in the festival. In Isaiah 55:1, God invited the Israelites, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters"  Here the Son is repeating the offer of the Father. Indeed, he is fulfilling God’s promise, who "will guide them and lead them beside springs of water" (Is 49:10). His offer shows he is far more than just a prophet; here we have God himself visiting us the sinners and He is offering us the living water. When we believe in Him, we will receive the living water, which quench not only our souls but become streams to cover the whole world. 

Let’s read verse 39.  “ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

Here, John explained that the living water he promised is the Holy Spirit he would send later. Then, how will the living water, which is the Spirit quench our soul’s thirst?  How come water flows so much from his belly and become streams of living water?  What is the consequence of the Spirit, which quenches our souls?  In general, we don’t talk about the topic of the Spirit much because it appears to be mysterious or hard to grasp.  Sometimes, we are apprehensive because we don’t know much about it, so we avoid this topic altogether.  However, we can’t avoid because we cannot sustain our spiritual lives without help of the Spirit because we will be thirsty again without living water.  

Recently, I registered for swimming lesson.  My wife is an excellent swimmer, so she strongly urged me to learn how to swim.  In the past, I’ve failed many times to learn how to swim and I still don’t know how to swim.    I  swim about 20 feet, but when I try to breathe, I begin to sink.  As we all know, without breathing we can’t swim for long, we can’t sustain our spiritual life without help of the Holy Spirit.

Some people think that only those who belong to the certain denomination, such as Pentacost church receive the Spirit.  Or others think that when we receive the Spirit, we have to speak tongues or receive a special gift, such as gift of healing or gift of prophecy. That may be true, but they are not all.  I don’t think that those things are the essence of the Spirit.  Then, how does the Spirit quench our souls?

First, the Holy Spirit makes us to understand the word of God, which quenches our spiritual thirst.  The Holy Spirit helps us to know who Jesus is.  John 14:26 says “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Without the help of the Spirit, we can’t understand the word of God. So if you don’t understand the word of God, ask and pray for the Spirit.

Second, the Holy Spirit gives us peace, joy and love of forgiveness.  When Jesus died on the cross, the disciples were gripped with fear and anxiety.  All of them ran away and were trembling behind the closed door.   The risen Jesus visited the fearful disciples.  Let’s look at John 20:21-22.  Jesus breathed the Spirit into them, saying “Peace be with you!”  When they received Him, they could overcome their fear and their hearts were filled with peace and joy.  This world makes us anxious and tremble.  Some people said, the earthquake, the Big One will hit Los Angeles and Tsunami will sweep it out for at least 60 miles, so we have to move at least to Arizona or possibly to Atlanta.  So they packed and disappeared overnight.  Unless God allows anything, nobody can touch even one hair of ours.  If our spiritual lives are filled with worry and fear and no joy or peace, then, it is something wrong.  It is just like a wedding guest who did not taste a choice wine Jesus prepared for us.  

Some people who thought to receive the Holy Spirit may become arrogant and look down others, so they become a source of dispute and division in the church. It happened at Corinthian church in the first century.  If that is the case, they may receive some other spirit, i.e. the spirit of argument rather than the Holy Spirit.  When they receive the Holy Spirit, they should be humble, joyful and be a peace-maker rather than a source of dispute and argument.

Third, the Holy Spirit makes us an enabler.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be a warrior of faith.  We all know how the Holy Spirit transformed the twelve Galilean hillbillies to the powerful gospel workers in the Book of Acts.  The apostle Peter could convert 3000 people to be believers by his sermon in one day.  The Holy Spirit can change anyone to be a great man or a woman of God.  

Fourth, He makes us blessing to others. When we receive the Spirit of God, we can be a blessing to others.  As the Spirit rules the hearts of men, the God’s order will be restored. The streams of living water will flow from within him who receives the Spirit.

Jesus said, “Whoever believes in him, streams of living water will flow from within him.”    The living water will quench our thirsty souls and permeate the whole world. In offering them the Spirit he is claiming that the future heavenly kingdom has already arrived. Just as water flowed out from the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:10-14), so a river flows from the new temple, Jesus, as the Prophet Ezekiel saw his vision in Ezekiel 47. The apostle John also saw this vision in Revelation 22:1. Let’s read Rev. 22:1 “Then, the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb…”  It will come to completion in heaven in "the river of the water of life. It was as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev 22:1). That heavenly water of life is already available through Jesus when we believe in Him. His invitation at the Feast of Tabernacles is repeated in the invitation at the end of the book of Revelation: "Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev 22:17).  Amen

One word: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink

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