©Kris Gerbrandt
Chapter 7:37-44 (ESV) - On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried 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.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
Question to consider: When else did Jesus talk about satisfying those who thirst?
There are a couple of things to be gleaned from today’s passage. The first is to consider it in light of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well. It was obvious from the woman’s questions of Jesus and actions upon His prophetic word to her that she thirsted and was satisfied. She then went and overflowed with joy to those who lived in her town. These Samaritans also thirsted and were satisfied. Yet when Jesus offered to satisfy the thirst of those in Jerusalem, there was a division between those who wanted to worship Him and those who wanted to stone Him.
The second is to consider this in light of the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus said this on the last day of the festival— the eighth day which was a Sabbath rest. There was a tradition of unknown origin in which the high priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam and take it to the altar. The crowd would shout to the high priest, “Raise your hand!”, and the priest would raise the water jar above his head and pour the contents into the water basin next to the altar. It was to represent the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus stood up and cried out, it may have been in response to this outpouring to let the people know that He was the one who would provide the Spirit to those who believed in Him. Those who objected to Jesus making such a proclamation did so because of what the prophets said about Jesus being a descendant of David from Bethlehem. Of course, while Jesus grew up in Nazareth, He was born in Bethlehem, and He was both legally descended from David through Joseph and physically descended from David through Mary.
Dear Lord, thank You for sending Your Spirit and for Your heavenly rule. May we be continually filled through Your word and good gifts so that we may walk more closely with You in the midst of the tribulations of this world. Amen.