Rivers Within - John 7:37-39 - Pentecost

 

John 7:37-39 NIV

³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 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.

Rivers Within

This short Gospel passage of Scripture takes place during the Feast of the Tabernacles. A feast to remember the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness. A central theme of this feast is “water.” Water is a big deal. Think of the needs of water in the wilderness. Water was not only needed to refresh the body, but symbolically it was a spiritual refreshment, as well.

When I take a shower, water washes over my body and also refreshes my spirit. Water makes us feel good. And God gives us these waters in our baptism as well. Water combined with God’s Word, raises us up, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, to a new life, to be a Child of God, accepted and loved into eternity.

Water quenches our thirst. And as Jesus invites us here to come to Him and drink. Why?

Because it is through Jesus that we are fed with not just H2O, but life-giving eternal water of salvation and grace. Well, hold on a minute, that seems to be taking this too far. But it’s not a stretch at all, take Jesus at His word and believe! Jesus invites us to come to Him.

Listen to the prophet Isaiah…

Isaiah 55:1 NIV

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.

And here we are once again, back to gifts from God. An invitation from Jesus to take in His life-giving water, free! When we come to Jesus, we come in faith, we come for refreshment and we receive what Jesus alone can give, life and life abundant, life full of His life-giving water, His eternal water, His grace.

So, yes, this is a time to celebrate! The Festival of Booths, when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, while approaching the waters of the Jordan, to cross over into the promised land through those refreshing waters of promise and hope of a new life with God.

Now Jesus invites us to His gift of endless water, to cross over into life eternal, through Him and with Him. Abundant water that never ceases to flow. I think of Jesus at His baptism

by John, and how Jesus Himself was washed over by the waters of the Jordan, to have heaven open up, and the Holy Spirit descend upon Him. At this He was called by the Father, gifted by the Spirit, and began His ministry in earnest to save ALL people.

So, come to Jesus and let that water flow!

Revelation 22:17 NIV

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Jesus issues an open invitation to believe in Him. Believe what? When you consider the rest of His statement,” that streams of living water will flow from you,” it becomes clear, that when you believe in Jesus, you receive eternal life. Life is in the water, and the Word, which IS Jesus.

Think of the water that flows from the throne of God, as mentioned in Revelation and other places. This is life giving water that sustains everything it contacts. So, to believe, is to use the faith and gifts God has freely given to you, SO THAT, you place all your hope and trust in what Jesus has done, and what the Spirit has freely given to you, each and every day of your eternal life with God.

So, as the prophet Joel states…

Joel 2:28 NIV

²⁸ “And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.

So, this pouring out of the Spirit, is like the ever-flowing water of living water streaming from God.

And with this Jesus tells us about the Spirit of God that will come over His believers. The Spirit that will show us our sin and lead us to the gifts from God that flows freely from God in water, fire and the conviction to do the will of God. As believers live by the Spirit, as God’s work is done in this world, in forgiveness, love and salvation.

God places His Spirit upon His people. Moses wished that ALL the Lord’s people had the Spirit placed upon them…

Numbers 11:24-30 NIV

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. ²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again.

²⁶ However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

²⁸ Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

²⁹ But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” ³⁰ Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

And as David did in times past, we too, seek the guidance, the forgiveness and the ways that God would call us and teach us to go. In this day, the day of Pentecost, God sends His Spirit upon us to teach us, to lead us, to guide us, and to call us out, to do His will for ALL the people.

As we celebrate the day of Pentecost, we see how the Holy Spirit, calls, enlightens and gifts all believers to be fruitful in living out God’s love throughout the life of the Church on this earth. A love that will flow like rivers of living water until Jesus comes again and all those believers will see the source of that stream of water from God. What a vision! What power God has shown through creation, redemption in Jesus, and gifts of life in the Holy Spirit.

So, as disciples of Jesus, GO! Go out in Spirit and Word, to boldly proclaim the forgiveness of sin, the salvation of God brought to earth for ALL. Go and speak the Gospel Word not only vocally, but in actions of love and forgiveness for one another. Go, in obedience to the call that God has placed on you, that the Holy Spirit has given all the needs you need, to tell the world, all that God has done… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God! Be on fire full of life-giving water for all the world.

I leave you with this YouTube Music Video that spoke to me about “Living Water” this past week… relax and enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA9UfBEHciY