John 7:1-52 – Do We Recognize Jesus as the One Who Gives Living Water?
(Matt Koerber)
7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
37 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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 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.
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
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This section demonstrates a lot of confusion about the identity of Jesus. Part of that is felt by the reader as the section is introduced. At first Jesus refuses to go to the feast with his brothers (v.3-9), then after his family leaves for Jerusalem, went along in secret (v.10.) The apparent reason for this is because his biological family (v.5) did not believe, and because the religious leaders were plotting to kill him. Therefore, Jesus goes to the feast “undercover.”
About partway through the period of celebration, Jesus began to teach publicly. People respond to his teaching by “marveling”, but also with cynical questions (v.17.) The topic returns to the conflict that Jesus had the last time he was in Jerusalem – healing on the Sabbath and the authority of God (v.18-24.) At this point, there are people in the crowd who start to demonstrate a measure of belief in the message of Jesus though, their response is still mostly in the form of questions, and not statements of belief (v.25-31.)
The apparent groundswell of popularity for Jesus causes the religious leaders to respond jealously and they make a move to arrest him (v.32.) More confusion at the saying of Jesus (v.33-36), but some in the crowd seems to be receptive to his teaching (v.40-44.) As the result the offices sent to arrest Jesus return empty handed. In the conclusion of the passage there is a divide between the religious leaders and the common folk who have not be “trained in the law (v.49.)” The religious elite are mostly settled in their opposition to Jesus (except for Nicodemus) but the crowd is open to asking questions.
But in the midst of all the questions, the accusations and the confusion, Jesus announces his true identity in a stirring manner. The celebration at the center of all the action is called the Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Tabernacles. In it, the Jewish people remembered God’s faithfulness to them in the Wilderness after he delivered them from their Egyptian bondage. The remembered their time “wandering in the wilderness” by building temporary shelters called “booths” or “tabernacles.” Against the backdrop of this theme, Jesus introduces himself as the one who gives living water to thirsty pilgrims. Streams of living (flowing) water would be a great blessing for desert dwellers. In a similar manner, Jesus presents himself as the one who gives us access to spiritual nourishment. So much so, that when we believe in Jesus (and “remain” in Jesus), we become a source of spiritual refreshment for those around us. “Whoever believes in me… out of him will flow rivers of living water (v.38.)” Here is the clarity in the midst of chaos. Those who are willing to trust in Jesus… who are willing to push past the questions and recriminations to rest in his care… they not only receive spiritual life through the Holy Spirit, but they become conduits of this life as it flows from them.
Verses 37-38 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible. The clarity of this invitation to experience life in Jesus stands out all the more vividly against the backdrop of human confusion. It is a reminder that I need to hear reguarly.
Weekly Prayer Focus: Plans for Capital Campaign
Daily Prayer Request: “Unity as we move forward.” Please pray that God would help us to walk forward in a unified way. This includes listening to each other, and making just compromises when necessary.