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John 7:25-52 Key Verse: John 7:37 COME TO JESUS AND DRINK “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.’” In the first part of chapter 7 we learned from Jesus how to make a right judgment. The religious leaders knew the law of Moses(19). But in their hearts was hatred and murderous intention toward Jesus. They had broken the law of God completely. They were irrational and inconsistent. They were blinded by legalism. They judged by mere appearances. So they couldn't make a right judgement. At this, Jesus spoke directly to their consciences. Jesus helped them repent with broken shepherd heart. Jesus helped them have spiritual insight by having God's word in their heart. Today we want to study the remaining part of chapter 7. Jesus continued to help the people of Israel open their eyes. Jesus wanted them to see him as the Messiah. Jesus invited them to true satisfaction for their souls. “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.” Through this time, let's accept Jesus' invitation to living water party. May God bless all of us to be truly satisfied for our souls. First, Jesus knows God because he came from God (25-31) Look at verse 25. Some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?" Jesus spoke publicly. Jesus hadn't spoken secretly. He fully revealed God's word to people. So this made the religious leaders angry. They tried to arrest Jesus. At this, Jesus rebuked their murderous intention. Jesus spoke directly to their consciences(19). The religious leaders tried to seize him, but they couldn't stop Jesus from preaching. At this, people began to think seriously if the authorities had concluded that Jesus is the Christ(26). They were confused about who Jesus was. They knew well where Jesus was from(27). They knew where Jesus lived, who his father was, and who his brothers were. They knew Jesus' family background. They had a superficial knowledge of Jesus. Still, they were considering seriously: "What if the authorities concluded he is the Christ? What if he is the Messiah?" Here, we see their problem. They did not want to make their own decision and face the consequences of it. They began to seriously consider if the authorities had concluded that Jesus is the Christ. Here we see their problem. Their problem was hesitation. They were hesitating to make a decision. They did not want to make their own decision. They didn't want to face the consequences of it. Believing in Jesus requires a personal decision of faith. There are times we are hesitating to make a decision in the hostile world. We are likely to read others' face. We don't want to spoil the mood. We don't want to lose our reputation. We don't want conflicts. We want to get along with others. But these make us hesitate. These make us compromise. These make us "seclusive Christians." But God wants us to make a decision of faith. If we hesitate, God is not pleased with us. If we don't make a decision between God and the world, God will feel frustrated. A good example of being in hesitation is the Israelites in the times of Elijah. Elijah challenged his own people, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."(1King 18:21) However, the people said nothing (21). In their minds, they wanted to follow the Lord as their God. But in reality, they feared King Ahab and followed Baal. They remind us of those today who suffer under peer pressure. Inwardly they want to worship the Lord as their God. But they fear the social consensus and give in to the pleasures of sin. They are trying to stand in the middle. But there is no middle ground in the spiritual world. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn 14:6). If you realize Jesus is the Christ, stand in his side. Are you ready to stand as Jesus' disciples? Otherwise Jesus will be ashamed of us when he comes again (Mk 8:38). 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, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.’” In these verses the word “know” is repeated four times. 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 it does not tell us what is inside a person. Judgments based on superficial knowledge often lead us astray. What is it that we must know about Jesus? It is that Jesus came from God. We must focus on God who sent Jesus. We can find a good example in Simeon (Lk 2:28-32). Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms. Then he saw God in baby Jesus. He saw God’s salvation for the whole world in baby Jesus. With his human eyes, he saw only a baby. But when he had spiritual insight, he saw God in baby Jesus. 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 of him. Superficial knowledge leads us astray. We must acknowledge that sensual perception and human reason is limited. I'm going to tell you a story about four blind men who touched an elephant. Each one touched a different part. One touched the tail and said, “It is like a snake.” Another touched the leg and said, “It is like a tree.” Another touched the belly and said, “It is like a huge cow.” Another touched the tusk and said, “It is like a stick.” They all thought they were right. But none of them saw the whole picture. People have many ideas about God. They say many things out of their human observation and reason and speculation. But Jesus is different. It is impossible to know Jesus through human knowledge. Only when the Holy Spirit lets us know the Son, we can know Jesus. No one knows Jesus except the Father. No one knows the Father except the Son. But when the Son chooses to reveal, we can know God.(Matthew 11:27) Jesus came from God. Jesus knows God. When we accept Jesus we can know God. This is very simple. God likes us being simple. But it requires simple decision of faith to know Him. Look at verse 30. “At this they tried to seize him, but no one could lay a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.” Perhaps Jesus was surrounded by strong men. They all looked like Kang Hodong. They intended to arrest him. But when they came near Jesus, suddenly all the strength drained out of their bodies. They felt faint. At the same time, Jesus looked very strong. They stood frozen around Jesus and no one laid a hand on Jesus. John says it was because his time had not yet come. Here we learn that God absolutely protects his servants who live by faith. Look at verse 31. Some people in the crowd put their faith in Jesus. They were moved by Jesus’ words and by Jesus’ courageous faith. They remembered the miracles he had done. They realized Jesus came from God. This generation is hard for us to evangelize. We saw many anti-Christians around us. There are many scoffers, despisers, persecutors, and ungodly people. We have hard time finding listeners of the gospel. But we believe from this verse that God is reserving many seekers of the truth. In the times of Elijah, God reserved 7000 whose knees had not bowed down to Baal.(1King 19:18) St. Paul convinced us of a simple principle that there is a remnant chosen by grace.(Romans 11:5) At this very moment, there is a remnant chosen from God. What we must do is preach the gospel. Some will listen; others won't listen. Among listeners are believers. That's what the Bible says. Second, Jesus’ gospel message to the religious leaders (32-36). Look at verse 32. The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering about Jesus. They were afraid that the crowd would accept Jesus as the Messiah. So they sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus. Look at verses 33-34. “Jesus said, ‘I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’” Jesus was talking about his upcoming death and resurrection. Very soon he would 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 the Father in heaven and sit at his right hand to reign in glory forever. No one can go there except through Jesus. The time for Jesus to leave this world was soon to come. Jesus preached his death and resurrection indirectly. That was because Jesus wanted them to remember his message after his death and resurrection. Jesus preached the gospel to the religious leaders with the love of God. Though religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in prison, Jesus loved them and helped them somehow accept the gospel message. Jesus never retaliates. Jesus always preaches the gospel with the love of God. Look at verses 35-36. The Jews thought Jesus would go somewhere to find the people who scattered among the Greeks and teach the Greeks. Then Jesus said that they would look for him, but they wouldn't find him. Third, come to Jesus and drink (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.’” The Feast of Tabernacles lasted eight days. On the last and greatest day of the Feast there was a water pouring ceremony. This ceremony was for commemorating the event when God made water come out of the rock for the people to drink when they were in the desert (Ex 17:1-7). People need to drink water regularly. Without water we cannot survive long. After several days without water, a person’s body begins to crave water as a matter of life and death. A thirsty person stranded in a desert island might say, "Water! Water! Give me water! I'll give one million dollars for a glass of water!" 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 fresh and pure water. It was full of all kinds of minerals good for health. It was freezing cold water in the sizzling hot desert weather. They drank as much as they wanted and their thirst was completely quenched. With this historical background, Jesus stood up and said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” This did not mean a bottle of water for them to take home. It had a spiritual meaning. The thirst Jesus refers to is spiritual thirst. People try to quench their soul's thirst with the things of the world. Some think that human love can satisfy their souls. Many young people pursue human love. Girls dream of being woken up by a handsome prince's kiss. Boys dream of a White Snow cooking delicious dinner after work. They think it will solve all their life problems. But human love is very limited. Others think that human honor will make them happy. They are willing to invest their lives to gain honor. But it fades away too quickly. Some think that money will buy them happiness. They say, "Money is power. Money buys all things I want." But money cannot buy you sound sleep. The more money you have, the more worries you have. If you have lots of money, you have to worry about losing money. If you invest money in stocks, you have to be worried about an economic crisis or North Korea's attack. Because of those worries, the rich cannot have sound sleep. People know this very well, but they still cling to money, because they don't know Jesus who gives everlasting living water. Jesus knows that we are thirsty and he knows why. So he invites anyone who is thirsty to come to him and drink. Then how does Jesus satisfy our thirst? Look at verse 38. “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” Jesus made a promise that streams of living water will flow from within anyone who believes in him. This fulfills what is written in the Scriptures. Isaiah 55:1-3 says, “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. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight with the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Jesus invites us thirsty sinners to his party. He invites us for nothing. 'NO MONEY' is OK in Jesus! We can buy wine and milk without money and without cost. People spend a lot of money on what is not bread. They spend hard labor on what does not satisfy. They give themselves fully to what is vain. What's the result? Amos 8:11-13 says, "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land--not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. In that day the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst." Why are people thirsty? It is because they have no word of God. Why stagger and wander? It is because they are searching for the word of God. Without the word of God, they will faint. Without the word of God, they will be choked up. But here's a covenant for thirsty souls. ‘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.’ This is God's gracious invitation. Whoever believes in Him, streams of living water will flow. Where does the water flow from? It flows from within us! It is not provided from outside. It gushes from inside. It never dries out. It flows forever. We don't have to labor hard to draw water daily from a well. It flows like tap water. Look at verse 39 says, “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Until that time the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” Jesus solves our sin problem through his death and resurrection. God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice and will justify anyone who believes in him to be right with God. Then God is pleased to send his Spirit to dwell permanently in our souls. The Spirit gives life. The Spirit produces fruit in our inner person that pleases God and makes us a blessing to others. Galatians 5:22-23 describes this fruit. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The Holy Spirit makes us strong. At the time of Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit. They were changed on the inside. Fear and uncertainty were driven out of their hearts and the love of God came in. Divine wisdom came in. They could preach the gospel freely to anyone in their native language. They became a blessing to the whole world and the gospel spread to all peoples of all nations through them. When the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts the life of God and love of God transform us into children of God who can be a blessing to others. Jesus’ message was good news to all people. But the response to his message was divided. Some thought he was the Prophet or the Christ. But others despised him because he came from Galilee and their limited human knowledge restricted their hearts from accepting the truth of Jesus’ words. The temple guards who had been sent to arrest Jesus were totally captured by Jesus’ words and went back to their bosses praising Jesus’ powerful message delivery. The religious leaders became all the more angry. They revealed their hatred and murderous spirit. They despised not only Jesus, but all the ordinary people who had simply accepted Jesus’ message by calling them cursed people. Dr. Nicodemus tried to speak rationally to them. But they would not listen. They were determined to reject Jesus. In this passage we hear Jesus’ invitation to come to him and drink. When we simply accept Jesus’ death and resurrection and put our faith in him, he gives us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit satisfies our souls and makes us a blessing to others. Please, come to Jesus and drink. |
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