“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37,38
Things were heating up in Israel, especially in Jerusalem, with regard to Jesus and His ministry, being increasingly opposed by the Jews. There was already the effort in motion to take Jesus and put Him to death. The people at that time were divided, not knowing whether He was a prophet, the Christ, or neither. That which was certain was that Jesus was approaching the moment when all restraint by the Jews would be removed, and they would apprehend Him, to judge and kill Him. Jesus knew this, and yet, He was undeterred in the pursuit and accomplishment of His Father’s will.
There came a moment on the Jewish calendar that the Feast of Tabernacles would be held in Jerusalem. This feast was instituted by God to call the people of Israel to remember their time in the wilderness, living in tents, while being led to the promised land. It was a time of rejoicing, feasting, and also remembrance, a time of consecrating oneself again to God, especially on the last day of the feast. Jesus lived in Galilee at the time, His family nearby. His brethren, who for the most part, did not believe in Him, chided him for not going up the feast with them, especially after He had already done many wonderful works. His brethren thought He should show himself to the world, to put Himself on display. But this was not the plan or timing of the Father. Waiting till after they departed, He then went up secretly. In the midst of the feast, He went into the temple to teach. The testimony of some who heard Him was, “Never man spake like this man.” (Jn. 7:46) There came a moment when Jesus “cried” out in the temple, “Ye both know Me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of Myself, but He that sent Me is true, whom ye know not.” (7:28) Jesus taught and testified clearly concerning who He was, and what His relationship with the Father was. He also made it clear over and again that His calling was from God the Father.
The last day of the feast, we see Jesus again standing and crying out: “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.” (7:37) There was certainly in that cry the power to awaken a soul to its need, and the petition to the individual heart to recognize its thirst for God. That thirst of which Jesus spoke so intensely was God’s appeal, His calling to come. The condition for coming was not on the basis of what one possessed of this world’s goods, or the position of one’s standing in society, nor one’s religious status and heritage. It was pure and simple THIRST, but a thirst that would move the heart to seek God, seeking to know certainly the truth. Many of Jesus’ day did not recognize Him for who he was because they were not WILLING to know. (7:17) Nor did they recognize that Jesus’ was called of God, and certainly telling the truth, even though His whole purpose and mission was to glorify the Father. When Jesus cried out at this time, stirring up the people to hear and consider seriously what He was saying, the Jews sought to apprehend Him, but could not. In this caldron of opposition to Him, the earnest, intense desire and will of God, was to create such a thirst in the individual heart and mind, that there would be the response of coming to Him for salvation, receiving living water, the very Spirit of Christ who had created the thirst. That living water would be Christ’s indwelling life. This was the purpose of Jesus’ cry on that eventful day.
Coming to Christ meant “drinking” of living water, believing in Him without reserve.
Dear Father, Change thirst into communion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.