JESUS PROMISES RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

John 7:37-52 / Keywords 7:38

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

7:37 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.”[c] 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.

40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

Footnotes

c. John 7:38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.”

1. On the last day of the feast, Jesus invited the thirsty: Come to him and drink. He promised, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (38). Nothing in the world can quench our insatiable thirst in our souls. The more we try, the thirstier we become. However, when we come to Jesus, he satisfies our thirsty souls by giving us the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Spirit is the source of rivers of living water flowing within us. They flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Re 22:1); the water refreshes our souls and flows out to refresh the lives of others as well. Our souls are thirsty for the living God. Come to Jesus and drink (Isa 55:1)!

2. People’s opinions about Jesus were divided. Some said that he was the promised Messiah; others denied it. The temple guards could not lay their hands on Jesus, for they were moved by him. But the Pharisees were persistent in their unbelief, indignant with those who were favorable to Jesus.

Prayer Lord, thank you for inviting me to yourself to drink from the river of living water. I come to you with my thirsty soul. Please fill me and quench my thirst!

One Word Come and drink the living water