For Those Who Are Thirsty Paraugs

An Urgent Invitation

It is the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and Jesus stands up and loudly declares that anyone who is thirsty can come to Him and drink. He adds that whoever believes in Him will have rivers of living water from within. Why did Jesus issue this invitation? Why wait until the last day of the week-long feast?

It’s important to know what happened before this. Jesus had been declaring that people who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. He preached to all he could. He performed miracles. He extended Himself to those who would abuse Him. In John 5, Jesus experienced conflict. Leaders began to persecute Him because they did not think He should claim to be the Savior. In John 6, despite more miracles, people who had supported Him begin to leave Him. They find His teaching too hard to accept. Jesus even asks His disciples if they want to leave. 

John 7 begins with Jesus’ brothers. They are going to the Feast. They tell Jesus that if He wants to have this public persona as a savior, superhero, and the most popular guy in town, He should attend the Feast too. They do not say this because they believe in Jesus; they say it to mock Him. They are making fun of Him. Is it possible to miss Jesus on the way to a religious feast? Is it possible to miss Him on the way to church, while listening to Christian radio, or doing good deeds? That’s exactly what His brothers did. In the midst of all their activity they missed the Savior. 

At the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews celebrated God's faithfulness to them in the wilderness. Now the priests who led the celebration would go to the Pool of Siloam each day to draw water. They would walk back with this water and then pour it on the altar. On the last day they would go around the altar seven times. Sometime later, Jesus would heal a blind man by telling Him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. But at the Feast of Tabernacles, on the last day after the priests had poured out the water on the altar, when the greatest number of people had gathered and people were watching even from the rooftops, when He would get in even more trouble with the Jewish leaders, the Savior issued His invitation. 

Jesus declared that all who are thirsty should come to Him. He stood and said in a loud voice that whoever believes in Him will have streams of Living Water flowing within. Will you accept His invitation?