A River Runs Through It!
John 7:37-41
INTRODUCTION
Good morning! How’s everyone doing today?
Well, I want to begin this morning with a story. It’s taken form a book — and then a movie that followed some 20 years ago. It was produced by Robert Redford…and is called A River Runs Through It. Anyone familiar with the story or the movie?
Well, it’s a story about two young men, Norman and Paul, who grew up in 1920’s in Montana under the watchful eye of their father, who happened to be a Presbyterian minister.
Their mornings were spent in school and religious study, but their afternoons were devoted to fly fishingin the nearby Blackfoot River.Here’s a line from the story — it’s a line spoken by the main character…one of the sons. He says,
In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing. We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in western Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. He told us about Christ’s disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman.
Though things seemed good…the truth was that there were deep struggles taking place in the boy’s lives. They both battled as boys do with with a bit of rebellion. But through out the story – there was one constant in their lives…and that was the river…this guiding force within their lives that seemed to draw them all together.
In many ways — we as Christ followers have a similar experience.
Although we live in a world of great temptation and strong rebellion against God and His Kingdom…as men and women who have experienced salvation, we too have been blessed with the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. But all too often…we can experience weariness, and dryness in our spiritual lives. Thankfully, God has a solution to this problem. With that in mind, look with me at John 7:37-39.
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.
What Jesus means by ‘thirsting’ is anybody who has unsatisfied desires, anybody who feels restless, anyone who is displeased with life, unhappy, discontent, anyone who hasn’t had a good day, or anyone who hasn’t had a good life…”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.” 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.”
John 7:37-41
Jesus says, “Let anybody who is thirsty…come to me and drink.” Because, as He said — when you do, you will have streams of living water flowing from within you! (You will experience the source of all life…and hope, and strength — and likewise you will become a source of life, and hope and strength to others as well!)
These words were spoken by Jesus to people who were spiritually dry, empty and defeated. They, like many people of our day, were going through religious ritual and spiritual ceremonies — but finding very little meaning, or life or victory through them.
John adds some clarifying commentary to the words of Jesus – to help us understand His point in verse 39, and says, by this — by the phrase “rivers of living water” He meant the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus indicates, SALVATION is found in Him — but the power to live our lives comes from His Presence (the Holy Spirit) flowing through us. For it’s in the Holy Spirit that we find the joy and hope and passion and power we need to live our lives for Christ.
You know, one of the really powerful aspects of this passage is the setting in which these words were spoken. In many ways — it amplifies their meaning. And I say that, because — the occasion that Jesus said this was the Feast of Tabernacles, the third in a series of very important Jewish Feasts.
- There was the Feast of Passover (that remembered that night that God saved the lives of those who trusted in Him back in Egypt).
- The Feast of Tabernacle(which was what was taking place here). And…
- The Feast of Pentecost (that celebrated the harvest).
During the Feast of Tabernacles, the people would live in little booths (or huts) made of branches as a reminder of their nomadic days in the wilderness. It was a time of remembering God’s wonderful provision. During the Feast of Tabernacles, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple area were filled with booths made from branches.
One miracle that is commemorated in this festival is the way God miraculously provided water for them through Moses and a rock.
It was for this reason, that during the Feast, a daily procession was made — where the Priest would carry a Golden Pitcher and lead a parade with people through the city to the Pool of Siloam singing the words ofIsaiah 12:3, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
The great crowd of people would parade back to the Temple and the Priests would pour the water from the Pool of Siloam down upon the Altar and the people would shout and wave palm branches. The main event of the day was this water drawing ceremony that was — in many ways a visual prayer asking God to give them a great harvest and make them fruitful.
This process went on for seven days, but on the last day there were two changes.
First, when the parade of people returned from the Pool of Siloam, the Priests marched around the Altar seven times commemorating Joshua’s victory at Jericho.
Secondly, the Priest would raise the golden pitcher over the altar like he had done each day previously, but this time there was no water inside — only an empty pitcher. And this signified the disobedient generation that died in the Wilderness. And also their hope that God would provide in the future. So, instead of a shout and the waving of palm branches as the people had done each day, they now stood in silence. Sort of a joy-kill moment. What a party ender. But it was in this awkward moment of silence — that moment of bewilderment, emptiness and meaninglessness — that Jesus cried out.
Just when they were left with an empty vessel longing for more — Jesus spoke up. In essence, they found themselves right where they had started…with an emptiness — longing for more.
I sometimes think of the great crowd of people who gathered annually for this observation of the Feast of Tabernacles. I think about their lives, their homes, their jobs, their communities and their churches. I think about what they brought with them to the great Feast: frail hopes, empty dreams and unmet expectations…and I think about what they took away when they returned to their homes. The same empty dreams and hopelessness.
They weren’t any different? They had just gone through the motions only to end up with an empty pitcher?
Too often this happens to us as well. If we’re not careful, we can get in the ruts of religious routines — just going through the motions, trying to find power in what we do…and somehow miss Jesus in the process. We may know Him — but are we longing for His presence to flow through our lives?
Well, look with me again at the passage in John 7. In verse 37, we discover that…
1. Jesus clearly identifies our problem. (v. 37)
Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink.” (John 7:37).
Thirst is a consciousness of an unsatisfied need. Thirst expresses desperation. Did you know that thirst will kill faster than hunger? We can go weeks without food, but only days without water.
This week, I learned something about thirst. The sensation of thirst occurs when there is a loss of water from the blood cells of our body. As those cells pass by a particular censor in the brain, the censor alerts the body that water needs to be added. First, there’s the dry mouth and a craving for fluids. Then there is decrease in the production of saliva and then difficulty swallowing.
If the body still doesn’t get the liquid it wants, it begins to suffer dehydration. The skin becomes dry and wrinkly. A fever develops, sweating stops, kidneys shut down, and death can result.
The thing that surprised me is that dehydration takes place with the loss of only 8% of the body’s water content. And under normal conditions, with no water intake, we loose 2.5% of the body’s water content per day. If it’s dry or we perspire a lot due to heat or activity, it goes up from there. That means that even under very ordinary conditions, we could experience fatal dehydration levels within 3 days of no water intake.
Are you thirsty? Are you thirsty for God?
Stuart Briscoe who one said, “God will meet man at the level of his deepest desire. We can have as much of God as we want.”
Let me ask you, do you have an unsatisfied need for more of God’s presence flowing through your life?
Are you feeling discontent or spiritually thirsty? Well, if so, the Bible tells us that…
2. Jesus offers Us an Invitation to solve our problem. (v. 37)
Looking again at verse 37, we read that Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink.” (John 8:37).
We are reminded here that Jesus stood to extend this invitation to the crowd. And to all who would listen and respond, Jesus promised a solution to their problem.
And He has extended that to you and me as well. If we are thirsty we can come to Him…and He will quench our thirst with His presence…His Spirit.
This re-emphasizes Jesus promise from the sermon on the mount where He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness — for they shall be filled!” It’s the same idea here. The solution to our problem is to learn to LOVE and desire God more…to hunger, or in this case THIRST for righteousness.
Now, for the ancient nation of Israel, they faced a tremendously difficult time of physical stress in the wilderness — and their thirst was really life threatening. But for you and me, the wilderness of our lives is more of an inner condition than it is an outward one. The thirst may not be physical or life threatening — but it can be soul threatening.
But the good news is that Jesus has the answer to our problem…it resides in Him. When we seek Him — we find Him. When we hunger for Him we are fed…and when we thirst after righteousness, we are blessed!
But, I want you to notice that the invitation was not to attend church more (while that is a good habit) and it wasn’t to get involved in more programs or do more spiritual disciplines (like reading your Bible, or praying, or fasting, or meditating, or anything else). All of those are great things…but this is about getting close and personal with Jesus. It’s about loving Jesus more. It was an invitation to come to Him — not DO MORE THINGS!
But when we love Jesus more…the disciplines follow (just as fruit comes from a tree planted in good soil). It happens in response to our connection to Jesus. But, what is critical here — is that you see…JESUS OFFERS US A SOLUTION TO OUR THRIST PROBLEM!
Well, the last that I want you to see is that,
3. Jesus’ solution FAR SURPASSES OUR NEED. (v. 38)
Again, look at verse 38, Jesus says, ”Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water…”
I think it’s important that we recognize, the greatest work and purpose of the Holy Spirit’s presence within our lives is not for convicting of sin…although He does that work within us. It’s not to direct our steps (like a Godly global positioning system) although He does that as well. His greatest work to give life giving power and strength to live for Him and fulfill His purposes for us as we serve Him.
You know, this is one of those verses that I just like the way the old King James Versiontranslates it, because it says, “And out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.”
The belly has become a real important part of the body in our day. There are a lot of ads and exercise equipment for people’s abs—things to help people have abs of steel and stuff like that.
Well, Jesus uses the a Greek Word for Belly (‘koilia.’) that describes: the innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice
- That place that gets all tied up in knots when you’re anxious or afraid.
- That place where the butterflies fly when things aren’t going too well.
- That place that feels empty or hollow when you’re dissatisfied or unhappy or feeling alone.
For out of this place — your belly…or the center of your being will flow this river of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
You know, words for river or stream are used over 150 times in the Bible. Often it’s a picture of spiritual life for a good reason. Israel was a desert. It didn’t have rivers like we think of with the Reedy River, and the Saulda River, the Enoree River that all flow by us.
But Israel was very different. It didn’t have rivers flowing everywhere…instead it had wadis. W-a-d-i. Wadis are just gullies, troughs that run through the sand. After a rainstorm they would be filled with water, but usually they’re just dry gulches. There was the Jordan River, which at times was no more than just a trickle.
Israel understood a river is grace. A river is a gift. A full river is life. A dry gulch, a wadi, that’s death. They understood the importance of a river.
In Psalm 46:4 the psalmist says, There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.
For Israel itself, there was no river in the city of Jerusalem. They had to bring water in through aqueducts. But the Bible tells us…
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.
When a river flows, that’s life. If a river gets dammed up, if it gets blocked, obstructed, polluted, cut off, that’s death. That’s why Jesus tells us — if we will maintain our thirst for Him, if we will stay open to Him and His leading and work within us…then His Spirit, the Holy Spirit will flow through us like a life-giving source of waters.
It’s what the Psalmist was talking about when he wrote in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”
Now you’ve got to understand this is not a pleasant picture of a little deer that’s a little thirsty in a forest looking for one of many available brooks or streams. These words described the desert country where all the wadis were dried up. And David was saying, like the deer who would die if he didn’t find water, I long for the Spirit of God in me.
And just as David longed for more of the presence of God’s Spirit — just as the people of Jesus’ day needed more of His Spirit, just as the early church had to be empowered with the Holy Spirit to live and function as God intended them to…so also do you and I need the Holy Spirit’s presence flowing through us.
But remember, Jesus did not promise a trickle or a stream or a flow…He promised a river. Can you get your mind around this? The Holy Spirit is like a mighty rushing river…a life-giving river.
With this picture (or imagery), we are confronted with the fact that God wants to bless us…by working in us…so that we can (in turn) be a blessing to others.
The life of God in us was never meant to be a stagnant pool lacking a continual inflow of His presence — nor was it ever meant to be a closed reservoir lacking an outflow. To the contrary, God has always wanted us to function in such a way — that we allow the Holy Spirit come like a mighty river of His presence, His power, and His authority in us…so that we too could share His love and grace with others.
And although Jesus talked a lot about it in the Gospels, the Acts 2 story of Pentecost would be the fulfillment His mighty promised presence.
It was there that this promise of God’s Spirit (like a mighty river), filled people’s lives and then overflowed into the lives of all whom they encountered.
Did you know…the mighty Amazon River in South America finds its origin above the freezing line of the Andes Mountains?
There, with just little trickles of water, emerging from the frozen ground — begins the flow of what will eventually form one of the greatest rivers on earth. From one little stream flowing into another little stream comes a majestic and mighty river.
As the river flows it picks up speed and power, it flows for more than 3,600 miles before finally reaching the Atlantic Ocean. But when it does, it impacts the mighty Atlantic ocean at a rate of 1.4 million gallons of water per second. And with such force, it pushes it’s fresh water out into the ocean at a distance of more than 60 miles. Now that’s power!
And that’s just the kind of life-giving power that the Holy Spirit brings into our lives. BECAUSE, THE HOLY SPIRIT FAR SURPASSES OUR GREATEST NEED! It is my prayer that you will experience the awesome life giving power of the Holy Spirit in your life in an continual and refreshing way.
Closing:
You know, the fact that we all constantly struggle and suffer with a spiritual thirst should not surprise anyone. The truth is, we are weak and we constantly fall into temptation to either try and do life in our own strength, or we are tempted to drink unclean water from another source all in an effort to satisfy our spiritual thirst.
But here’s the good news — there’s a day coming when we will all be satisfied, completely satisfied just as Jesus promised. In the last book of the New Testament — in John’s Revelation, he tells us that in heaven he sees of all things, a river flowing down the middle of the city. And we know that the river represents the lasting presence of the Holy Spirit.
And John tells us that God almighty — the Alpha and Omega says, ‘To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.’…‘Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without price.’ (Rev.21:6; 22:17).
Between now and then…may you and I long…deeply yearn for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit that flows through us…giving us purpose, life, and power to live.
Because it is this river of God’s presence which must continue to be our source of sustenance.
Never forget, for the Christ-follower, we have been promised an abundant life…
…but never forget, there is a river that runs through it!
And that is river is the presence of the Holy Spirit!
Would you stand with me for closing prayer?
Let’s pray!