Jesus, Streams of Living Water
Adult Devotional
"Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within
him. He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been
given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified" John 7:38-39.
I live about a mile from the beach, as the crow flies. The Intracoastal Waterway separates the mainland from the barrier island, so getting to the beach requires crossing a bridge. I love riding my bicycle there. In fact, I've timed it; I can reach the top of the nearest bridge in twelve minutes. The view from that high span is spectacular. (I live in paradise!) From there, it's another seven minutes to the beach.
This past weekend, I biked to the beach as usual. I stopped at the top of the bridge to enjoy the view, catch my breath, drink some water, and pray. (The top of the bridge is about as close to a mountaintop as we get in South Florida!)
It was a beautiful day. Dozens of boats moved along the Intracoastal Waterway, and hundreds of people were swimming. As I watched, I wondered why anyone would choose to swim in the brown, murky, gasoline-polluted water of the waterway when, just a few blocks farther east, they could be swimming in the clear, sapphire-colored waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The thought struck me: Isn't that often a picture of our lives? How readily we choose the dark, murky waters of sin over the Living Water Jesus freely offers.
Jesus spoke today's verse during the Feast of Tabernacles, a joyful seven-day celebration commemorating Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. During those years in the wilderness, the Israelites lived in sukkot, temporary shelters or booths. Daily sacrifices were offered throughout the feast, and the first and last days were set apart for worship and rest. An additional Sabbath-like observance was held on the eighth day.
By Jesus' day, a special water-pouring ceremony had become part of the celebration. Each day, after the sacrifices, the high priest carried water from the Pool of Siloam to the temple and poured it into a silver basin that drained at the base of the altar.
According to Jewish tradition, this ceremony symbolized God's promise: "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants" (Isaiah 44:3).
It was during this very ceremony that Jesus stood and proclaimed: "Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:38).
When Jesus spoke of "living water," He was drawing upon themes deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. Consider these passages:
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" (Jeremiah 2:13).
"Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water. Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved" (Jeremiah 17:13-14).
"On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem... The LORD will be King over all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and His name the only name" (Zechariah 14:8-9).
The people gathered in the temple courts, especially the chief priests and Pharisees, knew these Scriptures well. They understood the significance of Jesus' words. Jesus was identifying Himself with the LORD, the source of Living Water spoken of by the prophets. For this reason, many religious leaders sought to arrest Him. Yet despite their unbelief, many others believed. They recognized that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Living Water foretold in Scripture.
Come to Jesus and partake of the Living Water. He alone gives life, healing, forgiveness, and salvation.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me reject the dark, murky waters of sin and choose You, the Living Water. Holy Spirit, wash over me and fill my heart with Your life and peace. Grant me healing, forgiveness, and salvation. You alone are worthy of all praise. Amen.
(Some scholars believe Jesus may have been born during the Feast of Tabernacles rather than on December 25. If so, this would beautifully align with John 1:14, which tells us that the Word became flesh and "dwelt," or "tabernacled," among us.)
Teach children about the Feasts of Israel.
Copyright 2012 S.A. Keith
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