I’m drowning in love. I hope you are, too.
Ever since we took our first step into the The Gospel of Lent for the Beloved #LentChallenge, the waters of God’s love have been rising.
Inch by inch. Foot by foot. Day by day. Week by week.
Today, we find ourselves in John 7:1-39 at the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths. This harvest celebration falls almost six months before the Passover.
Josephus described it as the “greatest and holiest feast of the Jews.” The feast calls us to remember God’s faithfulness to the Israelites in the desert (Lev. 23:42-43).
Halfway through the feast (John 7:14), the religious leaders pepper Jesus with pointed questions, something that’s become SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) wherever Jesus goes.
The days pass until “the last and greatest day of the Feast” (John 7:37).
This linchpin detail gurgles with importance.
During the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests march to the Pool of Siloam (meaning peace or shalom) every day to make a drink offering at the base of the altar.
But the seventh and final day (note the complete number), had a water pouring and light ceremony.
That’s who Jesus is revealing Himself to us again and again and again.
The Light of the World. The Living Water
This historical background makes Jesus’ words reverberate louder and deeper:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” —John 7:37
Jesus reveals Himself as the fulfillment, as our fulfillment.
But did you see the rising tides?
Beginning in John 1 with baptizing…
Echoing in John 2 with H20 becoming Merlot …
Deepening in John 3 with Nicodemus discovering he must be born of Spirt and water…
and The Baptizer with pruned fingers and toes declaring Jesus’ increase, his decrease…
Splashing in John 4 with the woman at the well…
Stirring in John 5 at the pool of Bethesda…
Stunning in John 6 when a sea becomes a sturdy path…
Satiated in John 7, as Jesus fulfills our deepest thirst.
What did I least want to read but most need to hear?
Every human knows thirst.
But what’s the difference between dead and Living Water?
Two words: The source.
Where are you drinking from?
A second question pairs well.
Who are you drinking from?
I confess that I’ve been drinking from dead seas. Spending time on lifeless activities that leave me more spiritual thirsty than when I began.
I’m looking at my time, my schedule, my days—even tracking my hours—to determine how I can better spend my life satiated and satisfied with the Living Water.
What about you?
Are you dripping from all these readings?
What did you least want to read but most need to hear in today’s reading?
(If you have any questions post them below. We’ll be collecting and gathering responses for insight from New Testament scholar, Craig Blomberg in the upcoming weeks).
Day 14: John 7:1-39 Discussion Questions:
- In what passages have you noticed this water theme appearing in the Gospel of John?
- Describe a time when you experienced severe physical thirst. Describe a time when you experienced severe spiritual thirst. What parallels do you see between the two seasons?
- Make a list of properties of water which demonstrate what Jesus offers us? (Examples: cleanse, hydrate, baptize etc.) Which is most meaningful to you right now? Explain.
- Using the Color Method, what stood out to you most from today’s reading?
- What do you find most challenging about today’s reading? What do you find most comforting about today’s reading?
Recommended Resources:
Day 1 | John 1:1-18 | Ash Wednesday: Your Invitation to Discover the Beloved
Day 2 | John 1:19-34 | This One Question Will Leave You Undone
Day 3 | John 1: 35-51 | What to Tell Your Children Before It’s Too Late
Day 4 | John 2:1-12 | The Shocking Miracle of Water Becoming Wine
Day 7 | John 3:22-36 | There’s a Hidden Slip N’ Slide in the Bible — I Found It!
Day 9 | John 5:1-17 | How to Overcome Jealousy
Day 12 | John 6:15-35 | What to Do When You Doubt God
Day 14 | John 7:1-39 | What’s the Difference Between Dead and Living Water?
Day 16 | John 8:1-1 | You Stumped Me… Again
Day 17 | John 8:12-59 | 7 Surprises in the Gospel of John
Day 18 | John 9 | What does spiritual blindness really cost you?
Day 22 | John 12:1-11 | What’s Your Signature Spiritual Scent?
Day 23 | John 12:12-50 | Here is a Method That is Helping Me Relinquish Control
Day 25 | John 15:1-11 | What Does a Vinter See in John 15?
Day 29 | John 16:1-15 | Little Known Ways to Be of Good Cheer
Day 31 | John 17 | The Truth About Soul Talk
Day 33 | John 18:12-40 | Was it Judas or Satan Working through Judas?
Day 35 | John 19:16-30 | What’s a Woman’s Role?
Day 39 | John 21:1-14 | Why is the Weight of the Wait So Heavy on Good Friday?
Day 40 | John 21:15-25 | The Most Powerful Lesson I Learned During Lent
Thank you, Margaret for connecting the dots!!!! Sometimes I look so deeply I miss the obvious stuff! It just gave me chills thinking about all of the water references we’ve read in the first seven chapters!!
I’m a school teacher, and spend a lot of time teaching my students how to “close read.” But I have to say, I’ve never read anything so closely before now. And never in such a life changing way. God is just SO good. Thanks again.
You bless my socks off, sweet Candi! Thank you for the encouragement. May you continue to read closely and be drawn closer to Him! Hugs!
I was familiar with the Passover but not the Feast of Booths, so I looked up some information on this and read that it marks the end of harvest time. All through John we have seen Jesus ACTIVE and ATTENTIVE- he is always looking, seeing, noticing, turning, asking and performing miracles. He is harvesting people, drawing them to himself. We need to be like Jesus living ACTIVE and ATTENTIVE to people around us, harvesting and drawing them to God. So many times in my life I’m knocking things off my to-do-list, but am I really seeing and noticing others. Am I asking them questions, am I showing them God?
Great reflection, Gail! Love that you are seeing things & others differently. Blessings on your journey of becoming more like Christ! Hugs!
On passage 37-39 it talks about the water. Sometimes in life we get so busy that we forget to drink the water and I get thirsty. I notice when I worship God I get thirsty. I do not know if its a sign or just trusting him more. Jack Hayford says, ” Needing to be refreshed doesn’t mean that I’ve blackslid or sinned. When the lawn endures a hot day, it dries up and needs the refreshing of rain. The Holy Spirit, coming as rain, comes to bring refreshing and restoration. The Holy Spirit is manifest in rivers in order that the rain not only be a refreshing upon you, but also that the Lord would make you a overflowing tributary of His Holy Spirit fullness, life and love to others. The Lord wants people to get in touch with who He is, and that takes people who will let the rivers of the living water be awakened in them and then gush out of their lives. So the Holy Spirit is manifest in rivers. Mark 1:8 and He will Pour rain on you, Open rivers in you, Breathe wind into your life, anoint you with oil, fill you with holy wine, refine and temper you with fire and send the Holy Spirit to come to you. I love this. God has let me dive in and give you advice. I love how He does that! Blessings my friend