Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Dial In - John 7:37-8:1 (Ep. 21)

Episode Date: April 27, 2020

Dial In is a devotional series with the intention of helping followers of Christ understand God’s word and love Him more. Jonny seeks to communicate the profound depth of scripture in a digestible and condensed format each weekday. The goal of the podcast is that our “minds would be renewed” as we behold who God is in His word. In this series, Jonny is walking sequentially through the Gospel of John.In this episode, Jonny covers John 7:37-8:1 where Jesus, at the apex of the Feast of Tabernacles cries out “if anyone thirsts let him come to me.” In this episode we will see why the timing of verse 37 is so important and the promise that Jesus gives to thirsty souls. We see at the conclusion of this passage that the ones that had been sent to arrest Jesus were stunned and said: “never had a man spoken like this.”Watch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey guys, my name is Johnny Artavanis, and this is Dial In. Today we are in John chapter 37, and we're going through the first verse of chapter 8. These are the words of God. Let's view them as such in Dial In. John chapter 7, verses 37 through John chapter 8, verse 1. On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive. For as yet the spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some of the people said, this really is the prophet. Others said, this is the Christ. But some said, is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was? So there was a division among the people. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, Why did you not bring him? The officers

answered, No one ever spoke like this man. The Pharisees answered them, Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd does not know the law is accursed. Nicodemus, who had gone to him before and who was one of them, said to them, does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does? They replied, are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee. They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now in this passage, Jesus will extend an offer of grace and mercy and invite those around him to come to him and receive forgiveness of their sins, eternal life, and the Holy Spirit.

This is what Jesus does over and over and over again throughout the Gospels. Now chapter 7 starts off with an ominous announcement that the Jewish leaders are looking for Jesus to kill him. They are done with him. But we're only in the seventh chapter of the Gospel of John, and Jesus' hour had not yet come. Now, by way of reminder, the events that are taking place right now are happening during the Feast of Tabernacles,

where pilgrims from all over the world would come to Jerusalem for a week of celebration and to commemorate God's provision and preservation of the people during the time that they were in the wilderness. to Jerusalem for a week of celebration and to commemorate God's provision and preservation of the people during the time that they were in the wilderness. And during this feast, two main blessings that they had received from God were remembered and celebrated. The first was God's provision of manna from heaven, and the second was God's provision of water from the rock that Moses had struck in Exodus 17. Now, I love context because it's so

important when it comes to understanding the depth and profound nature of what Jesus is about to say in this passage. Now, verse 37 says, now on the last day, the great day of the feast. Now, this is important, so let's talk about it. The Feast of Tabernacles was a week-long event, and every single day of the feast hosted a different ritual. And on the last day of the feast, the high priest would go to the Pool of Siloam, and he would take with him a golden pitcher, and he would dip it in the water and then return to the temple with all the people around him. And as he reached the altar, he would take that golden pitcher

and pour the water out on the altar as a sign of remembrance for God providing water for the people. And then all the people who had been hushed in anticipation watching the priest would then sing with great joy after he poured that water out on the altar. So here, in the quiet moment when the festival is reaching its apex, the priest takes that golden pitcher to pour it out on the altar, and it is at this moment, perhaps, that Jesus cries out loudly in verse 37, If anyone is thirsty, come here.

Let him come and drink. Let him come to me. Everyone stops what they are doing. They turn their gaze from the high priest to Jesus at this provocative moment as the words that he had once said in private to the woman at the well in John 4, he now screams to the masses. Jesus picked a moment where all noise was suspended and breaths were held as the high priest went to go pour that water out on the altar. He then cries out,

anyone come to me for water that will quench your soul. If anyone is thirsty, if anyone is thirsty. I love this because the invitations of Jesus were always unlimited. They were always open-ended. Jesus says, if anyone is thirsty, whosoever believes, whoever comes to me, I will give you rest. Now we continue to read in verse 38, whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive. For as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Now in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit only came upon specific individuals at isolated moments in time. And we will see this with Moses and Elijah and David. But the prophet Joel prophesies of a day where every single believer will possess what was once restricted to a select few. This was the future hope of the Old Testament. And Jesus says here in this passage that if you come to me, if you believe in

me, you will all be anointed with my spirit. I will live inside of you. I will dwell within you. But this couldn't happen until the Messiah entered into glory, where he would return to the Father, and then they together would send the Spirit to apply the work of the Son. And that would happen at Pentecost, and we can read about that in Acts 2. So Jesus is telling this audience, for those of you who come to me and drink, you will not only be satisfied, but out of your heart, you will become a river of life to the rest of the world.

Jesus promises not only eternal satisfaction here, but eternal significance. The Holy Spirit inside of us will flow to the ends of the earth. Now Jesus' spirit is no longer restricted to a select few. It's not for the super saints, but it is given to all those who come to him. Now at the beginning of chapter 7, it says that the Jews are seeking to kill Jesus. They're looking for him. So where are the cops that have been sent to arrest him? Where are the officers here? Imagine this with me. They walk into the temple to go arrest a hated man. And as they walk into the temple, they hear a man in the middle cry out loudly, if anybody thirsts, come here. And they return to the Jewish

leaders without talking or touching or taking Jesus. And the Jewish leaders, once they arrive, say, what's going on? Where is he? We gave you one job to do. Where is Jesus? And the officers reply, we have never heard anyone speak like this. He offers living water to thirsty souls. That invitation that Jesus extended that day, he extends to us. Jesus is the bread of life, and he is the living water for your soul. Come to him and drink deeply, and you will be satisfied. Stay dialed in.