"On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink'..."
(John 7:37-38)
(John 7:37-38)
All of Jerusalem is buzzing! It's one of the holy seasons - the week-long Festival of Booths. The Jewish community remembers and commemorates their epic 40 years of wandering in the desert, back in the day with Moses & Co. In that dry & barren land, they almost died of thirst, but God provided water for them from out of a rock. Just what they needed!
One of the rituals of this particular Jewish festival was the practice of carrying water from the Pool of Siloam in a golden pitcher to the Temple. Symbolically, this remembered God's provision, but also looked to the coming Messiah. On day #7, when the drama of the liturgy was at its peak, Jesus stood among them and proclaimed that the truly thirsty could come and drink... FROM HIM! Wow! What timing!! (It might be like Jesus appearing during the Super Bowl today... claiming to be the Ultimate Champion - should anyone want 'victory in life!')
What do we thirst for today? Honor... glory... fame... prosperity... love... purpose... meaning... security... acceptance... to be truly appreciated? Whatever it is we ultimately long for, it all PALES in comparison to what a life with Christ provides - whether we know it or not.
So really... what have I been "thirsting" for? What are my friends thirsting for? What is this world thirsting for? How might I be able to direct people towards the Living Water of Christ?
One of the rituals of this particular Jewish festival was the practice of carrying water from the Pool of Siloam in a golden pitcher to the Temple. Symbolically, this remembered God's provision, but also looked to the coming Messiah. On day #7, when the drama of the liturgy was at its peak, Jesus stood among them and proclaimed that the truly thirsty could come and drink... FROM HIM! Wow! What timing!! (It might be like Jesus appearing during the Super Bowl today... claiming to be the Ultimate Champion - should anyone want 'victory in life!')
What do we thirst for today? Honor... glory... fame... prosperity... love... purpose... meaning... security... acceptance... to be truly appreciated? Whatever it is we ultimately long for, it all PALES in comparison to what a life with Christ provides - whether we know it or not.
So really... what have I been "thirsting" for? What are my friends thirsting for? What is this world thirsting for? How might I be able to direct people towards the Living Water of Christ?
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