John 7:30-44

This booth was one of three great pilgrimage feasts of Israel.

! Every Jewish male was expected to go up to Jerusalem for these three feasts.

! It occurred in the fall after the harvest, and it lasted seven days followed by a solemn eighth day.

It was a day there was an offering and a feast and they took apart the booths on that day.

During this feast, the people of Israel lived in temporary shelters or booths, again, tabernacles.

You could think in terms of tents made of branches.

They did this to remember how their fathers had lived in tents during the wilderness wandering after the Exodus.

So people set these up in the streets and on the houses, the roof of their houses, all over the city.

But this feast was more than just a history lesson. It was a celebration of God's provision, of God's presence, and of God's promise.

It looked backward to the wilderness where God provided food from heaven and water from the rock.

It looked upward in thanksgiving for the harvest God had just given.

It looked forward in hope to the day when God would again dwell with his people in glory.

It was a week that was just packed full of meaning.

You could not avoid it if you were in Israel in this day.

The Old Testament gives few instructions for what this feast must look like.

But they had developed some tradition that had rich ceremonial meanings, taking place about 600 years before Jesus came on the scene.

Two rituals in particular dominated the celebration.

The first is the significant one for us to think about before we read the text.

This one was a water ceremony.

Each of the first six days, a priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam.

You may remember that pool from chapter 5 where Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and starts the trouble that he finds himself in.

They would draw a pitcher of water and they would lead a procession back to the temple.

People would gather and follow the high priest back to the temple.

And as they approached the water gate on the south side of the inner court,

a shofar would be blown three times as a pronouncement of joy.

And the people would recite Isaiah chapter 12 and verse 3.

Isaiah 12 · chapter mention

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

So every day for the first six days, this would happen.

They'd go into the temple.

And while the people watched, the priest would march around the altar

while the singing of the Hillel was led by the temple choir.

People would join in and the Hillel, the word means praise.

And this is Psalm 113 through 118.

So those five, six, six psalms is what they would sing together.

So again, I'm setting the stage for you, right?

So this is happening every single day across this week.

On the seventh day, they're going to go around the altar more times.

It's a more significant, but the same thing is being done on that seventh day.

And so I want you to mark John 7 in whatever way you like to do that.

And I want you to turn with me to Psalm 113.

I want to read these psalms to you.

They're not terribly long.

These songs are the songs they would have sang

while they're going through this process.

This is Feast of Booths every single day.

Setting the stage for what Jesus is going to do when he's there.

So Psalm 113.

I wish I had the tunes to these.

I probably wouldn't sing them if I did, but I wish I had the tunes.

Praise the Lord.

Praise, O servants of the Lord.

Praise the name of the Lord.

Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to its setting,

the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God who is seated on high,

who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap

to make them sit with princes with the princes of his people.

He gives the barren woman a home,

making her the joyous mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 114.

When Israel went out from Egypt,

the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

Judah became his sanctuary,

Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled.

Jordan turned back.

The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs.

What ails you, O sea, that you flee?

O Jordan, that you turn back?

O mountains that you skip like rams?

O hills like lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

who turns the rock into a pool of water,

the flint into a spring of water.

Remember, they followed the water back to the temple.

Psalm 115.

Psalm 114.

Not to us, O Lord,

not to us,

but to your name give glory.

For the sake of your steadfast love

and your faithfulness,

why should the nation say,

where is their God?

Our God is in the heavens.

He does all that he pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold,

the work of human hands.

They have mouths,

but do not speak.

Eyes,

but do not see.

They have ears,

but do not hear.

Noses,

but do not smell.

They have hands,

but do not feel.

Feet,

but do not walk.

And they do not make a sound in their throat.

Those who make them become like them.

So do all who trust in them.

O Israel,

trust in the Lord.

He is their help and their shield.

O house of Aaron,

trust in the Lord.

He is their help and their shield.

You who fear the Lord,

trust in the Lord.

He is their help and their shield.

The Lord has remembered us.

He will bless us.

He will bless the house of Israel.

He will bless the house of Aaron.

He will bless those who fear the Lord,

both the small and the great.

May the Lord give you increase,

you and your children.

May you be blessed by the Lord

who made heaven and earth.

The heavens are the Lord's heavens,

but the earth he has given

to the children of man.

The dead will not praise the Lord,

nor do any who go down into silence.

But we will bless the Lord

from this time forth

and forevermore.

Psalm 116.

I love the Lord

because he has heard my voice

and my pleas for mercy.

Because he has inclined his ear to hear me,

therefore I will call on him

as long as I live.

The snares of death encompassed me.

The pangs of Sheol laid hold of me.

I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I call on the name of the Lord.

O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul.

Gracious is the Lord

and righteous.

Our God is merciful.

The Lord preserves the simple.

When I was brought low,

he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest,

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling.

I will walk before the Lord

in the land of the living.

I believe even when I spoke,

I am greatly afflicted.

I said in my alarm,

all mankind are liars.

What shall I render to the Lord

for all his benefits to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of his saints.

O Lord, I am your servant.

I am your servant,

the son of your maidservant.

You have loosed my bonds.

I will offer to you

the sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all his people

in the courts of the house of the Lord

in your midst.

O Jerusalem, praise the Lord.

Psalm 117.

Praise the Lord, all nations.

Extol him, all peoples.

For great is his steadfast love toward us

and the faithfulness of the Lord

endures forever.

Praise the Lord.

And finally, Psalm 118.

O give thanks to the Lord,

for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Let Israel say,

his steadfast love endures forever.

Let the house of Aaron say,

his steadfast love endures forever.

Let those who fear the Lord say,

his steadfast love endures forever.

Out of my distress,

I called on the Lord.

The Lord answered me

and set me free.

The Lord is on my side.

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

The Lord is on my side as my helper.

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

All nations surround me.

In the name of the Lord,

I cut them off.

They surrounded me,

surrounded me on every side.

In the name of the Lord,

I cut them off.

They surrounded me like bees.

They went out like a fire among thorns.

In the name of the Lord,

I cut them off.

I was pushed hard

so that I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

The Lord is my strength

and my song.

He has become my salvation.

Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous.

The tents of the righteous.

The right hand does valiantly.

The right hand of the Lord exalts.

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

I shall not die,

but I shall live

and recount the deeds of the Lord.

The Lord has disciplined severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness

that I might enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord.

The righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

This is the Lord's doing.

It is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Save us, we pray, O Lord.

O Lord, we pray, give us success.

Blessed is he who comes

in the name of the Lord.

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

The Lord is God

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords

up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God

and I will give thanks to you.

You are my God.

I will extol you.

O give thanks to the Lord

for he is good

for his steadfast love

endures forever.

Right?

Seven days in a row

they have sung these songs

which are just absolutely ripe

with messianic ideas

foreshadowing

pressing toward

what this feast was really

all about.

Again, not commanded

these psalms

to be sung

but they had begun this tradition

and boy did it serve

to this wonderful end.

At the conclusion of the singing

the people would all cry out

three times

give thanks to the Lord

and the water was poured

onto the altar.

This ceremony commemorated

the water God provided

in the wilderness

and expressed hope

for the coming messianic age

when God

would pour out his spirit.

Second,

this is the water ceremony.

Second there was

the illumination ceremony.

Massive lamps were lit

in the temple courts

casting light over

the city

and this recalled

the pillar of fire

that guided Israel

through the wilderness

and symbolized the hope

that God's glory

would again shine

upon his people.

Jesus is going to

call himself

the light of the world

soon in the text.

So the feast of booths

it was a celebration

of light and life

and provision

and divine presence.

And it's into this setting

charged with expectation

saturated with symbolism

overflowing with religious meaning

that Jesus steps.

I hope that wasn't a waste

of time for you.

There's a lot going on

across this week

and Jesus is going to speak

into it.

We'll see here

in a moment.

What makes John 7

so striking

is that Jesus does not merely

attend the feast

but he interprets it.

He takes the central symbols

of Israel's hope

and he claims

that he himself

is their fulfillment.

But here's the tragedy

of John chapter 7.

John 7 · chapter mention

The people are celebrating

God's past salvation

while rejecting

God's present

savior.

They're remembering

the wilderness

while standing

face to face

with the one

who led Israel

through it.

They're singing

about light

while turning away

from the light

of the world.

John MacArthur

notes that this feast

which should have produced

the greatest clarity

instead produces

great confusion.

Some say

we'll see

Jesus is good

others say

he deceives the people

the leaders

want him dead

the crowds whisper

no one speaks openly

fear seems to rule

the day.

There's much

confusion

in John 7.

In the middle

of it all

stands Jesus

teaching

confronting

exposing hearts.

does that here

and works

that purpose

for us

today.

John 7

is not

just about

controversy

it's about

revelation

and

responsibility.

It answers

the question

what happens

when the glory

of God

stands in front

of religious

people who

think they

already

know him.

Who's

sight of that

fact?

All of this

is happening

right?

to worship

God

Yahweh

they think

they know

him

they think

they're doing

what they need

to be doing

and they're

missing

they're missing

it.

The answer

is just

sobering

some marvel

some argue

some reject

some perhaps

begin to see

that Jesus

is the Christ

and this chapter

forces every

hearer

to ask the

same question

that the crowd

had to face

what am I

to do

with Jesus

who he

claims to

be

you can't

avoid the

question

it's the

most important

question

perhaps you

could ask

yourself

this morning

what am I

to do

with Jesus

in John

John 7:30–44

chapter 7

verse 30

through 44

let me

pray for us

before we

read the

text

father

as we've

set the

stage

for what

we're going

to see

Jesus

do here

I pray

that you

would work

in all

of us

belief

whether for

the very

first time

understanding

who Jesus

is

the fulfillment

of all

that the

scripture

has said

the Messiah

would be

our way

back to

you

or once

again

we might

find ourselves

with weak

faith this

morning

having been

distracted by

the world

drawn away

by it

we would

again return

in faith

to the

person

and work

of Jesus

Christ

and we pray

this in his

name

amen

beginning

in verse 30

so they

were seeking

to arrest

him

but no

one laid

a hand

on him

because

his hour

had not

yet come

yet many

of the

people

believed

in him

they said

when the

Christ

appears

will he

do more

signs

than this

man

has done

the Pharisees

heard the

crowd

muttering

these things

about him

and the

chief

priests

and Pharisees

sent

officers

to arrest

him

Jesus

then said

I will

be with

you a

little

longer

and that

I'm

going

to him

who sent

me

you will

seek me

and you

will not

find me

where I

am

you

cannot

come

the Jews

said to

one another

where does

this man

intend

to go

that we

will not

find him

does he

intend

to go

to the

dispersion

among the

Greeks

and teach

the Greeks

what does

he mean

by saying

you will

seek me

and you

will not

find me

and where

I am

you

cannot

come

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

over him

some of

them

wanted to

arrest

him

but no

one

laid

hands

on him

now our

text once

again is

chiastic

notice

that it

begins

so they

were seeking

to arrest

him

but no

one

laid a

hand

on him

and the

reason

John

gives

is because

his hour

had not

yet

come

and it

ends

verse 44

some of

them wanted

to arrest

him

but no

one

laid

hands

on him

I just

want to

point that

out to

you

the

central

part of

the text

in this

case

are these

two things

that Jesus

says on

two

different

days

so he

has this

language about

going where

they cannot

come

and then he

has

starting verse 37

on the day

of the

feast

and the

things that

he says

at that

time

so

Lord

willing

I want

to pick

up some

of this

text

as we

close out

our study

of John

7

in just

a couple

of weeks

I want to

come back

into it

so I'm

going to

neglect a

little bit

of it

this morning

but I want

you to

know

I intend

to wrap

it into

the end

of chapter

7

but today

I want to

spend the

rest of

our limited

time on

Jesus'

invitation

and explanation

found in

verses 37

to 39

I want to

give this

ample time

this morning

so picking up

on 37

on the last

day

on the last

day

Jesus'

day

Jesus

stood up

and cried

out

that's

what I want

to spend

the rest

of our

time

focusing

on

so he

makes

this

intention

this

invitation

first

he makes

this

invitation

he cries

out

if anyone

thirsts

let him

come

to me

and drink

right

this is on

the last

day of

the feast

here

John calls

it

the great

day

and no

one knows

for sure

if this

invitation

occurred

on the

seventh

day

or on

the

eighth

there's

a lot

of

argument

about

there

out there

on it

the most

faithful

commentators

just say

we're not

sure

if it was

the seventh

day

or on

the eighth

day

certainly

could be

argued

either way

not

incredibly

important

if it

happened

on the

eighth

day

it

would

have

happened

with

all

of the

rich

meaning

of the

preceding

seven

days

still

ringing

in the

people's

ears

it

would

have

been

there

on

their

minds

as

they're

starting

to

clean

up

from

the

week's

festivities

if it

happened

on the

seventh

day

a day

that had

a bit

more

pomp

than

previously

described

seven

times

around

the

altar

it

was

a

longer

procession

that

took

place

they

would

have

been

likely

in

the

middle

of

expressing

the

rich

meaning

right

then

there

on

that

seventh

day

so

I

like

that

day

I'm

telling

you

but

only

because

I

like

it

I'm

just

telling

you

that's

my

opinion

because

I

like

it

I

like

the

seventh

day

for

this

reason

picture

all

of

that

happening

everything

that I

said

takes

place

and

as

that

water

is

being

poured

out

on

the

altar

!

It's

at

that

time

I

like

to

imagine

that

Jesus

stood

up

and cried

out

with

that

audience

gathered

together

watching

that

water

be

poured

out

he

made

a

bold

invitation

rabbis

in his

day

did not

stand

and

teach

they

sat

everybody

else

stood

to hear

them

place

of honor

for the

teacher

how

interesting

but

he

stood

up

he

wanted

to

be

seen

and

he

wanted

to

project

this

was

a

loud

thing

that

he

said

a

bold

invitation

an

invitation

that

careful

readers

of

John

will

know

was

prompted

by

God

the

father

that

he's

only

doing

what

God

the

father

tells

him

to

do

only

saying

what

God

the

father

tells

him

to

say

so

this

moment

strikes

and

he

stands

up

and

cries

out

if

anyone

thirsts

let

him

come

to

me

and

drink

this

invitation

is

made

up

of

three

parts

and

we

do

well

to

note

all

three

first

he

says

if

anyone

thirsts

and

we

know

that

Jesus

here

is

speaking

metaphorically

he's

not

speaking

of

physical

thirst

he's

talking

about

spiritual

thirst

it

is

not

the

first

time

that

he

has

done

so

concerning

water

speaking

metaphorically

in this

way

do you

recall

his

encounter

with

the

Samaritan

woman

at

the

well

back

in

John

John 4 · chapter mention

chapter

4

he

says

through

there

in

verse

13

and

14

everyone

who

drinks

of

this

water

the

water

of

the

well

will

be

thirsty

again

but

whoever

drinks

of

the

water

that

I

will

give

him

will

never

be

thirsty

!

again

the

water

that

I

will

give

him

will

become

in

him

a

spring

of

water

welling

up

to

eternal

life

that

phrasing

and

much

of

the

other

things

he

has

to

say

about

being

living

water

in

chapter

4

should

be

going

off

in

your

brain

as

you

hear

this

invitation

if

anyone

thirst

we

understand

right

this is

the

spiritual

thirst

Jesus

is

talking

about

our

souls

are

parched

apart

from

him

parched

apart

from

him

everyone

is

looking

for

satisfaction

for

their

thirsty

souls

everyone

feels

down

at

their

core

whether

or not

they

acknowledge

it

to be

true

down

at

their

core

they

know

that

they

were

made

for

something

more

than

this

temporal

life

has

to

offer

us

something

is

missing

people

talk

about

the

God

sized

hole

in

your

heart

right

I

like

this

metaphor

better

Jesus

metaphor

dry

thirsty

souls

so we

set

ourselves

to the

pursuit

of

passions

trivial

and

temporal

comforts

the

fulfillment

of

sinful

desires

and we

foolishly

think

that we

will find

satisfaction

for our

thirst

nothing

in this

world

that will

satisfy

the thirst

of our

souls

God

says

of the

Israelites

in

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:13

chapter

2

verse

13

my

people

have

committed

two

evils

they have

forsaken

me

the

fountain

of

living

waters

and

secondly

they have

hewed out

cisterns

for the

water

they have

forsaken

the source

of living

water

and they

are

attempting

to hold

water

with a

thing

that can

hold

no

water

this is

so tragic

so epically

tragic

the delusion

to think

that ultimate

satisfaction

will come

from

anywhere

but the

maker

of all

things

thirsty

soul

recognize

your

thirst

recognize

it

if anyone

thirsts

says yes

I am

thirsty

recognize

it

and come

to Christ

for he

offers

to those

who

recognize

their thirst

eternal

life

giving

water

it's the

second part

of this

invitation

if anyone

thirsts

come

to

me

he's the

only source

of this

eternal

life giving

water

what do you

do with

Jesus

he's making

these

astounding

claims

about himself

he's the

one that

gives

that grants

life

eternal

life giving

water

nowhere else

come

to

me

he says

he'll say

in john

14

in verse

6

I'm the

way

and the

truth

and the

life

no one

comes

to the

father

except

through

me

if anyone

thirsts

come to

me

and drink

drink

I want you

to hear the

warmth of

this invitation

if anyone

thirsts

you recognize

the state

of your

thirsty soul

come

come to

me

and drink

and the

metaphor here

holds up

come to

Jesus

and take

hold of

his person

and work

for you

by faith

appropriate

who Jesus

is and all

that he's

accomplished

all of the

promises of

God

that are

yes

in him

by faith

that's what

it means

to drink

of Jesus

take hold

of him

and believe

in him

for the

salvation

of your

soul

trust that

he will be

the source

of that

soul

satisfaction

that you

so

long for

thirsty

soul

you won't

find it

anywhere

else

if anyone

thirsts

let him

come to

Christ

and drink

and he

goes on

this is not

the end

of him

crying out

he says

in verse

38

explanation

whoever

believes

in me

as the

scripture

has said

out of

his heart

will flow

rivers

of living

water

soul

satisfying

water

will be

provided

by Jesus

through

the spirit

I read

a lot

of really

dense

argumentation

across this

past week

that

I want to

totally spare

you from

there's

a lot

of

argumentation

about exactly

where the

punctuation

belongs

in verse

37

and verse

38

I found

that both

arguments

really

were kind

of moot

they essentially

met in the

middle

the concern

for some

in the way

that ESV

has punctuated

this

is that

people would

think

that

me now

as a

redeemed

man

that I

am

the source

of living

water

for others

that's the

concern

for the way

it's

punctuated

here

that I

myself

am

the source

but I

don't

think

that this

punctuation

necessarily

requires us

to think

in that

way

Christ

provides

the living

water

by the

spirit

for me

and

through

me

this

bountiful

provision

will well

up in the

believer

for their

sake

and for

the sake

of others

flows out

of us

for us

and out

of us

for

others

note

it is

flowing

and it

is

living

water

the spirit's

activity

in the

Christian's

life

is for

our

good

our

soul

satisfaction

our

growth

and

holiness

our

confidence

to the

end

but the

spirit's

activity

in the

Christian's

life

is to

be

for

also

the

benefit

of

others

we're

not

meant

to be

stagnant

would argue

with you

that if

you are

in fact

in Christ

you won't

be

stagnant

this is

a

welling

up

water

flowing

living

water

it's

going to

come

out

of

the

life

of

the

Christian

we're

supposed

to be

channels

of

living

water

to a

thirsty

world

now

there is

no

consensus

on a

specific

scripture

that Jesus

is

referencing

in

verse

38

he says

as

the

scripture

has

said

no

consensus

lots

of

different

referencing

it's

likely

that he's

doing

some

biblical

theology

here

where

he's

pulling

together

a

statement

on the

old

testament's

teaching

concerning

the

blessing

of

water

he's

pulling

the

theme

together

right

the

bible

has