John 7:37–38: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'”

March 14th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

A few centuries before Jesus came, a tradition developed that on the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the High Priest would carry a golden container filled with water from the pool of Siloam back to the temple in a procession. As the pageant came to the Water Gate, on the south side of the inner temple court, 3 trumpet blasts were sounded, reminding the people of the joy of the occasion. Following the blasts, the crowd would recite Isaiah 12:3: “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Back at the temple, the priests would march around the altar with the container of water, while the temple choir sang Psalm 113 through Psalm 118. Then the water was poured out as a sacrifice to God at 9:00 in the morning, the time of the morning sacrifice.

So when Jesus stood in the center of Jerusalem, on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and made this stirring proclamation: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink,” it held significant meaning to all who heard it. By saying, “if anyone thirsts,” Jesus meant, if anyone wants to “draw water from the wells of salvation,” if anyone thirsts for truth about God, about having a relationship with Him, then they should “come to [Him] and drink.” Jesus used this event as an object lesson and opportunity to make a very public invitation for His people to accept Him as the living water that the tradition had been pointing to for so many centuries.

We of course understand that Jesus was the fulfillment the Feast of Tabernacles anticipated. He is the Messiah, who provides living water, which gives eternal life. The promise is that after we have taken Jesus in, then “out of [our hearts] will flow rivers of living water” to others. We become a conduit for the living water Jesus wants to give to a thirsty world.

“LORD, make us this day a channel and instrument of Your living water to the thirsty world around us.”