John 7 Devotional

Rivers for the Thirsty

“On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.”John 7:37 (BSB)

John 7 is full of argument. Jesus' own brothers do not believe in him and urge him to show himself publicly (7:3-5). At the feast, the crowds whisper. Some call him good, others a deceiver (7:12). People debate where he is from and whether he could be the Christ, and the authorities try to seize him. Yet no one is able to arrest him, because his time has not arrived (7:30). Even the officers sent to bring him in return empty-handed, saying they have never heard anyone speak the way he does (7:45-46).

In the middle of the noise, on the final, great day of the feast, Jesus stands and calls out to anyone who is thirsty to come to him (7:37). John explains that he is speaking about the Spirit, whom believers would later receive (7:39). Jesus is not hurried by pressure or stopped by threats. His time is in his Father's hands, and his invitation stays open. You do not have to settle every argument about him before you come to him thirsty.

To think about: What thirst in your life have you been trying to satisfy somewhere other than in Jesus?