Jesus is the Living Water

Article for May 24, 2026, Pentecost

John 7:37–38 37On 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. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Jesus is making a pronouncement at the end of an important seven day feast, the celebration of the Tabernacle.  In this commemoration of the Tabernacle all of the Jews move out of their abodes and into tents set outside of their normal dwellings.  This was to remember the many times their ancestors came together at the tent of the Tabernacle in the wilderness to worship Yahweh.  Like all celebrations there was food and drink, but the main article in this celebration was water.

At the end of the Seven Days Feast a collection of water was poured out on the altar of sacrifice like a cleansing and renewing of life.  Jesus announces if anyone thirsts.  Not that one might need a drink of water but that one might thirst for God and eternal life.  Jesus offers Himself as He is the one to come to if one thirsts for belonging to God.  Jesus is the living water.

Jesus goes on to explain that all who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the one who came to save God’s creation of mankind will have living water spring from his heart.  Not that we will spring a leak and water will rush out of our heart (or belly aka KJV), but that life will come to the believer in abundance. 

Jesus is the Tabernacle and the living water; Jesus is life in abundance and eternal life for all who believe in Him.  Jesus invites all of us to the Holy Tabernacle to worship, believe, and receive the living water of eternal life.  This is the love of God that all be saved through Jesus Christ the living water of eternity.

John 7:39 39Now 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.

This pronouncement of Jesus is made before He was to be crucified for our sins.  Though the Spirit is working in and through Jesus’ apostles and disciples they do not receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit until after Jesus is glorified in His sacrifice to all. 

Jesus now sits at the right hand of God oversees all that His followers will preach and teach.  It is a responsibility that we should all take seriously and to heart that we should lead people towards God and not scare them away from God. 

Acts 2:17–18 17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

And now, through Peter, we are talking about the second coming of Jesus.  In these last days God declares He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh.  Peter is telling this to all who were able to hear.  And everyone listening heard Peter in their own language.  God will pour out to all His Spirit and all the sons and daughters will prophesy.  Peter is talking about all believers.

This is not a warning that new prophecies are to come.  Rather our sons and daughters will be spreading the good news.  They will be reciting Holy Scripture not to condemn as some do now, but to lead others toward Jesus and His promise to us, our salvation.  Hopefully these recitations will not fall on deaf ears.

Acts 2:19–21 19And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

This is a double-edged sword as Peter describes the works of Jesus in His second coming.  The wonders will be magnificent for those who call upon the Lord and as Joel 2:31 says dreadful for those who do not call upon the Lord.  What Peter says to all who are listening is a prophecy from the book of Joel from the second chapter. 

For the Jews knowing their Scripture, they would understand the prophecy but for the Gentile they might not but may learn as their interest peaks.  But to all, this is the good news because now Jesus through His apostles invites all to believe. 

What was closed is now opened, and what has been opened is an invitation to share in the salvation bought through the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  And this invitation can be sealed through Baptism as it washes away our sin and with the body and blood of Jesus restores our relation to God to which we all belong.

Peter is prophesying that all who believe Jesus Christ is Lord, all who believe Jesus Christ died for our sins, and all who believe Jesus Christ was resurrected for our sake will inherit eternal life and relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May