“Rivers of living water” John 7
INTRODUCTION
1. The Lord Jesus was a controversial figure to many
a) The religious leaders sought to destroy Him
“The Jews sought to kill Him” John 7:1
b) His own brothers did not believe in Him
“For even His brothers did not believe in Him” John 7:5
c) Many complaints against the Lord Jesus
“There was much complaining among the people
Concerning Him” John 7:12a
d) Divided opinions
i) “Some said, ‘He is good’” John 7:12b
ii) “Others said, ‘No, on the contrary, He deceives the people’” John 7:12c
2. The religious leaders called “The Jews” despised the Lord
a) For His ignorance
“How does this Man know letters, Having never studied” John 7:15
b) For being in league with a demon
“You have a demon” John 7:20
THE DEFENCE OF THE LORD JESUS
1. Concerning His “doctrine”
a) “My doctrine is not Mine” John 7:16a
b) “But His who sent Me” John 7:16b
c) This was an important and consistent declaration of truth
2. How may one understand His doctrine?
a) “If anyone wills to do His will” John 7:17a
b) “He shall know concerning the doctrine” John 17:17b
i) “Whether it is from God”
ii) “Or whether I speak of My own authority” John 17:17c
c) True doctrine is understood
i) Not by discussion
ii) But by actually doing the will of God
3. The problem of being Judgmental
“Do not judge according to appearance, But judge with righteous judgment” John 7:24
a) The Lord was being judged according to appearance
b) Those who judged Him did not know Him well
c) They picked on things to find fault with Him
i) On the Sabbath issue
ii) On the keeping of the traditions of the elders
iii) On the keeping of ritualistic laws
AN ESCALATI0N OF THE ATTACK AGAINST THE LORD JESUS
1. This was mounted by “the Pharisees and chief priests” John 7:32a
2. They sent out their officers to take (arrest) the Lord Jesus John 7:32b
A WORD OF WARNING
1. A little longer
“I shall be with you a little longer, And then I go to Him who sent Me” John 7:33
a) The Lord Jesus was nearing the end of His life and ministry
b) He would return to His Father in Heaven
2. Danger of attacking the Lord
“You will seek Me and not find Me, And where I am you cannot come” John 7:34
a) One day, they will seek the Lord and not find Him
b) They will not enter into heaven where the Lord would be
c) To persecute the Lord is to reject Him
d) Consequently, they would also be rejected!
3. But this truth was not comprehended by the religious leaders
“What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, And where I am you cannot come.’” John 7:36
a) They did not understand what the Lord meant
b) They had never understood what He had taught
c) Their hearts and minds were closed
AN INVITATION TO RECEIVE A GLORIOUS PROMISE
37 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit,
Whom those believing in Him would receive;
For the Holy Spirit was not yet given,
Because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39
1. To come to the Lord Jesus
a) To drink from the living waters that He would give
b) To believe in the Lord Jesus fully
2. The Promise of the Holy Spirit
a) He would cause the heart to flow with living water
b) The heart would become rivers of living water
3. A clear example
a) This was recorded in Acts 2
b) The faithful and believing disciples were given the Holy Spirit
c) The hearts of the Disciples flowed with rivers of living water
d) Their lives were deeply impacted and changed forever
CONCLUSION
1. The promise of living water
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you,
‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:10-14
2. The promise of rivers of living water
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” John 7:38