Who is Jesus: The fountain of Living Water
Context: Until here, John started each chapter with the tapestry of a particular event that served as a memorable parable or sign of the subsequent teaching of Jesus about who he is:
- Jn 1 Creation: He is the word of God that creates light.
- Jn 2 Wine & temple: He is the One and Only from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Jn 3 The lost rabbi: Salvation by faith in Jesus was promised by Moses (Num 21).
- Jn 4 The conversion of Samaritans: Jesus is the Savior for all nations.
- Jn 5 The healing of the lame: Jesus is the Son of Man in Dan 7 who will raise the dead.
- Jn 6 The feeding of 5000: Jesus is the Manna from heaven (Ex 16) the true Bread of Life
Naturally, we should therefore expect a 7th meaningful sign in chapter 7:
- Jn 7 The unbelief of pilgrims at Sukkoth: Jesus is the Fountain of Living water of Jer 2:13, flowing from within.
Main point: To overcome doubt and unbelief, knowledge about Jesus is not sufficient. We also need knowledge of Jesus through a spiritual union.
1) What was the feast of booths/tabernacles (Sukkoth) all about? cf Ex 34:22; Lev 23:42; Deut 16:13ff [Harvest thanksgiving in commemoration of 40 years of pilgrimage in the desert.]
- Water was carried from the pond of Siloah to the temple and poured out on the 7th day to the sound of great rejoicing, “that the rains of the year may be blessed unto you” (Gemara), and to enact symbolically the oracle of Isa 12:3 “and ye shall draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation” (Misn. Succa, sect. 4, 5, 6. Maimon. ib. c. 5. sect. 1, 2, &c).
If needed, let someone explain:
- Circumcision (cf Jn 7:22)
- Son of David from Bethlehem (v42): cf e.g 1Sam 17:12; Ps 132:11
- Messiah to be born in Bethlehem: cf Mi 5:1-5
- Who is the Spirit to be poured out once Messiah ascends to heaven (Jn 7:39)? [Acts 1:1-9]
2) In Jn 7, we encounter four groups of people: Who are those? [His brothers (Jn 7:1-5), the pilgrim crowd (Jn 7:11-24), the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Jn 7:25-44) and the chief priests and Pharisees (Jn 7:45-52)] =>
- Why could none of them make sense of Jesus, not even his own brothers?
- What kind of ‘information’ were they lacking? [Knowing about him did not suffice to actually know him, no matter how close you were]
3) The main lesson in Jn 7 sprang from a discussion of travel plans. In this seemingly mundane conversation, does anything strike you as odd or puzzling? =>
- How did Jesus explain why he did not (yet) go to Jerusalem at the same time as his brothers, v7? [he would already be killed by the Jews if arriving too early and publicly]
- vv4-6: Why would the brothers have wanted Jesus to join them, vv4-6? [To seize the opportunity and convince the assembled nation to declare him king].
- Was this an expression of their faith, or rather of unbelief, v5? Why?
- How did the brothers know and at the same time not know Jesus?
4) What hindered the brothers and other people in this chapter to know Jesus in a deeper sense (i.e. ‘personally’), and even despite His bodily presence? =>
- Read Jn 5:37. How did even the religious leaders fail to hear God’s voice? [They lacked faith (defined by the OT as confidence in Christ)]
- vv15-16: How did Jesus himself model a personal knowledge of God? v29 [cf vv18-19]
5) v16: How can we come to know God so personally? cf Jn 6:28-29
- Read again vv37-39: How did the hearers react to these words, v46?
- How do you interpret and apply these words in your own life? i.e. how do we ‘thirst’, and how can we ‘drink’ from Him?
- Thirst for what? What has it to do with forgiveness and reconciliation? With who?
- What does it mean to drink the word of God, 1Pet 2:2?
- Did Jesus offer any other way how we can come to know him ‘experientially’ through the Holy Spirit other than by internalizing his words? Why not? Jn 6:63
- What distinguishes His words as living water in your own experience?
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