Scripture in Action

Aneel Aranha is an author, preacher, and evangelist who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can find a huge selection of his reflections, articles, sermons, songs and other resources on his app.

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Scripture in Action

John 7:37-39 — Rivers Within

October 05, 2023 • Aneel Aranha • Season 2 • Episode 68

0:00 | 4:09

Uncover the profound depth of living water in Jesus' message, exploring spiritual thirst, divine satisfaction, and our role as conduits of grace.

John 7:37-39 — Rivers Within — Aneel Aranha

Hello and welcome to the Bite-Sized Gospel with Aneel Aranha. Today we will reflect on John 7:37-39. Listen.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Many years ago, the prophet Isaiah invited, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). The prophet Jeremiah said, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" (Jeremiah 2:13). In this passage, Jesus echoes both prophets, inviting the thirsty to drink, and speaking about the "living water."

Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, a Jewish festival celebrating God's provision in the wilderness and anticipating the promised Messiah. One of the rituals involved a priest drawing water from the Pool of Siloam and pouring it out at the temple. This symbolized the hope for rain and also recalled the water flowing from the rock when Moses struck it in the desert (Exodus 17:5-7, Numbers 20:8-11).

Jesus makes his proclamation against this backdrop. He is not calling those who are physically thirsty but those who have a deeper, spiritual thirst. That's all of us. Every one of us thirsts for meaning, purpose, and connection in life. Jesus is saying he can satisfy it through "living water."

This "living water," as the phrase suggests, is not stagnant or still but dynamic, ever-flowing, and life-giving. This water is not just for personal satisfaction but is described as rivers flowing outward, meaning that it not only quenches personal thirst but also turns the believer into a channel of life and refreshment for others.

Jesus had earlier spoken about "living water" in his conversation with the Samaritan woman by the well (see John 4:10). Jesus now identifies this "living water" as the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, who would be poured out at Pentecost, would empower believers to live out the mission of Jesus and to be channels of this "living water" to a thirsty world.

All of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior have received the Holy Spirit in our baptism, becoming vessels intended to carry this "living water" to the world. The vital question then becomes: Are we, in our daily lives and encounters, truly conduits of God's grace to a world parched and desperate for spiritual quenching?

If we fall short, let's commit to embodying his love and mercy. If we already see this flow in our actions, let's ask God to amplify our impact, making his love and grace more real to those we meet. May our lives not just be reservoirs but rivers of his living water, reaching into the dry places of our world.

God bless you.