John 7:37 37And on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”
The Gospel of John takes another significant step in these words from Jesus. This historical context continues with the scene at the Feast of Booths. It was the last day, John calls the great day, likely a different day from the previous verses. The feast had reached the high point, and it was the perfect time for new revelation. Jesus had not yet been arrested but continued his teaching. These verses assume he was still in the temple area. More significantly, in the theological context, Jesus gives further revelation about the Holy Spirit. His words here build on what he told Nicodemus in chapter 3. John’s Gospel gives deep insight into the Trinity. The Father sent the Son and anointed him with the Spirit. The Son revealed the Father and promised the Spirit. The Spirit bears witness to both Father and Son and confirms the message the Son spoke.
The image of thirsting and drinking fits a significant event of the last day of the feast. The people had a special celebration each day where they brought water from the Pool of Siloam and had a praise service and poured out the water at the altar. The procession, praise service, and offering symbolized how God provided water during the desert wanderings on the way to the Promised Land. The Jews believed water would flow again from the sacred rock when the Messiah would come. Paul builds on the same imagery and tradition in 1 Corinthians 10:4 with Christ being the rock that provided water for the Israelites.
Jesus takes this tradition and the symbolism of the feast and connects it to himself. Everything about the feast pointed to him. Everyone thirsts. Water is an essential element of life. In verse 37, thirsting is symbolic for spiritual longing and need. Everyone also has spiritual needs. People try to satisfy their thirst with things of the world, but nothing can satisfy this thirst. Jesus is the one who provides the spiritual resource to satisfy this thirst. This verse echoes the similar thoughts of 4:10-14 and 6:35. The greatest need anyone has is eternal life, and Jesus is the only one who can point the way to this life because he has the true message. The bold claim of John’s Gospel is that Jesus is the only one who truly reveals God and teaches the truth about eternal life.
For older posts, click here.