The Gospel Of John Chapter 7:37-53
John 7:37 ‘Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.”’ ‘Now on the last day’-According to Leviticus 23:34-36 this feast actually lasted eight days. Hendriksen notes, ‘There were seven days of regular feasting which were characterized, among other things, by dwelling in booths…The eighth day was a day of rest of “solemn assembly” or “holy convocation”…the eighth day marked the close not only of the feast of Tabernacles but of the entire great cycle of annual, religious festivals.’ (p. 21) Josephus called this day, ‘the sacred close of the year’ (Lenski p. 573)
‘the great day of the feast’-It appears that the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths was probably the most popular of the Jewish festivals. Besides commemorating the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, this feast was also a harvest-thanksgiving festival. It was also called the Feast of the Ingathering (Exodus 23:16; 34:22). Barclay notes, ‘It stood out above all other Festivals. The people called it “the season of our gladness”. Coming as it did in the late autumn, it was the gladdest of all times, for it marked the ingathering of all the harvests, for by this time the barley, the wheat, and the grape harvest were all safely gathered in.’ (p. 261) ‘It very appropriately followed the Day of Atonement by only five days. At the Day of Atonement the sin of Israel was removed and her covenant relationship to God was restored. Thus a sanctified and cleansed nation could keep a holy feast of harvest joy unto the Lord.’ (Butler pp. 32-33) We should remember the background. Jerusalem is packed with Jewish pilgrims. The city itself was littered with little booths made out of branches. ‘During the Festival the booths sprang up everywhere, on the flat roofs of the houses, in the streets, in the city squares, in the gardens, and even in the very courts of the Temple.’ (Barclay p. 260)
‘Jesus stood and cried out’-Once again Jesus becomes very vocal (7:28) in presenting His message.
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“If any man”-Salvation is open to all, none have been excluded from God’s offer of eternal life.
“is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink”-Jesus taught a similar truth to the Samaritan woman (4:13-14). Points To Note: 1.
Some background material is necessary at this point. Each day of the feast the crowds would come with palm branches and the branches of willows to the temple. ‘The people carried with them bunches of leaves…There was apparently a disagreement between the Sadducees and the Pharisees over the correct interpretation of Lev. 23:40, “And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook..” The former took the words to refer to the material out of which the booths for the observance of the feast were to be constructed, while the latter held them to mean that the worshippers were actually to carry branches of the trees named as they entered the temple. The Pharisaic interpretation prevailed among the people.’ (Morris pp. 419-420) Hence each day worshippers came into the temple area with their branches in one hand and a citron in the other. Certain Psalms were recited by the worshippers as they shook their branches. The young willow branches were arranged around the altar, and these branches were bent over the altar forming a leafy canopy for it. 2. On each of the seven days of the feast a priest drew water from the pool of Siloam and then brought it in procession to the temple with the joyful sounding of the trumpet. There the water was poured into a bowl beside the altar. During this time Isaiah 12:3 “with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” was cited. The words of Jesus are against this background. 3. Some say that this drawing and pouring of the water from the pool of Siloam represented thanksgivings for God’s mercies in giving water in past days (possibly looking back to the smiting of the rock in the wilderness and also the rain of the past year which enabled a good harvest.) 4. Notice that Jesus assumes that there exist people who are “thirsty” for spiritual things. And such people also exist in our own time! (Matthew 5:6; Psalm 42:1-2) But Jesus doesn’t have anything to give to the person who is self-satisfied. There are no promises for the person who thinks that they don’t need anything. 5. Having a hunger and thirst in one’s soul is good! It’s all right to be dissatisfied with the material and secular things of life.
“let him come”-The only thing that stands between us and Jesus is our own freewill. God doesn’t force anyone to come to His Son.
“to Me”-Jesus is the only One who can offer true refreshment for our souls. All other faiths and religions will fail to satisfy. (Matthew 11:28-30). All other professed “sources” of refreshment are nothing more than broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2:13). Reincarnation, the New Age Movement, Feminism, Humanism, Atheism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on are all broken cisterns.
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“and drink”-It is not enough to merely come to Jesus, one must come and drink. In the context, to drink, is to believe (7:38), to humbly accept everything that Jesus is, everything that He teaches (12:48) and everything that He commands (14:15).
John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” “He who believes in Me”-Which clarifies and defines the drinking of the previous verse. Note that spiritual refreshment can’t be found by the unbeliever. If you don’t become a Christian, then you will miss out. Rejecting Jesus is to consign yourself to a life which will be filled with frustration, a lack of meaning, purpose, fulfillment and true happiness.
“as the Scripture said”-There is no specific Scripture recorded in the Old Testament which contains the exact phrase which Jesus quotes. Rather, Jesus is probably using the word ‘Scripture’ as referring to the whole of the Old Testament. Elsewhere the word ‘Scripture’ (singular) is used when more than one Scripture is being cited (1 Timothy 5:18). Butler is probably right when he says, ‘Jesus must have meant ‘the scriptures in general teach’ (p. 33). Which is true. There are many Scriptures in the Old Testament which talk about the spiritual refreshment which comes to the believer (Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:7-8***; Psalm 46:4; Isaiah 44:3; 55:1; 58:11; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Zechariah 14:8).
“From his”-While some commentators take the ‘his’ in this verse to refer to Jesus, i.e. from within Jesus will flow this living water. It appears from the context that Jesus is talking about what will happen inside the person who believes in Him.
“innermost being shall flow rivers of living water”-this sounds exactly like what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, ‘the water that I shall give him shall become in him (in the believer) a well of water springing up to eternal life.’ (John 4:14). Points To Note: 1.
The believer has access to a continual source of spiritual refreshment. The believer doesn’t inherently need the things of the world to make them happy. Apart from fame, fortune, status, power, looks and so on, the believer is still very satisfied and very happy (Philippians 4:10-13). 2. The believer has a continual feast! The believer has constant access to God in prayer (Phil. 4:6), and the believer has the Word of God which is able to meet all the spiritual needs of the soul (2 Tim. 3:1617). 3. Jesus can meet the needs of our innermost self. Jesus can deal with the core issues of our life, ‘Who am I, why am I here, what is the meaning of life, where is true happiness, meaning and purpose found?’ 4. This verse also makes it clear that the inner man must be converted---before any real benefit can happen.
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One must be truly changed on the inside before the water of life can flow (Matthew 23:26). A superficial relationship with God, just going through the motions of being a Christian, or being a Christian because it keeps someone else happy will never bring the refreshment of which you are so desperate. 5. The verse seems to infer that the believer will become a means of blessing others! (Matthew 5:13-16) I want to ask you Christian, do you see yourself as being a blessing upon the world, or a curse upon the world? Are you a bringer of good news or bad news?
John 7:39 ‘But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.’ ‘But this He spoke’-God’s inspired commentary on the verse. Once again, be impressed that God is making His revelation to mankind very user friendly!
‘of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive’-The text makes it clear that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t be given until Jesus was glorified. Jesus was glorified when He ascended into heaven (Philippians 2:5-11; John 17:5; Acts 2:33). Points To Note: 1.
Woods sees this verse as referring to ‘The fulfillment of his statement is to be seen in Acts 2; and subsequently, in the coming of the Spirit, in miraculous power, to the apostles and early disciples (Acts 5:32).’ (p. 156) Actually he sees two things in this verse, ‘We must distinguish between the “living water” which refreshes the thirsty soul and gives salvation and the flowing out of this water to others, through those directed by the Holy Spirit (i.e. inspired men like the apostles).’ (p. 156) 2. And yet, verse 38 seems to apply to all believers, for it is the promise to all who are thirsty and who come to Jesus. 3. Actually the Holy Spirit was given for the benefit of all believers, for the Spirit would reveal all truth, and especially the truth necessarily to become a Christian (John 16:33). 4. Because the Spirit revealed the Word of Truth (1 Cor. 2:11-13), anyone can learn what is necessary to have their spiritual thirst quenched, and every believer can take that same truth and share it with someone else (Acts 8:4; 2 Tim. 2:2). 5. On the day of Pentecost, we do start to see the fulfillment of John 7:38. The Holy Spirit came (Acts 2:16ff), people were convicted by His message (2:37), and those who believed found eternal life (2:38).
‘whom those who believed in Him were to receive’-There is no question that the Holy Spirit was given. But this passage doesn’t define the how. He was miraculously given to the apostles, but such didn’t apply to every Christian, or the vast majority of Christians (Acts 8:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:28ff). Every Christian did receive what the Spirit gave, i.e. the Truth. Every Christian received the benefits and promises which the Spirit disclosed as now available in Christ. 4
Morris makes the following comment: ‘When the believer comes to Christ..he not only slakes his thirst but receives such an abundant supply that veritable rivers flow from him (they flow—they don’t trickle)…In contrast with the men of Qumran there is nothing of the piety of the pond about Christianity. The covenanters (of this very period) had withdrawn into the wilderness to become the people of the Lord. They became ingrown. They seem to have made no effort to influence others and so to bring the blessing to them. Just as the Dead Sea receives the Jordan, but gives nothing out and thus becomes lifeless and arid, so the Dead Sea sect sought to receive the blessings of the law of God and keep it for themselves. And in the process they became sterile.’ (pp. 425-426)
The Opinions Among The Multitudes: John 7:40 ‘Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.”’ “the Prophet”-That is the Prophet promised by Moses in Deut. 18:15, which the Jews had traditionally held to be someone other than the Messiah, even though it appears that some did hold the person of Deut. 18:15 to be identical with the Christ. The Prophet Moses had predicted was the Messiah (Acts 3:22-26). ‘The people of Jerusalem remain bewildered and divided by this teaching. Some were prepared to accept Jesus as the expected prophet like unto Moses..’ (Tasker p. 107) Obviously, the people were impressed with what Jesus had to say, and how He had said it.
John 7:41 ‘Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?” John 7:42 “Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” “Has not the Scripture said”-Be impressed that the common people knew the Scriptures! They were right on both points. Yes, the Messiah was to come from the line of David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Psalm 89:19-29; 132:11; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:1-5; Jeremiah 23:56). And the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Even the common people knew this! Herod didn’t have to ask the chief priests and the scribes for the correct answer to this question, any faithful Jew could have told him (Matt. 2:4-6). But what they were wrong about is that they thought Jesus had been born in Galilee. Morris notes, ‘The expectation shows that the Exile was not held to have put an end to the possibilities of the Davidic line…It is not without interest that these members of the crowd could cite such scriptures spontaneously. There must have been some quite strong messianic expectations, such that messianic predictions were eagerly sought out. The verse 5
is another example of the Johannine irony. How strange that these people were citing as an objection to Jesus’ messiahship just that fact that they required to attest it, had they but known the facts of the case.’ (p. 429) They assumed that since He was from Galilee that He had been born in Galilee. And they might also have assumed that since the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, that is where He would have resided until His appearance. Assumptions can get us into trouble. One can miss eternal life because they are assuming something that isn’t true, this assumption on the part of some in the crowd was keeping them from coming to Jesus.
John 7:43 ‘So there arose a division in the multitude because of Him.’ ‘arose a division’-Note what truly caused this division. It wasn’t the word of God, rather it was human assumption. This suggests a sharp disagreement between these two groups.
John 7:44 ‘And some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.’ ‘some of them wanted to seize Him’-That is the Jewish rulers who had sent soldiers to arrest Him (7:32). Points To Note: 1.
Nothing has really changed. The same basic views of Jesus still persist until this day. Some hate Him. Others label Him as something less than the Son of God. Some, due to human assumption, and misinformation, or a lack of facts, claim that Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah. And others say that He is. Notice, Jesus will naturally divide people, He is an individual upon whom others will not allow you to ride the fence. 2. And yet in the midst of all this turmoil, no one turned Him over to the rulers. ‘But no-one, not even the temple police, can in fact lay hands on Him’ (Tasker p. 107) Butler notes that some in the crowd might also have been angered, besides the Jewish leadership. ‘Some of the worshipping pilgrims appear to have been actually hostile. Perhaps they were angered by Jesus’ interruption of the ceremonies—perhaps by His silence in denying to be the Christ…How could a lowly Galilean be the Christ—he was guilty of blasphemy. Some wanted Him arrested.’ (p. 35)
The Soldiers Return Empty Handed:
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John 7:45 ‘The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” ‘officers’-which probably were the Temple police. Soldiers under the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin who ensured order in the Temple. They had been sent to arrest Jesus, but they returned without Him (7:32). It seems obvious that the chief priests and Pharisees made it clear to these officers that they wanted Jesus arrested. ‘The authorities thought that the arrest would have to be effected before the festival closed, assuming that otherwise Jesus, too, would leave together with the crowds.’ (Lenski p. 584)
John 7:46 ‘The officers answered, “Never did a man speak the way this man speaks.”’ “Never did a man speak the way this man speaks”-First of all, be impressed with the honesty of these officers. ‘They could truthfully have stated that they had failed because of the danger they would have incurred from the friendly part of the multitude always clustering around Jesus.’ (Lenski p. 584) They could have said, ‘We would have started a riot if we tried to cease Him’, ‘or He has become too popular with the multitudes’. Rather, they made an honest confession from their hearts. What Jesus was teaching had made a deep impression on them, they had been awed by His words. ‘They acknowledge that the manner of Jesus is superior to anything ever found in any other man. They are only one step from saying that this manner is superhuman, yet divine. Much as these officers felt constrained to obey their orders, a stronger influence had come over them—they simply could not and would not lay hands on a man who spoke as this man did. Thus another strange thing appears: the very tools through which the rulers planned to bring Jesus to prison and to death, by making this honest confession, disrupt the unity of the Sanhedrin and thus cause their own plan to be dropped…God often plays with his enemies and makes their schemes ridiculous.’ (Lenski p. 585) Notice that the influence that had come over these officers wasn’t mysterious. Rather, they were impressed by what Jesus said. Honest hearts have always been overawed by the words of God/Jesus (Psalm 119; Isaiah 66:2; Matthew 7:28-29; Luke 5:8; John 18:6).
John 7:47 ‘The Pharisees therefore answered them, “You have not also been led astray, have you?” ‘The Pharisees…answered them”-‘The Pharisees were apparently irritated by this answer, and took the initiative in replying (the chief priests might have been expected to be the ones to rebuke their servants).’ (Morris p. 432)
“You have not also been led astray, have you?”-Note, the officers knew that their answer would receive some sort of rebuke or punishment. But honest hearts must speak the truth. The Pharisees respond with intense ridicule. ‘You, even you, our own officers, who should be listening to us, and not the words of this deceiver, are being led
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astray!’ Much like our modern expression, ‘Don’t tell me that you believe what this guy this saying..’
John 7:48 “No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?” ‘Observe the superior tone of these rulers over against their petty subordinates. What business have these dependents to follow impressions and thoughts of their own?….not for one moment did any of these superior men put confidence in Jesus. So old is the argument, which still is current, that in religious matters men of power, authority, and learning cannot err, and that all humbler people ought to be guided by them without question.’ (Lenski p. 586) And yet the Pharisees were wrong, among their own number men did believe in Him (John 3:2; 12:42-43)
John 7:49 “But this multitude which does not know the Law is accursed.” “which does not know the Law is accursed”-The Pharisees were not impressed by what the common people thought of Jesus, because in their mind the common people were condemned anyway. From the above Scriptures it is clear that the common person knew Scripture, but they didn’t follow all the traditions which the Pharisees had added to the Scriptures. Barclay notes, ‘They called them contemptuously “The People of the Land”. To them they were beneath contempt. To marry a daughter of one of them was like exposing her bound and helpless to a beast. …It was forbidden to be a guest of one of the People of the land, or to entertain such a person as a guest. It was even laid down that, wherever it was possible, nothing should be bought or sold from one of the People of the Land.’ (pp. 266-267) And again, nothing really has changed. ‘Their plea was: “Nobody who is spiritually and academically of any account has believed on this Jesus. Only ignorant fools accept him.” It is indeed a terrible thing when a man thinks himself either too clever or too good to need Jesus Christ—and it can happen yet.’ (Barclay p. 267) Be impressed that in their snobbery they were wrong about all sorts of things. So today when you hear someone saying something like, ‘All true scientists believe in Evolution, all real scholars realize that the Bible is filled with errors’ and so on. Realize that there are true scientists that reject Evolution, and there are scholars who believe the Bible is the Word of God. In fact, many more people have always believed God’s truth than those who practice it (John 12:42-43). And even a greater number know God’s truth, instead of accepting it (Romans 1:18ff). Be impressed that Word of God may not make it on the evening news, but be assured that many people know it and believe it, even though they aren’t living by it.
John 7:50 ‘Nicodemus said to them (he who came to Him before, being one of them),’
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John 7:51 “Our Law does not judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” ‘he who came to Him before’-John 3:1ff “Our Law does not judge a man, unless it first hears from him…”-What irony! The Pharisees who condemned the crowds for not knowing the Law as they did, were presently in the process of breaking one of the clearest teachings in the Law. ‘The law required that justice be done, and impartially. Every man was to have the right to fair, and legal trial upon being accused. Every accusation had to be established at the mouth to two or more witness (cf. Ex. 23:1-2; Lev. 19:15-18; Deut. 1:16; 19:15-18).’ (Butler p. 36)
John 7:52 ‘They answered and said to him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” “You are not also from Galilee are you?”-‘Why would anyone take up for Jesus if he were not Galilean?’ (Harkrider p. 55) The Pharisees couldn’t defend their actions in wanting to arrest Jesus, so they ridiculed Nicodemus. They question his motives, ‘Surely, only a Galilean would stand up for Jesus---you aren’t some accursed and ignorant Galilean are you?.’
“Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee”-‘But the Sanhedrin is in no mood for legal niceties..they exhort their colleague to make a search. He will see that no prophet came from Galilee. They were angry men, and men who had been baulked of their prey, so their answer is not a careful one. They ignore Jonah who was a Galilean (2 Kings 14:25).’ (Morris p. 434) Point To Note: The Bodmer II (p66) manuscript places the definite article before “prophet” in verse 52 making it read, ‘the prophet does not arise out of Galilee’. It is possible that the Pharisees were saying that ‘the prophet’ (Deut. 18:15) would not arise out of Galilee. Like some in the crowd, the Pharisees were also ignorant concerning the place of Jesus’ birth. And it is strange that with all their resources they never ‘made sure’ that He hadn’t been born in Bethlehem.
John 7:53 ‘And everyone went to his home’. Concerning Nicodemus, Barclay notes: ‘Nicodemus did not defend Jesus directly. He only dared to quote certain legal maxims which were relevant…Often a man finds himself in a situation in which he would like to defend Jesus and in which he knows he ought to show his colors. Often he makes a kind of half-hearted defence, and is then reduced to an uncomfortable and an ashamed silence.’ (p. 267)
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‘Many Christians today often find themselves in much the same situation. There comes the “moment of truth” in every Christian’s life.’ (Butler p. 36) Let us remember the words of Jesus: ‘Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.’ (Matthew 10:32-33)
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