AUGUST 27, 2017
JESUS AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (PART II)
INTRODUCTION:
1. Of the three main yearly feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, according to Josephus, became the most significant.
2. This feast was to remind Israel of her days in the wilderness, when the people lived in tents and moved from place to place, and had no permanent home.
3. During their forty years sojourn in the wilderness, God met the needs of His people by many miraculous interventions, of which none was more notable than His giving them water from the rock.
4. Remembrance of this provision was made each day of the Feast as a priest and the people performed the Ceremony of the Libation. After the morning sacrifice, a priest would lead the people from the Temple to the Fountain of Siloam, where he would fill a golden pitcher and return to the Temple amid the cheering throng and ceremoniously pour the water out at the Brazen Altar.
5. Just as Jesus used the wilderness provision of manna to declare Himself as the true Bread from Heaven, He now keys on this very important Old Testament type to present Himself as that Rock which is the source of living water.
I. HERE WE HAVE JESUS’ GREAT AND BOLD PROCLAMATION THAT HE IS THE TRUE SOURCE OF THE WATER OF LIFE. (VERSES 37-39)
A. THIS PROCLAMATION IS IN LINE WITH HIS FORMER DECLARATIONS.
1. With respect to the miraculous provisions which God gave to Israel in the wilderness, Jesus had revealed Himself to be the true fulfillment of each of those types.
a) In chapters one and two, He was presented as the true Tabernacle. “The word was made flesh and dwelt (or tabernacle) among us.” (Ch. 1:14) In chapter two, He presented Himself as the true Temple. (Ch. 2:19-21)
b) In chapter three, He represented Himself as the true brazen serpent. (Ch. 3:14, 15)
c) In chapter six, He declared that He is the true Bread from Heaven; the true Manna. (Ch. 6:30-35)
d) In this chapter, Jesus declares that He is the true Rock from which the water of life flows. (See I Cor. 10:1-4)
2. Thus Jesus has shown from the particular circumstances of each feast that the old covenant is realized in His own person.
B. JESUS NOW INVITES THE PEOPLE TO HIMSELF, TO RECEIVE THAT SPIRITUAL DRINK THAT SATISIFIES THIRSTY SOULS. (VERSE 37)
1. This He did on the climactic “last day of the feast.”
2. He cried aloud so that all of the great crowd could hear. (Compare Isa. 55:1)
2. He invited the thirsty to come and drink.
a) “Thirst” was the desperate condition of the people in the wilderness. (Exo. 17:1-6)
b) “Thirst” is the emblem of our spiritual need. (Matt. 5:6; Psa. 107:9)
c) All who are in such need are but to “come” to Him and to “drink.”
d) They are to come to Christ Himself for He is the true Rock from whom the living water flows.
C. JESUS PROMISES A PRECIOUS BOON TO ALL WHO COME. (VERSE 38)
1. Coming to Christ is believing on Him. In Verse 38, Jesus explains what He meant by “come unto me” in Verse 37. “He that believeth on me.’ (Verse 38a)
2. Partaking of Christ, i.e. coming to Him and drinking of Him, completely satisfies the trusting soul, and makes it to overflow with blessings. (Verse 38)
a) First, the believer has his own thirst quenched. This spiritual thirst had found no source of satisfaction; it had been insatiable until it was brought to the Rock.
b) Second, the believer shall have the wherewithal to quench the thirst of others. “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
(1) Here He suggests the means by which the world shall hear the Gospel and be saved.
(2) This also implies that every true believer shall desire to be, and shall be a source of life to others; to family members, neighbors, and friends.
c) The believer has these living waters within his or her innermost being.
d) This most powerfully speaks of complete spiritual satisfaction!
3. This is all according to the Old Testament scriptures. “As the scripture hath said…”
a) It is set forth in the type. (Exo. 17:6)
b) It was according to the Old Testament promises. (Isa. 44:3; 55:1; 58:11)
D. JOHN EXPLAINS JESUS’ PROMISE AS BEING ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT. (VERSE 39)
1. In a general way Jesus’ promise is realized in believers of all ages.
a) Personal satisfaction is the result of faith.
b) “Living water” is forgiveness of sin, and eternal life in the soul. Where these are lacking an insatiable thirst exists that no other fountain can satisfy. Only Jesus can satisfy a thirsty soul. (Isa. 12:2, 3)
2. Yet particularly, a more advanced stage of God’s redemptive plan in here announced.
a) There was to be a new covenant giving of the Holy Spirit. (Verse 39a)
b) In this sense the Holy Spirit was not yet given. (Verse 39b)
(1) Old Testament believers had the Spirit, but not as a constant habitation of Him.
(2) Before Pentecost the Apostles received the Spirit, but were not themselves fountains of living water.
(3) This they became by the New Covenant gift of the Holy Spirit. (See John 14:17)
c) This awaited Jesus’ glorification. (Verse 39c)
(1) Jesus must first die for our sins.
(2) He must then arise from the dead.
(3) This especially speaks of His exaltation to glory.
(4) He would according to His promise send the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18; 16:7)
II. THIS RESULTED IN DIVISIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE. (VERSES 40-53)
A. FIRST, THOSE WHO WERE INCLINED TO HIM WERE DIVIDED. (VERSES 40, 41)
1. Some took Him for “the prophet,” or it may be read a prophet. (Verse 40) It is not certain if they meant the prophet of whom Moses spoke (Deut. 18:18); or Elias, of whom Malachi spoke (Mal. 4:5); or some other prophet, for some think the Jews expected another prophet besides Elias before the coming of Messiah.
2. Some however, were convinced Jesus was the Christ. (Verse 41a)
B. THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS AMONG HIS ENEMIES. (VERSES 41b-44)
1. Some were apparently impressed, but could not get past the fact that He came from Galilee. (Verses 41b-43)
a) They assumed that He could not have come out of Bethlehem, the city of David, since they knew that He and His family were from Galilee.
b) It is a great tragedy when people reject Christ because of some assumed discrepancy or other contrived difficulty.
2. Others, who were avowed enemies, were ready to take Jesus by force. (Verse 44)
a) With these, there was no need for debate; they had decided that Jesus must die.
b) Notice yet another instance of God’s deliverance until the appointed hour should come. “But no man laid hands on Him.”
c) The reason He was not taken was that the officers who were dispatched to apprehend Him were themselves, captivated by His speech. (Verse 45)
C. THERE WAS A DIVISION EVEN AMONG MEMBERS OF THE SANHEDRIN. (VERSES 45-53)
1. Their officers give an unintentional acknowledgment of Jesus. (Verses 45, 46)
2. The rulers derided the officers, suggesting that that they had been duped, allowing themselves to be taken in by a deceiver. (Verse 47)
3. They suggested that the officers had shamed themselves by not following the example of their highly esteemed rulers, and by not submitting to their superior wisdom. (Verse 48) this is a tactic commonly used by the intellectuals, so called, in order to keep their students from questions their dogma.
4. Out of the great pride of their hearts the rulers vilify the people as unlearned in the Law. They were “cursed,” i.e. contemptible, and not to be regarded as to their judgment. (Verse 49)
5. One of their own stood up to expose their false pretenses. (Verses 50, 51)
a) Nicodemus was clearly not “unlearned” and contemptible, but rather a highly respected teacher in Israel.
b) He had heard Jesus, and knew what He was able to do, both as to outward miracles, and inward heart-transforming works.
6. His fellow members of the Sanhedrin remained closed-minded and shot him down. (Verse 52)
a) In reproach they said, “Art thou also of Galilee?” Of course, they knew he was not a Galilean.
b) By their second question, they exposed their own ignorance of Scripture, for Nahum and Jonah were both Galileans. But suppose it were true; what did that have to do with Jesus, Who was born in Bethlehem of Judea?
7. In spite of all, the majority held to their prejudice view. (Verses 52, 53)
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