His Place or Out of Place

Daily Reading: John 7

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.(John 7.37)

Devotional Thought: On the eighth day or "the Great Day" of the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a water-drawing ceremony.  The gathered worshipers followed the priest to the pool of Siloam. The priest carried two golden pitchers: one for wine, the other for water from the pool.  With flutes playing, the whole congregation then went back to the Temple through the Water Gate, reciting Psalm 118: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”  When the procession entered the temple area, a trumpet would sound.  Then the priest went to the altar where two silver basins were waiting. He would pour wine into one of the basins as a drink offering to the Lord and water from the pool of Siloam into the other, indicating their dependence upon God to pour out rain for their crops. 

Picture someone standing up in the above ceremony and shouting: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink!Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water! (John 7.37[JW1] -38). That’s exactly what Jesus did.  It would be like someone standing up during communion and saying: “Hey!  I’ve got some root beer back here – with frosted mugs instead of those tiny little glasses!”  We would not be impressed. 

Was Jesus out of place?  Or was it his place to do exactly what he did?  What was so important that he would disrupt worship in this way?  John answered that question: "Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive" (John 7.39).  Jesus knows that no ritual - no matter how meaningful - can take the place of his presence through the Spirit.  Have you received the Spirit?

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the promise of the Father - the Holy Spirit who brings to us your presence and power.  Right now, I drink deeply of your Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 36.1-6

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.