December 19th, 20

Drink Deep!

John 7 - 8

It’s the climax of the festival and Jesus commandeers the whole thing. It’s the Festival of Shelters. The priest would descend the steps from the temple down to the pool of Siloam,. There he would retrieve water, walk it all the way back up the steps, and pour it out on the altar. And there he would recite Isaiah 12:3.

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!

This was a Messianic promise.  It was a promise that there would come a day when the Messiah would come and offer salvation to his people. And all the faithful would drink deeply from that fountain and be saved.  

The priest would descend those steps for 7 days, bringing up that water every day. On the 7th day the priest would do that for the final time.  It was the climax of the celebration.  People were standing around with palm fronds and lit lanterns.  It was at this glorious moment, that Jesus upstages the whole thing  He steps forward, at this moment, and begins to shout out to the people these amazing words:

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" (Jn 7:38 NLT)

Amazing! The salvation the world is dying for has come.  The deadly drought caused by our rebellion, has come to an end.  The wait for life-giving water is over.  The source of our life is standing before us.  And he tells us to drink deep, often, and to never stop drinking.  This water flows for all who come to the source, the Son.  He is our salvation. He is our overflowing life. 

Jesus took center stage at that moment because He didn’t want us to miss the sign.  He’s the one we’ve been looking for.  He’s the one that Isaiah was spoke of when he wrote, 

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation.

Drink deeply from the fountain, today and every day.

You are loved!