Reading: John 7:37-44
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this new year and for your presence that is always with us. Open our hearts today to hear your voice and refresh our souls with the living water of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Introduction: The Promise of Something New
I know we’re almost 2 weeks into the new year now, but I think it’s still early enough to wish you all a “Happy New Year”. The new year is often a time when we reflect on the past year and decide that we would like to make some changes. This might result in a New Year's resolution. Maybe you still do that, or maybe you used to. The last one I made was years ago and is the only one I’ve ever kept. “No more new year’s resolutions”. That doesn’t mean that I don’t make changes in my life, it’s just that they don’t follow a calendar schedule.
Feast of Tabernacles
In our reading today, Jesus has been to the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s one of three Pilgrimage Festivals, where the Israelites were expected to visit Jerusalem. It is a seven-day harvest festival. One of the rituals is the water-drawing ritual. Fresh water was drawn from the Siloam Spring, located outside Jerusalem. Moving water, such as from a spring, was known as living water. As the flasks of water were brought into the Temple through the Water Gate, trumpets sounded fanfare. A priest would pour a flask of this freshly drawn water onto the corner of the altar, along with the regular morning offering.
The Invitation: "If Anyone is Thirsty"
At the end of the festival, picking up on the theme of living water, Jesus stands up and cries out: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink." The symbolism would have been obvious to them.
For us, perhaps think about a hot summer day after a long walk. There is nothing quite like a glass of cold, clear water. It revives you. It makes you feel human again.
Jesus isn't talking about a dry throat here; He is talking about a dry spirit. Sometimes, life can feel a bit "dry." We might feel lonely, or tired, or wonder what the purpose of this next year is. Jesus looks at every person here and says, "If you are thirsty for peace, if you are thirsty for hope, come to me."
You don’t have to be strong to come to Jesus. You only have to be thirsty.
The Promise: Streams of Living Water
He goes on to say something incredible in verse 38. "Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water." The word translated as ‘heart’ literally means ‘belly’, but if we used that, it would give completely the wrong idea. In our culture, the heart represents the centre of our being.
Notice He doesn’t say a "trickle" or a "drop." He says rivers.
In Ezekiel 47 there is a vision of a trickle of water leaving the temple. It becomes a stream then eventually a river of pure water that empties enough water into the Dead Sea, one of the saltiest places known. There is so much of God’s water flowing that the Dead Sea is purified.
Even if you feel like you don't have much to give right now, God’s Holy Spirit is like a spring that never runs dry. This means that in this coming year, we have a source of joy that doesn't depend on the news, or our health, or even how we feel when we wake up.
This "Living Water" is the Holy Spirit, that John says is promised in v39. It is God’s own presence living inside us, refreshing our hearts even when the world outside feels weary.
The Response: Who is This Man?
In the final verses (40-44), we see the crowd arguing. Some say, "He is the Prophet." Others say, "He is the Messiah." Others are sceptical because of where He came from.
They were so busy arguing about the details that many of them forgot to actually drink.
As we start this year, we don't need to have all the answers. We don't need to understand every mystery of the Bible or know exactly what the future holds. The question for us isn't "Can I explain Jesus?" but rather "Will I trust Him?"
A Prayer for the Year Ahead
As we head into this New Year, remember that we carry a fountain within us.
- When we feel worried: Drink from His peace.
- When we feel lonely: Remember His presence.
- When we feel like the "old me" is tired: Let His "Living Water" make us new.
God isn't finished with our story. Every morning is a new beginning, and His ‘living water’ is flowing today.
A Short Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for these dear friends. As we begin this New Year, refresh our spirits. When we feel thirsty for hope, remind us of your promise. Let your Living Water flow through our hearts.
Amen.
References
John for everyone, part 1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot
The sermon was developed from a 'Gemini AI' script
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