Skip to main content

Flowing in The Holy Spirit

Series: The introductions of the Holy Spirit by Jesus

In John 7 there was a big Jewish feast called the Feast of Tabernacles.

It seemed Jesus was initially reluctant to go to this feast (v9) but later decided to go stealthily. And when He got there He waited till the feast was half over before he began to teach (v14).

We notice that for the period of the feast His sermon was blessed with a divided audience (v12-15) - those who accepted His message and those who didn't, which was understandable. But then there was also those who just wanted to kill him but wouldn't admit it (v16-36). What a day in Church? Actually, what a Church conference? because v37 says in the last (...) day of the feast, and He had been there teaching from when the feast was half over (v14). Although there was a very divided audience at His teaching, He pressed on till the last day.

[The feast of tabernacles begins and ends with a Sabbath - so it lasts eight days. Leviticus 23. Half over means four days, so Jesus must have been there for at least three days. Many sacrifices are made on the eighth day which required all priests to assist in their duties.]

Verse 37 says: On the last and most important day of the feast... There must have been something that makes it the most important day, and it must have been something that required the involvement of everyone (maybe the sacrifices offered), it was the most important day of an eight days feast. Jesus stood up that day, and in place of that most important thing, He presented the Holy Spirit:

37 Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!
38 He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’”
39 But He was speaking of the [Holy] Spirit, whom those who believed in Him [as Savior] were to receive afterward. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).
--Amplified Bible.

We can flow in the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus and set the Holy Spirit as the most important in our lives. (Galatians 5:25).

Father help us to always set your Spirit as the most important in our lives, in Jesus name, amen.

God bless you exceedingly.

Popular posts from this blog

Accompanied by unfailing love

Ruth 1:1-22 NIV. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas break. Happy New Year! The Book of Ruth has been called the most beautiful short story ever written because of its simple narrative. A narrative that shows how God’s provision for our needs or challenges is often woven into the simple acts of human kindness. Chapter 1 shows the kindness of a daughter-in-law, Ruth, to her mother-in-law, Naomi (v8, 16, 22), and we’ll see God at work through that. But first, the passage sets the context by introducing us to Naomi’s loss… Naomi lost her family… When Naomi (which means pleasant) is first introduced, we are told of her loss. A woman in a foreign land who lost her family (v1-5). She feels bitter, empty and afflicted by the Lord (v21). Why so? …Because Naomi knows Israel’s God to be the Almighty—Sovereign. He can bring famine to a disobedient Israel (v1) a...

Redeemed into a new life

Ruth 4:1-22 NIV. In today’s passage, Boaz follows up on his promise to Ruth (in 3:12-13) to redeem her. From Boaz’s redemption of Ruth, we get a peek into the pattern of God’s redemption through Jesus. So what does this redemption look like? It is selfless—a costly act, no other redeemer could pay, v1-12 When Boaz met with the closer guardian-redeemer, whom we called Bob, he asked Bob if he would redeem his kinsman’s properties. Bob said yes, then declined when he realised that this included his kinsman’s widow, which would affect his estate. This shows the inevitable selfish motive of any redemption act which is outside of God’s provision. However, Boaz, motivated by love, acquired Ruth, notwithstanding the cost. This costly and selfless act points us to God’s act of redemption through Jesus, our Redeemer, who, out of love, gave His life to save us (John...

True life begins with accepting the word

Mark 4:1-20, 26-29. (The Parables of the Sower and Growing Seed). How do you respond to God’s word? Jesus shows that the continuous experience of true life only comes from accepting the word of God. Anything short, at its best, only yields momentary joy. In teaching about the Kingdom of God (v11, 26), Jesus speaks of a farmer who goes to sow seeds and scatters them on all kinds of soils, with the good soil truly yielding life (v1-8, 26). The seed is the word of God (v14), and the soils are how we respond to the word. But there is only one right response. Accept it The parable shows that just as the kind of soil affects the yield, the kind of response affects the experience of the Kingdom of God. It’s like signing up for an online service, say Amazon; there are terms and conditions open to all. You can either ignore it, tiptoe around it, consider it or accept it. But there...