Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Amen.
“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.’” The feast that Jesus was attending was the
Feast of Booths also called the Feast of Tabernacles. God commanded this celebration to be observed
in order to commemorate the wandering of Israel in the desert for 40
years. Just as Israel dwelt in booths, tabernacles,
or what were really tents; so did the people celebrating this feast day live in
tents throughout this eight-day celebration.
For seven days of the feast of this
eight-day feast, water would be taken in golden pitchers from the pool of
Siloam and poured out in the temple in order to commemorate God quenching
Israel’s thirst by providing for them water from a rock. In the midst of water being poured over the
rocks, in rembrance of Jesus quenching His peoples’ thirst Jesus stands up “on
the last day of the feast, the great day.”
“You’ve seen water being poured out in the temple for seven days now,”
Jesus says, “You’ve remembered that God has provided Israel with water as they
wandered in the desert. Now, look up from
this water streaming down the temple to Me. “If
anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink…”
Are you thirsty? You should be. Your own heart is a desert full of sin. You were dead in your sin; dried up, with no
hope. We, like Israel in the desert, grumble
and complain. “I don’t have enough
money. My house isn’t big enough. I want more!”
we, like Israel belly-ache in the wilderness but are never satisfied. You’re a people with dry, dusty hearts. Are you thirsty? You should be. You’re a desert people in a barren land.
Our bones are dried up. There’s nothing we can do; no way we can pump life back into our sinful,
dusty heart. So, we turn Jesus who says,
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me
and drink…”
We muddle about in this desert-world, parched,
dry-mouthed, with the stink of our own sin about us. Yet, as someone who’s wandering in the
wilderness finds the oasis, a watering hole, his heart skips for joy. As his lips bend down to sip the cool water,
his life is restored.
Jesus is our oasis, living water that brings new
life to our dried up hearts. The Water
of Life, Jesus, was glorified on the cross bearing your sin so that after you
too would be glorified.
John records, “Now
this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive,
for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Rivers of life and the Spirit, they go
together.
You, who cleansed in the blessed river of Baptism,
have received this Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
The water that flowed from Jesus pierced side flows right into that
baptismal font and over your head. As
you heard the kids sing, “In a dear forgiving flood, sprinkling me with Jesus’
Blood. As the kids learned, Jesus has
called you by name in baptism, Jesus saved you in baptism. In baptism the Spirit was given to you as a
gift; and the Spirit leads you to Christ.
He doesn’t draw attention to Himself, but points you to Jesus. He’s your guide through the desert who leads
you to the oasis of Christ; where you’re given rest and comfort; peace and joy.
The Holy Spirt leads us, who are thirsting for
righteousness, who have hearts of dust, to the death of Christ on the cross. Jesus’ death was died for you. This Spirit leads you to Him who, viewed from
human eyes, is the most inglorious thing ever.
A corpse hanging on the cross doesn’t look very glamorous or
glorious. The blood spilled from the
sacred veins of the Son of God, to the world, looks shameful. But through the Spirit and through the eyes
of faith that He brings to you, the crucifixion on the cross is Jesus’ great
and glorious moment… It’s your great and glorious moment.
The Spirit leads you to Him who willingly died a
sinner’s death for you, who are parched and thirsty because of your sinful
heart. The Spirit leads you to Him who
took all your sins upon Himself and paid for them…in full. Who washed them away in Baptism. The times you’ve grumbled against God, the
times you’ve been, the times you’ve not been content with what you have, even
those really bad ones, the ones that cause you shame and grief have been
forgiven, covered in the blood of Jesus. That’s the Spirit’s job, to lead you to Him
who is your oasis, your life, and salvation.
Who, by His death and resurrection, turns your dusty hearts to a heart
that flows the living water of faith.
We wander through this desert of the
world and we’re constantly going to Jesus, who creates anew our lifeless
hearts, making them gush forth faith in Him.
We return to our baptisms, daily, where Christ has made our hearts to
flow water of life. You hear His Words
of the Gospel, which brings you the forgiveness of sins. You receive the Holy Meal, holy food that
brings forgiveness and sustains faith.
Christ uses these means in order to give you the Holy Spirit who guides
you to where you need to go in order to find comfort for your parched, thirsty
hearts. He leads you to Christ and His
cross, where you glory is found, and where you have life and have it in abundantly. Amen.
The
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting.
Amen.
