Jesus didn’t often draw attention to himself on purpose…at least not for a meaningful reason. It must have been startling to his disciples- not to mention the crowd around him- when he stood up and cried out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believe in me, as the scripture has said ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (see John 7:37-39)
It would be startling because it seemed abrupt, even for a crowd that had come to a festival. It would also be startling because no one makes promises like Jesus did at that time- at least not a sane person.
But, Jesus said it. And he meant it. Though few would have understood it, his words were an invitation to something. Something that was not only soul-thirst satisfying, but also life giving to others. But, it wasn’t literal water…
John was in the crowd that day with Jesus. He may have understood what Jesus meant just a little bit more than anyone else, but it wasn’t that much. With years in between the day Jesus said it and the day he wrote down Jesus’ words, John writes these words, explaining what Jesus’ said: “Now this he said about the Spirit…”
The Spirit. The Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ. The “shy” person of the Trinity. Just as much God as the Father and the Son are God. The God we forget about.
Jesus doesn’t say much more about God the Holy Spirit on this day, but what he says is world-changing: The Spirit quenches our holy thirst.
When a corrupt heart influences this thirst, we seek after anything but God’s Spirit. Possessions. Illicit sexual experiences. Pleasing people. We drink whatever we can that seems like it will quench our thirst, but ultimately- if it isn’t the “living water” Jesus promised- we just get thirsty again.
Our journey through Ephesians leads us to Paul’s commanding invitation to be filled with the Spirit in chapter 5. The Spirit seems mysterious, illusive, and maybe scary. But, God is inviting us to drink deeply of the One he gives us that will quench our souls’ deepest thirsts…and overflows to fill those around us too.