John 1:32–33
And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
The most important person of the Trinity that Jesus brought into this world is the gift of Holy Spirit. With His birth, death and resurrection believers in Christ would baptize us in Holy Spirt. He is within us to comfort, guide and protect us from the evil that seeks to kill, steal and destroy us. He is always within our reach we just need to allow more of Him in our lives. Carla
John 7:37-39
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. NKJV)
On each day of the feast, the people came with palm branches and marched around the great altar. A priest took a golden pitcher filled with water from the Pool of Siloam, carried it to the temple, and poured it on the altar as an offering to God. This dramatic ceremony was a memorial of the water that flowed from the rock when the Israelites traveled through the wilderness. On the last day of the feast, the people marched seven times around the altar in memory of the seven circuits around the walls of Jericho. Perhaps at the very moment that the priest was pouring water on the altar, Jesus’ voice rang out: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
As the Scripture has said: The reference is not to a single passage, but to the general emphasis of such passages as Deuteronomy 18:15; Is. 58:11; Zechariah 14:8. In contrast to the small amount of water poured out each day during the feast, there will be a river of water coming out of those who believe in Christ. Not only will they be satisfied themselves, but they will also become a river so that others may drink and be satisfied (verse 39).
John explains that Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would satisfy personal thirst and produce a perennial fountain for the satisfaction of others. The Holy Spirit would come after Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension. Jesus prepared His disciples for this in the Upper Room. The NKJV Study Bible
On the last day of the feast Jewish tradition prescribes additional rituals for the final day of the festival—the culmination of their weeklong prayers for deliverance (according to the Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 53a).
If anyone is thirsty is a subtle appeal to imagery of messianic deliverance associated with the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus makes the point that He is the source of life—a claim that only God could make. This would have provoked His opponents, but it brought comfort to His followers.
The festival came to be a celebration of God’s future restoration of Israel and the extension of salvation to the nations. Jesus’ invitation draws on those expectations of future ideal reality under the rule of the Messiah.
Numerous Old Testament passages represent salvation metaphorically as a life-giving source of water. The closest source for this quote is Zechariah 14:8. Jewish tradition viewed Jerusalem as the center of the world and referred to it as the “navel of the earth,” so Jesus’ words about the source of this water may parallel “Jerusalem” as the source of the water. Old Testament visions of God’s future salvation for His people included the image of the Spirit being poured out on all believers. Faithlife Study Bible
Isaiah 55:1
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
John 4:10–14
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water…
Acts 2:33
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear
“However mean your life is,” wrote Thoreau, “meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names.” Mean, or unexpected, or confusing, or exasperating.
Well, I’m glad to say that life’s meanness does not have to be disheartening to me. On the contrary. I can lift my head, open my eyes, and see an invitation.
And yes, I have a voice.
With that voice, I can hate. Or I can build.
Yes. Inside every one of us—in our DNA—we have the tools that we need, to navigate these unpredictable times. Yes, the “tools” to be builders—the empowerment to draw upon mercy and compassion—to create (“build”) places of sanctuary, and healing, and grace, even where cruelty and callousness are real.
Yes. I can set up chairs for inclusion and reconciliation.
Chairs for community and hope and courage.
So. Let’s begin with Clarissa Pinkola Estes' reminder; "Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely." Sabbath Moments
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