Bible Talk: Biblical Commentary on Weekly Verses
Are You Thirsty?
Do you ever go through life wanting more? Do you find yourself always unsatisfied and at a loss at what can truly fill your void? If you do, you're not alone. In the bible there are various occasions where Jesus says he is the cure to thirst and hunger, but people simply failed to understand what he meant. In our modern world, people are just as lost as the ancient biblical people to this simple truth. When one does not have Jesus in their lives, it does not matter what they have achieved in other respects, they feel incomplete and that's because they are. Without Jesus in our lives nothing makes sense, we are not complete, we are without true purpose because our life is meant to be dedicated to serving the Lord and living in His presence.
To understand why Jesus said what he said we must view the context around John 7:37. Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Booths or the Festival of the Tabernacles which was a week-long celebration in memory of how God intervened in Israel's journey in Exodus and how God provided water for Israel. In this Festival, priests would carry water from the Pool of Siloam to the altar. Just like in the old testament where God provided water from a rock to Israel when they were in thirst, Jesus meant that if you drink of the "water" he offers your thirst will be eternally quenched. Ever notice how people who have so little but have Jesus are so happy and at peace with their lives? It's because they recognize they have something much greater than material wealth. In the day to day of a Christian, if we are not in search of greater intimacy with God through the reading of His Word and conversation through prayer, we feel distanced and weak. We thirst for more of His presence everyday. Understand that the one who will give you all you need and who is the answer to an eternal life is Jesus. It is better to live a "poor" life in this world with Jesus than to live a "wealthy" one without Him, because true wealth and satisfaction is found in Him and His promise of an eternal life by His side.
*Complementary Verse
John 4:14
"but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 (KJV)
Everlasting Life
Once again in John 4:14 we see someone who does not understand what Jesus is saying initially. Through chapter 4 of John we see a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman drawing water from a well. In the attainment of this earthly water, the person must lower the bucket into the well over and over again, but Jesus has a more permanent solution to quench the thirst within; drink from the living water! This living water symbolizes salvation that is achieved only through Christ. No human efforts attain salvation, it is only through faith in Him that salvation is received as a gift from Him and as a result our actions change due to our internal transformation.
Jesus confronts the woman about her sins and then shares with her the gospel that transforms and saves. I know it is difficult to let go of some sins that have become habitual and seem so attached, but Jesus gave us the opportunity to become new. He can wash away our sins, cleanse us within, and offer us the drink from living water which is everlasting. Like the Samaritan woman we can be transformed and bring others to Christ as well. I for one choose living water, I choose to accept the gift of Everlasting life. No matter the hardships we may face here on earth, I know that everything Jesus has to offer is above it all and far more permanent (ETERNAL). Jesus is the ultimate cure for spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst. Remember, all who thirst, Jesus invites you to come to Him, He will give you all you need, all that truly matters.
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