After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee.
He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his
death. But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, and Jesus'
brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers
can see your miracles! ... Jesus replied, "Now is not the right time for
me to go, but you can go anytime. ... You go on. I'm not going to this
festival, because my time has not yet come." After saying these things,
Jesus remained in Galilee. But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus
also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. ... Then, midway
through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. The
people were surprised when they heard him. "How does he know so much when
he hasn't been trained?" they asked. So Jesus told them, "My message
is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will
of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. ... On
the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the
crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me
may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will
flow from his heart.'" (When he said "living water," he was
speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But
the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his
glory.) When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, "Surely
this man is the Prophet we've been expecting." Others said, "He is
the Messiah." Still others said, "But he can't be! Will the Messiah
come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be
born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was
born." So the crowd was divided about him. Some even wanted him arrested,
but no one laid a hand on him. John
7:1-3, 6, 8-10, 14-17, 37-44
The Feast of Tabernacles has ended for
2018.
Jesus celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles,
or Sukkot. I can imagine that He was invited to share meals with various Jews
in Jerusalem as they had built their family sukkot shelter and ate their meals
there. This Festival was one that Jewish men were required to go to the Temple
in Jerusalem—so there Jesus was even though this scripture passage tells us
that He didn’t want to go there. He obediently went to the Temple and used that
as an opportunity to teach. The Festival is eight days long. At the end of the
Festival, Jesus announced to the crowd that He would provide living water to
anyone who is thirsty. It was the custom to carry water daily from the Pool of
Siloam to the Temple alter for the first seven days of the festival. On the
eighth day, no water was carried—only empty jars were carried, assuming that
the Messiah would miraculously one day fill those vessels with water. It was
startling for the Jews there to hear Jesus pronounce "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me
may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will
flow from his heart.'" He was going to provide water? How could that
be? That must have raised a lot of questions in their hearts and minds. Who was
this Jesus?
 |
| Duncan Gardens, Spokane Washington |
For you (God) are the fountain of life, the
light by which we see. Psalm 36:9
Who is Jesus to you?
Prayer
~ Jesus, continue to reveal Yourself to us—and fill us with the Living Water of
the Holy Spirit—that we would be renewed and refreshed in Your love and grace.
Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 1;
Luke 2
© 2018 photo and
text by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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