Rivers of Living Water

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. When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, "Why didn't you bring him in?" "We have never heard anyone speak like this!" the guards responded. "Have you been led astray, too?" the Pharisees mocked. "Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God's curse is on them!" John 7:37-49 

Meditate. Consider your thirst and living water.

 

Living water. Jesus had declared the gift of living water earlier to the woman at the well.

Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?" Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:10-14

Do you picture Jesus as “the Living Water?”          

Fill these jugs with Living Water.
Water jugs from a historic museum in Israel.

    This Festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, is eight days long. At the end of the Festival, Jesus announced to the crowd that He would provide living water to anyone thirsty. It was the custom to carry water daily from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple altar 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 make this pronouncement. 

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 would provide water?

How could that be? That must have raised a lot of questions in their hearts and minds. Who was this Jesus?

For you (God) are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. Psalm 36:9

Are you thirsty yet? Similar Scripture considering the water of life is found in Revelation:

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let anyone who hears this say, "Come." Let anyone thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. Revelation 22:17

Who is Jesus to you? Do you believe that He can provide you with living water?

What do you learn about Jesus that draws you closer to Him through this Scripture passage today?

 

Prayer – Lord Jesus, as You shepherd us, guide us to not only receive Your living water, but help us to share this message of eternal life with those, like the woman at the well, whose paths cross ours. There is indeed an invisible thread throughout our lives that binds us all together—that our paths will cross with those You want us to help. We thank You for the love, security, and guidance that You provide for us. We praise You.  

 

Verses of Salvation ~ See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day, you will sing: Thank the LORD! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! Isaiah 12:2-4

 

© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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