I have asked myself many times, what are the five greatest prophecies of Jesus’ ministry? Predictably, each time I’ve tried to make the list, I’ve felt disappointed; all of Jesus’ prophecies are important. But Jesus’ prophecy at the Feast of Tabernacles has been on each of my lists.
Jesus gave the prophecy “on the last and greatest day of the Feast.” At that holy occasion Jesus “stood” and spoke “in a loud voice.” The Greek word is krazo and it communicates strong emotion, as in a loud yell. The word “exclamation” also fits. The term was even used to describe the piercing scream of a raven.
Jesus’ voice surely boomed that day: “If any man thirst let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38, KJV; 12:16, 46).
Does it square with your picture of Jesus, dear reader, to imagine Jesus yelling loudly?
We make a big mistake when we do not try to feel Jesus’ passion. I’ve wished many times I could have been there and felt the impact of both Jesus’ yell and His words. The body of Christ will never be able to get excited about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit unless we permit ourselves to feel Jesus’ deep passion about the gift that Jesus knew would follow His resurrection and ascension.
I want to be passionate about the things Jesus is passionate. Do you share this with me, dear reader?
John the Apostle interpreted Jesus’ prophecy, saying the Lord was referring to the Holy Spirit “whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” John went on to explain, “Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:37-39).
Embraced in the Lord’s burning desire that He expressed in that loud yell was Jesus’ promise the “living water” of the Spirit would be available to all people regardless of age, sex, social status, race, or national origin. A thirsty person anywhere in the world could be included. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all in in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28; Acts 2:39).
The one requirement is to come to Jesus with dehydration-like thirst (see Psalm 42:1-2).
The Apostle John understood well the huge meaning and importance of the gift of the Holy Spirit about which Jesus gave this prophecy. The whole future of the Lord’s Church depended on its fulfillment. John even dated the arrival of the gift as following the Lord’s exaltation.
The glorification of Jesus is defined as all that happened in Jesus’ ministry from His resurrection to His ascension and includes Jesus’ taking His seat again at the right hand of His Father. Psalm 110 prophesied the exaltation of Jesus and is the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament. Without any effort to be exhaustive, consider the following: Matthew 22:43-45; 26:63-64; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33-36; 5:30-31; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25; Ephesians 1:20-22; 2:6; Colossians 3:1.
The heavenly Father honored Jesus’ request and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower the disciples and their followers. The blessing has continued in every generation of the church (John 14:16; Acts 2:39).
The vivid word picture Jesus used in His prophecy in John 7 is of “rivers of living water” from which His followers would drink after Jesus’ ascension. The implication is that the supply of this “living water” is inexhaustible, abundant enough to satisfy the thirst for God in the hearts of each of the millions of people worldwide in every century. The Holy Spirit reveals the perpetual presence of the Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus, and magnifies the generosity of God that is lavishly plentiful. The sense of the statement is “if any man thirsts” in any generation (Matthew 5:6; Ephesians 1:8; I John 3:1).
Yes, Moses perceived in Israel’s wilderness sojourn what a blessing it would be if everybody could receive the Spirit that Jehovah, the I AM, had given to the seventy (Numbers 11:24-30). Think about it. Jesus’ loudly yelled invitation at the feast meant Moses’ prophetic prayer for a Pentecost in the desert would become possible very soon for every person worldwide who has a dehydration-like thirsty soul!
While on the cross, no water was available to Jesus. This meant dehydration quickly set in and grew worse and worse, and then even worse still, as Jesus became weaker and weaker from loss of blood. The human body is about 60% water and as that percentage drops, dehydration becomes utterly agonizing. Dehydration is a much more compelling drive than starvation. Clearly Jesus experienced dehydration at its worst, and came to the point He said with a very weak, heartbreaking voice, “I am thirsty” (John 19:29).
Please note, dear reader, Jesus did not say, “I am hungry.” The suffering from dehydration might have been as bad as the pain of the nails. But Jesus was not given a cool swallow of water. Instead, they offered Him only a sponge of vinegar. Will you let yourself try to picture that scene?
If you have been trying to quench your spiritual thirst by drinking from some well other than deep thirst for Jesus, you are missing the gift of the Holy Spirit. Without question, the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest gifts in all history.
Please let it settle into your mind and soul, dear reader, that Jesus felt the prophecy so strongly He yelled it out.
Do you share His passion? And if even one of you does not, will you go back again to your Upper Room and wait in prayer for the promise of the Father?
Perhaps we all should go back to the Upper Room and pray for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave the prophecy “on the last and greatest day of the Feast.” At that holy occasion Jesus “stood” and spoke “in a loud voice.” The Greek word is krazo and it communicates strong emotion, as in a loud yell. The word “exclamation” also fits. The term was even used to describe the piercing scream of a raven.
Jesus’ voice surely boomed that day: “If any man thirst let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38, KJV; 12:16, 46).
Does it square with your picture of Jesus, dear reader, to imagine Jesus yelling loudly?
We make a big mistake when we do not try to feel Jesus’ passion. I’ve wished many times I could have been there and felt the impact of both Jesus’ yell and His words. The body of Christ will never be able to get excited about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit unless we permit ourselves to feel Jesus’ deep passion about the gift that Jesus knew would follow His resurrection and ascension.
I want to be passionate about the things Jesus is passionate. Do you share this with me, dear reader?
John the Apostle interpreted Jesus’ prophecy, saying the Lord was referring to the Holy Spirit “whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” John went on to explain, “Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:37-39).
Embraced in the Lord’s burning desire that He expressed in that loud yell was Jesus’ promise the “living water” of the Spirit would be available to all people regardless of age, sex, social status, race, or national origin. A thirsty person anywhere in the world could be included. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all in in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28; Acts 2:39).
The one requirement is to come to Jesus with dehydration-like thirst (see Psalm 42:1-2).
The Apostle John understood well the huge meaning and importance of the gift of the Holy Spirit about which Jesus gave this prophecy. The whole future of the Lord’s Church depended on its fulfillment. John even dated the arrival of the gift as following the Lord’s exaltation.
The glorification of Jesus is defined as all that happened in Jesus’ ministry from His resurrection to His ascension and includes Jesus’ taking His seat again at the right hand of His Father. Psalm 110 prophesied the exaltation of Jesus and is the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament. Without any effort to be exhaustive, consider the following: Matthew 22:43-45; 26:63-64; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33-36; 5:30-31; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25; Ephesians 1:20-22; 2:6; Colossians 3:1.
The heavenly Father honored Jesus’ request and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower the disciples and their followers. The blessing has continued in every generation of the church (John 14:16; Acts 2:39).
The vivid word picture Jesus used in His prophecy in John 7 is of “rivers of living water” from which His followers would drink after Jesus’ ascension. The implication is that the supply of this “living water” is inexhaustible, abundant enough to satisfy the thirst for God in the hearts of each of the millions of people worldwide in every century. The Holy Spirit reveals the perpetual presence of the Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus, and magnifies the generosity of God that is lavishly plentiful. The sense of the statement is “if any man thirsts” in any generation (Matthew 5:6; Ephesians 1:8; I John 3:1).
Yes, Moses perceived in Israel’s wilderness sojourn what a blessing it would be if everybody could receive the Spirit that Jehovah, the I AM, had given to the seventy (Numbers 11:24-30). Think about it. Jesus’ loudly yelled invitation at the feast meant Moses’ prophetic prayer for a Pentecost in the desert would become possible very soon for every person worldwide who has a dehydration-like thirsty soul!
While on the cross, no water was available to Jesus. This meant dehydration quickly set in and grew worse and worse, and then even worse still, as Jesus became weaker and weaker from loss of blood. The human body is about 60% water and as that percentage drops, dehydration becomes utterly agonizing. Dehydration is a much more compelling drive than starvation. Clearly Jesus experienced dehydration at its worst, and came to the point He said with a very weak, heartbreaking voice, “I am thirsty” (John 19:29).
Please note, dear reader, Jesus did not say, “I am hungry.” The suffering from dehydration might have been as bad as the pain of the nails. But Jesus was not given a cool swallow of water. Instead, they offered Him only a sponge of vinegar. Will you let yourself try to picture that scene?
If you have been trying to quench your spiritual thirst by drinking from some well other than deep thirst for Jesus, you are missing the gift of the Holy Spirit. Without question, the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest gifts in all history.
Please let it settle into your mind and soul, dear reader, that Jesus felt the prophecy so strongly He yelled it out.
Do you share His passion? And if even one of you does not, will you go back again to your Upper Room and wait in prayer for the promise of the Father?
Perhaps we all should go back to the Upper Room and pray for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.