← Back to sermon library

We'll be looking at verses 32 
to 39. A reminder, we will be back to 
our Bible study on Wednesday evening. This Wednesday night 
at 7.30 in our fellowship hall, we're going back to the book 
of Exodus. We finished the 10 commandments just prior to the 
break. So there is a bit of a summary statement at the end of chapter 
20 that we'll pick up on Wednesday night, God willing. This morning, 
as I said, our focus is on verses 32 to 39 in John 7, but I do 
wanna read beginning in verse 25. Now, some of them from Jerusalem 
said, is this not he whom they seek to kill? But look, he speaks 
boldly and they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed 
that this is truly the Christ? However, we know where this man 
is from, but when the Christ comes, no one knows where he 
is from. Then Jesus cried out, as he taught in the temple, saying, 
You both know me, and you know where I am from. And I have not 
come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know. But I know him, for I am from 
him, and he sent me. Therefore they sought to take 
him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not 
yet come. And many of the people believed 
in him and said, When the Christ comes, will he do more signs 
than these which this man has done? The Pharisees heard the 
crowd murmuring these things concerning him, and the Pharisees 
and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then Jesus said 
to them, I shall be with you a little while longer, and then 
I go to him who sent me. You will seek me and not find 
me, and where I am you cannot come. And the Jews said among 
themselves, where does he intend to go that we shall not find 
him? Does he intend to go to the dispersion 
among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this thing that 
he said? You will seek me and not find 
me. And where I am, you cannot come. 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. He who believes in me, 
as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers 
of living water. 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. 
Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, 
said, Truly this is the prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. 
But some said, Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not 
the scripture said that the Christ comes from the seat of David, 
and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was 
a division among the people because of him. Now, some of them wanted 
to take him, but no one laid hands on him. And the officers 
came to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, why 
have you not brought him? The officers answered, no man 
ever spoke like this man. Then the Pharisees answered them, 
are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers of the 
Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not 
know the law is accursed. Nicodemus, he who came to Jesus 
by night, being one of them, said to them, Does our law judge 
a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing? They 
answered and said to him, Are you also from Galilee? Search 
and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for this wonderful day. We thank you for 
the blessed privilege that we have to gather in the house of 
God on the day of God with the people of God. And we pray that 
you would be in our midst. We have that great picture in 
the book of Revelation of Christ in the midst of the lampstand. 
And this is what our desire is, to commune with you, Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit. Forgive us now for all of our 
sin and transgression of your law. We ask God that you would 
increase our faith and cause us to grow in the grace and knowledge 
of our blessed Savior. And for any and all here today 
that have not come to the Savior, may they hear his voice as it 
comes so clearly through John chapter 7. calling upon thirsty 
sinners to come to Him and to drink. And we pray for the ministry 
and the aid and the guidance of your Holy Spirit, that He 
would in fact lead us into all truth. And we ask this in the 
name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, 
this is the last verbal exchange in this Feast of Tabernacles 
that our Lord Jesus engages in. Remember, this is about six months 
after the events recorded in chapter six. So chapter six is 
around the time of Passover, Jesus taught in a synagogue in 
Capernaum. And then about six months later, 
it's now the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus is in Jerusalem. And as 
we have seen, he has had confrontation with the religious leaders and 
with the people of Israel that were not believers in him. The 
first concern is authority. They asked, essentially, by what 
authority does he stand in our temple and speak the things that 
he is saying? Who gave him this? He's not trained. He's not a rabbi. He hasn't gone 
to seminary. He hasn't gone to Bible college. 
Who does he think he is? And then that then leads into 
a concern concerning his identity, and we saw that last time in 
verses 25 to 31. So there you see the confusion 
of the people, and that moves us to verses 32 to 36, which 
is the, I'm sorry, the division among the people, and now it's 
the confusion among the leaders, and then we'll take up the declaration 
of the Savior in verses 37 to 39. So basically, this morning, we're 
looking at the confusion among the leaders, 32 to 36, and then 
the declaration of the Savior in 37 to 39. Notice in the first 
place, in terms of the intention of the Pharisees. Verse 32, the 
Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, 
and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take 
Him. Now, they were not sending these 
officers, which were essentially temple police, simply to take 
him so they could discuss with him the various differences in 
their theology. They wanted to take him to rid 
the earth of him. They wanted to eliminate him. 
We've already seen that in John chapter 5. They've accused him 
of blasphemy, they've accused him of Sabbath-breaking, and 
they want to kill him. In fact, in chapter seven, we're 
told at the very outset in verse one, after these things, Jesus 
walked in Galilee for he did not want to walk in Judea because 
the Jews sought to kill him. Verse 19, did not Jesus give 
you the law yet? None of you keeps the law. Why 
do you seek to kill me? So the divided opinion among 
the people has reached the ears of the Pharisees and the chief 
priests. And the Pharisees and the chief priests do what raw 
power likes to do. Let's dispatch the police forces 
to seize and take him, to bring him to us so we can neutralize 
the threat. And I would submit again that 
the issue wasn't Sabbath breaking. The issue wasn't blasphemy. The 
issue was is that the Savior upstaged them. He was now the 
one that everybody wanted to hear. He was now the one that 
people were flocking toward. He was now the one that was basically 
stealing the thunder of these religious leaders, and so they 
respond the way that tyrants do. They send the cops to stop 
him. They wanted to eliminate him. 
I love in verses 45 and 46 when the cops return. Then the officers 
came to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, why 
have you not brought him? The officers answered, no man 
ever spoke like this man. We're not dealing with a common 
fellow. We're not dealing with just some 
upstart who has some messianic complex. We're dealing with the 
Messiah. I'm not sure that they knew all 
of that in and of itself, but they were dealing with a man 
who spoke not as their scribes, but rather he spoke as one with 
authority, because he was, in fact, the very prophet of God 
Most High. And, of course, on the heels 
of his declaration, we see that response in verses 40 and 41. Truly, this is the prophet. Others 
said, this is the Christ. That's why the Pharisees are 
in action now. That's why they want to target 
him for destruction. That's why they want to eliminate 
or liquidate him because not over little theological differences, 
but because they want to destroy him. Now notice how Jesus responds 
to this. So verse 32, the Pharisees heard 
the crowd murmuring these things concerning him, and the Pharisees 
and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then Jesus said 
to them, Notice in the first place that he understands what 
is going on in their thoughts. He understands what is going 
on in terms of their words. He knew their machinations. Our 
brother Cam used the word machination in Sunday school this morning. 
You're getting a twofold use of machinations, the evil and 
diabolical mindset of these enemies of the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Cyril of Alexandria says, now he was not unaware, since 
the Lord is indeed God by nature, of the bloodthirsty audacity 
of the Pharisees and the unholy intention of the chief priests 
against him. With the eyes of his divinity, he sees the officers 
who were chosen by them to arrest him now, present and mingled 
with the crowds. He understands what's happening. 
He knows of this growing enmity, he knows of this opposition, 
and he knows how this story is going to end. It is for this 
purpose that he has come. Remember back in verse 30, therefore 
they sought to take him, but no one laid a hand on him because 
his hour had not yet come. He was fully conscious of the 
reality for which he came into this world. It was to live for 
us, it was to die for us, and it was to be raised again for 
us. So this isn't surprising to our Lord. He's not thinking, 
oh, how bad and how terrible this is that they're actually 
engaged in this sort of animosity toward me. No, he understands 
it at the very fundamental level of what they are attempting to 
do in terms of neutralize the threat. Now notice he reveals 
something concerning his earthly ministry. Verse 33, then Jesus 
said to them, I shall be with you a little while longer. It 
wasn't his hour yet. He was still going to minister. 
He's still going to engage in good works. He's still going 
to flesh out that righteousness of God that needs to be imputed 
to us and received by faith alone. So he says, I shall be with you 
a little while longer, and then I go to him who sent me. This 
is a reference to the Ascension. So we know what happens from 
this point on with reference to the life of the Lord. He does 
live, He does minister, He does teach, He does heal, He does 
feed, He does raise people from the dead, but He ultimately goes 
to the cross. And there He dies as the Lamb 
of God who takes away the sin of the world. And once he dies, 
he's raised again the third day. And once he's raised again the 
third day, he ascends back on high. He goes back to the father 
who sent him. This is one of his favorite identifiers 
for God the father. It is he who sent me. Now, this 
isn't the first time in the gospel up to this point, we've had hints 
of the ascension. If you turn to John chapter three, 
you'll see this. John three at verse 13. John 
3 at verse 13, no one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down 
from heaven, that is the son of man who is in heaven. And then over in John 6 at verse 
62, what then, if you should see the son of man ascended where 
he was before. And now in John 7, 33, I shall 
be with you a little while longer, and then I go to him who sent 
me. Again, a constant emphasis by the Savior to highlight His 
origin from the Father, His consubstantiality with the Father, and the mission 
given Him by the Father in order to save His people from their 
sins. So He alludes to this with reference to these particular 
men, but then notice on the heels of this announcement that He's 
going to return to the Father, He makes the statement of His 
rejection of them. Notice, it's not them rejecting 
him wherein the emphasis lies. He doesn't sit and whine and 
cry and say, I can't believe you guys are rejecting such a 
nice guy like me. No, he indicates his rejection 
of them. He indicates that these are reprobate 
men. He indicates that these men are 
cut off, that these men, by their machinations, by their sinful 
unbelief, by the rejection of divine mercy, are going to find 
themselves cut off from the Savior himself. Notice what he says 
in verse 34. You will seek me and not find me, and where I 
am, notice, you cannot come. Now this isn't isolated to this 
passage. Look at chapter 8 and verse 21. Chapter 8 and verse 21, Jesus 
said to them again, I am going away and you will seek me and 
will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come. Notice in John 13 at verse 33. John 13, verse 33, little children, 
I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek me. And as I said to the Jews, where 
I am going, you cannot come. So now I say to you. Now, the 
difference between the Jews he says this to and say Feast of 
Tabernacles in John 7 is that there's a verse 36 in the upper 
room. Notice what he says in verse 
36, Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus 
answered him, where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but 
you shall follow me afterward. So there's this word of encouragement 
to the disciples. You can't follow me to the cross. 
You can't follow me to the grave. You can't follow me to the resurrection. 
I mean, I know they did, they were attendant, they were witnessing, 
all that sort of thing. But in terms of vital union, 
you're not going to have that. But once he ascends on high, 
once he leads captivity captive, once he gives gifts to men, he 
receives us unto himself. He says that in John 14. I go 
to prepare a place for you. In my Father's house are many 
mansions, and I go to prepare a place for you. So there is 
this contrast between the reprobate, the ungodly religious leaders 
that are cut off by our Savior at the Feast of Tabernacles, 
and his disciples. You won't have that close proximity 
in terms of union with Christ, death, resurrection, and ascension, 
but on the heels of the ascension, then he's at that position of 
authority to receive his people unto that place where he is. Notice in 1419. 14, 19, a little while longer and the 
world will see me no more, but you will see me because I live, 
you will live also. It doesn't say that to these 
religious leaders at the Feast of Tabernacles. And then notice 
in chapter 16, specifically at verses 16 to 19, a little while 
and you will not see me. And again, a little while and 
you will see me because I go to the Father. Then some of his 
disciples said among themselves, what is this that he says to 
us? A little while and you will not see me. And again, a little 
while and you will see me. And because I go to the father, 
they said, therefore, what is this that he says? A little while. 
We do not know what he is saying. Jesus knew that they desired 
to ask him, and he said to them, are you inquiring among yourselves 
about what I said a little while, and you will not see me, and 
again a little while, and you will see me? And there, essentially, 
he says, you're gonna have joy, you're gonna have happiness, 
you're gonna have blessing. He's gonna be cut off, he's gonna 
die, he's gonna be raised again the third day, but he's going 
to return to the Father. So going back to the Feast of 
Tabernacles, as he stands with these godless men, he makes that 
declaration, verse 34, you will seek me and not find me, and 
where I am, you cannot come." Now, just a couple of practical 
observations at this point. First, the reality that they 
might seek him when it's too late. You will seek me. There is that emphasis in scripture 
that we heard in the outset of worship this morning. Seek the 
Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. These men were in the very proximity 
of the Son of God, who calls upon them to come to Him. The 
thirsty ones to come and drink, the needy ones to come and find 
blessing. And yet they reject it, they 
despise it, they resist it, they abhor it. There is this consistency 
that we find in the scripture. God, in His grace, calls upon 
sinners to come to Him. It's very clear. It's very simple. 
It's not hard. It's not difficult. You are a 
wretch. You have broken God's law at 
every point. The best of us in this room are 
vile, and I'm not including myself in the best of us. I know there's 
a lot better people in this room than I am. But the best among 
us, brethren, are worthy of an eternity of eternities apart 
from God for our sin. Remember that scene when the 
tabernacle is built at the end of Exodus chapter 40. The Shekinah 
glory comes down. It floods the very tabernacle, 
the dwelling place of God. But Moses himself could not enter 
in. Now, that's significant because 
Moses had it all going on in terms of Israel. Moses was, I 
would say arguably, the godliest man in that motley crew. And 
yet he was too sinful to enter in. He needed Leviticus chapters 
1 to 9 and the promise of access through blood atonement through 
the sacrificial system. So when it comes to this reality, 
God does call sinners to come, to taste and see that he is good, 
to drink from the water of life, to enjoy the blessed benefits 
that the people of God enjoy. But if you tarry, if you resist, 
if you reject, if you continue in rebellion and unbelief, there 
will be a cutting off. There will be the declaration 
from the Savior, where I am, you cannot You cannot come. You 
cannot access that place because you've not come through that 
bloody knife and that smoking altar. There is no way of access 
to our Holy God apart from the blood atonement of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Where I am, you cannot come. Again, Cyril of Alexandria says, 
you cannot come where I am. That is, you will find yourselves 
without a share in the divine blessings. You will not participate 
in my glory. You will be alienated from ruling 
with the saints. I'm not quoting this because 
Cyril's a great writer, or a great orator, or a great preacher, 
and he's just wonderful, and we should just, you know, hang 
on every word that Cyril of Alexandria had to say in the 5th century. 
Listen to what he's saying. Listen to the implications involved 
with the statement of our Savior, and where I am you cannot come. 
That applies to you this morning if you're not in Christ. That 
applies to you young or old if you are not a believer. That 
applies to you if you have not come by grace to the Savior and 
drank the water of life that He gives freely. He says, you 
will find yourselves without a share in the divine blessings. 
You will not participate in my glory. You will be alienated 
from ruling with the saints. You will remain without a taste 
of the gift of hope. You will be excluded from the 
divine wedding feast. You will not see my festal assembly. 
You will not ascend to the mansions above, nor will you behold the 
beauty of the church of the firstborn. The city above will be unseen 
by you. You will not behold the riches 
of Jerusalem. For there my flock will glorify 
me, but you cannot come." This is probably next to his words 
in Matthew chapter 7, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. I never knew you. That is a shocking 
and terrible statement to conceivably hear on the day of judgment. 
But so is this. You cannot come. You cannot have 
access. Everybody wants heaven, right? 
I think if you asked a hundred people out there, saying, supposing 
there is a heaven and a hell, which would you prefer? There's 
going to be an exception to the rule. There's always a moron 
out there that says, you know, I'd rather go to hell. But for 
the most part, 99.9% of the people already said, I want heaven. 
Why wouldn't I want blessing, and beauty, and joy, and glory? 
Why wouldn't I want life, and happiness, and beatitude? Why 
wouldn't I want to be with the God who made me, the God who's 
governed me, the God who takes care of me? Why would I not want 
that? If everybody wants that, and the gospel is going forth 
to all nations, why is it the case that so many continue in 
Beneteth? They listen to the call of the 
gospel as it goes forth, but as the prophet Isaiah says in 
chapter 55, why do you spend your wages on that which does 
not satisfy? Why would you forego the dinner 
that's bought and paid for to go dumpster diving in the back 
and eat the carrot shavings? Why would you do that? Why would 
you opt for mud pies in the gutter than the holiday by the seaside? 
Why is that? Well, the Bible answers that. 
The Bible tells us in John 3 that men love darkness. Men love sin. Men love to rebel. Men love to 
transgress. And ladies, I'm including you 
too. I'm one of those misogynistic, chauvinistic pigs that still 
thinks mankind means that men and women, boys and girls. So 
with reference to the reality of it, you may be sitting here 
this morning saying, boy, it would be nice to end up in heaven. 
Listen to John 7. Listen to what the Savior says. 
He really is setting up a stark contrast here when on the heels 
of this, on the last day, the great day of the feast, he stands 
in the midst of this rabble and he says, if anyone thirsts, let 
him come to me and drink. The Lord Christ condemns these 
men for their sin against him. And then notice, this does not 
disavow them or disabuse them of their confusion. Notice in 
verse 35. Then the Jews said among themselves, where does 
he intend to go that we shall not find him? Come on, we've 
got the long arm of the law on our side. We'll find you wherever 
you go. Where does he intend to go that 
we shall not find him? Does he intend to go to the dispersion 
among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this thing that 
he said? You will seek me and not find 
me, and where I am you cannot come. Now brethren, we have the 
vantage point of living 2,000 years later, having read the 
New Testament documents, having understood the life, death, and 
resurrection. In this original context, though, 
he says, I'm going, and where I end up, you cannot come, he 
says to the disciples, but you will eventually follow with me. 
So a bit of confusion is obvious, a bit of confusion is sort of 
understandable, but look at how they reason. And unwittingly, 
look how they reason. Unwittingly, they announce something 
that John has already announced to us and that this gospel will 
expound upon. That he's not just come for the 
lost tribes of Israel, but he's come as a light to the Gentiles. 
I doubt that they had an articulate theology based on the Noahic 
the Genesis 9 and what Noah says in terms of Japheth being included 
in the tents of Shem, whether they understood the Abrahamic 
promise to include the Gentile nations or Psalm 117, which was 
about the nations, the Gentiles, singing the praises of Yahweh 
or the servant songs of Isaiah 42 and 49, talking about Jesus 
being a light unto the Gentiles. They probably did not have that 
worked out But they feed John's theology that Christ is, in fact, 
the Savior of the world. Every tribe, tongue, people, 
and nation. Does he intend to go to the dispersion 
among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this thing that 
he has said? You will seek me and not find 
me. And where I am, you cannot come. Again, brethren, they're 
not saying this in such a way as to say, isn't he a wonderful 
and admirable Savior? Isn't he that servant of Yahweh? He is going to save the lost 
tribes of Jacob, but he's also going to be a light under the 
Gentiles. No, this is derogatory. This is derisive. This is just 
condemnatory. Where does he think he's going 
to go? Find safe haven among the Greeks and we won't be able 
to find him? Again, John 3, 16, God so loved what? the world 
that he gave his only begotten son. John 4, 42. What do the 
Samaritans learn when they come into living contact with our 
blessed savior? They say it's not because of 
the Samaritan woman and her testimony, but it's now because we have 
believed on him and know him to be what? The savior of the 
world. In John 12, he's gonna say, and 
if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself. He doesn't 
mean all men without exception. He means all men without distinction. 
And that comes on the heels of the Greeks seeking after Jesus 
to find him. Well, the Pharisees are upset. 
If we don't stop him, if we don't neutralize this threat, then 
all the world will come after him. John defines for us what 
the world is in Revelation 5-9. It is men, women, boys, and girls, 
mankind, from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. And so unwittingly, 
this is the psalmist when he says, the wrath of man shall 
praise you. The Pharisees at times preached 
the gospel better than they knew and better than some today. I 
love in Luke 15, 1 and 2, when all the tax collectors and the 
sinners draw near to hear him, they look down their long religious 
noses of disdain and say, this man receives sinners and eats 
with them. Absolutely, positively. That's 
the glory of the gospel. God demonstrates his own love 
toward us and that what we were yet sinners, Christ died for 
us. And they do the same thing here. 
You know what? He is gonna go among the greats. 
He's gonna go throughout the world. He's gonna go to every 
tribe, tongue, people, and nation through the preaching of the 
gospel that we heard in Isaiah 55 this morning, that will not 
return unto him void, but it will accomplish the purpose for 
which it was sent, namely conquest, namely Christocracy. namely the 
reality that he shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied, 
that that blessed Christ will have dominion from sea to sea, 
such that when we get to Revelation chapter 7, there is a multitude 
there that no man can number. There is a multitude being built 
and amassed now by our Savior from the right hand of the Father. 
And yet in contrast to the building of that church, he says to those 
continuing in resistance and rejection and unbelief, you cannot 
come. If that terrifies you, let's 
move on to his declaration in verses 37 to 39. There's two things we should 
observe here. First, the exhortation of the people in verses 37 to 
38, and then the commentary by the evangelist in verse 39. John 
is a theologian. Remember, we've noted that the 
gospel records aren't simply historical biographies of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. They are that, but they are much 
more. Each of the narrative authors 
is doing theology, and John is setting before us the Lamb of 
God who takes away, notice, the sin of the world. And so John 
interprets for us Jesus' statements in verses 37 and 38. Well, 38 
specifically. But let's look at Jesus' exhortation 
of the people. Notice again his methodology. 
We saw this last week when we looked at verse 28. Verse 28, 
then Jesus cried out as he taught in the temple. Verse 37, on the 
last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried 
out. When looking at verse 28, I mentioned Isaiah 58-1. Isaiah 58-1 is a blessed text. God, through the prophet, tells 
him specifically, cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice 
like a trumpet, tell my people their transgression, and the 
house of Jacob their sins. Christ has done that. He told 
them that in verse 19. He tells them that throughout 
this particular passage. And now he cries aloud, he scares 
not, he lifts up his voice like a trumpet to declare to them 
the remedy for their sin. In other words, he doesn't just 
bring the bad news to bear upon them. You're trying to kill me. 
You're trying to rid the earth of me. You're trying to liquidate 
me. You're trying to neutralize me and destroy me. You know, 
God have mercy on your wretched, hell-bound souls. I mean, he 
does say that to some degree. Where I go, you cannot come. 
but on the heels of that, on that last great day of the feast. 
Now, the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles was significant. 
They would get water from the pool at Siloam and they would 
bring it to the altar and pour it on the altar in the temple 
to make way for sacrifice. It was a very significant part 
of the feast. They used water, they used light, 
there were all kinds of sort of symbolism to convey the saving 
mercies of Yahweh. Now we have the one who is told 
to be the one who dwells among us, John 1, 14. The word became 
flesh and dwelt among us. The dwelt among means tabernacle. He's standing now in the temple, 
which is the dwelling among us place for God and sinners. And 
it's on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the feast that 
celebrates the God and sinners dwelling together. And he stands 
up and on the heels of his indictment, in the heels of his rebuke, on 
the heels of his rejection of Psalm, he calls upon sinners 
in Jerusalem to come to him. Now, if that doesn't illustrate 
mercy, grace, kindness, goodness, I don't know what does. Brethren, 
how would you have responded if you were Jesus and you found 
out these dirty, rotten scoundrels sent the cops to try to capture 
you and take you away to execute you? I gotta tell you, man, I'm 
not convinced I would stand up and gospel preach them right 
into the kingdom of heaven. I'm not sure I would do that. 
I'd like to think I would, but I know myself pretty well, and 
I can't say with absolute certainty I have that kind of compassion. 
I have that kind of kindness, but our Savior does. Our Savior 
is glorious. Our Savior is wonderful. Notice 
what our Savior says to these people. In essence, he's doing 
what one commentator says. After our Lord told them about 
the origin of his doctrine and of the teacher, as well as his 
end, he's done that, his origin sent from the Father, his end, 
that he's going back to the Father, His doctrine, remember in verse 
16, my doctrine is not mine, but His who sent me. So this 
fellow says, after our Lord told them about the origin of His 
doctrine and of the teacher, as well as His end, He now invites 
them to accept His teaching itself. See, this is beautiful in the 
ministry of our Savior. It's beautiful in the ministry 
of the apostles. They don't just go and, you know, ooze out Bible 
facts and then kind of continue on their way. Oh yeah, I happen 
to be from the Father. I happen to be the one that's 
going to save His people from their sins. But, you know, I 
need to go eat now. No, he stands up on the last 
day of the feast, the great day of the feast, when this symbolism 
of the water poured on the altar has been conducted. And in the 
midst of that rabble, he says what he says in verse 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. Now, he is speaking here metaphorically. The metaphor works because we 
all understand what it is to thirst physically, right? We 
know what it is to thirst physically. We get a couple of hot days and 
we drink more water. Why? Because we know what the 
body does when it's taxed or pressed with the additional heat. 
or if we're engaged in robust exercise. We need to replenish 
our body with water. We understand these very common 
things, and Jesus uses the metaphor, probably in light of the fact 
that they're taking, you know, containers of water from the 
poolside loam and pouring it on the altar. He says, if anyone 
thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Now, he's not talking 
about physical. He's not a water salesman. He's 
talking about spiritual thirst, those who are destitute, those 
who are sinful, those who are downcast because of their rebellion 
against the living and true God. Those who understand that God 
is holy and that we are not, how will we ever breach the chasm? 
How will we ever stand as sinful men in the presence of a holy 
God? Well, Jesus offers himself in this statement to all those 
who would come. If anyone thirsts, let him come 
to me and drink. It's a pretty simple thing, isn't 
it? I think at times we in the Christian church make salvation 
so complicated. We make it so hard. We make it 
so tough where Jesus doesn't do that. If you're thirsty, come 
to me and drink. That's it. Well, I am thirsty, 
Lord. I think I should go home and 
pray for a new heart. No, you should come to me. I 
am thirsty, Lord. What should I do? Should I go 
home and read books written by all of the doctors in the church? 
No, you come to me. We're pretty pathetic that way, 
aren't we? Boy, I really need to work on my prayer life. I'm 
gonna go read a book by A.W. Pink on the guide to effective 
prayer. How about you just pray? Or sometimes people say, you 
know, I'm not reading my Bible and praying as I ought. I don't 
know whatever I shall do. you could read your Bible and 
pray. I really feel my sin, I see my 
transgression, I see my rebellion against the sovereign God, but 
I've been taught from a youth that I can't just come. but he 
says, come, but I've been taught I should stay away. I should, 
you know, make sure it hurts, make sure I have this misery. 
Brethren, an ounce of misery is enough misery. I'm telling 
you the truth here. Now, buckets of misery, great, 
but there's no requirement on the pages of Holy Scripture to 
have buckets of misery before you come to the Savior for his 
relieving grace. You see, we are masters at evading 
the clarity of the Christian gospel, whether it be hyper-Calvinism, 
whether it be Arminianism, whether it be potpourri, whether it be 
whatever attempt we try to foist upon the scriptures to get out 
of the very clear statement of our Lord, the very simple statement. I bet every child in here gets 
this. Jesus says, if you're thirsty, 
come to him. and drink. Makes perfect sense, 
doesn't it? Well, the reality is that we 
are thirsty, we are sinful, we are rebellious, we are transgressors, 
we are wanters of conformity unto that law of God, and yet 
The Spirit of God comes to convict. The Spirit of God opens the eyes. 
The Spirit of God causes us to see that need and to see the 
relief that comes through our blessed Savior. Church, this 
is why I typically try to encourage you to pray for the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit each and every Sunday. not just in the morning, 
we need the Spirit in the evening services too. Can I put in a 
shameless plug this afternoon, please pray that the Holy Spirit 
comes. Because if the Holy Spirit doesn't 
come, then men continue in their blindness and their rebelliousness 
and their rejection of the Savior. And they might tip the head and 
say, yeah, I kind of see what he's saying there. And I kind 
of appreciate it on one level, but you know, I really like my 
sin. I like my life. I like my filth. I like my wickedness. I kind of like all that stuff. 
Brethren, the Lord Jesus Christ makes it as plain as day. If 
anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Now, obviously, 
that metaphor is used in the Old Testament. I asked our brother 
to read Isaiah 55. I preached Isaiah 55 recently. 
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. So there's no inconsistency here. 
It's not like we have this new epoch or new era of redemptive 
benefit. Yahweh of Israel says the same 
thing to the children of Israel in the old covenant. This is 
the consistent refrain with our God. If you want to know more 
about this sort of thing, come tonight in our Lord's Supper 
meditation. We're gonna look at Ephesians 
2, specifically 4 to 7. And Paul, before he gets to the 
application of that grace by which we've been saved in verse 
eight, gives us sort of a macrocosmic overview. He gives us the contrast, 
but God, and then he highlights the perfections of God at play 
in terms of redemptive grace because of the riches of his 
mercy and the great love wherewith he loved us. See, for Paul, it's 
not just mercy and it's not just love. It's the riches of mercy 
and it's great love. That's the God with whom we have 
to do. So if you are a sinner here this 
morning that has not come to the Lord Jesus, hopefully you'll 
ponder this, you'll meditate upon this, and you'll contemplate 
this. God, through the prophet Isaiah, says, come. Jesus, standing 
as the prophet in the midst of the temple, the very tabernacle 
of God himself, says, come. You need to ask the question, 
why ain't I coming? Why aren't I believing? Why aren't 
I looking to him and living? Because that's what men with 
any semblance of a brain would do. Because the cannot come to 
me ought to terrify us all and paralyze us with a fear that 
we'll be cut off on that last day and banished to everlasting 
destruction. Brethren, that is a fearful thing. The apostle says that. It is 
a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of a living God. What 
does he mean by that? He means the converse of beatitude. He means the converse of blessing. 
He means curse. He means wrath. He means justice. I know there's an attempt out 
there to rid the Bible of everlasting punishment, typically the doctrine 
of annihilationism or conditional sort of immortality. Well, brethren, 
the scripture is clear. It's not the cessation of being 
that hell is, but it's the cessation of well-being. An infinite God 
punishes sinners infinitely. And that, again, ought to terrify 
you. And yes, I'm going for that angle 
so that you, by grace, will look onto this one who says, if any 
of you thirst, Let him come to me and drink. Don't say, well, 
I'm so thirsty. I'm so sinful. I'm so wretched. 
I'm so abhorrent. And that kind of thing gets tedious 
and insufferable, doesn't it? Oh, I'm just so vile and filthy 
and guilty. Well, then flee to the remedy. 
Go to the blessed Savior. We'd never look at somebody standing 
by a fountain of water saying, yeah, I'm just so thirsty. I'm 
so parched. I'm so hot. I'm so spent. I'm 
so weary. What would we say? We'd say, 
put your mouth underneath that faucet and drink it. Take it 
in, ingest it, receive it, delight in it. So of course the background 
is Isaiah 55.1. But this isn't unique to the 
Old Testament. There's a couple passages in 
the New, but the closest is John 4. Look at John chapter 4, this 
whole idea of living water. John 4, the woman at the well. 
Verse 10, 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? Are you greater than our father 
Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself as well 
as his sons and his livestock? You know how you know Jesus is 
humble, that he is meek, that he is lowly, that he is gentle? 
He doesn't say what I think I'd say here. Well, as a matter of 
fact, I am greater than Jacob. Jacob was the type of me. I'm 
the anti-type. I'm here. I've come to do all 
the good things that the Bible says. Jesus doesn't do that. 
He hears what the woman says, and then he amplifies it. Verse 
13, Jesus answered and said to whoever drinks of this water 
will thirst again, 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. Now notice the only logical response 
to this kind of talk. Verse 15, the woman said to him, 
sir, give me this water that I may not thirst nor come here 
to draw. That's the only logical response 
to the offer of living water. Let me have it. Let me drink 
it. Let me taste it. Let me bathe 
in it. Let me shower in it. Let me carry 
it around with me. Let it be my ever-present aid 
and help. And yet sinners hear about a 
hell to come. They hear about a heaven to enter 
into by grace. They hear of all these things 
and they're never brought to that point where they say, man, 
I really want this. I think the church needs to be 
about describing the Lord Jesus Christ the way the bride does 
in the Song of Solomon. She gives that long, glowing 
description to the daughters of Jerusalem concerning her beloved, 
her chief among 10,000, her altogether lovely man. What do the daughters 
of Jerusalem say? Where is he that we might find 
him too? Brethren, we preach a Christ 
who saves. We preach a Christ who saves 
to the uttermost all them that draw nigh unto God through him. We don't preach a Christ that 
helps to save, a Christ that kind of saves, a Christ that 
would really like to save, but he doesn't have the wherewithal. 
We preach Christ crucified. To the Jews, a stumbling block, 
to the Greeks, foolishness, but to those who are being saved, 
Christ, the wisdom and what? The power of God. He saves to 
the uttermost all thirsty sinners who come to him and drink. And 
then notice, Jesus then gives further explanation here. Verse 
38. He explains the metaphor. So, 
okay, Jesus, you're not a water salesman. You're telling me it's 
not about physical water, it's about spiritual water. So how 
do I get that? How do I get an interest in that? 
What does it mean to come? What does it mean to drink? Well, 
he says it, verse 38. He who what? He who believes 
in me. So again, I think we already 
complicate things. He who believes in me and gets rid of all their 
sin. He who believes in me and gets circumcised. He who believes 
in me and does all the sacraments of the Roman's church. He who 
believes in me and, you know, purposes to live a life that's 
so wonderful, God will have to accept them all. That's not it. 
He who believes in me. Salvation is by grace alone, 
through faith alone, in Christ alone, and that redounds to the 
glory and praise of God alone. Not us. We don't get to congratulate 
ourselves because we're saved. We congratulate the Lord God 
Most High because we are saved. Again, in Ephesians 2, we'll 
see that tonight. The very purpose of the Father 
is to display us as trophies of His exceeding kindness. So 
that when sinners look at us and say, you're going to heaven, 
they don't say, wow, you're an awesome being. They say, God's 
an awesome God. You ever thought about that when 
you enter into heaven? You're probably gonna, I don't 
know. I don't know what the heavenly life is and I know there's no 
sin. So if this was a sinful reflex, it won't be there, but 
there might be just, you know, humanly speaking, that occasion 
for surprise. You get up there into heaven 
and you see somebody from your past and you're like, wow, you're 
here? Do you give him the glory? No. Conversely, when somebody 
bumps into you and they say, wow, you're here? Do they give 
you the glory? No. They give it to God. Salvation belongs to our God 
and to the lamb who sits on the throne. That's what the saints 
in heaven sing as they're positioned before the throne. They're not 
patting themselves on the back for a good decision. They're 
not patting themselves on the back because when every eye was 
closed and every head was bowed, they shot up their hand. There 
is glory given to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father sought, 
the Son bought, and the Spirit wrought. So great a salvation 
in all of God's people. The Lord Christ then goes on 
to amplify or explain further. He who believes in me as the 
scripture has said. Now this, as the scripture has 
said, is positioned between two statements. It could go before, 
it could go after. Does the scripture say, believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes, it most certainly does. 
But I take the, as the scripture says, as pointing forward to 
the further amplification of the promise that he has made, 
and it respects the Holy Spirit. Notice in verse 38, he who believes 
in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers 
of living water. So to come to Jesus Christ is 
to believe on him. To drink what Jesus Christ offers 
is to believe on him. Those who by grace believe on 
him, now it is said of them, out of his heart, out of his 
belly, literally, will flow rivers of living water. And we'll get 
to the commentary of the evangelist in just a moment. But in the 
Old Testament, there was a lot of passages that spoke of spirit 
and water together. Spirit and water together, several, 
Nehemiah 9.20. You also gave your good spirit 
to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their 
mouth and gave them water for their thirst. Isaiah 12.3, therefore 
with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 
Isaiah 44.3, for I will pour water on him who's thirsty and 
floods on the dry ground. I will pour my spirit on your 
descendants and my blessing on your offspring. See, it's a metaphorical 
use of water in conjunction with the spirit to highlight the blessings 
of God, the profuseness of those blessings, the glory of those 
blessings. Ezekiel 36, 25 to 27, then I 
will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean. I 
will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols. 
I will give you a new heart, put a new spirit within you. 
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you 
a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause 
you to walk in my statues and you will keep my judgments and 
do them. Ezekiel 47, 1 to 12, we see this flowing rivers of 
water coming from the throne of God to bless the people of 
God. Very similar to Revelation chapter 
22. You've got this water, at the 
end of 21 into 22, got this flowing river of water that blesses God's 
people. Zechariah 13.1, in that day a 
fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Zechariah 
14.8, and in that day it shall be that living water shall flow 
from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half 
of them toward the western sea. In both summer and winter it 
shall occur. So when Jesus says what he says 
here, he who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out 
of his heart will flow rivers of living water. He's speaking 
as the prophet of God who knows the Old Testament and who is 
conveying in that reality what is happening to those who by 
grace believe on him. They received the Holy Spirit. 
Now John comes to interpret this for us. John comes to do theology. Turn back to John chapter 2, 
where you see something similar. In a post-resurrection context, 
John the Apostle explains something that was enigmatic or a puzzle 
to those who heard it. Notice in John 2 at 19, Jesus 
answered and said to them, destroy this temple, and in three days 
I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, it has taken 46 years 
to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days? 
But he was speaking of the temple of his body. You see, John is 
looking at this from a post-resurrection vantage point, and he is supplying 
commentary to the reader, because again, he's doing theology. John will translate words for 
us, Hebrew words that perhaps his audience would not know. 
This is, they called him rabbi, and then parenthetically, John 
inserts, that is, teacher. So John does that along the way 
to help the reader, lead the reader by the hand. But there's 
times when he does theology, and that's what he's doing here. 
He was speaking the temple of his body. Therefore, when he 
had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he 
had said this to them, and they believed the scripture and the 
word which Jesus had said. Now going over to John 7, the 
evangelist does that in verse 39. But this, specifically the 
statement, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, 
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. So the commentary by John is 
post-resurrection, and the commentary by John concerns the third person 
of the Holy Trinity. Remember, John 1 begins with 
the second person of the Holy Trinity. In the beginning was 
the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 3 
speaks of the Holy Spirit to be sure, but when you get to 
the upper room discourse, guess what the subject matter is in 
terms of Christ's preparation of his disciples before he ascends 
on high? It's the Trinity. He teaches 
them all about the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
Sometimes people say, that's not really practical. Brethren, 
we are asking the wrong question with reference to the doctrine 
of the Trinity. Well, is it really practical? What could be more 
practical than to know who our God is? This is eternal life, 
that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
whom Thou hast sent, John 17, 3. So Christ and the evangelists 
here are highlighting the role of the third person of the Trinity 
in terms of man's salvation. So he who believes in me, as 
the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of 
living water. Doesn't Paul speak of this in 
Ephesians 1, as he highlights the triune God? 1.13, in him 
you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel 
of your salvation, in whom also, having belief, you were sealed 
with the Holy Spirit of promise. And that Holy Spirit functions 
as the guarantee of our final redemption. So Christ is saying 
what Paul will later amplify is that when we believe the gospel 
by the grace of God, we receive the sealing power of the Holy 
Spirit. We receive in us that one who 
is greater than who is in the world. We receive all the benefits 
of God. They are yea and amen in his 
blessed son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The commentary of John, or commentary 
rather by John, emphasizes that the Spirit was not yet given. 
Notice what he says in verse 39. Notice that given is in italics. 
That means it's supplied. That means the translator supplied 
it there, and it's a good thing to supply. We cannot conclude that the Holy 
Spirit was not yet. We can conclude that the Holy 
Spirit was not yet given in the abundant measure promised in 
the Old Testament prophets. That's the emphasis, and John 
links that to the glorification of our blessed Savior. So the 
presence of the Holy Spirit is in the Old Testament, Genesis 
1-2. The Spirit of God hovers over 
the waters. Psalm 33-6 is divine commentary 
on the triune God who created the world. By the word of the 
Lord, by his spirit, by his breath, he created the heavens and the 
earth. All three persons of the triune God are in Genesis chapter 
one. What does David pray after his 
bout with Nathan? When Nathan levels down and says, 
thou art the man. David, you are in sin. David 
composes the 51st Psalm. And what does he say? Take not 
thine Holy Spirit from me. Isaiah 63, the children of Israel 
are upbraided for what? Grieving the Holy Spirit of God. 
So it's not that there was no Holy Spirit. He is linking the 
greater measure or more abundance of the Spirit with the glorification 
of Jesus. And again, this is consistent 
with the Old Testament prophets. Remember on that day of Pentecost 
when the Spirit comes upon the church and they start to speak 
in other tongues and not babbling and not nonsense and not nonsensical 
stuff, they're speaking other languages, the great works of 
God Most High. What's the rejoinder by the people? 
Well, these guys are drunk. They're off their gourd. They're 
out of it. I mean, come on. Peter says, 
we're not drunk. It's only a third hour of the 
day. This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. Joel 2, 
28 to 32 spoke of this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 
And guess what Peter does? He links that great outpouring 
of the Holy Spirit with the resurrection, the ascension, the glorification 
of our blessed Savior. So this is what John means when 
he says, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus 
was not yet glorified. In Acts 2, after Peter preaches, 
not only the prophet or testifies that this was the prophet Joel's 
doing, he preaches the person and the work of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. And then in chapter 2 at verse 33, he says, 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. For David did not ascend into 
the heavens, but he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord, sit 
at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. 
Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that 
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, notice, both Lord 
and Christ." So in the state of glory, state of glorification, 
we see it's Christ as mediator who has the specific task of 
pouring out the Spirit a la Joel's prophecy. So back to John's commentary 
in John 7, he's not saying there's not been a spirit yet. He is 
simply saying the spirit has not come in the abundance and 
in the power that he was prophesied to come in the Old Testament. 
That awaits the glorification of our blessed Savior. Now notice 
that John highlights, John assumes, and John just uses that knowledge. He declares the glorification 
of Jesus. Imagine if this was your first 
outing in the Gospel of John. You're reading this narrative, 
and you're puzzled, and you're scratching your head. Why does 
everybody want to kill him? He's such a good man. He only 
goes about doing good. He heals. He teaches. He's a 
great man, and they want to kill him. Well, then you get these 
glimpses that he's going to die, especially in the synoptics. 
He announces on several occasions to his disciples, I must go to 
Jerusalem. I must be tried at the hands of godless men. I must 
be crucified. You might be wondering, well, 
will that be the end of him? Look at how John just assumes 
the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, he will die. Yes, he will be cut off. Yes, 
he will be treated spitefully. Yes, he is a man of sorrows and 
acquainted with grief. But this is according to the 
plan and purpose of God Most High for the salvation of his 
people. John assumes glorification on 
the part of the Savior. He links the greater giving of 
the Spirit with the resurrection and exaltation of Christ. And 
then notice he places this reference in the context of the Jews wanting 
to kill Jesus. What do you think he's suggesting? 
This is all inextricably connected. Life, death, resurrection, ascension. You don't have one without them 
all. In fact, one commentator, a modern man, Klink, says, to 
speak of the Spirit as non-existent or inactive is to misunderstand 
the third person of the Trinity. In a sense, the point is not 
to describe when the Spirit meets the world, but when believers 
are given the grace to meet the Spirit. And none of this was 
possible until Jesus was glorified. He says the narrator then takes 
the reader to the cross. That's exactly what he does. 
And then he says, ironically, the original audience on this 
last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles would, for 
a very different reason, move closer to taking Jesus to the 
very same place. So that concludes the Lord's 
verbal exchanges with these various people at the Feast of Tabernacles 
in Jerusalem. Just want to make a few concluding 
thoughts, but we'll notice, God willing, next week, more confusion, 
more confusion, and then a determined resolution on the part of the 
leadership to consistently reject and oppose our blessed Savior. 
Nicodemus pipes up, you know, he brings them back to the law. Are we okay with just grabbing 
this man and taking him under cover of night and liquidating 
him, removing him from the world? Jesus' indictment of them was 
absolutely consistent. Verse 19, did not Moses give 
you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek 
to kill me? Thankfully, Nicodemus was a voice 
of reason in the midst of this mob. I mean, he was unable to 
dissuade them ultimately, but at least at that vantage point, 
he's trying to cause that to reflect upon the law of Moses 
and that we just cannot descend to the level of animalhood and 
beastliness and seize this man and do whatever it is we want. 
Now, in conclusion, I wanna just highlight the wickedness of the 
leadership. And I don't do this because I like highlighting the 
wickedness of the leadership. I do it in the spirit of James 
3. James 3 verse 1, the apostle or brother rather of our Lord 
says, my brethren, let not many of you become teachers knowing 
that we shall receive a stricter judgment. That should condition 
us and that should regulate us and that should cause us to reflect 
on anything going forward in terms of church leadership and 
identifying men, laying hands on men, sending men out. keeping 
men here, whatever. There is a stricter judgment 
imposed upon leaders, and you see that reflected in this particular 
passage. And where I am, you cannot come. Think about these leaders. They 
sent the temple police to take him. They were not sort of animated 
by theological differences. It wasn't just a question of, 
we think you're off your rocker, we don't think you're the Messiah. 
I mean, if he was just a lunatic, if he was just on the fringe, 
if he was just a nut, they probably would have just ignored him. But as I mentioned last week, 
in fact, turn there just real quick. I know we're running out 
of time. Don't like doing this, but wanted to get all this stuff 
in this morning. Notice in Matthew 27. Matthew 
27, specifically at verse 18, for he knew that they had handed 
him over because of envy. This is Matthew's theological 
commentary on the heart of Pilate. And if you say, well, how did 
Matthew know that that's what was in Pilate's heart? Because 
Matthew wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These men 
were not consumed with the observation of the Sabbath. These men were 
not consumed with the thought of blasphemy ever entering into 
God's clean air. They were consumed by envy. Remember, envy isn't just, I 
want what you have. I want what you have, and I don't 
want you to have it. I want it out of your possession. 
I may be jealous of your car. That's bad. I shouldn't be jealous 
of your car. Actually, I'm not. It's not my 
thing. But if you had great books, I might be jealous of that. But 
envy is when you long for the deprivation of that object from 
the other person. So for all their blather, for 
all their bluster, for all of their, oh, this man being a man 
makes himself out to be God, they were envious, jealous, pathetic, 
little wretches. That is precisely what they were. 
The leaders would ultimately incite the crowd to ask for Barabbas 
instead of Jesus. And the leaders would appeal 
to the law. They do that in chapter 5. He's 
a blasphemer. He's a Sabbath breaker. They 
appeal to the law, not because they have a desire for the law. Nicodemus points that out. They 
appeal to the law as a veil or a cover for their wickedness 
and evil. Brethren, that is bad news. So again, let not many of you 
become teachers. We shall receive a stricter judgment. It is a terrifying thing to fall 
into the hands of a living God, as a non-leader, but as a leader 
as well. Notice also the exhortation given 
by the Savior. It is to come to him and drink, 
which again very simply is to believe. The description of the 
blessings associated with salvation in him. I love the way he words 
it. Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now, 
brethren, you can see in their joy and happiness and thankfulness, 
the presence of the Holy Spirit does that in the heart of a redeemed 
sinner. There's great things to be had 
as those who have been conquered by God's sovereign grace. And 
then the identification of the living and the true God. He's 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus does not leave the Spirit 
out of his teaching. And then the final note I want 
to end on is the urgency involved in the gospel. The urgency involved 
in the gospel. Our brother read it. I preached 
it a couple weeks ago. Seek the Lord while he may be 
found. Call upon him while he is near. Notice the seriousness 
of the gospel as well. You cannot come to me. That's 
the reality for any and all who reject or resist the gospel as 
it comes preached with reference to believe on him and you will 
be saved. But then notice the blessings 
involved. Out of your belly, out of your 
heart. Now, brethren, I know, and especially 
as one dispositionally not, you know, the guy that walks around 
with a big smile on his face, there's joy unspeakable and full 
of glory for God's people. I mean, I don't know about you, 
but if you hadn't had your faith in the Lord Jesus over the last 
two years, have you ever thought, man, I'd have lost my mind? I 
would have come unglued. I don't know how people do it, 
brethren, to be honest with you. I don't know how you get out 
of bed each and every day in light of this present evil age, 
in light of the wickedness that we see, the godlessness. Now, 
I realize sin has always been there, but when you lived in 
Judah in the 8th century BC, you had no idea what was going 
on outside your neighborhood. You had no inkling what was happening 
in China. You knew nothing about what's 
happening in the Czech Republic right now. You'd have no idea 
what's happening in Indonesia. You'd have no idea what's going 
on all over the world. I'm not suggesting it's somehow 
now that it's really sinful. It's always been sinful. But there is a prevalence of 
information for us that can at times cause us to be a little 
down and a little depressed. But the overarching disposition 
of the blood-bought, conquered child of God is that there are 
blessings flowing from him because of the presence of the Holy Spirit 
and because by grace he has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, his 
sins are forgiven, and he has a righteousness by which he will 
enter into the presence of God Most High. Well, let us pray. 
Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you 
for the clarity of our Savior's words, the simplicity of the 
Savior's words. If anyone thirsts, let him come 
to me and drink. God, I pray that you would convict. 
I pray that you would set forth before sinners their rebellion 
against you and cause them to see the Lord Jesus Christ as 
altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. And we pray this for 
your glory and we pray this for their good. And we ask in Jesus' 
name, amen. Well, we'll close by singing 
the doxology in praise to God, number 568 in your hymn book, 
and we'll stand together as we sing. ah The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you 
all, amen. Thank you, Father, Son, and Holy 
Spirit for so great a salvation. Thank you for the Lord's day 
when we get to contemplate these realities in more detail. And 
thank you for the rest that you give us, the worship, the opportunity 
to gather together as the people of God before you. Go with us 
now, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, please be seated 
for a brief time of meditation.