Engage The Scripture Podcast
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Engage The Scripture Podcast
Ep. 36: John 7:37–52 The Living Water and the Divided Crowd
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On the climactic last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stands and cries out that He is the source of living water — the Spirit promised to all who believe. The crowd is divided: some see Him as the Prophet, others as the Messiah, while the leaders harden in rejection. Temple guards confess, “No one ever spoke like this man,” and Nicodemus dares to speak up, only to be mocked. In their contempt, the Pharisees stumble over the cornerstone and despise Galilee — the very place where God’s light was destined to shine.
Hey, welcome back to engage to scriptures. We are continuing our journey through the Gospel of John today. Hey, Chris, are you ready for some more?
SPEAKER_01Yes, I'm ready. I guess today will we talk about that last great day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and for anyone listening who might not know about that feast, don't worry. Of course, you don't. We are going to walk through it today because it's really important. And without that background, you will miss a lot of good stuff here. So with that said, and picking up from last week, we are still in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, which is the seven-day celebration, remembering how God provided for Israel in the wilderness.
SPEAKER_01Last week we covered John 7, 25 through 36. And if y'all remember, Jesus came up to the feast secretly in the middle of the week, and he's been teaching openly in the temple court. The crowds are divided, the leaders are furious, and the tension is rising.
SPEAKER_02And now we've reached that final day of the feast, verse 37. This is the day the rabbis called Hoshana Rabbah, the great day.
SPEAKER_01This is the moment everything has been leading up to.
SPEAKER_02That's right. So let's slow down for a moment and really explain this feast, because if you don't understand what the people were doing and expecting, you'll miss the power of what Jesus is about to say and do here. This feast was, as we said, the feast of Sukkot, the most joyful celebration of the entire year. Jerusalem was packed with people because this was one of the three major pilgrimage feasts Jewish men were expected to attend. For seven days the people lived in little temporary shelters made of branches, remembering how God sheltered and provided for Israel in the wilderness. Every day there was a powerful water drawing ceremony. A priest would draw water from the pool of Saloum and carry it up to the temple while the crowds followed, singing a Hallel Psalm 113 through 118. Then the priest would pour the water out at the altar.
SPEAKER_01Right. This reminded them of God giving water from the rock, and of his promise to one day pour out his spirit on his people.
SPEAKER_02But on the final day, Hashanah Rabbah, the great day, everything reached its peak. This wasn't just the last day of the festival. This was the moment Israel believed God might act. This was the day many hoped the Messiah would appear. On this day the people marched seven times around the altar, waving palm branches and crying out at the top of their lungs, Hoshiah, save us now. And they were not just praying for rain. They were passionately crying out for deliverance, restoration, and the coming of the Messiah. And this expectation was deeply rooted in Scripture. During Sukkot, they read Zechariah 14, which promises the day of the Lord, living water flowing from Jerusalem and the nations coming to worship the king. Then you have Ezekiel 47, with its vision of the river of life flowing from the temple. Also Isaiah 12 and 3, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. The daily water drawing ceremony itself was understood by the rabbis as a picture of the Holy Spirit being poured out in the last days. And every day they sang the hello, Psalms 113 through 118, especially Psalms 118, verse 25. A verse many in the Second Temple period read with messianic hopes.
SPEAKER_01So Second Temple Jews believe Sukkot was the feast when God's presence would return.
SPEAKER_02That's right. The Mishnah and prophetic readings reflect this longing, and Josephus describes the joy and scale of the feast itself.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so the energy that day was electric with expectations.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and at just the right moment when the people were praying, Jesus, he stood up.
SPEAKER_01Oh well, that's right. Verse 37 through 39 says, On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believe in him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
SPEAKER_02So they were crying out, God, send the Messiah, send the deliverer, pour out your spirit, give us living water. And right in the middle of that moment, Jesus stands up. Notice he doesn't speak quietly. The text says he cried out, Krozo, meaning a loud, emotional shout. He steps into the very center of Israel's greatest feast and cries out, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. In that one sentence, Jesus claims to be the rock that gave water in the wilderness, the true source of living water, the fulfillment of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah, the one they had been crying out for, the giver of the Spirit, the Messiah they had been waiting for on this very day.
SPEAKER_01Dr. D.A. Carson points out that Jesus very likely waited for the precise moment on purpose.
SPEAKER_02Yes, the water drawing ceremony had just ended. The priest had just poured out the water at the altar, the crowds had just finished shouting, Hoshiah, save us now. And at that exact moment, Jesus stands up, not sitting like a normal rabbi, and shouts.
SPEAKER_01And he says, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and notice how he says it. Jesus doesn't say, if any Jew, if any righteous person, or if any Torah keeper, he says, if anyone is thirsty, this is the moment he intentionally opens the invitation beyond Israel to the nations and to the whole world.
SPEAKER_01Then he continues, Whoever believes in me, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.
SPEAKER_02Jesus is boldly claiming to be everything the feast had been pointing toward. He is declaring that he is the rock that provided water for Israel in the wilderness, the true source of living water, and the fulfillment of the prophecies in Isaiah 55, Ezekiel 47, and Zechariah 14. In other words, when Jesus stands up and says, Whosoever believes in me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, he is saying everything this feast has been longing for and pointing to, it's me.
SPEAKER_01And John explains exactly what Jesus meant in verse 39. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
SPEAKER_02John is showing us the bigger picture. A first century Jew believed the Holy Spirit would only be poured out on Israel after they returned from exile and got right with God again. But John is revealing something much larger. Look at how the story actually unfolds. In Acts 2, the Spirit is poured out on the Jews. Then in Acts 8, the Spirit comes to the Samaritans. Then in Acts 10, the Spirit falls on the Gentiles, which completely catches Peter off guard. And finally, in Acts 19, the Spirit comes to believers in Ephesus.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I see. John is saying the living water, Jesus promised, isn't limited to Israel. It's for everyone who believes in him.
SPEAKER_02Our scholars like Carson, Keener, Bloom, they all agree the living water is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will be given after Jesus is glorified, after his death, resurrection, and ascension. And once given, the Spirit becomes a continual overflowing source of life from within every believer. This is the heart of the new covenant, exactly what was promised in Ezekiel 36, Joel two, and Isaiah 44.
SPEAKER_01Okay, then in verse forty through forty four, when they heard these words, some of the people said, This really is the prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that Christ comes from the offspring of David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was? So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
SPEAKER_02This whole scene is a perfect example of that old saying, they can't see the forest for the trees. They're so focused on where they think Jesus came from that they completely miss who he actually is. But this is exactly what always happens when truth shows up. People divide. Jesus doesn't create the division, he reveals what's already in the heart. John tells us that when the crowd heard these words, they immediately split into three groups. Each group shows a different kind of heart response. Let's look at those groups. Group one said, This man really is the prophet, referring to Deuteronomy 18, the prophet Moses promised. And it was a fair conclusion. Jesus had just fed thousands like Moses and spoken of living water like Moses struck the rock. They were connecting some dots, but not all of them. They had a correct but inadequate view of Jesus. They admire him, they respect him, they saw him as a great teacher, maybe even a prophet. But we need to recognize that a prophet, no matter how great, cannot say, Come to me and drink. That's not a prophet speaking, that's God speaking.
SPEAKER_01And this is where a lot of people are today. They like Jesus, quote Jesus, and admire his teachings, but they stop sure of submitting to him as Lord.
SPEAKER_02Yes, A.W. Pink said it well. A starving man with a cookbook is no better off.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the cookbook doesn't help if you never eat food.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. Believing in Jesus with your head but not following him with your life doesn't mean much. Then we have this second group, the ones who say this is the Messiah. They have a correct but uncommitted view. They are closer than the first group, the ones that say he's the prophet. They're not mocking him and not rejecting him, but they're also not surrendering to him. They're impressed but not transformed. John leaves it open on purpose. He doesn't say they believed. They were stirred but not changed.
SPEAKER_01And that's a dangerous place to be.
SPEAKER_02Yes, it is. It's possible to be moved emotionally, but never moved to repentance. Then we have this third group, the ones that said the Messiah doesn't come from Galilee.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the critics.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. This group rejects Jesus outright. They say the Messiah doesn't come from Galilee. Now, to be fair, Micah 5 and 2 says the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. And they're right about that, so their question isn't unreasonable. But here's the problem. They are right about the prophecy and completely wrong about Jesus. They assumed he was born in Galilee. And I think this is where a lot of people are today. They never ask, they never check, they never investigate, they use bad information as an excuse not to believe. And I want you to notice something about this group. John does something brilliant. He doesn't correct them. He expects his readers to know Jesus was born in Bethlehem from David's line and perfectly fulfills Micah 5 and 2.
SPEAKER_01Wow, the very people who think they know the scriptures best are actually proving that Jesus fulfills them. If birthplace mattered that much, why didn't they just ask? I'll tell you why, because deep down they didn't want to believe.
SPEAKER_02Yes, that's it. You got it. Deep down they didn't want to believe. And people still do that today. Hollywood mocks Christians. Our universities dismiss God. And modern scholars, they debate the historicity of miracles, even questioning which words Jesus really said. But underneath all the excuses, it's the same issue.
SPEAKER_01They don't want to believe. This is so true. Then John says, So the people were divided because of him.
SPEAKER_02Jesus always divides people, not because he's too harsh, but because truth divides. Now notice that some wanted to arrest him, others defended him, most were confused, but no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come. So here's the question for us today. Which one of these three groups are you in? Group A, are you admiring Jesus but not obeying him? Group B, are you acknowledging Jesus but not committing to him? Or Group C, are you rejecting Jesus because of excuses? And I guess we should add this fourth group, which would be the correct group. Uh we'll call that group D, the group that is surrendering to Jesus because he is the Messiah. But make no mistake about it, you're in one of those groups.
SPEAKER_01Amen. As we look at these three groups, take a moment and really ask yourself, which one are you in? This little test can reveal a lot. It shows what's truly in your heart concerning Jesus. Okay, back to the text. Verses forty five to forty nine. The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, Why did you not bring him? The officers answered, No one ever spoke like this man. The Pharisees answered them, Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.
SPEAKER_02Okay, if you remember, last week in verse 32, the Pharisees and chief priest had already sent guards to arrest Jesus. Now here in verse 45, we see those same guards coming back, but without Jesus. The scene is almost comical. The Pharisees are waiting to interrogate Jesus, but the guards come back empty-handed. The Pharisees ask why they didn't arrest him, and the guards simply say, Never has anyone spoke like this man. And these guards were not rough mercenaries. They were Levites, temple police, trained in the law. They had heard plenty of teachers in the temple courts, but the words of Jesus cut deeper than anything they had ever heard. And what's comical is these guards are really saying more than they actually knew. And for us and John's readers, we understand the deeper reality. They are right. No one has ever spoken like this man because he is more than just a man. He is the word of God become flesh. Dr. Witherington notes that their hesitation reveals Jesus' unique authority. Even these trained guards couldn't ignore it. These men who were sent to silence Jesus ended up becoming his witnesses.
SPEAKER_01Oh man, and them Pharisees, they don't like that answer at all. They snap back, you haven't been led astray too, have you? Exactly.
SPEAKER_02That's a sharp comeback for sure. And it was meant to shame the guards and regain control. You you can hear their frustration. They're losing their grip on the situation. Then picture them snapping back. Have any of us rulers or Pharisees believed in him? Dr. Mackey says they are weaponizing the law, using scripture not to seek truth, but to protect their own power. And N. T. Wright highlights the irony. They claim none of the rulers believe, but John later shows that many actually did, John 12 42. And Nicodemus is about to prove them wrong right in the next verses. So this is classic Johannine style. The leaders boast about their knowledge and authority, but their arrogance blinds them. The guards, the ones sent to arrest Jesus, turn out to be more open to him than the leaders themselves.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then they say, this mob that doesn't know the Torah is accursed.
SPEAKER_02Right, that's just arrogance. Back then, the Pharisees looked down on ordinary people as ignorant and spiritually weak. They treated them like they were outside of God's covenant, cursed by him. Eli Lazorkian Isenberg emphasizes this isn't just about knowledge. It's prejudiced. The Judean elites despise Galileans and ordinary folks. Dr. Farley points out that this kind of contempt shows their own spiritual decay. They treat ignorance like it's the same as being damned. But in reality, it's their rejection of Jesus that puts them under God's wrath. John connects this back to what Jesus told Nicodemus in chapter 3. He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, and the wrath of God abides on him. That's John 3, 36.
SPEAKER_01Wow, so when the Pharisees say this crowd is cursed, John is showing us the truth. It's actually the proud leaders who are under God's curse, because they refuse to believe.
SPEAKER_02Yes, the Pharisees weaponize the law to protect their power. They sneer at the common people as cursed, and John wants us to see the truth. The real curse is on those who reject the Son. And right in the middle of all this tension, guess who shows up again from chapter three? It's Nicodemus, one of the rulers of the Pharisees, and he has something to say. Go ahead and read that for us.
SPEAKER_01Okay, verse 50 to 52. Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them, Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does? They replied, Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.
SPEAKER_02Notice how they jump back at good old Nicodemus. You aren't from Galilee too, are you? That's their snapback. It's meant to shame Nicodemus for daring to question their authority. But in their blindness, they're actually fulfilling prophecy. Isaiah 8 says the Lord would be a sanctuary for his people, but also a stone that caused Israel to stumble. That's exactly what's happening here. The leaders are stumbling over Jesus, the true cornerstone. Isaiah also mentions Galilee, the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that everyone looked down on because of its pagan influence. Yet Isaiah 9 promises the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. The very place they were mocking is where God's light would first shine. Now they say no prophet comes from Galilee, but their hatred blinded them to the truth. God chose that very place to reveal his glory. They twisted Scripture to protect their power instead of seeking truth. Nicodemus was being reasonable, but anger won out over reason. The place they called cursed was actually where Jesus began his ministry. And this claim that no prophet came from Galilee was wrong. Prophets had come from there before. In the end, this was really about prejudice. The leaders thought Galileans were backward, but John shows that God honored them instead. So today we have walked through the climax of this feast. Jesus crying out that he is the source of living water, the Spirit promised to all who believed. We saw the crowd divided, some saying he's the prophet, others the Messiah, while the leaders went harder in rejection. The temple guards admitted no one ever spoke like this man, and the Pharisees snapped back, mocking both the crowd and the very respected Nicodemus. In the end, their contempt fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy, stumbling over the cornerstone and despising Galilee, the very place where God's light was destined to shine.
SPEAKER_01And that's the end of chapter 7. Next week, chapter 8. Why not take some time and meditate on what we learned today? We covered some really good stuff. God bless you all. See you next week.
SPEAKER_02And next week, as we step into chapter 8, we'll talk about the famous story of the woman caught in adultery. But here's the thing: those verses, chapter 7, verses 53 through chapter 8, verses 1 through 11, do not appear in the earliest manuscripts of John. We'll explain what that means, why it matters, and how the church has understood this passage over time. But for now, thank you for engaging the scripture with us. God bless. Shalom, my precious friends.
SPEAKER_00You've been listening to Engage the Scripture Podcast, where context reveals the meaning. The Spirit reveals truth, and together they illuminate God's Word. If you have questions or want to dive deeper into today's topic, visit engagethescripture.com. Click on the link, podcast notes. This podcast is for educational and devotional purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not constitute professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to study scripture and seek guidance from trusted spiritual leaders.