Of the Spirit (part 9)
By the time Jesus cried out to the crowd, “Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within them” in John 7:38, the evidence was overwhelming from Israel’s erratic history that they were incapable of believing in him, or responding in love to his love for them.
And yet, as Jesus pointed out two chapters earlier, in John 5:39, “You diligently study the Scriptures,” so they weren’t against God. And because of their diligent study they were celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day when Jesus stood up and yelled, “Come to me.” Which was ironic, because, as Jesus adds in verse 39, “These are the (same) Scriptures that testify about me, yet,” verse 40, “you refuse to come to me to have life.”
So all through their Scriptures, Jesus was constantly calling out to Israel to come to him as their source of life. And by the word “life,” he took their meaning of it, as eternal life. They really thought that by strictly following all the rituals and commandments outlined in the Scriptures, that was all they needed to “possess eternal life” (verse 39).
But what did they think eternal life was for? Having done (in their minds) what was necessary to get it, what was eternal life all about after that?
Well, Jesus made a rather startling statement in John 17:3 that the reason for living forever was “to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.” So that’s what eternal life is for, but stirred in this life now to the point of wanting life forever to know God. Which pinpoints the problem with those Jesus was calling out to in the Temple, because they weren’t focused on knowing God. Focused on themselves and securing their eternity, yes, but as Jesus pointed out to them in John 5:42, “you do not have the love of God in your hearts.”
That was what they were desperately lacking, the actual essence of eternal life, a loving relationship between God and his beloved humans. Which is why Jesus cried out with such emotion, “Come to me,” because John 6:40, “my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.” He knew that only he could be the source of the love they lacked…(more on this tomorrow)
Buck To Basics 