John 7 - Every Man's Bible

7:2-9  Jesus experienced firsthand the ridicule and rejection from his family. His brothers did not understand what God was doing in or through Jesus. Therefore, Jesus obeyed the will of his Father in heaven instead of bowing to the pressure of those in his family. Like Jesus, we need to make sure that we are following God’s plan for our lives, rather than following the dictates of people who do not know what God has planned for us. To do this we must know God’s Word and have a close relationship with God that is nurtured by prayer. Staying close to God through prayer and remaining focused on his purpose for our lives will help us make good decisions and preserve our spiritual growth.

7:10-15, 25-27, 40-49  In this chapter the author polled the audience for different opinions about who Jesus actually was. Some believed he was a good man (7:12, 46). Others thought he was a fraud (7:12) or demon possessed (7:20). Still others conceded he might be the Messiah (7:26, 41), or the Prophet (7:40). The minority who were in power saw him as a political threat and wanted him arrested, even killed (7:1, 20, 44). We, too, must decide who Jesus is and what he means to us. Our decision about Jesus is very important. It will have eternal consequences (see 8:24).

7:37-39  Jesus is the living water who satisfies our thirst (see 4:10). When we put our faith in him and ask for a drink, he gives us his Spirit. The Holy Spirit becomes an inexhaustible river of living water, welling up in us and flowing through us. The indwelling and eternal Holy Spirit goes with us wherever we go and can quench even our strongest spiritual thirst. Having this water “on tap” is the key to resisting the temptation to follow sinful pursuits. While sinful pleasures seem to satisfy for the moment, in the long run they leave us thirstier than ever.