A message for people who need a drink

The Feast of Tabernacles: A message for people who need a drink

In John 7, Jesus stood up in the Temple. There were crowds of Jews there, from all over the world. They had come to the Feast, and Jesus invited them to come to him. But his offer is not for everyone. Jesus began his speech with these words: ’If anybody wants to drink. . . ‘.

Probably not many of the people who were there really needed to drink. This was the end of a week when they had thanked God for the grape [a fruit] harvest. Perhaps many people had drunk plenty. But Jesus was not talking about water or wine. It is clear that Jesus spoke about something else. He spoke about people who needed something in their spirits (the inner part of people, which other people cannot see). They knew that they had a spiritual lack.

Do you have a desire for God?

Jesus knew what people were like in their hearts. Many people feel that they lack something in their lives. They desire something more, but perhaps they do not know what. Think about these questions:

• Have we any desire for God?
• Have we any desire to be free from the wrong things that we say?
• Free from the wrong things that we think or do?
• Have we any desire for the peace, which God alone gives?
• Do we want to have a life that is more holy?
• Do we want to escape from sin in our lives?

Come to Christ

If so, then we should come to Christ. Water can satisfy the person who needs to drink. And Christ will satisfy our desire for God. But first we must know that we need him. We must realise that we are poor in our spirits. We cannot help ourselves. We must feel very sad about that. Just as we sometimes feel very hungry for food, so we must feel very hungry for righteousness. We must feel like that before God can help us. Only God can give us this righteousness, but we must want it very much. Jesus explained all this when he spoke on the mountain (Matthew 5:3-6). This is the way to begin to be a Christian. This is the way to continue to be a Christian. Some people in the crowd in front of Jesus would not feel this desire. Other people would desire wrong things. Sometimes we do not realise what we really need.