Rejoicing at the Feast of Tabernacles

John 7 records the words of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles, approximately six months before His death.  The feast lasted eight days, and John recorded, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (v37-38).  Understanding the context of this event gives another level to His words.  One writer described what happened at this feast: “The priests would go down to the pool of Siloam in the City of David (just south of where the Western Wall is today) and they would fill a golden vessel with the water there. They would go up to the temple, through the Water Gate, accompanied by the sound of the shofar, and then they would pour the water so that it flowed over the altar, along with wine from another bowl. This would begin the prayers for rain in earnest, and there was much rejoicing at this ceremony.”  This was such a powerful and majestic event that the Talmud would later record, “He who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water-drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life.” 

It is likely that the people were seeing this or had just witnessed this celebrated procession of water being taken in a golden vessel to the altar of the temple that Jesus stood and declared: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”  They were focused on the tradition of centuries, but He sought to teach them what it really meant.  He was the true meaning behind this symbolic ceremony with the water; He was the source of life that they really sought in seeking for rain; He was true cause of great rejoicing.  And yet, while the rulers pretended to praise God through this symbolic ceremony seeking for life-giving physical water, they missed the real meaning and even sought to kill Him who offered living water.  When He was seen at the feast some said, “Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?”  The invitation of Jesus to them that day hearkened back to the words of Isaiah: “Come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).  In stark contrast to those moneychangers selling animals at the temple, He offered living water without money and without price to the people who would “do his will” (v17). 

             His symbolism of water perhaps was also meant as an allusion to the healing river of water coming out of the temple as seen by Ezekiel in vision: “And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live… for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh” (Ezekiel 47:9).  The Savior is the source of all healing.  Just as the water was taken from Siloam (which means “Sent” according to John 9:7) to be carried and poured out upon the altar in ritual cleansing, Christ is sent to us from the Father and His power can be poured over us to be cleansed of all sin.  John wrote of the living water that Jesus referred to saying, “this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive” (v39).  Ultimately it is the Spirit of God, come upon us because of the cleansing power of Christ’s atonement, that fills our life with joy and rejoicing.  We might humbly suggest that the Talmud’s declaration be changed to read, “He who has not seen the rejoicing that comes from the manifestation of the Spirit of God has never seen rejoicing in his life.”  We rejoice that He who is Living Water suffered and died for our sins so that the purifying power of the Holy Ghost can fill our souls with joy.