Jesus changed everything. Yet some things seem still to be the same
By Dean Collins
Paul explained in Galatians 4 that at just the right time, God sent his Son, Jesus, to redeem us and that the Spirit of God’s Son would dwell in us. This transition means that we are no longer slaves to sin but now sons and daughters of God. No matter what one believes about Jesus, it cannot be denied that Jesus changed has and continues to change the world and has shaped both ancient history and our current moment. The world may not agree on who he is or what he has accomplished, yet day by day his kingdom expands.
Living water
John records that on the last day of what many scholars believe to be the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” It is hard to read this text without mentally connecting the similar message in the conversation of Jesus with the Samaritan woman. Jesus always used the landscape of agriculture and of current events to help teach his truth.
At the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a water ceremony. A priest would descend to the pool of Siloam with a golden pitcher and dip it into the pool, filling it with water. Musicians would accompany the priest as he made his way back to the temple singing and playing songs of praise. Rich connections were made during this ceremony: to God’s provision of water for the Israelites while they traveled through the wilderness and to God’s provision of rain for the crops. With this imagery in the minds of those who had recently seen the ceremony, Jesus made his invitation.
His offer was not simply refreshment to parched tongues but that he would be a vessel to pour out this living water for those who believed in him. The reaction to these words from Jesus created numerous opinions and arguments. They are disagreements still with us today and heightened through our modern sparring platforms in social media.
God’s Messiah
Some were quick to call Jesus a prophet, a spokesman for God. Others said he was the Christ or Messiah but were sure the role of the Messiah was to be a political leader to free the Jews from Roman authority. Then there were many who wanted to parse words and technicalities about whether Jesus met all the attributes of the Messiah in the law and the prophets. Was he from Galilee or Bethlehem? Was he from the line of David?
Of course, the crowd argued their points and positions regardless of the available facts. And they argued in front of Jesus while at the same time debating and even plotting behind his back. I suspect you would agree the same arguments continue and some have worsened.
Expressing love
Those of us who have tasted this living water by our confession of faith and now live in daily surrender, pour out living water through our obedience to Jesus as Lord of our lives and of all things. We may rarely produce verbal arguments that change the opinions of others, but what if that is not our job? What if awareness of Jesus and acceptance of him has more to do with how we treat each other as believers and how we love and treat those who have never tasted the grace and mercy of God? John would later quote Jesus as saying, “By this will all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another.”
I’m getting tired of the many arguments to defend social, political, and even theological positions. I think I might ask Jesus simply to help me love him and others better. My gut tells me if we of faith all did that, we might find people lined up for a drink of living water.
Your time with God’s Word
John 7:37-44; Galatians 4:4-7 ESV
Photo by Kate Joie at Unsplash.com.
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