NOTES for Joh 7:37-53
37 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. |
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. |
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) |
40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. |
41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? |
42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? |
43 So there was a division among the people because of him. |
44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. |
45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? |
46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. |
47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? |
48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? |
49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. |
50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) |
51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? |
52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. |
53 And every man went unto his own house. |
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What is most important to us in Christianity? This question arises by itself when you read lines like these from the Gospel, when you look at church divisions and scandals, when you see your own and others' misunderstanding of the Good News. The Lord speaks about things that are fundamental and common to all people - about thirst for the Spirit, without whom any religion, any society, any life becomes stuffy and stale. He speaks about the fact that faith in Him will not remain a barren, dry idea, but opens to a person access to the rivers of the living water of the Spirit. But this is not what troubles the people and the scribes. What matters more to them is an inconsistency in the origin of the potential Messiah: since He must come from the line of David, He must also live in Bethlehem.
What could the Lord object to this? Tell them about His miraculous birth in the city of David? But they do not listen to Him even when He speaks about the most important thing. How, then, can they (and sometimes we) understand His words and draw near to the life-giving element of the Spirit?
Readings for 4 December 2025
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