Living Water

Read: John 4:4-15; John 7:37-39; and Ezekiel 47:1-12

Introduction: We are very familiar with the name “living waters” but what does this expression mean? It only appears in two places in Scripture, both times in the Gospel of John, and in the mouth of Jesus. We see that “Living Waters” is the following:

1. A Name for the Holy Spirit. This is made very clear in John 7:38-39. It is interesting that Jesus uses the adjective “living” to refer to the Spirit; perhaps to remind us that although the Holy Spirit may behave powerfully and be like a rain, a fire or a river, yet He is not a force, but rather a living person. He may also have been alluding to the life that the Spirit would grant to all those who believed. He is both living and life-giving (Job 33:4).

2. He Satisfies the Soul. Jesus said that if the woman drank of this living water, she would never thirst again (John 4:13). We all have times when we are perhaps more fervent for the Lord than at other times. But even at our lowest point, we are still deeply satisfied with the water that comes from the well of Jesus Christ, and we have no need to look for something else to quench that spiritual thirst. He is always enough!

3. He is a Free Gift. It is a fallacy that in order to receive the Spirit, we need to reach a certain standard of holiness or spirituality. In fact, it is the Spirit’s presence in our lives that actually produces the holiness that God requires (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus said He is a free gift (John 4:10) because He purchased Him for us on Calvary (John 7:39). The only qualifications for receiving Him seem to be thirst and faith (John 7:37-38).

4. He comes from Jesus Alone. Jesus said that if we thirst we should come to Him (John 7:37). Thank God for anointed men and women today but only the Anointed One can grant His anointing. Just as the wise virgins were not able to give the foolish a measure of their oil (Matthew 25:8-9), so the true heavenly oil of the Spirit can only come from God.

5. He becomes a Spring of Life. While we may think of water as the source of cleansing or refreshing, first-century Samaritans would associated it with life. This living water may be drunk, but those who drink it become a spring of water for others. This is exactly what happened when the Samaritan woman returned to her home. Not only was she blessed but the whole village came to the Lord (John 4:39-42). We are blessed to be a blessing!

6. He is Ezekiel’s River. Ezekiel 47:1-12 is probably the passage Jesus alludes to in John 7:37-38. In Babylon, the prophet had a vision of himself waded through a giant river.

He touches his feet: a new journey; avoiding sin and going with the Gospel
His knees: indicating a new devotion of prayer and time spent with God
His loins: the place of reproduction. Time for a new fruitfulness in Christ
Until the river completely overwhelms him and takes him where it wishes: a new master!

Conclusion: While it is important to have the Spirit, it is surely more important that the Spirit has us! He is not just our Friend but our Lord and He wants to lead us “another thousand cubits” into our devotion to God. Let us become a people of the river of God.