Previously, Jesus had been debating His origin, His identity, and His authority, but now He sees these crowds longing for answers, longing to embrace the truth. He calls them to cease the endless debates and to trust Him with their hearts. He calls them to come and be fulfilled, be satisfied, be fully restored.

Jesus promises that if we will come to Him and believe that He is indeed the Messiah, that He will satisfy our longing with “rivers of living water” to fill our soul. The gospel writer clarifies that these “rivers of living water” refer to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that comes when a person trusts Christ as Savior.

Of course, this sets of another whole round of contention among the crowds. Some are convinced that He is the Messiah, and they believe in Him, but others still can’t get past the fact that Jesus grew up in Galilee rather than Bethlehem. We know that He was born in Bethlehem and lived there as a young boy, but the crowds were aware not of this.

As the festival closes, the religious leaders are fuming, the temple guards are wondering, the crowds are debating, and Jesus is calling. Will anyone be able to hear Him through the chaos?

Questions to consider:
Over the past 4 weeks, what have you concluded about Jesus? Who is He to you personally?
Do you have a longing in your soul that only Jesus can satisfy? Are you ready to come to Him and believe?