On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37
Jesus gave this momentous invitation on the last day, the greatest day of the feast. He is speaking to crowds of people who have gathered in the temple for a great festival. The harvest was gathered, and people had enjoyed a whole week of celebration. And here they are on the last day, the greatest day. Is this it? Is this all there is?
And Jesus said, in effect, to them and to us: Is there anyone here who is not satisfied? Anyone disappointed? Do any of you feel that your life in this world is not what you hoped it would be? Would anyone say, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”? This isn’t just the provocative title of a famous rock song, but the thirsty cry of a heart struggling to find satisfaction with the things of this world.
These people traveled all the way to Jerusalem to fulfill the law that required them to celebrate the feast. They would say, as many of us would say today, “I want to live a life that is pleasing to God.”
You are committed to a moral life, but has the path of duty to which you are committed not brought you the peace and joy you seek? If you are still thirsty, “Come to me and drink.” Does this resonate with you? You have been in church for years, but you are still thirsty. You are looking for more than you have found.
The life we’re looking for is not simply a better version of our own, for if we achieved it, we still would be thirsty. The life we’re looking for is found in Christ, who takes our thirst away by putting “rivers of living water” in our hearts (7:38).
Are you content with your life? Or are you looking for more? Where are you looking? Do you think you have already found everything Jesus has to give you?
