Free Jesus Unmasked: The Truth Will Shock You by Todd Friel Page B

4:7–14).
    What Is He Talking About?
    Jesus was doing two things here; first, He was calling Himself the living water. Physical water requires constant consumption for physical life. Jesus is the spiritual water that if consumed one time offers eternal life.
    Second, Jesus was alluding to the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke for God over 600 years earlier.
    For My people have committed two evils:
    They have forsaken Me,
    The fountain of living waters ,
    To hew for themselves cisterns,
    Broken cisterns
    That can hold no water (Jer. 2:13).
    By alluding to God’s words in Jeremiah, not only was Jesus equating Himself with God, the living water, but He was also teaching that His offer of spiritual life is a free gift. Cisterns were man-made reservoirs to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are deficient for three reasons:
    1.They leak.
    2.The water that is captured and stored is often dirty and lukewarm.
    3.They contain a limited amount of water.
    On the other hand, an underground well (living water) provides fresh water: cool, clean, refreshing, limitless.
    What was Jesus saying? “Stop trying to quench your spiritual thirst with your broken, man-made efforts that cannot satisfy. Instead, come to Me for free, living water and you will never thirst. You will never die.”
    Staggering Symbolism
    Jesus made the same offer of life-giving water to everyone when He preached at the Old Testament Festival of Booths in Jerusalem. The fall Festival of Booths was a major celebration. All Jews were required to attend this festival to give thanks for seven days and remember God’s deliverance of His people. Jerusalem was packed.
    On the seventh day of the feast, the temple priests would march to the pool of Siloam and walk around the temple seven times and quote the prophet Isaiah.
    Then you will say on that day ,
    â€śI will give thanks to You, O Lord ;
    For although You were angry with me,
    Your anger is turned away ,
    And You comfort me.
    â€śBehold, God is my salvation ,
    I will trust and not be afraid;
    For the Lord God is my strength and song,
    And He has become my salvation .”
    Therefore you will joyously draw water
    From the springs of salvation (Isa. 12:1–3).
    Hundreds of thousands of people shouted for joy while the priests carried water around the temple while thanking God for deliverance. It is at that moment when Jesus lifted up His voice and shouted, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!” (John 7:37).
    One wonders if anyone understood exactly what Jesus was saying. One wonders if anyone remembered the next three verses of Isaiah chapter 12.
    And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord , call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.” Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry aloud and shout for joy , O inhabitant of [Jerusalem], For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 12:4–6).
    The people shouted for joy, and yet His own did not recognize Him as their source of joy (John 1:10). God’s people did not realize that in that moment, the promise of Isaiah was being fulfilled. Jesus, the Holy One of Israel, was in their midst.
    Another Old Testament Allusion
    Jesus regularly made references to the Old Testament when He preached and spoke. When He shouted to the people to quench their spiritual thirst in Him, Jesus was no doubt alluding to Isaiah chapter 55, where God spoke to the Jews through His prophet Isaiah.
    Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters ;
    And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
    Come, buy wine and milk
    Without money and without cost .
    Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
    And your wages for what does not satisfy? (Isa. 55:1–2).
    Jesus offered Himself as the free living water who grants everlasting life. No cost. No charge. Free.
    What Will You Do with His