John 7:32–39

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. ³³ Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. ³⁴ You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.” ³⁵ Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Commentary

Vs. 32 “The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.”

 Now the Pharisees were always on the periphery of anywhere Jesus taught and spoke, for they themselves were not only teachers of the common people but they very often acted like a “religious police force” enforcing not only the Law of Moses, but also their own doctrines and commandments of men, thus their traditions handed down to them from their fathers. And so, with the crowds murmuring things about Jesus, and some saying that He is the Christ (i.e. Messiah), the Pharisees along with the chief priests (who had jurisdiction in the Temple and its grounds) send officers to take Him, because Jesus was to them only a threat to their own privileges and reign as rulers of the people of God.

Vs. 33-34 ³³ Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. ³⁴ You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

 Jesus now tells both the Pharisees, the people, and the officers sent to take Him, that though He is now present with them, He shall only be so for a little while longer, for soon He will go to God the Father who sent Him. Thus, if they thought they had dominion or control over Him they were terribly deceived. And so, on that day the Lord Jesus Christ now tells them that they will seek Him but they will not find Him, for where He is in heaven (both current and future) they cannot come, because they have rejected Him!

Vs. 35-36 ³⁵ Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

 These people then are baffled by Jesus’ Words, for where there is no faith there is only human reasoning, and human reasoning always ends with wrong conclusions about the Lord Jesus Christ and His Words. And so, with that their plans to take and seize Jesus come undone, for there is nothing in His Words by which they may justly seize Him.

Vs. 37-39 ³⁷ On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 Now on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles that was being held in Jerusalem, to which Jews from everywhere came to observe, and thus dwelt in booths or huts to observe the feast as commanded in the Law, the Lord Jesus Christ now cries out to them all, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink…” ^{vs. 37} For having observed this commanded feast and ritual according to the Law and observance of it, for a whole week, there would have been many who would’ve still felt that something was still lacking in their souls. For keeping God’s commanded feasts and sacrifices will never satisfy anyone’s spiritual thirsts and desires, just as being baptized, or going to church, or reading the Bible, or taking communion never will until one comes to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, and thus believes in Him for themselves. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ knowing this, also says and promises that anyone who believes in Him as the Scripture has said, out of His heart will flow rivers of living water (vs. 38)! Which is an incredible promise that not only will your own spiritual thirst and desires be fully satisfied, but you yourself will also be, because of the Holy Spirits regeneration of your person (vs. 39, Titus 3:4-7), a person whose heart now flows rivers of living water! Thus, whether in word, or song, or deed you will be a blessing to others! Thus from cursing to blessing, from bitterness or sadness to now laughter and joy, from always seeing things negatively to now seeing hope for all, or from ruthless cruel judgment to now wanting God’s grace, mercy and true justice for all, from unmitigated hatred of someone or some people to now unconditional love for all, all because of God’s Holy Spirit flowing in and through your own heart! Which is far more transforming and enrichening than anything else one may do or have in of themselves. And that is one of the “hidden” secrets of the Gospel, that not only are you yourself saved and restored to spiritual life with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but you yourself will also be completely transformed into a new creation, i.e. person, by God’s Spirit through whom God will now reach, bless, and save others as well! Which is one of life’s most rewarding experiences, to see people come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus themselves be transformed as well! “Therefore, come one and all taste and see that the Lord Jesus Christ is loving, gracious, merciful, and kind, for when you do, you will with joy draw water from the well of salvation! (Isaiah 12:3). And so here we have in verse 39 the Promise of God’s Spirit being poured out into everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, thus there is nothing you need to do to receive the Holy Spirit other than believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for as with salvation being the sole work of God, so too with His Spirit coming to seal and transform for the Day of Redemption everyone who believes in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.