Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Feast of Booths, teaching boldly in the temple and creating quite an uproar with the religious leaders, those who lived in Jerusalem and the multitude of visitors who were there for the feast. His words caused many to question whether He was the Christ. His words caused some to accuse Him of having a demon, while others could not wrap their minds around where He had obtained His knowledge.
Those who were in Jerusalem for the feast were there to fulfill their religious duty, but were they really there meet with God? Were they merely going through the motions of tradition, but neglecting what they ultimately needed, a life changing encounter with their Creator.
What about you? Why do you go to church? Is it out of religious habit, the proper thing to do on a given Sunday morning? Are you a “feast only” kind of church goer, showing up on Christmas and Easter, but not truly engaged with the reason for the season? Or do you arrive thirsty for the Word, desiring to have the Holy Spirit fill you with power and bring the Scripture to life in order to grow closer to your Savior?
Professor of evangelism and discipleship at Moody Bible Institute and Senior Research Editor at Our Daily Bread Ministries, Dr. Dennis Fisher, writes the following:
Some people think of God as the impersonal energy force which animates the universe. It gives them a religious connection with nature, and does not trouble them with the moral accountability of a holy and sovereign Creator. But the Bible does not hold this view of God. Lewis captured the dynamic nature of the Christian God in this way: “[God] is so brim-full of existence that He can give existence away, can cause things to be, and to be really other than Himself, can make it untrue to say that He is everything” (Miracles, Chapter 11).
Jesus Christ claimed that He was the source of this divine life: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 KJV).
Christ also taught this abundant life would be experienced through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Attending a Jewish feast where water was poured out in commemoration of God providing water for the Children of Israel in the wilderness, Christ made this commanding pronouncement:
“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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[a]the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39 ESV).
By trusting Christ as our Savior and Lord we can then begin to experience the reality of His in dwelling Spirit. He who is brimful of existence can become like an artesian well overflowing with love, joy and peace.
In what ways have you been able to tap into God’s living presence? By drfishercsl