Commentary on the Gospel of John

                                 Chapter Seven

                                                                                                                                               Verses 37-39

On the last day of the feast, Jesus, as He often did, preached about a physical need that had a spiritual meaning. Jesus preached about thirst, but He meant a spiritual thirst for God. Jesus preached that He could satisfy that spiritual thirst for anyone who would come to Him in faith. Not only that, but once saved by grace, His "living water" will pour out of those who believe in Him like rivers causing others to believe. Anyone who would open their spiritual nature to hear Jesus' message could become saved by grace and filled with the Spirit of God.

Simon Peter opened his spiritual nature to hear Jesus' message, and he became inspired by the Holy Spirit within him to make a profession of faith in Jesus as his Savior. John 6:67-69. The first part of verse 39, and verse 38, clearly teach that a person will immediately receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as soon as that person opens their spiritual nature to receive faith in Christ as their Savior. The second part of verse 39 refers to Christ's gift of the power of the Holy Spirit to His Church so that His "living water" could flow from His Church as it preaches His gospel to the world. Acts 2:1-4.

                                                                                                                                           Verses 40-43

A division arose among the people who heard Jesus preach about who He was. Some said He was only a prophet, and others believed He was the Messiah. But they all assumed that Jesus had been born in Galilee. Some objected to Jesus being the Messiah because they knew that the scripture prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They also knew that the Messiah would come from the seed of king David, and they assumed that no one of the tribe of Judah could come from Galilee. Strange, but no one of them thought to simply ask Jesus where He had been born and if He was a descendant of king David.