Title Whoever Thirst
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1. Oh, all you who thirst, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2. Why do you give silver for things that are not bread, and labor for things that are not satisfied? Hear and hear from me, and you will eat the good, and yourselves will find pleasure in the fat.
3. Incline your ear and come to me, and hear, and your souls will live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure grace of David.
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37. On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
38. Whoever believes in me, as the Bible says, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.
39. This was speaking of the Holy Spirit, which those who believed in Him would receive (Jesus had not yet been glorified, so the Holy Spirit was not yet upon them).
Content
Subject: If Anyone Thirst
Text: Isaiah 55:1-3, John 7:37-39
This is the beginning of the sermon titled 'Invitation of all'. “Come to the waters, you who thirst” (Isaiah 55:1a). All human beings are called ‘thirst ones’. ‘Come to the water!’ is the invitation to the Messiah Feast. What is the thirst that humans have without exception? It is a thirst for God. It reminds me of the words of an old wise man. 'God made all things and made them beautiful in their seasons, and He also gave to man a longing for eternity. But he has made it impossible for men to measure the works of God from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). It reminds us of God's intention in creating human beings in His image (Genesis 1:26). It is a mystery, because of love. Because love is wanting to be together, it refuses to forget. It also rejects death and makes you look forward to eternity.
The ‘longing for eternity’ that every human being has is the response of a compass that goes beyond finiteness and seeks eternity, that is, God. The ‘eternity’ we are looking for here is not just continuous in time and space. If it were just that, would humans long for it? It can't be. Human beings, the lord of all things created in the image of God, cannot do that. Moreover, the Creator's gift of love to man cannot be like that. The three gifts of love are 1) beautifying in time, 2) longing for eternity, and 3) hiding the end of God's work. It is the life that the Creator and Master of History has prepared for human beings in His image. The meaning of hiding will also be consideration of love. It is a heart-fluttering life reminiscent of the Messiah Feast. All of this is hidden under a veil.
So, of the forgetfulness experienced in this life, this alone must be a grace. There is a way to awaken from forgetfulness. Listening to God's Word is enlightenment. This is the grace contained in today's Old Testament text (Isaiah 55:1-3). It is the fulfillment of the eternal covenant. It is a sure grace granted to David. It is the secret of thirst that all humans have. The next word (Isa. 55:6-13) tells us not to lose our chance and seek God (6a). He tells us to cry out to God (6b). It is the flapping of the wings of life to listen, understand, and act. A gesture of waking up from forgetfulness. He speaks of a change of thinking, a change of habits (way), that is, repentance (7-9). The result is a truly amazing festival realization. It is a great festival where all things in the universe are together (10-13). It will become the honor of the Lord, and it will become an eternal mark, which will not be cut off. What kind of life is it? I'm curious.