WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.400 In the name of Jesus. Amen. 2 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:10.400 Dear friends in Christ. 3 00:00:12.700 --> 00:00:16.400 Do you thirst asks Jesus? 4 00:00:17.700 --> 00:00:23.200 Do you long for the day when your thirsting when your yearning when 5 00:00:23.200 --> 00:00:27.300 you're waiting and you're wondering will come to an end? 6 00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:33.100 That day has come to declares Jesus in the temple. 7 00:00:34.400 --> 00:00:36.400 Let the one who believes come. 8 00:00:37.800 --> 00:00:40.800 Let the one who believes drink. 9 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:43.800 Let the one who believes see. 10 00:00:45.800 --> 00:00:48.000 What no man at any time 11 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:51.300 has actually ever seen. 12 00:00:54.000 --> 00:01:00.700 Tabernacles, otherwise known as the Feast of Booths, was each year in 13 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:08.100 the ritual life of the people of God and extraordinary week-long Fall 14 00:01:08.100 --> 00:01:08.900 Festival. 15 00:01:10.300 --> 00:01:14.600 That commemorated Israel's 40 years in the wilderness. 16 00:01:16.300 --> 00:01:22.600 Each year than year after year thousands of pilgrims would come from 17 00:01:22.600 --> 00:01:25.900 far and wide to remember 18 00:01:26.800 --> 00:01:27.800 the past. 19 00:01:29.100 --> 00:01:30.900 Especially the defining past, 20 00:01:32.800 --> 00:01:38.700 like the day that Moses struck the rock in the wilderness and the Lord 21 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:42.700 made streams to come out of the rock and waters to flow down like 22 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:43.200 Rivers, 23 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:49.900 declares the psalmist. He split the rock and waters flowed. 24 00:01:50.800 --> 00:01:52.700 Rivers ran 25 00:01:53.800 --> 00:01:54.800 in dry places. 26 00:01:56.900 --> 00:02:00.100 Therefore each morning with the feast 27 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:05.600 a priest, a priest would take a small golden pitcher. 28 00:02:06.800 --> 00:02:10.400 And with others would make his way to the pool of Siloam. 29 00:02:11.700 --> 00:02:16.000 At the pool, he would fill the pitcher with water and then with the 30 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:19.200 pitcher prominently processed through the streets of the city. 31 00:02:20.600 --> 00:02:23.200 As he and others made their way to the temple, 32 00:02:24.100 --> 00:02:27.800 at the temple and its water gate. 33 00:02:30.900 --> 00:02:32.500 Which led into its sanctuary. 34 00:02:34.100 --> 00:02:37.700 A Ram's Horn was sounded three times. 35 00:02:38.900 --> 00:02:46.700 Entering the temple Israel's priests would solemnly process a single 36 00:02:46.700 --> 00:02:47.100 time 37 00:02:48.700 --> 00:02:55.500 around the altar crying save Lord, we beseech you Lord. 38 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.800 Give us success. 39 00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:04.900 Then the priests bearing the pitcher would climb up a ramp that led to 40 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:06.300 the top of the altar. 41 00:03:07.600 --> 00:03:10.200 Where he would lift up the pitcher for all to see. 42 00:03:13.100 --> 00:03:17.400 Then he would pour the water into a small bowl with a spout 43 00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:23.400 that drained the water onto all over 44 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:25.800 the altar. 45 00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:29.900 Each day the pouring out of the water 46 00:03:31.300 --> 00:03:39.000 was a vivid visual reminder of Israel's storied past. 47 00:03:40.100 --> 00:03:45.400 Of Yahweh's previous previous manner of making and preserving Israel 48 00:03:46.700 --> 00:03:48.600 as a select people of God. 49 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:56.300 Each day, then the priests would process from the pool of Siloam to 50 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:56.800 the temple. 51 00:03:58.200 --> 00:04:01.400 Each day, the water would be poured out. 52 00:04:04.500 --> 00:04:09.000 On the last great day of the feast however 53 00:04:10.200 --> 00:04:13.500 a final informing flourish 54 00:04:14.600 --> 00:04:16.700 was added to this ritual. 55 00:04:18.500 --> 00:04:21.899 As the priests processed around the altar 56 00:04:22.900 --> 00:04:23.800 not once 57 00:04:25.200 --> 00:04:26.900 but a total of 7 times. 58 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.900 Attended by great pomp and circumstance. 59 00:04:33.900 --> 00:04:37.400 The vivid visual daily ritual 60 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:41.600 recalled and all-important moment 61 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:44.200 from Israel's past. 62 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:47.800 It affirmed in the here and now 63 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.800 the present and enduring significance 64 00:04:54.100 --> 00:04:55.400 of that past. 65 00:04:56.900 --> 00:04:59.200 Most importantly, however, 66 00:05:00.300 --> 00:05:01.100 most of all 67 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:08.700 especially with the final flourish of the last great day of the feast 68 00:05:09.900 --> 00:05:13.400 Tabernacles, look forward looked forward to a long-awaited 69 00:05:13.400 --> 00:05:20.900 much-anticipated future day when far greater things would come. 70 00:05:22.400 --> 00:05:28.400 When rivers of Living Water would flow from the city itself and its 71 00:05:28.400 --> 00:05:29.200 Temple. 72 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:36.800 Making all the world not just the city, but all the world once more 73 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.500 blossoming blessed garden. 74 00:05:43.100 --> 00:05:46.000 When all the nations would come. 75 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:52.400 I will leave them through the desert declares Yahweh in the 48th 76 00:05:52.400 --> 00:05:53.600 chapter of Isaiah. 77 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:58.300 I will bring forth water for them water will flow 78 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:02.600 and my people will drink. 79 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:05.400 Therefore 80 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:10.100 on the last great day of the feast 81 00:06:11.400 --> 00:06:16.100 Jesus stands up and cries out saying 82 00:06:18.700 --> 00:06:21.900 in no uncertain terms says he 83 00:06:23.500 --> 00:06:28.400 That he is the one in whom the hope of the feast end of every other 84 00:06:28.400 --> 00:06:32.400 ritual observance of the people finds its fulfillment. 85 00:06:35.500 --> 00:06:36.900 For when glorified 86 00:06:38.100 --> 00:06:40.800 when from his side flows blood and water. 87 00:06:42.200 --> 00:06:45.500 When with the shedding of his blood comes the long-awaited 88 00:06:45.500 --> 00:06:49.500 much-anticipated Living Water of God. 89 00:06:50.700 --> 00:06:53.800 The spirit that he thereby gives without measure 90 00:06:54.700 --> 00:06:55.400 will be 91 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:59.900 illuminating light and life Everlasting 92 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:02.900 those who believe. 93 00:07:05.200 --> 00:07:07.400 Then writes John, 94 00:07:10.100 --> 00:07:15.300 the Evangelist but also the author of a few other works, then writes 95 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:17.400 John and another of his works. 96 00:07:18.400 --> 00:07:22.000 The angel showed me the river of the Water of Life 97 00:07:23.200 --> 00:07:25.700 bright as crystal 98 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:32.200 flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb throughout the city. 99 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:38.400 And he showed me on either side of the river the Tree of Life with its 100 00:07:38.400 --> 00:07:44.300 12 kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each and every month of the year. 101 00:07:45.700 --> 00:07:51.600 And the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations. 102 00:07:58.000 --> 00:07:59.200 But as before 103 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:07.400 so also hear the word of the word made flesh in the temple the word 104 00:08:07.400 --> 00:08:13.400 that has divided and defined them once more does so once more. 105 00:08:16.200 --> 00:08:18.800 They see but do not see in the temple. 106 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.400 They hear but do not hear. 107 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:24.300 So some even want to arrest him 108 00:08:25.700 --> 00:08:26.800 for his words. 109 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:33.200 Officers sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to seize him 110 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:35.600 do not. 111 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:41.700 When later they are asked why did you not bring him? 112 00:08:43.299 --> 00:08:48.400 They unwittingly respond with a truth that is profoundly greater than 113 00:08:48.400 --> 00:08:52.100 any of them are in a position to know. They say 114 00:08:53.300 --> 00:08:58.800 no one has ever spoken like this one. 115 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:05.600 The Pharisees who's on deception is glaringly great accused the 116 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:08.900 officers of sharing in the deception of the masses. 117 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:13.900 Those who think of themselves as learned who's on persisting 118 00:09:13.900 --> 00:09:17.200 ignorance is particularly great. 119 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:22.500 Ironically presume to label the masses ignorant of the law and 120 00:09:22.500 --> 00:09:23.300 accursed. 121 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:27.500 Nicodemus who previously came to Jesus by night 122 00:09:28.900 --> 00:09:34.600 speaks again this time, ironically offering the seemingly sympathetic 123 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:35.900 statement. 124 00:09:35.900 --> 00:09:40.800 But according to the law of this Jesus should receive a fair hearing. 125 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:49.700 Only then can anyone learn what must be known of his true person 126 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:52.500 and his true purpose. 127 00:09:55.800 --> 00:09:59.200 But they repudiate Nicodemus as well saying. 128 00:10:00.300 --> 00:10:03.100 Are you also from Galilee search and see that 129 00:10:03.100 --> 00:10:05.400 no prophet arises from Galilee. 130 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:11.900 Presuming to see quite well both the man and the matter they show 131 00:10:11.900 --> 00:10:13.200 instead that they are 132 00:10:14.700 --> 00:10:17.400 in fact blind to the truth of who he is 133 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:20.400 or why he has come. 134 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:26.800 Truths that can only be seen by the power of the spirit when one takes 135 00:10:26.800 --> 00:10:28.700 him at his word. 136 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:38.400 Only when what Jesus says informs who Jesus is and what Jesus does 137 00:10:39.800 --> 00:10:44.200 when the word of the word made flesh informs both his person and his 138 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:48.700 purpose only then will any of them see. 139 00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:52.500 The supremely necessary 140 00:10:53.300 --> 00:10:58.600 and solely sufficient completing council of the word made flesh. 141 00:11:00.100 --> 00:11:07.600 Must later inform his person and work or never will any of them see. 142 00:11:09.900 --> 00:11:13.000 Therefore one takes the logos at his word. 143 00:11:14.100 --> 00:11:16.000 His word that must be heard. 144 00:11:17.700 --> 00:11:20.400 Or one takes him not at all. 145 00:11:23.900 --> 00:11:27.000 Therefore beloved Brethren of our Lord Jesus Christ 146 00:11:29.800 --> 00:11:31.000 let all who thirst 147 00:11:32.300 --> 00:11:33.700 come to the waters. 148 00:11:35.300 --> 00:11:36.400 Let all who thirst 149 00:11:37.800 --> 00:11:38.500 drink. 150 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:41.400 For by the spirit alone 151 00:11:42.300 --> 00:11:45.100 through the word of the word made flesh alone 152 00:11:46.300 --> 00:11:53.400 are final things made known. The entire council of these latter solely 153 00:11:53.400 --> 00:11:54.500 sufficient things 154 00:11:55.900 --> 00:11:57.100 stands written. 155 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:02.400 So that you may believe what must be taken to heart and believed that 156 00:12:02.400 --> 00:12:08.700 no one at any time has actually ever really seen. 157 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:13.000 Namely that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. 158 00:12:15.800 --> 00:12:17.300 These things stand written. 159 00:12:18.800 --> 00:12:24.200 So what in human history has never been seen with unaided eyes may 160 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:28.900 nevertheless be seen with Spirit wrought eyes of faith. 161 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:31.800 These things 162 00:12:33.100 --> 00:12:34.200 stand written 163 00:12:35.400 --> 00:12:38.500 so that you may have life in his name. 164 00:12:39.800 --> 00:12:43.300 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.