Monday, March 3, 2025  

---

Today's Scripture
John 7:37–52

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law — they are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” (NRSV)

---

Reflection

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” (Psalm 42:1–2 ESV).

“Thirsting” seems to be a way the Bible characterizes people who are seeking after God or the things of God, whether consciously or subconsciously. Today’s passage records the third occasion marked by John in which Jesus invited the thirsty to drink unto eternal life. In the Gospel of John, Jesus was always the one inviting thirsty folks to drink, with one exception.

When Jesus stopped in Samaria, en route from Judea to Galilee, Jesus asked for a drink from the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. John said that Jesus was wearied from journeying (John 4:6). John did not say that Jesus was thirsty. The only place where it is recorded that Jesus thirsted is John 19:28. As Jesus hung on the cross, after being forsaken by God (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), Jesus said, “I thirst.”

Elsewhere in the Bible, people thirsted. On the cross, Jesus thirsted. Jesus was fully God and fully human. Yet our only account of Jesus thirsting came from the cross, after being abandoned by the very God who had said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

Surely God laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6) and for our sake “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

No blaring bullhorn. In this subtle sequence of simple words, God opened my eyes to plainly see that on that cross Jesus died the death that was meant for me.

---

Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you. In your name. Amen.

---

Written by Jeanette Chung, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email