38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
There are questions that all of humanity find themselves wrestling with at one time or another. Questions of life, purpose and the great mystery of what happens when we reach the end of it. Christians everywhere will inevitably answer those questions invoking the name of Jesus, citing His teaching, ministry and commission as the place where we find our purpose and our eternal rest - and quite rightly so. But it’s one thing to say all those things and another to live it out in the way that Jesus calls us to.
As Jesus was walking the earth, teaching and performing all the amazing miracles we read about in the gospels it is blindingly obvious that He worked with considerable supernatural power. The truth is that He never anticipated that any of us who follow after Him would do so without that same supernatural power. It is for that reason that I highlighted the verses at the top of this reflection where He actually said that we would have the tools we need in the person of the Spirit to be received after His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to heaven. He repeated this kind of teaching several times over telling His disciples and, by extension, us so that we would know this truth. Even in His final moment on earth as He ascended into heaven He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” (Acts 1:8a). Once received that power is to flow from us as it did from Him in blessing and ministry to others until He calls us home. We too are to preach the gospel heal the sick and cast out evil in His mighty name.
38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
***
Questions:
Has the power of the Holy Spirit come upon you yet? If it hasn’t consider asking your Home Group leader or one of the church Leadership to pray for you to receive Him so that rivers of living water may flow from you too.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus I admit that I have sinned and fallen short of the life that You have called me to. I believe that You are the Son of the only living God who gave His life in atonement for my sins. I (re)commit to following a life in You right now and ask that You would fill me with your Holy Spirit that I might live and work for Your glory. Amen.