STILL IN THE LAND OF MERCY
JOHN 7:37
JOHN 7:37
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.”
Introduction:
Patience is one of the great virtues of our Lord. The Lord had pleaded with the Jews throughout His ministry to accept the truth that He was the promised Messiah, but we read in John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” It is admirable that the Lord Jesus bears with us year after year. His love is without doubt very deep even to the point of tears on our behalf. He waits patiently for the sinner to repent and come to Him in faith as his Redeemer.
I. HIS PITY IS EXPRESSED IN TENDER TONES
A. He invites us to be reconciled, 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
1. Christ has PREACHED PEACE to all men, Ephesians 2:17, “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”
2. The preaching of the Word was based on what JESUS WOULD ACCOMPLISH, Ephesians 2:16, “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”
B. He calls with TENDER WORDS rather than threats, Mark 10:49, “And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.”
1. Blind Bartimaeus had heard the Word of God, Mark 10:47, “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”
2. Even with the OPPOSITION of the crowd he wanted to know the Savior, Mark 10:48, “And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”
3. Bartimaeus ACCEPTS the Lord’s CALL and TRUSTS Christ as his Savior, Mark 10:50, “And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.”
4. Jesus healed him and he faithfully FOLLOWED the Lord, Mark 10:51-52, And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made [saved thee] thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”
II. HIS PROVISION IS MADE TO QUENCH OUR THIRST
A. All is provided to quench the sinner’s thirst, John 4:10, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”
1. To the CONSCIENCE salvation brings PEACE to the sinner, John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
2. To the sinner’s UNDERSTANDING the gospel brings the RICHEST INSTRUCTION, Colossians 2:2, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;”
3. To the heart the person of Jesus Christ becomes the OBJECT of his love, Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
B. He supplies the water of life FREELY, Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
1. The thirst is terrible, but Jesus can QUENCH it, John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
2. The soul may be FAMISHED because of IGNORANCE, Isaiah 5:13, “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.”
3. Jesus can RESTORE the famished soul, Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”
III. HIS PROCLAMATION IS MADE OPENLY
A. The Gospel was preached FOR ALL to hear, Acts 26:26, “For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.”
B. The invitation is “COME” to Jesus for salvation, Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
1. Our goodness does not bring us to God, Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
2. We are God’s children by faith, Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
IV. HIS PREPERATION IS COMPLETE
A. The ACT of faith is “drinking of the water of life,” John 7:37, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”
B. The qualification is “WHOSOEVER DRINKETH,” John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
CONCLUSION:
GOD PATIENTLY WAITS FOR YOU to come and drink the water of life by faith in Christ. For those who have already trusted Christ as Savior HE WAIT FOR OUR OBEDIENCE in following the Lord in BAPTISM and complete trust in doing His will in our lives.
His will is the key to happiness and success in life.