Living water. What in the world is that? For some of us, our familiarity with these kinds of terms, found throughout the New Testament, makes us comfortable with them, but not necessarily aware of their meaning. They can become like so much white noise, spiritual-sounding words that have long lost their significance in our lives, if they ever had any to begin with. But when Jesus talked about living water, those who heard Him were taken aback at His choice of words. What was He talking about? What kind of water was He referring to? And Jesus' choice of location and timing are critical to understanding the meaning behind His somewhat cryptic terminology. Chapter seven of John tells us that it was the annual Jewish festival called the Feast of Booths. Jesus had made His way into Jerusalem for this event and about halfway through the days set aside for its celebration, He appeared at the temple, and began to teach. He created quite a stir by claiming to be speaking on behalf God. His detractors accused Him of being demon-possessed. And the Jewish officials become so incensed, they sent soldiers to arrest Him. Then, on the last day of the feast, Jesus makes what we will see is a well-timed statement about living water. He dramatically offers Himself as the solution to mankind's unrelenting thirst for spiritual meaning and significance. He presents Himself as a source of water that not only sustains physical life, but makes possible eternal life.
