◄ What Does John 7:46 Mean? ►

Jesus is the incarnate God. He is the Word of God made in human flesh... and Jesus spoke only those things which He heard from His Father in heaven. It is no surprise, therefore, that the officers of the Law who had been sent by the high priest to arrest the Lord Jesus, reported back to the Sanhedrin so admiringly saying, "Never has a man spoken in the way that this man speaks."

But the Pharisees and Sadducees loathed the Lord Jesus. They hated His Person. They rejected His ministry. They despised His mission, and they refused to listen to the words of life and redemption that God was speaking to them, through His Son.

For over three years, Christ had been making His Messianic claims as He challenged the nation of Israel to repent of their sin. And from the start of His ministry, Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were sick or demon possessed. And on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, only six months before His sacrificial death, the Lord Jesus stood up and repeatedly shouted-out His astonishing proclamation, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me, and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

From the time of John the Baptist, the nation of Israel had been called upon to repent of their long history of apostasy and idolatry. They were called upon "to believe on God.. and on Him Whom He has sent." But the ears of the Jews were closed to Christ's entreaties, and the eyes of the Pharisees were blinded to the truth of the gospel, for they were envious of Him and sought to silence Him. They made plans to entrap Him with His own doctrine, and schemed how they might use His own words of life against Him.

Christ had come with the promise of salvation and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God for all who would believe on His name. He promised forgiveness of sin, spiritual regeneration, godly guidance, and rivers of living water streaming from their innermost being. They were promised the full empowerment of the Holy Ghost: "For up until that time the Spirit had not been given." Some believed His claims, while others disputed His teachings - and the great debate about Christ's authenticity became increasingly frenzied.

Knowing that many were following Him and accepting Christ's Messianic claims, the chief priests sent certain temple guards to arrest Jesus. But these officers arrived to hear Christ's astonishing words of life: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me, and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"  These temple officers were so astonished with the beauty of His words, that they left Jesus without arresting Him: "For never has a man spoken the way this man speaks!"

The debate about Christ's authenticity was so heightened, on this last great day of the great feast of Tabernacles, that the chief priests and scribes were determined to put a stop to His ministry. But even the temple guards who were sent to arrest Him, were astonished and amazed by the gracious words that fell from His lips. And so, instead of making the arrest, they returned empty-handed. The chief priests and Pharisees demanded to know why Christ had not been arrested, as they had instructed. And the reply from these temple officers caused fury and outrage within the Sanhedrin on that final day of the feast of Tabernacles, for they replied, "NEVER, has any man spoken the way that this Man speaks."

Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. Thank You for the written Word of God which is living and powerful and contains the gracious words of eternal life. Thank You that by faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, I have received the forgiveness of sins, life everlasting, and the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to guide me into all truth. There are no words that are sufficient to praise and thank You for the sacrifice that Christ made for me at Calvary so that by faith in HIM, I have been made a child of God. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN.