The Life of Jesus Christ - Chapter 7 - Jesus visits Jerusalem - Part 3
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An online Bible Study course by Barrie Wetherill about the life of Jesus. This book is in EasyEnglish Level B. Use the links below for other online Bible Study books and commentaries that will help you. Or go to the Word List, which explains words with a *star.
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So (in John 7) Jesus stood up in the *Temple. There were crowds
of Jews there, from all over the world. They had come to the *Feast, and Jesus
invited them to come to him. But his offer is not for everyone. Jesus began his
speech with these words: ‘If anybody wants to drink. . . ’.
Probably not many of the people who were there really needed to
drink. This was the end of a week when they had thanked God for the grape [a
fruit] harvest. Perhaps many people had drunk plenty. But Jesus was not talking
about water or wine. It is clear that Jesus spoke about something else. He spoke
about people who needed something in their *spirits (the inner part of people,
which other people cannot see). They knew that they had a *spiritual lack.
Jesus knew what people were like in their hearts. Many people
feel that they lack something in their lives. They desire something more, but
perhaps they do not know what. Think about these questions:
·
Have we any desire for God?
·
Have we any desire to be free from the wrong things that we say?
·
Free from the wrong things that we think or do?
·
Have we any desire for the peace, which God alone gives?
·
Do we want to have a life that is more holy?
·
Do we want to escape from *sin in our lives?
If so, then we should come to Christ. Water can satisfy the
person who needs to drink. And Christ will satisfy our desire for God. But first
we must know that we need him. We must realise that we are poor in our *spirits.
We cannot help ourselves. We must feel very sad about that. Just as we sometimes
feel very hungry for food, so we must feel very hungry for *righteousness. We
must feel like that before God can help us. Only God can give us this
*righteousness, but we must want it very much. Jesus explained all this when he
spoke on the mountain (Matthew 5:3-6). This is the way to begin to be a
Christian. This is the way to continue to be a Christian. Some people in the
crowd in front of Jesus would not feel this desire. Other people would desire
wrong things. Sometimes we do not realise what we really need.
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2002-2005, Wycliffe Associates (UK)