Living Water

As we have learned while studying the gospels, Jesus often used parables to convey a truth. He often used stories from daily lives of the people he was speaking to, which was often about farming, earning a living, preparing food, and obtaining water to live. As we continue our series on Jesus’ parables in teachings, we will talk about living water that Jesus provides to all who come to Him.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Jesus says come to Him and He will provide Living Water. What does He mean by this? What is this living water? How do we obtain it?

John 4:7-14

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Jesus later tells her that He is the Christ. He then speaks to those she told about Him and they believed and declared that He was (is) the Savior of the world. Only through Jesus are we saved. Only through Him can we receive living water, which is everlasting life.

Romans 3:21-26

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation [payment to the justice of God; He died in our place that we might live…forever in heaven with Him!] by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Paul lays out the gospel message here. This is how we receive living water. We do not obtain it by ourselves or what we do. It is given to us by what Christ did for us. None of us deserve it, but through the sacrifice of Jesus, by being our “propitiation,” we are declared righteous when we believe. Only by faith in Jesus Christ are we saved.

John 7:37-39

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

By believing, we receive “living water.” Not only are we saved, declared righteous, and given eternal life through Jesus Christ, we are provided the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 21:3-7

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

God promises us eternal life, peace, the end of all suffering in the life to come. He promises living water. All we have to do is trust in Jesus Christ.