Have you ever taken a drink of water from a glass that has been sitting out for hours and hours, maybe even a day or two? How did it taste? Most likely stale and weird, because stagnant water tastes nasty. The reason for that is because still water loses the natural gases and oxygen that is in the water when it is first poured and after time you are left with a flatness, perhaps making the taste of chemicals and minerals in the water stand out more. It is this presence of gas that makes any kind of water taste good and taste alive, you might say. In order for there to be this aliveness or oxygenation in the water, there needs to be pressure or movement and mixing with air. In our water systems at home, this is often replicated as the water gets flushed and poured out in our different plumbing systems. This process of moving the water and causing oxygen and air to get into the water replicates the natural motion and movement of water that occurs when water bubbles up from an artesian well or water that is being tossed about over rocks in a stream, brook, or river. This is part of why we as humans enjoy fountains so much, why the movement of water gives us joy. If we went for a drink in a pond or bog where the water doesn’t move, it would not be pleasant and would only quench our thirst in the most desperate of times, and it may even be dangerous as bacteria and other microorganisms love still water. So the key for tasty, living water is the freshness that comes from moving, oxygenated, naturally purified water.
In the Gospel text for today, Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” If we wonder “what does this mean?” we don’t have long to wait, because John the evangelist immediately tells us what it means. He writes, “Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
In other words, Jesus was prophesying about the gift of the Holy Spirit that would be given at Pentecost. As we heard in the book of Acts, there were the visible manifestations or proofs to His presence. First was the rush of wind with its sound, then came the divided tongues of fire upon each person, then the speaking in tongues which when translated properly refers to dialects or actual languages. The disciples actually spoke in different languages so that when they left the house all those from different lands with different languages could hear the message of Jesus Christ in their own native tongue.
Notice how this is described in Acts as a direct quote from the prophet Joel: “And in the last days, it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit and there will be all kinds of signs.” There are two things in that quote to emphasize: one is that it says in the “last days” He shall accomplish this. That means, my friends, contrary to those who expect the last days to be coming, they are wrong. The last days are already here! The Last Days refers to all the time that is left after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus into heaven. The Last Days refers to the New Testament era. The last days have been going on for almost 2,000 years!
What is the working of the Holy Spirit though? Is it merely in the working of signs and miracles? Does the Holy Spirit come so that people may have a great emotional uplifting and feel good about themselves as so many of the Pentecostal Christians today believe. No, the Holy Spirit comes with a purpose, the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s coming on Pentecost was greater than the visible signs apparent that day. What the church of the apostles and of the early Christians experienced as the reality of the Holy Spirit was not first of all the spectacular gifts of the Spirit which occurred at that time, the gifts of healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and whatever else has in the church’s history been regarded as extraordinarily miraculous manifestations of the Spirit. Far more important were the great and lasting workings of faith, hope, and love in the calling, converting and gathering of believers. This is what the Holy Spirit came to bring: faith, hope and love.
How does the Holy Spirit come to humans? The other part of the passage in Joel and Acts that gives us the key to understanding is: “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh”. There is the river of living water. There it is in the working of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you recall that I have mentioned in the past that the Spirit is pictured as the breath of God, the Holy breath and air from God. Air is required for speaking. Air is what makes water “living water”.
We are told that on that Pentecost day, there was a sound of rushing wind. Now it is true that the Apostles themselves were first filled with the living breath of the Spirit when Jesus breathed upon them, but now again they were filled by the rushing of the breath of God on Pentecost, so that through their vocalized breath in public proclamation, the message of Law and Gospel would bring faith, hope and love to all others. This is to the glory of God’s grace and love, not to the credit of the Apostles in the signs that were present.
In Acts, after verse 21 where our reading ends, Peter doesn’t say “Yeah, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit and you don’t because we are better;” no, he points to the glory of God’s Grace in Jesus Christ. Peter by the power of the Holy Spirit does exactly for the crowd what Jesus did for the disciples. He opened the Scriptures to the people to see Jesus as the fulfillment of all prophecy, that He was the Messiah, that He died and rose again. That is the totality of the message and purpose of the Holy Spirit.
The whole mission and purpose of the Holy Spirit was to convict people of sin to repentance by the law, so that the Good News of salvation and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus Christ could be preached and proclaimed. The power of the Holy Spirit is that of changing hearts of stone to hearts of love, hearts and minds that have been crushed by sin and built back up again in the love that God has shown them in Jesus Christ.
The people asked Peter and the rest of the Apostles, “Brothers, what must we do? Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Just imagine this witness by Peter and the other disciples, the very same who only 50 days earlier were huddled together in the upper room afraid and ignorant, with no understanding at all. This is the power of the Holy Spirit. He works through the Word of God, through Holy Baptism to make a change, to replace unbelief with belief, to replace ignorance with wisdom. To make those who didn’t know what to say, to declare the great works of God’s Grace in Jesus Christ. It is a life lived out in faith in Jesus Christ that is meant when Jesus said “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. This river of living water has as its source not our hearts, not any signs worked by the Holy Spirit, but the one to whom the Holy Spirit bears witness, Jesus Christ Himself. When Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross with His own innocent suffering and death, He was pierced through with a spear, and from His side came pouring forth the living waters of His sacrifice, His own blood and water from His body. This river flows from the cross, from the One who died but also rose again, so that the water and blood shed in His death would now give life. That is the importance of Holy Baptism, why Peter said “be baptized”. If regular air infused with regular water makes it taste more alive and delicious, how much more does the living breath of God in His active spoken preached Word make water more than plain water in Holy Baptism? How much more does it quench the thirst for righteousness as it delivers the righteousness of Christ? How much more does this water infused with the Word of God purify and cleanse these human bodies made mostly of water and transforms them to be vessels to pour forth His Word in breathing and speaking forth His Word to our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and family after having received it here in faithful preaching and teaching by the Office of the Holy Ministry.
The Holy Spirit continues to manifest the works of God to work faith in the hearts of men and women today which is a miracle of salvation by the changing of hearts and minds.
We have been given the gifts or fruits of the Spirit which are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Though we may fail in living out this and allow our own sinful selves to stop the flowing of the living water by our own sin, we are called to repent and return to the cross, to be reminded of our Baptism. Be absolved and forgiven again in Jesus name. Then we receive the living water of the Word made flesh in the Lord’s Supper where Jesus Christ comes to us with the Holy Spirit and the Love of the Father by His body and blood to drink and eat and be satisfied in the blessings of His cross and resurrection. Through Him we are filled, renewed, and refreshed by this pouring forth of the Grace of God. We rejoice in receiving this living water and may we ever thirst for it. As now we go out from here with hearts flowing with His living water may our neighbors be blessed and God be glorified through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, Amen.
Pr. Aaron Kangas