John 7:37-51

"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.'  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.  Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

On hearing his words, some of the People said, 'Surely this man is the Prophet.'

Others said, 'He is the Christ.'

Still others asked, 'How can the Christ come from Galilee.  Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?'  Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.  Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priest and Pharisees, who asked them, 'Why don't you bring him in?'

'No one ever spoke the way this man does,' the guards declared.

'You mean he has deceived you also?' the pharisees retorted.  'Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?  No!!!  But this mob that knows nothing of the law  -  there is a curse on them.'

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of the Pharisees asked, 'Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"

3 Points to Ponder

*  Jesus had perfect timing in every aspect of his ministry, he repeated many times that his "time" had not yet come.  Which tells me not to always rush on things, but to pray first and wait for God's perfect time.

* It was when Jesus was glorified that the Holy Spirit was given.  Those who believed in him were later to receive it, since up to that time the Spirit had not yet been given.

* I am so impressed with Nicodemus, he did not let his knowledge of the scriptures blind him from seeing Jesus.  He was living with his spiritual eyes wide open.  And he spoke up in the midst of his peers and defended the rights of Jesus.