基督的邀請
約翰福音七章37至44節
37節期的末日，就是最大之日，耶穌站著高聲說：“人若渴了，可以到我這裡來喝！
38信我的人，就如經上所說：‘從他腹中要流出活水的江河來。’”
39耶穌這話是指著信他之人要受聖靈說的。那時還沒有賜下聖靈來，因為耶穌尚未得著榮耀。
40眾人聽見這話，有的說：“這真是那先知。”
41有的說：“這是基督。”但也有的說：“基督豈是從加利利出來的嗎？
42經上豈不是說‘基督是大衛的後裔，從大衛本鄉伯利恆出來的’嗎？”
43於是眾人因著耶穌起了紛爭。
44其中有人要捉拿他，只是無人下手。
信息分享
本章經文的頭14節，沒有說明基督的動向，直到祂後來在節日現身耶路撒冷。那是一年一度的住棚節（參利未記二十三章），節期持續七到八天。在這期間，百姓要住在棚裡；然後到最後一日，祭司拿著水在街道上走過，並將水倒出來。基督必是在那一刻向人發出邀請的。
耶穌是否覺察到，守節的人們正收拾心情，準備離去？「又過完了一年的節！」他們是否正像一個完成了所有聖誕節活動的家庭，彼此對望，然後又要回到日常生活中一樣？
基督在這裡發出一個重大的邀請，祂說：「你們如果仍然感到空虛和失望，這一切禮儀若還不能滿足你們靈裡的需要；那麼，快到我這裡來，我必能滿足你們最深切的需要，使你們不再乾渴。」
這是一個直接而個人化的邀請，「任何人……」；只要人覺得有需要，「人若渴了……」，就可以到祂跟前來。渴乃是指對你沒有的東西一種強烈的願望；而人心所渴望的，就是能夠滿足人心靈和生命的東西。現今世代的其中一個特質，是人都浮躁不安；似乎沒有任何東西，能令人感到滿足，至少，無法長久滿足。
基督應許說，人若到祂這裡來，祂，基督便會滿足他們，然後，從那人的腹中將要流出活水，以致能觸及他人的心田。這是一個真理，至今仍未改變。你若還未來到基督的面前，何不今天就去，一嚐祂為你預備的活水。
CHRIST’S INVITATION
John 7:37-44
37 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.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
39 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.
40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.
44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Message
In the first fourteen verses of this chapter, Christ’s movements are accounted for until He appeared at the feast in Jerusalem. This was the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev.23) which lasted seven or eight days. During that time the people lived in bough shelters. Then on the last day the priests took water, carried it through the streets and then poured it out. It must have been right at that moment Christ cried out His invitation.
Did He sense that many of the people were turning away, perhaps with the let-down feeling, “Well that’s over for another year?” Were they like a family which has finished Christmas Day activities and is just looking at each other before going back to normal duties?
What was Christ saying in this great invitation? “If you still feel empty and disappointed, if you sense within a real spiritual vacuum which hasn’t been filled by all this ritual, come to me. I’ll fill your deepest need. I can satisfy your thirst.”
The invitation was simple and personal. “If any man...” The only qualification was a sense of need. “If any man thirsts...” Thirst is a strong desire for something you do not have. Here it is the longing of a human heart for something to fill it up and give it life. One of the characteristics of our present age is restlessness. Nothing seems to satisfy - at least not for very long.
Christ promised that if any man came to Him, He could satisfy him and then from Him there could flow a stream which could touch the hearts of others. It is still the same today. If you have not come to Christ, why not come today and find out what He can do?