I. Christ’s Great and Gracious Invitation
1. It is an invitation open to anyone, including Gentiles – Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:5-13; Revelation 5:9-10
2. It is an invitation to the thirsty – Matthew 5:6
3. It is an invitation to come to Christ for spiritual refreshment
II. The Bountiful Fare Provided for Those Who Respond to Christ Great and Gracious Invitation
1. It is Biblically prefigured and prophesied –
A. In the Symbolism of the Feast of Tabernacles, a celebration of God’s provision in the wilderness, in talking of water, Jesus is identifying Himself with the Rock in the wilderness, from which the Israelites found water – Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13
B. In the prophecies concerning the Holy Spirit – Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Joel 2:28-32
2. It is beautiful and beneficial beyond all pictures
3. It is an internal blessing
4. It is a living abundant blessing
5. It is a personal blessing, involving the presence of the Holy Spirit
III. What we learn from John’s additional statement:
1. It is the Person of the Holy Spirit that is in view here
2. The Holy Spirit’s being “given” happens only after Christ is glorified:
A. This implies dependence upon this event – Christ must be glorified, the price must be paid for our sins before we participate in this great BLESSING!
B. This does not mean the Holy Spirit did not work before, there are many examples in the Old Testament: Genesis 1:2, 6:3; 41:38 Exodus 31:5; 35:31; Numbers 11:25-29; 24:3 Judges 3:9-10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:24-25; 1 Samuel 11:6; 16:13 2 Chronicles 15:1; 20:14; 24:20 Job 33:4; Psalm 51:11-12; 104:30; 135:7. In Isaiah, there are many prophecies of the Spirits fullness: Isaiah 11:2; 32:15 / In Christ – 42:1; 61:1. Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel and Zechariah all reference the Holy Spirit, more times than I can number.
C. But in FULLNESS He is manifested now – Acts 2:1-21
D. Even before, His (the Holy Spirit’s) work, was dependent upon Christ’s work on the cross, but we had the earnest of the Spirit
E. We should be careful not to diminish the important role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today. Jesus refers to Pentecost, but the ministry of the Spirit continues: He regenerates, He sanctifies, He opens our eyes to our sin and to Christ’s righteousness, He is the Strength of any True Church’s ministry, we should be praying that God’s Holy Spirit
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