Matthew 25:35–40: “For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I was naked and you gave Me clothing, I was sick and you took care of Me, I was in prison and you visited Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’”
I am going through this passage to tell you that Jesus Christ is the One who has done all these things for us. He is the One who did it for us. Remember, a while ago I talked about how Jesus Christ is the epitome of the person in the Samaritan parable. In the same way, it is clear to me that Jesus Christ has fulfilled every line of this description toward us.
Yesterday I talked about the fact that we were hungry and He gave us food. The second statement is, “I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink.”
Look at John 7. Jesus Christ said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me, and let the one who believes in Me drink. Just as the Scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37–38). Look also at His exchange with the Samaritan woman in John 4. He told her, “Everyone who drinks from this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:13–14).
Everyone needs water. He is the ultimate fulfillment of our need. He gives water—not just water, but living water. The water He gives becomes, in us, a well of water springing up to eternal life. Out of our inner being will flow rivers of living water.
Look at what the Samaritan woman said to Jesus: this well was dug long ago and has been serving them, but it is tedious. It is energy‑sapping, demanding, and yet it does not fully satisfy, because she has to keep coming back to it again and again. That, in a way, is a picture of the Old Testament system: the repeated offerings of animals in a bid to secure a relationship with God, to ensure that God’s favor rests on His people. They came repeatedly to offer the sacrifices.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that this repeated activity—the constant coming to the temple, the repeated shedding of the blood of bulls and goats—does not perfect the worshipers. It does not remove sin; it does not fully reconnect people to God (Hebrews 10:1–4). Jesus Christ is saying, “I am that reconnection.”
He is the tree of life. He is the water of life. He is the bread of life. He is all and in all. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water, flowing up into eternal life.
John wrote that He was speaking about the Spirit whom those who believed in Him were going to receive (John 7:39). That is the reality. You cannot fully explain it to other people; you are just different, because out of your inner being flows rivers of living water. You have a sense of satiety. You have a sense of rest. You have a sense of the operation of the Holy Spirit through you. That is just awesome.
Jesus Christ did not come to leave us neutral. He wants to move us into being people who not only drink the water, but also become channels through whom rivers of living water flow.
God bless you. See you later.