24. The Inheritance of Living Water

From the sermon on October 14, 2007

Ever since Christianity started, many people have hoped to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit like fire which Jesus’ followers received on the day of the Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). But, they have not asked for the water of life that Jesus really wants to give us, because they have not known about it at all.

When the disciples heard that Jesus had to leave them, they begged, “You cannot leave us.” Then Jesus replied to his disciples, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). In other words, he said, “I have to be crucified on the cross; otherwise the way

for you to enter heaven cannot be made. You cannot follow me right now.”

However, Christians have not understood at all what “the living water” is and therefore nobody has wished for the blessing of the Holy Spirit for two thousand years. They are still wishing and praying to receive the Holy Spirit like fire that one hundred twenty followers received at the beginning of Christianity.

Our Lord Jehovah said, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Rev. 21:6-7). But nobody knows the meaning of it.

Jesus preached in front of the temple in Jerusalem to the Jews on the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37-38).

At that time, the blessing of the Holy Spirit had not been given