"An Open Invitation"

"Jesus stood and in a loud voice said, "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." John 7:37-39 NIV

When Jesus made this very bold statement a sharp debate erupted immediately among his hearers. Some said, "He is the Prophet" (Deut 18:15). Some said, "He is the Messiah". Others said, "He can't be because he doesn't fit the Scripture". But, when the temple guards reported back to the chief priests and Pharisees and had not arrested Jesus, their explanation was, "No one ever spoke like this man". Then one of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, who had recently spoken with Jesus (John 3), tried to defend him, but the others shouted him down.

The closest "Scripture" I have found that approximates Jesus' promise is at Isaiah 44:3 -
"For I will pour water on him who is thirsty and floods on the dry ground; I will pout my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring."

All through the Bible, especially in the prophets, the Psalms and virtually all of the New Testament, over and over God says in a variety of ways, "COME".  This divine invitation has been the focus of earliest Christian art, poetry and music. I grew up singing, "Come to Jesus, he will save you, though your sins as crimson glow.", and a whole host of similar songs. From the very earliest Christian art, God is depicted as two hands reaching down from above in open invitation.

We have no way of knowing how long John was involved in writing his "Revelation". I have often sat for extended periods trying to visualize this old warrior, the lone remaining Apostle of Jesus, writing down what Jesus said to him and the many visions he received. His isolation on the Isle of Patmos was the perfect setting, away from all distraction, but I believe he was still eager to tell Jesus' story to anyone who would listen. I think it appropriate and revealing that John closes his Revelation with this invitation -

"The Spirit and the bride say "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Revelation 22:17 NIV

That constitutes the same invitation Jesus had issued more than half a century before, only NOW the Holy Spirit is personally and directly involved in its proclamation, in partnership with Jesus' "bride". And those who "hear" still respond in the say way they did when Jesus offered it. Jesus had said that when the Spirit comes "he will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment" but the world doesn't want to hear that today any more than the Pharisees did. The same kind of debate still rages all over the world.

But, many do hear and many are "Coming" to Jesus because they choose to "believe". That will always be true because the Holy Spirit does his work and Jesus' bride, his church, continues to stand before men just like Jesus did, and offer the same open invitation to all who hear and are thirsty for God's love. HALLELUJAH!