Come to Me: Refreshment, Rejoicing, and Rest in Jesus

This is my first time having the opportunity to be up here teaching you. I’m not sure you all know this, but being in a position like this comes with great responsibility. Not the kind of responsibility that being Spider Man has, but close to it.

For those of you who don’t know much about me, I wanted to first give you a little context to why I am here. I was born into a Catholic family on my father’s side. I was in Catholic school all the way up until middle school, when I made the very jarring transition to public school in rural north Georgia.
Part of that transition involved us moving homes right next to a Southern Baptist Church. Because my mom worked and went to school, my brother and I found ourselves at the church as often as the doors were open. That church had such an impact on my life. That church was a significant tool that God used to bring me into His kingdom. We joke about being recovering Baptists but it was the Baptists that God used to shape me in significant ways.

Sure, there are traditions that some people like and don’t like, and there is even the tradition of having an aversion to traditions because we have connected the tradition to something bad or hurtful in our past. But as we have learned in studying the book of Amos, it’s that the tradition itself is inherently bad. In fact, Genesis tells us that God put the Sun, Moon, and Stars in the sky to help mark the days, times, and seasons. Look at Genesis 1:14-19.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

We further learn that God used the things He created on the Fourth Day to make sure that the Israelites remembered where they came from, who they belonged to, and who sustains them via traditions and celebrations found in Exodus 12:1-28, 23:14-17; Leviticus 16; Leviticus 23; Numbers 28 and 29, and Deuteronomy 16:1-17.

God didn’t flippantly make the days and the things that marked the days. God also didn’t flippantly determine the festivals a.k.a. traditions, that were to be observed using the things he made on the Fourth Day. It wasn’t the Israelites who decided to have the festivals, it was God who mandated that they have them. If anything, it shows that God wasn’t Southern Baptist.

Back to my context. God made it known to me way back in the summer of 2000 that I was to pursue ministry instead of being a lawyer. I took that calling on my life and interpreted it through my context, which as that time was the Southern Baptist church. I thought I would go to college, then seminary, then find a wife at some point in there, then start in youth ministry and eventually become a pastor. That is the path I saw so many before me take, and so it was the path that I, too, would take.

But as my context changed so did my understanding of my calling. Eventually that led me overseas and the work the Lord had for us there for 16 years ended with us having to come back Stateside. That eventually led to God calling my family and I here, to Venture Church.

Context is crucial and critical. If we take a text out of context we make it mean something it never meant.
Voddie Baucham said it like this, “Text without context is pretext.”

I want to give you an example of this. There is a text that many of us know and love that comes from Prophet Jeremiah. In chapter 29, verse 11 Jeremiah writes,

“11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
We take that verse and we stick on shirts, mugs, and tattoos. But here is the thing. That verse wasn’t written to us. Listen to the rest of that section.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."

I don’t know if you picked up on that last word, but it says, “exile.” You see that entire book from Jeremiah was written to the Israelites that were in exile BECAUSE of their disobedience. Listen to this.

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.  10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.”

The Israelites had disobeyed, ignored, and rebelled against God’s law. One of the things they did NOT do was rest the land every seventh year. The land was “owed” 70 years of rest after hundreds of years of being worked and worked and worked. That was built into God’s law. His people didn’t obey and let the land rest among many other things, so God removed His people, rested the land, and then He brought them out of exile just like He said he would.

Now that doesn’t mean that the text isn’t for us in some way, it just means that the text, in its context, helps us see things more clearly and I would argue, more correctly. God’s word is living and active which means it speaks to us now even though it was written way back then.

What we are going to do today is give context to three statements that Jesus makes during the Feast of Tabernacles. The context is going to help us understand the amazing depth and incredible nature of the words of Jesus.

The Feast of Tabernacles during the time of Jesus was full of pageantry fueled with great expectation. It was the “season of our rejoicing” because Jewish people believed the promise of the Messianic Kingdom could be fulfilled during this time. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, marked the end of the religious calendar year that started in the spring with Passover. God’s grand work, which began with Passover and its redemption story, culminated with Sukkot and its theme of restoration. It was the seventh and final God-ordained observance as recorded in Leviticus 23. It was also the third and final annual feast that required Jewish men to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Dt. 16:16).

In Bible times, Sukkot was fascinating. God commanded the people to build sukkot (plural of sukkah), which were temporary booths. Then they were to gather at the sanctuary for a jubilant, seven-day celebration. The first day and the eighth, which was added at the end of the week, were considered Sabbaths. At the Temple, priests scurried around the Great Altar, offering special sacrifices (Lev. 23:33–43; Num. 29:12–38).
Let me show you a picture of a booth, or a sukkot. (Show Picture on teaching TV and on screens)
It was at His final Tabernacle celebration while on Earth that Jesus offered to fulfill the anticipated yearnings of many hearts on the Feast day: He offered refreshment (Jn. 7:37), rejoicing (Jn. 8:12), and rest (Jn. 9:14).
Refreshment

Caravans of pilgrims from faraway lands made aliyah (went up) to Jerusalem. Filled with thanksgiving, gladness, and expectancy, these pilgrims cheerfully shouted praises to God as they sang the songs of aliyah: Psalms 120—134.

Arriving at the City of God, some went to the homes of friends and relatives while others gratefully accepted the hospitality of strangers. The rest pitched camp all around the city. First they erected their sukkot, similar to the type farmers lived in during the annual grape and olive harvests. They constructed them from willow and olive branches and decorated them with grapevines and fruit. They could find these items in the Kidron Valley just east of the city. The sukkot were built to be sturdy and shady. Choice locations were rooftops, courtyards, and streets. Inside, comfortable cushions for reclining were placed around a triclinium—a low, three-sided table. Only elegant bowls and cups were used during mealtime. Oil lamps provided the necessary light.

Each lulav was then assembled by tying together a palm, myrtle, and willow branch. A local Jerusalem custom was to tie them using a golden thread. Pilgrims carried their fragrant lulavs in their right hands and a lemon-like citrus fruit in their left. At the appropriate time, they waved these before the Lord in a spirit of thankfulness.

A water-drawing ritual began the festivities every morning. Standing at the top southwest corner of the Temple Mount, a priest blew the shofar (ram’s horn) with all his might, announcing the start of the festival. Suddenly a priest exited from the Water Gate on the south side of the main Temple building. Carrying a golden pitcher, he led a joyous musical procession to the Pool of Siloam in the old City of David. At the pool, he plunged the pitcher into the water and recited, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isa. 12:3). Accompanying the chant was the sweet sound of an instrument called the reed flute of Moses. Moses means “to draw out.” (Pharoah’s daughter named him that because she drew him out of the water [Ex. 2:10].) Jerusalem’s sole water supply was from this pool and the Gihon Spring that feeds it. Therefore, the water was precious. It was a source of life and refreshment. When people asked why the ritual was called “the drawing out of water,” they were told, “because of the pouring out of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh [Holy Spirit].” The water symbolized the Holy Spirit, the only true source of life. After the Temple was destroyed, the rabbis reflected on this celebration and said, “He who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life” (Talmud Sukkah 51b).

The priest returned to the Temple with the golden pitcher of water and joined another priest who was carrying the drink offering of wine. The shofar was blown three times. Together the two priests ascended the ramp to the Great Altar and poured their offerings into silver funnels. During this ritual, the people gathered at the Temple’s Court of the Women and sang praises called the Hallel: Psalms 113—118. The Levites, standing on the 15 semicircular stairs in the court, also sang and played musical instruments. The mixture of the water and wine at the altar symbolized the life and joy associated with the Holy Spirit.
About now, several priests holding willow branches marched once around the Great Altar, reciting for all to hear, “Save us, (hoshanah), we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! (Ps. 118:25).

Following the singing and chanting, a great silence would descend on the sanctuary. The people would feel and listen to the wind, reflecting on the spiritual significance of the water ritual. They were supposed to express a desire for personal, spiritual refreshment. Only God’s Spirit, symbolized by the water, could satisfy their thirsty souls. Finally, a benediction closed the celebration and all went home to gather under their sukkot.

The water ritual took place every day for all seven days. On the seventh day, it took on an intensity filled with excitement and anticipation. This last day of the Feast was Hoshanah Rabbah (the Great Praise Day). And it was then that an extraordinary incident took place.
I want you to see a picture of Herod’s Temple to get an idea of where this might have taken place. (Picture of Temple displayed on the teaching TV and the screens)
Perhaps Jesus was seated near the Water Gate or somewhere in the Court of the Women, watching the final drama of the water ritual. And, at the very moment when the customary hush came over the crowd, perhaps it was then “Jesus stood up and cried out,

‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (Jn. 7:37).

He was inviting the multitude to receive the Holy Spirit. They could find their anticipated refreshment by accepting Him as the true Living Water (Jn. 4:10). Even today, His invitation is still genuine: “Come to me.”
Rejoicing

A second fascinating ceremony associated with the Feast of Tabernacles involved lights. Each afternoon of the seven days, priests and pilgrims gathered at the Court of the Women. Four large oil lamps illuminated the court. It was said that the light from these lamps was so bright it penetrated every courtyard in Jerusalem.
As the women watched from the upper terraces, the “men of piety and good works used to dance before the oil lamps with burning torches in their hands, singing songs and praises.” Meanwhile, “countless Levites played on harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets and instruments of music” (Mishnah Sukkot 5:4). The light festivities continued all night until dawn.

The illumination from these imposing Temple lamps symbolized two realities. The first was the reality of the “Light of all Lights”— the Shekinah Glory—the visible presence of God that filled the first Temple, which Solomon built (1 Ki. 8:10–11). The second was Ha’or Gadol (the Great Light) who would soon come and bring light to those who were spiritually dead and dwelling in darkness (Isa. 9:2).

Jesus was at the Temple. Perhaps it was during the light celebration or when the lights were extinguished on the eighth day that He said for all to hear, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn. 8:12). He proclaimed two truths with this statement: (1) He is the “Great Light” who the prophet Isaiah said would come, and (2) He is God in the flesh and the Glory of the Temple (cf. Jn. 1:14).

The response was threefold. Some religious people rejected Him (Jn. 8:13), others were inquisitive enough to ask Him for more information (Jn. 8:25), and still others believed and received him (Jn. 8:30). The joy associated with the lights and water rituals of the Feast of Tabernacles anticipated Jesus’ coming and bringing light and life to a dark, sinful world.

Rest
In ancient times, the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles was called the “Last Good Day.” Viewed as a Sabbath, it was designed as a time to rest and reflect on the spiritual significance of the seven-day jubilation. Special activities took place at the Temple. The priests offered the daily and special Sabbath sacrifices (Num. 28:9–10), while others recited Psalm 92, the Sabbath song anticipating the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom. Lingering in the minds and hearts of everyone during the entire weeklong celebration was, no doubt, the expectation that, at any moment, God could establish the great Sukkah Shalom (Tabernacle of Peace).

The Psalmist writes in Chapter 92: “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” (Ps. 92:4). When the festivities had all ceased, Jesus again came to the Temple—this time to perform an awesome work with His hands. He gave sight to a man born blind (Jn. 9). Everyone knew this kind of miracle required divine intervention. After anointing the man’s eyes with clay from the ground, Jesus instructed him, “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went and washed and came back seeing. (v. 7). This happens right after Jesus says in verse 5 of chapter 9, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus sent the blind man to the same pool the priest with the golden pitcher had fetched water from each day of the Feast. Jesus was teaching that it is the Holy Spirit, represented by water and whom He alone can give, who can open the eyes of all who are spiritually blind. The text also states, “Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.” (Jn 9:14).

Jesus performed this miracle to validate everything He had said and done during the Feast of Tabernacles. By doing the impossible, He proved His words could be trusted and that He was God in the flesh, the Messiah of Israel, the true dispenser of the Holy Spirit, and the only source of light and life. Mankind no longer has to fumble blindly in this world. True rest for the wanderer and the weary, is available in Jesus Christ.

The hopes of the “Last Good Day” culminated with an event that happened six months later. It was Passover, when Jesus died as the Lamb of God. His shed blood, death, and resurrection make the expectation of personal refreshment (Jn. 7:37), rejoicing (Jn. 8:12), and rest (Jn. 9:14), as anticipated at the Feast of Tabernacles a reality for all who accept Him as Savior and Messiah.

Challenge: How are you going to start this new year?
Are you going to live trying to quinch the thirst of your souls with everything but Jesus? Are you going to continue living as though God isn’t God over all things?

It was ALWAYS about and pointing to Him. Today, come and find rest for your souls. If you’ve never found that rest that your soul longs for, then today find rest. If you have found rest for your soul but are in need of refreshment going into the New Year, then today find refreshment in Christ. Today, if you the enemy has robbed you of your joy, come to Jesus to who offers true rejoicing. Remember, you have been saved by God from sin and death through His son. Being taken from death to life and darkness to light is worth rejoicing over!

Let us begin this New Year living out of being loved by God and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God to others, REGARDLESS THE COST.