John 7:39

‘But this he said about the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit was not, because Jesus was not yet glorified' (the word ‘given' is not in the Greek text).

To some extent we must distinguish v. 37 from v. 38. The promise in v. 37 was available to the people as they listened, and as it had been to the Samaritans who believed (John 4). They could come and drink freely then. But the promise in v. 38 awaited the death and resurrection of Jesus. Then would an overflowing stream of living water flow out from His people to the world. Men were already experiencing the work of the Spirit, but once the Spirit was ‘given' then the comparative trickle would become a flood. The ‘not yet' would become ‘now'. ‘The Spirit was not yet' does not mean there has been no work of the Spirit at all. It means that the abundant outpouring promised by the prophets had not yet come.

It is significant that John here spoke in terms of ‘receiving the Spirit' (‘the Spirit -- they -- would receive') for this mirrors Jesus' very words when He breathed on his disciples and said “receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). To John that would be the prime fulfilment of His words, when the Apostles as the first-fruits became fountains of living water preparatory for their outreach to the world.

Whilst it was true that Pentecost had burst on the world with a loud noise revealing the giving of the Spirit to the many, John significantly looked back especially to that precious, quiet moment when he and his fellow-Apostles had received the Spirit at the word of Jesus. To him that was the beginning of the fulfilment of this promise. That was when the river had begun to flow.

It is not good interpretation to degrade that moment as being only ‘a symbolic act', just to fit in with people's theories. John could easily have mentioned Pentecost had he wished to do so. But John had no doubt that the moment when he received the Spirit as promised in John 7, and when the outflow to the world began, was in that Upper Room where they had first seen the risen Lord. Then especially the fulfilment of the special promises for the Apostles in John 14-16 took place. It is a reminder that the Spirit does not always come with a loud noise (compare the ‘still, small voice' to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11), for the inner band received Him before Pentecost. They were the first fruits, Pentecost would be the wider blessing.

It is of further interest that the Jerusalem Talmud connects these ceremonies with the Holy Spirit, for it says, "Why is the name of it called, the drawing out of water? Because of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, according to what is said, 'With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation'.” So they should have known what Jesus meant.