John 7:37-53
Ch. 6, 7 make us think of Exodus 16:1-36; Exodus 17:1-16 respectively. In John 6:1-71 the Lord Jesus is shown as the true Bread come from heaven of which the manna is only a figure. He is before us now as the rock of Exodus 17:1-16 from which the water of life gushes in abundance. Isaiah invited "everyone that thirsteth" (Isaiah 55:1-13) to come to the waters of grace. But here it is the Saviour Himself who cries, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (v. 37). And the believer, filled with the Holy Spirit, becomes a channel of blessing for others (v. 38).
Sadly their only reply is more arguments. It is just like thirsty people being brought to a spring of pure water, starting to discuss the chemical composition of the water or its origin, instead of drinking!
The end of the chapter shows us two testimonies rendered to the Lord before the Pharisees. The officers sent to take Him are forced to recognize that His words are not human words: "Never man spake like this man". And after this, Nicodemus pleads timidly in favour of the One with whom, in John 3:1-36, he had had a personal and unforgettable conversation.