Day 5: Jesus is . . .

Jesus is the Fountain of Living Water

(John 4)

In the life there cannot be bread without water.

And the same is true in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He is represented as the Bread of Life and equally, as Living Water.
* * *
In studying the Old Testament this year, I found it fascinating to read this about the creation and when water first fell on the earth.

And the Gods came down and formed these the generations of the heavens and of the earth, when they were formed in the day that the Gods formed the earth and the heavens,

According to all that which they had said concerning every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew; for the Gods had not caused it to rain upon the earth when they counseled to do them, and had not formed a man to till the ground.

But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

And the Gods formed man from the dust of the ground, and took his spirit (that is, the man’s spirit), and put it into him; and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul (Abraham 5:4-7).

* * *
Physically, our bodies cannot go three day without water and survive.
How physically symbolic then, are the three days the Savior’s body lay in a tomb before the miracle of the resurrection took place.
And spiritually symbolic, as the noble and great ones awaited in the Spirit World for the Savior to appear and bless and direct the work that would then begin for those who were not able to hear the gospel while in the flesh.
* * *
There are components of the gospel that fit together in pairs.
Some that come easily to my mind are:
Faith and Repentance.
Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Anointing and Sealing.
and of course, Bread and Water.
During our Sunday worship, partaking of the bread and water is the MOST important reason we as members of the Church attend Sacrament Meeting.
For in the bread - the representation His body, and in the water - the representation of the shedding of His blood - Tthe ordinance is made complete.
And this complete-ness, this whole-ness allows me to receive a remission of my sins.  It gives remembrance of my baptismal covenants and the responsibility for me to "Receive the Holy Ghost."
Elder David A. Bednar teaches this:

"These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts."

* * *
I am learning that as I continue to feast upon the Word,  I being led to the fountain of Living Water or to the Tree of Life.  "Which waters are are a representation of the love of God; and . . . also  . . . that the tree of life [is] a representation of the love of God" (1 Nephi 11:25).
And in this process, I find myself filled with gratitude that the Lord does provide - Bread and Water from heaven!