"The Season of our Joy;" The Feast of Tabernacles provides a context of what it means to "abide" in Christ and His word (Jn 8:31)

Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation...(Is 12:3)  The context of "abide" in Jn 8:31 comes out of the feast of Tabernacles!

The great Jewish festival known as "The time of our joy " or The Feast of Tabernacles was a special time to remember the salvation of the Lord and to look forward to the coming Messiah. It was a time to thank God for their present harvest and provision. They also proclaimed God's glory to nations by literally lighting 4 giant oil lamps 75ft high that represented the pillar of fire that God used to guide his people in the wilderness. This light not only lit the Temple at night, but served as a light to the nations that could be seen from all over Jerusalem reflecting God's glory across the night sky!

The festival was also known as the Feast of Booths, and the Feast of Ingatherings, where people would embark on great pilgrimages to Jerusalem from all over the dispersion where they would erect temporary wooden structures or tents in which they would dwell and store food, during the festival. 

The symbolism was clear, a remembrance of God's provision, salvation, and presence when He was with Israel in the days of the tabernacle, when Moses met with God in the tent of meeting and led His people by a pillar of smoke and fire. The tent, or booth in the celebration was to remind Israel that they were still in temporary dwellings while awaiting to enter their promise land. In the days of the dispersion, the temporary dwellings were to remind them of the hope of the coming Messiah, a savior who was going to come and  restore the Kingdom of Israel. The Festival originated in the context of the wilderness  (Ex 23:16, Lev 23:42-43),  and was celebrated in the fall, on the 15^th of Tishri, five days after Yom Kippur (The day of Atonement).

The pool of Siloam became an important setting for the Water Libation ceremony in the days of the dispersion after the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple. It was located outside the southeast gate of Jerusalem and held life giving water provided by a fresh water spring that was heavily guarded since the days of David. The pool was "fed by a conduit that is cut for a distance of 1,780 feet through solid rock, and which starts at the so-called Virgin's Spring (En-rogel). The reason for which it was cut is unmistakable. The Virgin's Spring was the only spring of fresh water in the immediate neighborhood of Jerusalem, and in time of siege it was important that, while the enemy should be deprived of access to it, its waters should be made available for those who were within the city". 

The Water Libation Ceremony was a highlight of the festival, which represented the pouring out of living water, that represented the Holy Spirit. "According to the Mishna’s description, water would be collected from the Siloam Spring, and brought by procession through the Water Gate and into the Temple, where the priest would pour the water into a vessel with two compartments, one for the water and the other holding wine. Then both liquids would be libated upon the altar at the same time". http://thetorah.com/water-libation-a-sukkot-rain-making-ritual/ The word libation, refers to "an act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice (as to a deity)." This was done the in the context and recitation of Isaiah 12:3 "...you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation!" The Mishna states, "He that has never seen the joy of the [ceremony of the water drawing] has never in his life seen joy." (Sukkah 51a).  Others claimed that Joy has never been felt so deep in ones heart than at the water libation ceremony. 

The Feast of Tabernacles was a time of profound joy, worship and thanksgiving, that was expressed through music, singing, and dancing, as well as teaching, reading from the law and ritual. The symbolism of the feast, the huge oil lamps that represented God's glory and light to the nations, the water drawn from healing springs poured out as an offering, provided context and meaning for Jesus' teaching in John 7 & 8.

It is interesting to note that Jesus was not going to go to the feast with his brothers, as it was not "his time," He did go up to the festival about halfway through where he began to teach. On the last and greatest day, in the context of the Libation offering, Jesus stood up and proclaimed...

"If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." (Jn 7:37) It must have made an incredible impact. He was basically saying "I am the libation offering that is being poured out for you... if you are thirsty, come to me and drink (believe), and draw water from the springs of salvation... (Is 12:3). The Holy Spirit (Jn 7:39) will well up inside of your inner most being, and flow out like a rivers of living water!" (my loose translation)

The audience did not miss His point, as evidenced in the many who believed in Him, with the contrast of those who were infuriated at his claims and tried to seize him! The commotion was so great that even the great teacher Nicodemus stood up in his defense (7:50).

Next we find a break in the flow of the passage in  Jn 7:53-8:11 that can distract the reader from the following connection to the great lights in the Temple. Upon close inspection of a footnote attached to 7:53 it is discovered that the story of the women caught in adultery was inserted at a later date. The Expositors Bible Commentary confirms that this story "can hardly have belonged to the original text of this Gospel," as it did not show up until the 6th century! While this passage is still considered to be to inspired scripture, the insertion disrupts the sequence of the events which may cause one to miss the connection. If we jump from Jn 7:37 (and the following reactions of the audience that lead to 7:52) directly over to Jn 8:12, we find a smooth transition from Jesus invitation at the libation offering  "If any man is thirsty, let him come to me...  to standing in front of those 75ft high candle sticks declaring "I am the light of the world!" Jesus was a master at using his environment to illuminate his message.  In the midst of responding to angry Jewish leaders, Jesus takes a moment to address those who believed in him, and calls them to "abide!"  As God dwelt with Israel in the days of the Tabernacle. Jesus had come to "tabernacle with them!" His presence among them was to be their feast of joy!  

"Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn 8:31-32 NAS)

What does it mean to abide? In light of the context of the feast of Tabernacles, It would be reasonable to consider that abiding has to do with the joy of God's active presence in the hearts of his disciples who have responded in faith and obedience to His word.

The word "abide" refers to someone who resides in a certain realm or sphere, (in this context, His Word): In its basic sense it means to remain, continue, or to "sojourn". It is one who tarry's as a guest, to lodge or to dwell" The act of abiding conveys the idea of residing in a transitional or temporary place as in a "tent" or "booth". 

When we abide with Christ in His word, we understand that like the Hebrews in the wilderness, or the Jews in the dispersion, we are not yet home. While the Kingdom of God is near, it is still "not yet" in the physical sense. We are abide in fragile earthen vessels as we await the completion of the sanctification process, the resurrection of our bodies and the complete freedom from sin. It is in our temporary broken body, "our earthly tent" where we abide, remain, tarry, dwell or sojourn with Christ. 

In John 1:14 The Greek word ἐσκήνωσεν, translated as "dwelt" literally means "to spread a tent!" From the root of this word we get tabernacle. "The Word became flesh and literally 'tabernacled among us'" The concept of our bodies being a temporary house for God's Spirit is not unique in scripture. In 2 Cor, we understand that our body is but a temporary earthen vessel... an earthly tent for God to dwell, and it is our house torn down, that groans, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. It is in this state that we "abide" with Christ (2Co 4:7, 5:1-5). We abide with Christ through the presence of the Spirit in our innermost being. It is in this presence of abiding that we experience great joy, as well as other fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). This joy is so abundant and full, that the closer we abide with Him, the harder it is to contain. As we follow and obey Christ's word, we too will pour ourselves out as an offering of libation,  "I am being poured out as a drink offering", In Spanish they are more specific "derramado en libación" (poured out in libation).  Note the connection to joy, "I rejoice and share my joy with you all." (Phil 2:17) One can say that our joy is the outflow of our abiding in Christ! 

The text says we are to abide "in His word." While Jesus is the Word, the Logos, the passage here most likely refers to abiding in the embodiment of his teaching, most specifically His teaching at the Feast. Jesus know that when we abide in His word, we will be challenged in believe He is the Word, as his immediate audience had been. In Romans, Paul reflects the concept that faith begins with the hearing the word. "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom 10:17). As Jesus disciples heard and obeyed His teaching, they would find the Truth that would set them free. (Jn 8:33).  

There are similar concepts in other "abide" passages in John and 1st John that highlight the relationship of abiding to discipleship, fruit of the Spirit, and the inter-relationship the presence of God with His disciples:  

1. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (Jn 15:4) 

2. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." (Jn 15:7-8)  

3. "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." (1Jn 4:13)

When we abide with Christ there is thanksgiving for the past, joy in the present and hope for the future! 

     The word "Siloam" literally means "sent." (Jn 9:7) It is interesting that it was right after the feast of Tabernacles that Jesus gave sight to the man who was blind from birth at the pool of Siloam to illustrate his previous teaching to his disciples;  "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (Jn 9:5). 

Imagine the first thing you see after a life of darkness is the face of Jesus with the pool of Siloam in the background. I wonder if that blind man was at the pool the day before when they drew the water for the libation offering or in the temple courts when they poured the water and the wine out in libation,  when the voice of Jesus stood up and called for the thirsty to drink. I wonder if he recognized the voice that said to His disciples  "I am the light of the world!" (Jn 9:5) What we do know was that He was blind, and now he could see (9:25), he became a disciple (9:27), and when Jesus came to him after he was put out of the the Synagogue, He believed and worshiped Him! I think it is safe to say that in this man's new found sight, he found joy as he began to "abide" in Christ and His word! 

In 2004, The pool of Siloam was discovered and excavated. http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-pool-of-siloam.htm

The below video is said to be one of the first celebrations of the Water Libation ceremonies in the original pool of Siloam since the fall of Jerusalem... if you believe the internet. I would want a little more info to hang my hat on that though, Even so, pretty amazing either way, but I hope they played those horns better in the original festivals :). for the short version, skip ahead to 45 sec. on the time line for the drawing of the water out of the pool of Saloam and then go over to 4min 34 sec. to watch the pouring out of the water and the wine.