Christ Is That Rock

Sunday, as we gather to worship and to share Holy Communion, we will be in Exodus 17:1-7.  The short story is:
God’s people are thirsty; they blame Moses; Moses complains to God about THEM; God tells Moses to strike a certain rock; Moses does; Water flows!  In the new testament we read that Christ is that rock (1 Corinthians 10).

The Bible often refers to God as a Rock. He is “the Rock of Israel” (Gen.
49:24; cf. Isa. 30:29), “the Rock . . . [whose] works are perfect” (Deut.
32:4), the Rock who is a “fortress” and a “refuge” (Ps. 18:2). He is “the Rock
of our salvation” (Ps. 95:1; cf. Deut. 32:15). In keeping with this imagery, the
rock that Moses struck with his rod was a symbol of God and his salvation.

In particular, it showed how God would submit to the blow of his own justice
so that out of him would flow life for his people.
God did this in the person of his own Son. The rock was Christ because
like the rock, Christ was struck with divine judgment. This is what happened
to him on the cross. Christ was bearing the curse for our sin; so God
struck him with the rod of his justice. The Scripture says, “He was pierced
for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed”
(Isa. 53:5).

The judgment that Christ received on the cross is the proof of
our protection. It shows that we will not suffer eternal death for our sins. God
has taken the judgment of our guilt upon himself, and now we are safe for
all eternity.