/And He brought them out with silver and gold; and there was not one in
his tribes that stumbled. Gladdened (was) Egypt in their departing; for
their dread had fallen on them. A cloud He spread in covering; and fire
to enlighten in the night. They asked, and He brought quail; and bread
from heaven satisfied them. He opened a Rock, and flowed out water; it
ran, in the dry places–a river. For He remembered His holy Word; to
Abraham, His servant. And He brought out His people in joy; in a shout
of joy, His chosen ones. And He gave to them the lands of the nations;
and the labor of their people they will safe-guard. In the produce they
might keep His statutes; and His instructions they will safe-guard.
/
When I was a boy, there was a very hokey song entitled *Jesus is a Rock,
and He's rolling my blues away*. While I didn't care much for the song,
I wondered if there wasn't some truth in there somewhere. Is Jesus a
Rock, and if so, why is it significant? In Psalm 105, a very important
Rock is mentioned, from which water once flowed. The
recently-rescued-from-Egypt Israelites were quite parched in the Sinai
desert; and that Rock, once struck, produced the water of life for them
to drink.
Flash-forward in time to the day of Jesus, when He Himself is quite
thirsty in the foreign land of Samaria. But instead of the Samaritan
woman getting Him a drink, He offers her *living water*. Sounds a lot
like the *water of life* God provided for the sons of Israel in the
Sinai wilderness. Coincidence? I think not! For the scriptures reveal
that Jesus is the very Rock which followed the sons of Israel, which
gave them the water of life. The same Jesus gives living water in Samaria!
Flash forward to today. Is Jesus still that Rock which when struck,
produces living water? Is He the same person who offered living water to
the Samaritan woman? You bet He is! He did just that for you in Holy
Baptism, offering you the gracious water of life by which have not only
the forgiveness of your sins washed away, but also rescue from death &
the devil, and eternal salvation. Jesus hasn't changed at all. He's
still at it providing His gift of life-giving water even to this day.
But sadly, we have our doubts about the water of life Jesus provides.
Surely it can't be that easy. We have to do something as well to add to
Jesus' gift of living water. We foolishly think that we have to take the
first step and *decide* to take this special water. Or we think that by
being baptized in such water, we now must dedicate our lives to Jesus in
feeble attempt to earn His love & salvation. But neither of these things
are commanded of us by God. He gives His living water as a free gift of
grace.
Perhaps we understand better when we recognize from where, exactly, this
living water comes... When Jesus went willingly to the + to give up His
life as your ransom price, He was for you that day the Rock struck for
your salvation. His side was pierced for you, and out flowed not just
the blood of Holy Communion, but also water. John takes the time to
specifically remind us of this water, and in His epistle reminds us that
both the water & the blood serve as witnesses of how Jesus comes to you
Indeed, Jesus comes to you with His blood in the Lord's Supper for the
forgiveness of your sins. But He also came to you in the water of the
baptismal font--water which flows from His riven side to cleanse you of
all your sin. It is the water of Jesus which alone can wash you clean,
water from the + where Jesus suffered your punishment, and from where He
purchased your salvation from sin, death & the power of the devil, with
the payment of His holy precious blood & innocent suffering & death.
It is like we sing in the hymn, Rock of Ages. Jesus is that Rock of
ages, cleft for you...that the water & the blood, from the riven side
which flowed, would for you become a double cure for sin & death. You
are cured from the ever-deadly disease of sin by the blood of Christ
given you to drink in the sacrament of the Altar. And you are also cured
from this eternally-deadly sickness of sin by the water of life given to
you from Jesus' pierced side at the + of Calvary.
Yes water means *life*, for without it we become filthy, dehydrated, and
quickly die. And it seems that it is no coincidence that when Jesus
breathed His last, gave up His Spirit, and died on the +, that His
pierced side showed the water of life given up by Him to prove His
death. Jesus gave up His life for you, and allowed the living water
which departed His body to come directly to you. He took your death on
the cross, and He gives to you the life which is delivered to you from
His Own living water. Amen.
.
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