Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Rock and Living Water, who sanctifies us through the waters of baptism. Amen.
Introduction: The Thirst of the Wilderness
The people of God are often pictured as a pilgrim people, journeying through the wilderness of this life toward the land of promise. And what is the constant need of the pilgrim? It is water. Without water, life cannot endure. Without water, the pilgrim perishes. God, who knows our frame and our frailty, provides for His people water in due season, that they may live.
But as in all His works, God’s provision of water in the desert was more than a physical gift; it was a sign, a type, pointing forward to Christ, who is Himself the Rock and the Living Water. And just as the Lord brought Israel through the waters of the Jordan into the land of Canaan, so Christ sanctified those very waters by His baptism, opening the way into the true promised land, the kingdom of God.
Today we turn to two more great episodes in Scripture where water becomes the means of salvation: the water from the rock, and the crossing of the Jordan. Both point to Christ, who quenches our thirst and leads us into His eternal rest.
I. Water from the Rock: Exodus 17 and Numbers 20
Israel wandered in the desert, parched with thirst. They grumbled against Moses, saying, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” (Exod. 17:3). The Lord commanded Moses, “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink” (Exod. 17:6). Moses obeyed, and the rock gushed forth water, enough for the whole congregation.
Later, near the end of their wanderings, a similar event occurred. Again the people quarreled, again they thirsted. The Lord commanded Moses to speak to the rock; instead, in anger, Moses struck it twice with his staff. Water poured out abundantly, but because Moses had not trusted the Lord to show His holiness, he was barred from entering the land (Num. 20:11–12).
The Apostle Paul unveils the mystery: “They drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). The rock in the wilderness was not merely a stone but a type of Christ Himself. When Moses struck the rock, it was Christ who was smitten, that life-giving water might flow to His people. On the Cross, Christ the Rock was struck, pierced by the spear, and from His side flowed blood and water (John 19:34). From His death pours forth the Spirit, the living water that refreshes the Church.
Hear the words of Jesus: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive (John 7:37–39). The thirsty soul finds its drink not in the sands of the world but in Christ, the Rock struck for our salvation.
Here we see again the paradox of water in salvation history. Life flows only when the Rock is struck. Israel could not drink until Moses’ staff fell upon the stone. We could not live until Christ was struck down for us. Out of His suffering comes our refreshment; out of His death, our life.
The Fathers saw in this event a mystery of the sacraments. The water from the rock is the water of baptism, the drink of eternal life. The blood with the water is the Eucharist, the cup of salvation. Both flow from Christ crucified, the Rock of ages cleft for us. And they saw also a warning: Moses, in anger, struck the rock again, though Christ was to be smitten but once. The once-for-all sacrifice of Christ is sufficient; we dare not presume to strike again what has already been accomplished.
II. The Crossing of the Jordan: Joshua 3
When at last the wilderness years were ended, the people stood at the banks of the Jordan. The river was at flood stage, an impassable torrent. The land of promise lay beyond, but the waters barred the way.
Then the Lord commanded: “When the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, flowing down from above, and shall stand in one heap” (Josh. 3:13). And so it was. As soon as the priests stepped into the river, the waters piled up far away, and the people passed over on dry ground. The ark of the covenant stood in the middle until all had crossed. Thus Israel entered the land through the waters, led by the presence of the Lord.
This too prefigures Christ. For centuries later, at this same Jordan, Jesus came to John to be baptized. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. … And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him” (Matt. 3:13, 16).
Why did Christ, the sinless One, step into those waters? He needed no washing. Rather, He sanctified the waters by His presence. As Israel entered the land through Jordan’s waters, so Christ entered the waters to open the way into the true promised land, the kingdom of God. His baptism was the inauguration of His public ministry, the beginning of His journey toward the Cross, where He would accomplish the salvation that baptism delivers.
By entering the Jordan, Christ consecrated baptism as the way into life. As the ark of the covenant stood in the river until all the people had passed, so Christ Himself goes into the waters that we might follow after Him. As Israel could not cross until the priests carried the ark, so no one can enter the kingdom apart from Christ, who is the true Ark of God’s presence. And as the Jordan was held back until the last of Israel had passed, so the baptismal flood will remain open until all God’s elect are gathered in.
III. Christ the Rock and the Jordan Fulfilled
Consider how these two events together reveal the fullness of Christ’s work. In the wilderness, water flowed from the struck rock. At the Jordan, the people entered into rest. So in Christ, first we drink of the living water that flows from His pierced side; then, through baptism, we pass into His kingdom. In both, water is the means by which God provides life.
The Rock reveals Christ crucified, stricken for our sake. The Jordan reveals Christ baptized, sanctifying the waters. The Rock shows us the source of life; the Jordan shows us the entrance into life. The Rock is Christ suffering; the Jordan is Christ consecrating. Both together proclaim that salvation is by water and Spirit, accomplished in Him who died and rose again.
IV. Exhortation: Come to the Waters
What then is our calling as those who have drunk from the Rock and crossed the Jordan of baptism?
First, we are to thirst for Christ above all else. The world is a desert, offering only mirages. Its cisterns are broken, holding no water. But Christ gives living water that never runs dry. Therefore, come daily to Him in faith, drinking of His Word, receiving His Spirit, refreshed in prayer, strengthened by His sacraments. Do not murmur as Israel did, doubting His provision, but trust that He is faithful to quench your thirst.
Second, we are to remember our baptism as our crossing into life. You have already passed through the Jordan; you belong to Christ. Do not return to Egypt. Do not linger on the wilderness shore. Live as citizens of the kingdom, walking in newness of life, awaiting the fullness of the promised inheritance. As Paul says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above” (Col. 3:1).
And third, we are to point others to the water. The Rock still flows; the Jordan is still open. There are many thirsting in the desert, many standing at the brink of the river, afraid to enter. Show them the Rock who was struck for their sake. Lead them to the waters of baptism, where the kingdom is opened. For the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come! Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17).
Conclusion: The Water and the Spirit
Beloved, the history of Israel is our history, written beforehand for our instruction. The rock in the desert was Christ. The Jordan that opened was Christ. The water that flows is His Spirit. And the baptism that we have received is our entry into His eternal kingdom.
Therefore, let us drink deeply, let us remember our baptism with joy, and let us walk onward toward the promised rest, confident that He who was struck for us, He who sanctified the waters, will bring us safely home.
To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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