Only someone worth following could be called both ‘Rock’ and ‘Lamb’
By Dean Collins
In the late 90s my son liked to watch WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). I sometimes watched with him. Some of it really was entertaining, but much of it was bizarre. After a while we lost interest. Those days there was a wrestler named The Rock who was on the rise.
My son probably liked him because Dwayne Johnson and I are so much alike. Okay his muscles are a little bigger, and his teeth are straight and whiter, but his shaved head might be a little similar to mine, which makes us almost twins! The Rock has become a huge celebrity due to his size, his talent, his handsome appearance, and some great marketing. And when The Rock makes a public appearance, the crowds go crazy.
The Rock who saves
But long before Johnson, there was another rock. Psalm 9 speaks of him with a directive to the people of God: “Let us sing...and make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” On his best day, Dwayne Johnson can’t come anywhere close to the description the psalmist gives us of our Rock.
The Rock of our salvation is a great God above all gods.
In his hands are the depths of the earth.
The mountains are his.
The seas are his for he made them.
He formed the dry land.
And as a response to all of our Rock’s power and majesty, we are to respond with praise to him and thanksgiving for him. The psalmist reminds us that we are “the people of his pasture.” In essence, we are like sheep with a mighty and powerful and caring shepherd.
The Lamb who died
But there’s another name for the one who saves us that doesn’t convey any of the imagery we imagine when we hear rock. John the Baptist used the term when he pointed toward Jesus one day and told some nearby“ Behold the Lamb of God.”
That may sound strange to us. We don’t think of lambs as anything special. I doubt Dwayne Johnson ever considered a wrestling or stage name like “The Lamb.” It doesn’t make much of a strength statement! But when John the Baptist’s disciples were shown the Lamb of God, it got their attention, and they left John and started following Jesus.
Up until Jesus died on the cross for our sins, the only way to make payment for sin was an animal blood sacrifice. And then remember the scapegoat of the Old Testament whom the priest sent into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people. The apostle John introduces the idea that Jesus came not to wander around in the wilderness once a year to remove sins and then have to do it again. No, Jesus took all the sins of all the people for all time to the cross so that we might have forgiveness and be brought into a relationship with God.
Another rock
One of the early followers was Simon. When Jesus called Simon he gave him a new name, Cephas, or in English, Peter, which means rock, or more specifically, “little rock, stone, or pebble.” Jesus would one day use Peter as a leader in the first church, a central figure in its establishment.
In the 95th Psalm, the reader is told that If you hear God’s voice, don’t make the mistake the Israelites made in the wilderness and ignore the nudge. Don’t make the mistake of shutting your ears or your heart, but rather follow the call from God.
When Jesus called Peter, he said, “Follow me,” and Peter did. And so did a lot of other people who heard the voice of God through direct contact with Jesus. Today, God speaks to us through his Word and by his Holy Spirit. When we respond to the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, we will discover that the Lamb becomes our Rock and our strength as well. When we humble ourselves to receive the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, we not only receive forgiveness but we discover new strength from the Rock of our salvation.
Living stones
And while Jesus isn’t around to give you a new name as he did with Peter, the apostle Peter gave us some exciting news in his first letter. Peter goes back to using “rock” instead of “lamb” in his letter. Here are his words:
“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Did you see it? Peter refers to Jesus as a living stone, a rock. He was rejected by many, but any who accept him and follow him become living stones. Seems like when we lean on the Rock of our salvation, we all join in as little rocks who reach out and share the love of Jesus with others. And together with Jesus, we become and help build an eternal kingdom!
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 95:1-9; John 1:35-51; 1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV
Dwyane Johnson photo by via Wikimedia Media. Lamb photo by Rod Long on Unsplash.
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