Jesus is the Rock

Breathtaking view of a snow-covered mountain peak surrounded by clouds during sunrise.

My objective in this post is to take a look at something that has intrigued me recently and that is how faithful and devoted God is to His Word.

Jesus would rather die on the cross and bear the sins of all mankind than to break His spoken word and promises that were spoken in the Garden of Eden.

My reasoning for that belief is that whenever Adam and Eve had fallen spiritually, God could have changed His mind and started over back then with a new earth, or destroyed the “serpent” in the Garden or He could have started over creating humanity, but He didn’t.

  • God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10)
  • Christ was appointed as Savior before creation (1 Peter 1:20; Rev 13:8)
  • God’s redemptive plan existed before time began (Eph 1:4; 2 Tim 1:9)

Jesus’s willingness to die on the cross and to bear the sins of mankind shows that God’s love and commitment to His Word are stronger than death itself, providing a path for humanity to receive forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

To me this shows how faithful God is and how powerful His promises are. And it is my belief that this is why Jesus is referred to as the “spiritual Rock” and the cornerstone in scripture.

Jesus is explicitly identified as the “spiritual Rock” in 1 Corinthians 10:4 when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea:

1 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV “…for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Psalm 18:2 KJV “The LORD is my rock and my fortress…”

  1. Jesus is God

John 1:1 KJV “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John explains in verse 1:1 that “the Word” was with God and “the Word” was God in the beginning.

Then John identifies who this “Word” is:

John 1:14 ESV “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

Jesus is “the Word”.

So Jesus existed “in the beginning” and is God.

Colossians 2:2 NIV “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,”

  1. Jesus created everything

John 1:3 NKJV “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Colossians 1:16 NKJV “For by Him all things were created… things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all things were created through Him and for Him.”

Hebrews 1:2 KJV “…through whom also He made the worlds.”

These verses emphatically point to Jesus as the Creator.

  1. Therefore, Jesus gave Adam and Eve dominion

Genesis records God saying:

Genesis 1:26–28 KJV “Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Therefore since:

  • Jesus is God (John 1:1, Col 2:2)
  • Jesus created all things (John 1:3, Col 1:16, Hebrews 1:2)
  • Jesus was present at creation (John 1:1)

The logical biblical conclusion is:

Jesus Himself is the divine Person who spoke these words and granted dominion to Adam and Eve.

Scripture consistently teaches that Jesus is the Creator of all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). If all things were created through Him, then the Garden of Eden itself—an earthly creation—was also created by Him.

Genesis simply uses “God,” but the New Testament reveals who that God is.

  1. Scripture even shows Jesus reclaiming that dominion

After His resurrection, Jesus says:

Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

This verse in Matthew 28:18 relates to the dominion language in Genesis — showing Christ as the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), restoring what the first Adam lost.

In Summary

There is no verse that says directly, “Jesus said in Genesis…” but Scripture teaches:

  • Jesus is God (John 1:1, Col 2:2)
  • Jesus created all things (John 1:3, Col 1:16, Hebrews 1:2)
  • Jesus was present at creation (John 1:1)

So when God granted dominion in Genesis 1:26–28, that was Christ, the eternal Word, speaking and acting.

 

Walking on Water

Serene ocean surface captured in soft focus, evoking calm and tranquility.

I find it interesting that Peter walked on water before he had received the Holy Spirit. This provides a hint on how powerful your faith and beliefs can be.

When Peter walked on the water it happened during Jesus’ earthly ministry, well before Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples in a new, permanent way. Matthew 14:28–31 covers the event of Peter walking on water.

A helpful way to frame it biblically:

Peter acted by faith in Jesus’ spoken word — not yet by Pentecost power

Peter stepped out of the boat because Jesus said, “Come.”

Peter’s ability to walk on water flowed from:

  • Faith in Christ’s command
  • Christ’s sustaining power
  • A moment of obedience

…not from the indwelling Holy Spirit as experienced after Pentecost.

This fits Romans 10:17:
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Belief is a powerful thing. Peter believed what Jesus said and acted on it.

Notice that “the Lord” Jesus “spoke” and told Peter to “Come” and Peter acted out of obedience to His command.

In the Old Testament and Gospels, in the days before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would come upon individuals for specific purposes (prophets, kings, disciples), and in some cases some people were “filled” with the Holy Spirit such as Joshua (Numbers 27:18) and Micah in (Micah 3:8).

The permanent indwelling of all “believers in Christ” had not yet begun until Pentecost when the birth of the Church had began in it’s New Covenant form. I am referring to the Church of Jesus Christ.

Jesus explicitly pointed forward to this change:

John 14:17
He dwells with you and will be in you

That “will be” was fulfilled at Pentecost.

May your eyes and your ears be open… and may your heart be open to receive understanding.

Mat 13:16
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Mat 13:17
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Jesus is speaking to everyone that has eyes to see, ears to hear, a heart to understand

Mat 11:28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.