The funeral was officiated by three Christian ministers and one Jewish rabbi.

The deceased was a lifelong Christian who had lost her 20-year battle with a debilitating. The three Christian ministers were close members of her family and the Jewish rabbi was a friend she had made at a rehab clinic.

Despite the differences in religion, Christians and Jews often get along with each other in these situations and are often respectful toward each other’s beliefs, and in this situation, I expected no less.

What I did not expect, however, was a Gospel sermon from the Jewish rabbi.

The rabbi was not Messianic, and did not believe in Jesus the way Christians do, yet, as he discussed Psalm 18:2, I was taken by his presentation on the word, “Rock.”

“The LORD is my Rock,” he said, as he quoted the verse. “This word, ‘rock,’ comes from a Hebrew word that has a deep meaning.”

He went on to explain that the “Rock” referred to a cliff, or a steep place, often with a cleft, or a cave hewn out. It was a place to retreat to, and in King David’s case, you often find him in scripture hiding in such caves in the cliffs and up hillsides as he fled from Saul, or Absalom.

Indeed, as David fled to the cliffside caves, we can flee to the Lord. He can be our place of refuge. Psalm 18:2 goes on to discuss the Lord being our strength, our high tower, our castle, basically our defense.

The Lord is our refuge, our deliverer, and our strength. But this rabbi took it one step further.

“This word for ‘rock’ also carries with it the notion of being struck. The rock itself has been struck.”

And he began to talk about how God sacrifices for us. He didn’t go so far as to preach Jesus, but the Gospel parallel was there.

After the funeral, I visited with the rabbi, and brought up how the word “rock,” as he defined it, pointed directly to Jesus.

“Absolutely, it can be interpreted that way,” he said. “And I often speak to Christian churches to show them that.”

We discussed the theology of “rock” for a while before dispersing, and I left there with a new understanding of a verse that I had so often read, but never really considered.

So, the Lord is our Rock. Jesus Christ is our Rock. He is our refuge, our defender, and our deliverer because He was struck for our sins on our behalf.

Life gives us a million reasons to fear. And then, through our own over-thinking, we give ourselves a million more reasons to fear. But… we only need one reason to be at peace, to be courageous and have faith. And that reason is Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation.

May God bless you with peace and confidence today.