Across time, builders have used cornerstones in their construction of buildings. A cornerstone was the principal stone, that was placed at the corner of a structure, to guide the builders in their course. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any part of the structure. Much attention was given to the placement of the cornerstone in order to get it just right.
The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that He would build His church upon, to which all believers are constructed.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament you will find references to the Messiah, and in several of those references the Messiah is referred to as “the cornerstone,” such as in this OT prophecy: “So this is what the sovereign Lord says, ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line’” Isaiah 28:16-17. Later, Peter would confirm this as well in I Peter 2:6.
Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it.
As the cornerstone of the building of His church which is the body of believers, Jesus is now our standard of measure and alignment in pleasing the master builder and creator of the entire universe. The way He lived his life is now the plumbline to which we are to follow, as we line up our lives to His.
Peter said that Jesus, as our cornerstone, is “chosen by God and precious to Him” in 1 Peter 2:4. The Cornerstone is reliable, and “the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame” in I Peter 2:6.
Unfortunately, not everyone aligns with God's cornerstone. Some accept Christ while others reject Him. Jesus is the “stone the builders rejected” according to Mark 12:10; Psalm 118:22. When news of the Messiah’s arrival came to the magi in the East, they determined to bring Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when that same news came to King Herod in Jerusalem, his response was to attempt to kill Him. So, from the very beginning, Jesus was “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall” 1 Peter 2:8.
The reason people reject God’s chosen and precious cornerstone is simple. They want to build something different from what God is building. Just as the people building the tower of Babel rebelled against God and pursued their own project, those who reject Christ, disregard God’s plan in favor of their own by rejecting the cornerstone that God has laid out for all mankind.
Judgment is promised to all those who reject Christ according to the Word of God. “Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed” Matthew 21:44.
Jesus Christ the cornerstone means that He is the foundation, the measuring guide, and the promise of God to His creation. He is the light that guides us to a straight path whenever we are in darkness. John tells us that there is only one way to God, and that is through His Son. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no man can come to the father but through Him. Will you come today sweet friend?
Hold Fast,
-Bren
