“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.””
1 Peter 2:4-10 NLT
Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. He is the One that our faith is built on, the first stone put down and the One that all other stones rest on and depend on. Jesus is the most important stone in the whole building. God is building His Church, and we are like living stones in His Temple. We are His people, a royal priesthood as His children, offering the sacrifice of our lives – fully devoted to Him. Living stones are connected to others.
Jesus has been rejected by many in the world. For them He is not a cornerstone, but a stumbling stone – a rock in the road that people trip over. That is the rock that people get mad at because it is only in their way. But the rock can’t be moved. Jesus is God, and He is working to get people’s attention – we will either trip over Him or build our lives on Him.
In what way is Jesus the cornerstone of your life? What are you doing to stay connected to other Christians and build up God’s Church?
