This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
The stone is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the Jewish priests, rulers and authorities at Jerusalem delivered up and crucified, but whom God raised from the dead and made the cornerstone and foundation-stone of the church. Peter spoke this filled with the Holy Ghost when brought as a prisoner before Annas and Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin on the day after the healing of the lame man, boldly declaring that the man stood whole before them by the name of Jesus. Those builders should have recognized his worth, yet they set him at nought, and God overruled their rejection and gave the rejected one the foundational place through his resurrection. Its saving importance lies in that salvation is found in no other name, to which the apostles bore witness as the Son of God even when commanded not to speak or teach in his name. The verse therefore calls for persisting in declaring what God says whether it pleases hearers or not and obeying God rather than human rulers, as the apostles testified boldly to the resurrection despite threats and many believed.
Stone, Builders, and Setting
The stone is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the Jewish leaders delivered up, crucified and put to death, but whom God raised from the dead. The builders who set him at nought are the priests, high priest, elders, rulers and authorities of the Jewish church at Jerusalem, including Annas and Caiaphas and the other temple dignitaries and Sanhedrin before whom Peter was tried. Those authorities should have perceived his value and recognized his worth, yet they rejected him. Becoming the head of the corner means God made him the cornerstone, the foundation-stone of the church, the one essential foundation and most important stone in God's work and central to his saving work. The stone image was already familiar to the priests from the prophets and from Jesus' own teaching as a familiar prophetic figure.
Peter spoke the verse in his defense at his trial on the day after the healing of the impotent lame man, when brought as a prisoner and demanded by what power the man was made whole, declaring the man stood whole before them by the name of Jesus. Peter spoke filled with the Holy Ghost, respectfully yet boldly declaring where his strength came from, with the seal of Christ on his words and his countenance illuminated, as present truth after the resurrection. Though unlearned and ignorant men, he and John showed they had been with Jesus. It was spoken in that very room and before those very men before whom Peter had shamefully denied his Lord, which Peter distinctly remembered. His bold confession after once denying him showed he now acknowledged his Lord and was approved and blessed by Jesus, with being filled with the Spirit as a token of that approval, and gave him opportunity to redeem his former wicked cowardice.
The miraculously cured man standing whole beside Peter added weight as a convincing witness that Jesus is alive and at work, confirming his resurrection, exaltation, and power in heaven to perform miracles on earth through his apostles. Priests, rulers and people were left silent with no power to refute.
Rejection Overruled for Salvation
The leaders who rejected and crucified Jesus could not prevent God from giving Him the foundational place, for God made the rejected one the cornerstone, the essential foundation of His work and of His people and their work. The stone was a familiar prophetic figure, already known from the prophets and from Jesus' own teaching, and their rejection did not undo God's purpose. His exaltation to that place was the Lord's doing.
He was made the head of the corner through His resurrection from the dead, when God raised Jesus whom the leaders had opposed, rejected and crucified and made Him the foundation stone and chief cornerstone. His rejection and death did not end the miracles performed in His name or the spread of His teaching. His power to heal the impotent lame man stood as present evidence that He is alive and at work.
The saving importance of this claim is that salvation is found in no other name, for the one rejected by the religious leaders became central to God's saving work as the one essential foundation. To Him the apostles bore witness as the Son of God, whom the people delivered up and killed but whom God raised from the dead. They proclaimed Him boldly as truth for that time before the council, testifying to His resurrection despite the rulers' threats and commands not to speak or teach in His name. That preaching was opposed especially by the Sadducees and leaders who denied the resurrection, yet many people believed their message.
Boldness and Grace in Witness
The rejected building stone is Jesus of Nazareth, who was made the most important stone in God's work, and those who threw Him aside were the Jewish high priest, rulers and elders at Jerusalem. At their trial Peter and John told those rulers to their faces that the healing of the lame man had been done through Jesus, and that Jesus was the One they themselves had rejected. That declaration was present truth after the resurrection, spoken by men moved by the Holy Ghost. It establishes the duty to keep declaring what God says whether it pleases the hearers or not, and to obey God rather than human rulers when commanded to stop speaking in the name of Jesus.
Peter, who gave that testimony, was by nature impetuous, hasty and self-confident, often appearing to greater disadvantage than Judas and oftener reproved by Christ. Yet his later life of service and sacrifice bears testimony to the power of God's grace. As Christ, who reads the heart, bore patiently with Peter in his faults and even with Judas whom He knew would betray Him, so those at fault are to be borne with in patience, and others are to be treated as Jesus treated His disciples when He walked and talked with them on the earth.
The stone is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the Jewish priests, rulers and authorities at Jerusalem delivered up and crucified, but whom God raised from the dead and made the cornerstone and foundation-stone of the church. Peter spoke this filled with the Holy Ghost when brought as a prisoner before Annas and Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin on the day after the healing of the lame man, boldly declaring that the man stood whole before them by the name of Jesus. Those builders should have recognized his worth, yet they set him at nought, and God overruled their rejection and gave the rejected one the foundational place through his resurrection. Its saving importance lies in that salvation is found in no other name, to which the apostles bore witness as the Son of God even when commanded not to speak or teach in his name. The verse therefore calls for persisting in declaring what God says whether it pleases hearers or not and obeying God rather than human rulers, as the apostles testified boldly to the resurrection despite threats and many believed.
Stone, Builders, and Setting
The stone is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the Jewish leaders delivered up, crucified and put to death, but whom God raised from the dead. The builders who set him at nought are the priests, high priest, elders, rulers and authorities of the Jewish church at Jerusalem, including Annas and Caiaphas and the other temple dignitaries and Sanhedrin before whom Peter was tried. Those authorities should have perceived his value and recognized his worth, yet they rejected him. Becoming the head of the corner means God made him the cornerstone, the foundation-stone of the church, the one essential foundation and most important stone in God's work and central to his saving work. The stone image was already familiar to the priests from the prophets and from Jesus' own teaching as a familiar prophetic figure.
Peter spoke the verse in his defense at his trial on the day after the healing of the impotent lame man, when brought as a prisoner and demanded by what power the man was made whole, declaring the man stood whole before them by the name of Jesus. Peter spoke filled with the Holy Ghost, respectfully yet boldly declaring where his strength came from, with the seal of Christ on his words and his countenance illuminated, as present truth after the resurrection. Though unlearned and ignorant men, he and John showed they had been with Jesus. It was spoken in that very room and before those very men before whom Peter had shamefully denied his Lord, which Peter distinctly remembered. His bold confession after once denying him showed he now acknowledged his Lord and was approved and blessed by Jesus, with being filled with the Spirit as a token of that approval, and gave him opportunity to redeem his former wicked cowardice.
The miraculously cured man standing whole beside Peter added weight as a convincing witness that Jesus is alive and at work, confirming his resurrection, exaltation, and power in heaven to perform miracles on earth through his apostles. Priests, rulers and people were left silent with no power to refute.
Rejection Overruled for Salvation
The leaders who rejected and crucified Jesus could not prevent God from giving Him the foundational place, for God made the rejected one the cornerstone, the essential foundation of His work and of His people and their work. The stone was a familiar prophetic figure, already known from the prophets and from Jesus' own teaching, and their rejection did not undo God's purpose. His exaltation to that place was the Lord's doing.
He was made the head of the corner through His resurrection from the dead, when God raised Jesus whom the leaders had opposed, rejected and crucified and made Him the foundation stone and chief cornerstone. His rejection and death did not end the miracles performed in His name or the spread of His teaching. His power to heal the impotent lame man stood as present evidence that He is alive and at work.
The saving importance of this claim is that salvation is found in no other name, for the one rejected by the religious leaders became central to God's saving work as the one essential foundation. To Him the apostles bore witness as the Son of God, whom the people delivered up and killed but whom God raised from the dead. They proclaimed Him boldly as truth for that time before the council, testifying to His resurrection despite the rulers' threats and commands not to speak or teach in His name. That preaching was opposed especially by the Sadducees and leaders who denied the resurrection, yet many people believed their message.
Boldness and Grace in Witness
The rejected building stone is Jesus of Nazareth, who was made the most important stone in God's work, and those who threw Him aside were the Jewish high priest, rulers and elders at Jerusalem. At their trial Peter and John told those rulers to their faces that the healing of the lame man had been done through Jesus, and that Jesus was the One they themselves had rejected. That declaration was present truth after the resurrection, spoken by men moved by the Holy Ghost. It establishes the duty to keep declaring what God says whether it pleases the hearers or not, and to obey God rather than human rulers when commanded to stop speaking in the name of Jesus.
Peter, who gave that testimony, was by nature impetuous, hasty and self-confident, often appearing to greater disadvantage than Judas and oftener reproved by Christ. Yet his later life of service and sacrifice bears testimony to the power of God's grace. As Christ, who reads the heart, bore patiently with Peter in his faults and even with Judas whom He knew would betray Him, so those at fault are to be borne with in patience, and others are to be treated as Jesus treated His disciples when He walked and talked with them on the earth.