Christ as the Cornerstone Among the BuildersBible World
118:22Psalms 118:22
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
The stone is Jesus Christ become the principal foundation and cornerstone of the church and of the whole plan of salvation, and the builders are the Jewish priests, rulers, elders, scribes and authorities who should have recognized his worth. Their refusal was their rejection and crucifixion of him as the heir sent to the vineyard, yet God raised and exalted him, and the building of his work continued. Because of that rejection the kingdom of God was taken from the Jewish nation and given to others who would bring forth its fruits. There is salvation in no other name, so to those who believe he is chosen and precious and they are built on him as living stones into a spiritual house, while to the disobedient he becomes a stone of stumbling and rock of offense. Whoever falls on him in repentance and childlike humility is broken from self-righteousness and forgiven, but on whomever he falls in judgment he will come as a crushing weight.
Stone, Builders, Cornerstone
The stone is Jesus Christ, and for Him to become the head stone of the corner is for Him to become the principal stone of the whole building. He is thereby the foundation stone of the church, the cornerstone of the Jewish economy and of the whole plan of salvation, and the true foundation of God's temple laid by God Himself as a sure foundation. The builders are the Jewish priests, rulers, elders, scribes, Pharisees and authorities of the Jewish church, who should have recognized His worth and perceived His value. The figure was already familiar, because the prophecy was often repeated in the synagogues and applied to the coming Messiah, and the prophets had spoken of the rejected stone.
Its meaning is illustrated by what happened with a stone brought from the quarry for the foundation of Solomon's temple. Being of irregular shape and unusual size, the workmen could find no place for it, refused it as an annoyance in their way, and long left it unused where laborers passed around it or stumbled over it. When the cornerstone was needed, a stone had to be found of sufficient size, strength and shape to bear the great weight resting on it, on which the safety of the entire building depended. It had to be capable of resisting sun, frost, tempest, atmospheric change and immense pressure, and several stones chosen at different times crumbled under immense weights or failed sudden changes. The long-rejected stone had endured exposure to air, scorching sun and beating storms without seam or crack and, when put to the final test of severe pressure, satisfied all and proved an exact fit for its assigned place to bear the great weight and secure the whole building.
Christ originated the Jewish system, was the very foundation of the costly temple, and was the antitype to whom all the sacrificial services pointed. So He is a tried, precious and sure stone who has borne every test, including the pressure of Adam's guilt and the guilt of his posterity and the burdens of every repenting sinner. He came off conqueror over evil. The whole world may therefore lay burdens and griefs on Him in perfect safety, all who depend on Him rest in perfect security, and those who trust in Him are never disappointed.
Rejection, Exaltation, Kingdom Transfer
The refusal was fulfilled when the religious leaders rejected Christ as the beloved son and heir sent last to the vineyard, plotting to seize and kill him, setting him at naught, abusing him, and crucifying him. Though put to death, the building work continued, for he was honored in heaven and by the faithful on earth as the true foundation of God's temple. Jesus spoke the prophecy of the rejected stone become head of the corner in pity, to turn Jewish minds to the prophecies then being enacted, to lay open the purposes of the Pharisees against himself, to awaken conscience and understanding, and to show the priests and rulers the danger of the deed they were about to do. The leaders recognized that the parable exposed their purpose and pronounced the sentence against themselves.
His becoming the head of the corner was the Lord's doing and marvelous in the eyes. God raised him from the dead and exalted him after the religious leaders like builders had rejected him, making him central to salvation despite their rejection. His death did not end the miracles performed in his name or the spread of his teaching.
Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, boldly applied the prophecy to Jesus Christ of Nazareth in defense before the priests, scribes, elders and rulers. He used it to avow where his strength came from and by what power the impotent man was cured and stands whole before them, which appalled those authorities. That application proves the leaders' rejection did not prevent God from making him the foundation-stone of the church and the head of the corner.
Because of this rejection the kingdom of God would be taken from the Jewish leaders and nation, withdrawing their national privileges and stewardship. It would be given to a nation and people bringing forth its fruits, obeying its Ruler, and to other husbandmen. That transfer in judgment was fulfilled in destroying the temple and city of Jerusalem, dispersing the nation, and breaking and scattering the Jews' glory.
Faith, Stumbling, and Judgment
There is salvation in no other, for his is the only name under heaven given among men whereby people must be saved, and the healing of the lame man, who was cured and stands whole, was done by his name. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rejected and crucified by the leaders, was raised from the dead by God and made the cornerstone and the foundation-stone of the church, so that rejection did not defeat God's purpose.
To those who believe and taste that the Lord is gracious, he is chosen and precious as foundation-stone and chief cornerstone. Those who believe find him precious, come to him, trust him and value him, and are built on him as living stones into a spiritual house through connection with him. Outward effort to improve oneself cannot make a person a living stone apart from that connection. To the disobedient he is still exalted as cornerstone, but to them he becomes a stone of stumbling and rock of offense because they disobey and stumble at the word.
To fall upon this stone and be broken means to give up self-righteousness, come to Christ with childlike humility, repent and trust his forgiving love, letting God's mercy and forgiveness cleanse the heart. The only safety is to build on him as the right foundation and the only secure foundation, for like a building not fastened to rock, those not joined to Christ will fall when trials come. The verse warns of two outcomes: whoever falls on the stone shall be broken, and on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder and crush him. Though he endured abuse humbly, he will rise in life and power above those who despised him.
The stone falling upon the rejecters represents their punishment in judgment when he comes as a mountain falling on and crushing them and as an avenging force. This applies not only to the Jews but to all who refuse God's gracious benefits and grace. Those who do not fall on the Stone will be crushed when the Stone falls upon them.
The stone is Jesus Christ become the principal foundation and cornerstone of the church and of the whole plan of salvation, and the builders are the Jewish priests, rulers, elders, scribes and authorities who should have recognized his worth. Their refusal was their rejection and crucifixion of him as the heir sent to the vineyard, yet God raised and exalted him, and the building of his work continued. Because of that rejection the kingdom of God was taken from the Jewish nation and given to others who would bring forth its fruits. There is salvation in no other name, so to those who believe he is chosen and precious and they are built on him as living stones into a spiritual house, while to the disobedient he becomes a stone of stumbling and rock of offense. Whoever falls on him in repentance and childlike humility is broken from self-righteousness and forgiven, but on whomever he falls in judgment he will come as a crushing weight.
Stone, Builders, Cornerstone
The stone is Jesus Christ, and for Him to become the head stone of the corner is for Him to become the principal stone of the whole building. He is thereby the foundation stone of the church, the cornerstone of the Jewish economy and of the whole plan of salvation, and the true foundation of God's temple laid by God Himself as a sure foundation. The builders are the Jewish priests, rulers, elders, scribes, Pharisees and authorities of the Jewish church, who should have recognized His worth and perceived His value. The figure was already familiar, because the prophecy was often repeated in the synagogues and applied to the coming Messiah, and the prophets had spoken of the rejected stone.
Its meaning is illustrated by what happened with a stone brought from the quarry for the foundation of Solomon's temple. Being of irregular shape and unusual size, the workmen could find no place for it, refused it as an annoyance in their way, and long left it unused where laborers passed around it or stumbled over it. When the cornerstone was needed, a stone had to be found of sufficient size, strength and shape to bear the great weight resting on it, on which the safety of the entire building depended. It had to be capable of resisting sun, frost, tempest, atmospheric change and immense pressure, and several stones chosen at different times crumbled under immense weights or failed sudden changes. The long-rejected stone had endured exposure to air, scorching sun and beating storms without seam or crack and, when put to the final test of severe pressure, satisfied all and proved an exact fit for its assigned place to bear the great weight and secure the whole building.
Christ originated the Jewish system, was the very foundation of the costly temple, and was the antitype to whom all the sacrificial services pointed. So He is a tried, precious and sure stone who has borne every test, including the pressure of Adam's guilt and the guilt of his posterity and the burdens of every repenting sinner. He came off conqueror over evil. The whole world may therefore lay burdens and griefs on Him in perfect safety, all who depend on Him rest in perfect security, and those who trust in Him are never disappointed.
Rejection, Exaltation, Kingdom Transfer
The refusal was fulfilled when the religious leaders rejected Christ as the beloved son and heir sent last to the vineyard, plotting to seize and kill him, setting him at naught, abusing him, and crucifying him. Though put to death, the building work continued, for he was honored in heaven and by the faithful on earth as the true foundation of God's temple. Jesus spoke the prophecy of the rejected stone become head of the corner in pity, to turn Jewish minds to the prophecies then being enacted, to lay open the purposes of the Pharisees against himself, to awaken conscience and understanding, and to show the priests and rulers the danger of the deed they were about to do. The leaders recognized that the parable exposed their purpose and pronounced the sentence against themselves.
His becoming the head of the corner was the Lord's doing and marvelous in the eyes. God raised him from the dead and exalted him after the religious leaders like builders had rejected him, making him central to salvation despite their rejection. His death did not end the miracles performed in his name or the spread of his teaching.
Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, boldly applied the prophecy to Jesus Christ of Nazareth in defense before the priests, scribes, elders and rulers. He used it to avow where his strength came from and by what power the impotent man was cured and stands whole before them, which appalled those authorities. That application proves the leaders' rejection did not prevent God from making him the foundation-stone of the church and the head of the corner.
Because of this rejection the kingdom of God would be taken from the Jewish leaders and nation, withdrawing their national privileges and stewardship. It would be given to a nation and people bringing forth its fruits, obeying its Ruler, and to other husbandmen. That transfer in judgment was fulfilled in destroying the temple and city of Jerusalem, dispersing the nation, and breaking and scattering the Jews' glory.
Faith, Stumbling, and Judgment
There is salvation in no other, for his is the only name under heaven given among men whereby people must be saved, and the healing of the lame man, who was cured and stands whole, was done by his name. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rejected and crucified by the leaders, was raised from the dead by God and made the cornerstone and the foundation-stone of the church, so that rejection did not defeat God's purpose.
To those who believe and taste that the Lord is gracious, he is chosen and precious as foundation-stone and chief cornerstone. Those who believe find him precious, come to him, trust him and value him, and are built on him as living stones into a spiritual house through connection with him. Outward effort to improve oneself cannot make a person a living stone apart from that connection. To the disobedient he is still exalted as cornerstone, but to them he becomes a stone of stumbling and rock of offense because they disobey and stumble at the word.
To fall upon this stone and be broken means to give up self-righteousness, come to Christ with childlike humility, repent and trust his forgiving love, letting God's mercy and forgiveness cleanse the heart. The only safety is to build on him as the right foundation and the only secure foundation, for like a building not fastened to rock, those not joined to Christ will fall when trials come. The verse warns of two outcomes: whoever falls on the stone shall be broken, and on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder and crush him. Though he endured abuse humbly, he will rise in life and power above those who despised him.
The stone falling upon the rejecters represents their punishment in judgment when he comes as a mountain falling on and crushing them and as an avenging force. This applies not only to the Jews but to all who refuse God's gracious benefits and grace. Those who do not fall on the Stone will be crushed when the Stone falls upon them.