When a building is being built the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation is called the cornerstone. It is the most important stone of the entire construction because once it was set, the rest of the building would conform to the angles and size of the cornerstone. This principle cornerstone was placed at the corner of the edifice and was usually one of the largest, most solid, and most carefully constructed stones for the whole building. If one were to remove this stone from the construction, the entire building would collapse. Because of the importance of this stone, if it was not just right the builder would reject it.
In Luke 20:17, Jesus was quoting from Psalm 118:22 and He identified Himself as the Cornerstone on which His church would be built. The prophet, Isaiah foretold this about Jesus. In Isaiah 28:16, Isaiah said: “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.’” For Christians and the Church, Christ is the Cornerstone who provides the firm foundation for our lives. However, for those who do not believe and place their trust in Him, they are like the Pharisees who rejected Him. In Acts 4:11, Peter uses this same passage from Luke 20:17 to condemn the Jewish religious leaders. Peter said, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.” The religious leaders should have been the ones building the church. But they chose to reject Jesus as the Messiah. By doing so, and discarding Him as the cornerstone, their lives collapsed around them just as a building would if the cornerstone was removed from the structure.
The same is true for us today. We each must choose either a firm foundation with Christ as the cornerstone, or to reject Him. In Isaiah 8:14-15, the prophet describes Jesus as a sanctuary for those who trust in him but a stumbling block to those who reject Him as the foundation for their life. There are three things we can learn about Jesus being the cornerstone of our lives:
If Jesus is our Cornerstone, then we take our shape from Him. 1 John 2:6 says, “Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked. If Jesus is the true cornerstone of your life than everything else in your life will take its shape from Him. Your words and actions would be like Him. The places you go would be places Jesus would go. Your eyes would only look at things Jesus would look at. Your attitudes would mirror His. And your heart would be like His: humble, servant, kind, generous, merciful, forgiving. Ephesians 5:1 says that we should be imitators of Christ. If He is the cornerstone of our lives, then everything about Christ should bubble up from our foundation and reflect Christ in every part of our lives.
If Jesus is our Cornerstone, then we take our instructions from Him. Luke 6:46 says, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?” If we profess Jesus as Lord, then the logical thing to do is to obey His commandments and do what He tells us to do. John 14:15 says, ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” A solider demonstrates his loyalty and faithfulness to his commanding officer and his platoon by following the orders of the officer. To do so, he must also trust his commanding officer as well as the other soldiers in his platoon. As a Christian, we demonstrate our love and trust in Christ, as well as our loyalty and faithfulness, by obeying God’s commandments and doing His will for our lives.
Lastly, if Jesus is our cornerstone, then we can take shelter in Him. If Jesus is our cornerstone, then we have a sure foundation for when the storms of life come. Jesus put it this way in Luke 6:46-49: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”
If you examine your own life, what have your built your eternal life on? Is Christ the cornerstone that lays a firm foundation? Are you more like the house on the rock or the house on the sand? Does the shape of your life mirror the shape of Christ? Are you following His instructions? Do you take shelter in Him when the storm of life come, trusting Him to be a firm and sure cornerstone?
If Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives then:
1) we take our shape from Him
2) we take our instructions from Him
3) we can take shelter in Him
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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel
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Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.
Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.
With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.
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When Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to be a disciple, the Pharisees and scribes were totally upset. They saw tax collectors as ritually unclean and therefore socially “off-limits” to devout Jews. Matthew (also known as Levi) was a Jew, but he was a hated outcast, and “unclean” because he worked for the Roman government. Also, the tax collectors also made “extra” money by charging the people more than the tax required. Needless to say, tax collectors were despised, rejected, hated. Yet, Jesus called Matthew to follow him and be His disciple.
