Our Wondrous God: The Rejected Cornerstone
Our Wondrous God: The Rejected Cornerstone.
“I praise You, for You have answered me and have become my deliverance. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; it is wondrous (“pala”) in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has brought about; let us greatly rejoice (“giyl”) and be glad (“samach”) in it.” (Ps. 118:21-24).
Psalm 118 is a liturgical song of thanksgiving to be sung in the Temple for a special occasion. It starts with the profound and familiar refrain so often found elsewhere… “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever!” This is the final psalm of the Hillel, Psalms 113-118, traditionally sung with great reverence at every Passover. And so this is the last psalm sung by Jesus and His disciples at the Last Supper. Imagine the poignancy in Jesus’ mind as He sang about the stone being rejected just before being arrested in Gethsemane. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, this psalm is sung every Sunday morning during worship, celebrating the Resurrection and God’s mercy in Jesus.
Pili (pil-ee), Pala, or Pele = the Hebrew word which means: wondrous; miraculous; unsurpassed; something so wonderful that it is beyond comprehension; remarkable, extraordinary, marvelous; so awesome it cannot be understood by humans; so amazing that it seems impossible or too difficult to accomplish; so uniquely set apart from human understanding that it is God’s secret.
“Giyl” = an intensely emotional response to God; to greatly rejoice; to be exceedingly glad; to spin around and leap for joy; to exult with exuberance. Examples of “giyl” are David rejoicing before the Ark (1 Chron. 15), the psalmist exulting with joy in worship (Ps. 2:11), all of creation rejoicing before the Creator God (1 Chron. 16:30-33), and God dancing for joy over us (Zeph. 3:17).
“Samach” = to express gladness and joy; to brighten up with gleefulness.
On Christ as the Living Stone. “So come to Him then, that Living Stone which was rejected and discarded by men but chosen by God and is priceless in God’s eyes… For it says in Scripture, “Look, I lay a cornerstone in Zion, a chosen and precious stone! Whoever believes in Him will certainly not be disappointed.” (1 Peter 2:4, 6).
When Jesus claimed to be the “stone that the builders rejected” in Matthew 21:42 (also Mark 12:10 and Luke 20:17), He is exhorting the religious leaders that they are fulfilling the messianic prophecies in their rejection of Him as Messiah, and trying to explain the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures such as Psalm 118:22-24 (above), Isaiah 28:16, and Zechariah 4:16-17:
- “Behold, I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone, a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on; whoever believes need never be shaken or disgraced.” (Isaiah 28:16). Jesus is boldly claiming to be the Holy Rock, the Foundation, the fulfillment of Isaiah’s precious cornerstone. Jesus is asserting that the Foundation Rock, built by God, is Himself. His body is the new Temple, the Third Temple, so don’t forget to build your life on Him, through hearing, believing, obeying His word.
- “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! For he shall produce that excellent stone: it shall be greeted with shouts of ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!… Does anyone scorn a day of small beginnings? When they see the stone of distinction, they shall rejoice.” (Zechariah 4:6-7). What a stunning description of Jesus!
The Messianic Stone. There was no doubt whatsoever that the earliest Christians affirmed Jesus as the prophesied Stone. Paul says so in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Paul also states in Ephesians 2:20, “… Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” Peter agrees with Paul, as you can see in his affirmation in 1 Peter 2 above. And Luke repeats this messianic claim of Jesus as he refers to the Stone in Acts 4:11, “… By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, this is the Stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.” Peter also refers to Isaiah 8:4, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes others fall. They stumble because they do not obey God’s word.”
I AM THEY – My Feet Are on the Rock (Official Music Video)
Four Building Stones. Jesus is associated with four types of living stones in the Bible: foundation stone, cornerstone, capstone, and keystone. These last three seem to be interchangeable in Scripture, and cornerstone could just as easily be translated as capstone or keystone. Most translations, though, have centered on cornerstone.
Foundation Stone. One interesting facet of the idea of foundation stone is something familiar to all Jews regarding the Holy of Holies. According to rabbinic and mystical tradition, there is a sacred rock called “The Foundation,” a stone that is slightly elevated off the ground, sitting in the center of the Holy of Holies, which is in the center of the Temple, which is historically considered to be the center of the world. It is considered the rock that was the foundation rock during Creation. There is still a Foundation Stone to this day in what was once the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount. The idea of foundation stone is also at the center of Jesus’ famous parable about the two builders. The wise builder built his house on the stable foundation rock under the ground. The foolish builder didn’t bother digging for solid rock, but settled on his house being built on the shifting sand. In all this, Jesus has proven Himself to be the sure foundation stone… of Creation, of our personal faith, and of the collective faith of the Church. Our lives and the life of the Church is built on nothing less than Jesus, our true Foundation Stone.
Cornerstone. In building a house of faith, Christ is also the chief cornerstone. A builder can’t effectively join two walls together in a permanent way without placing a solid cornerstone that joins those two walls together. Without the invaluable cornerstone, the walls won’t be stable. They will be crooked, unevenly joined, and they will sooner or later collapse. Usually the chief cornerstone is placed right on the foundation, and the builders can then begin to adjoin the walls right onto it. The builders have to be choosy in picking the cornerstone, it has to be worthy of trust, since the stability of the walls depend on it. Without the perfectly chosen and placed cornerstone, the walls will not stand, the house will be faulty, and all the building will have been done in vain. Christ is the cornerstone in the house of faith, holding together the walls of justice and righteousness. A solid, stable cornerstone is a reason for builders, and believers, to rejoice.
Capstone. “The stone that the builders rejected and discarded has now become the capstone.” (1 Peter 2:7, NIV). Jesus could just as well be the capstone in a house of faith. Capstones are vital in construction, for they are the solid stones that are placed at the very top of the new walls. Capstones finish off the walls up top and provide a stable place on which to build the roof. Without solid capstones securing the highest point of the walls, the walls would be incomplete and unstable. Once the capstones are in place, the roof can be securely built and the residents can be protected from weather and predators and pests. Without solid capstones, the roof would be insecure and unstable. Without the well-placed capstones, the house would not be a place of peace and protection. Christ is the priceless capstone, the invaluable part of the faith’s support system, turning a house into a sanctuary.
Keystone. “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the keystone.” (Luke 20:17, NRSV). As the Living Stone, Christ has become the foundation stone, the cornerstone, the capstone, and now the keystone in the house of faith. The keystone is one more vital way that Jesus is essential in faith construction. The keystone is that wedge-shaped stone that fits perfectly into the very top center of the entrance arch. Without a well-selected and shaped keystone, believe it or not, everything would collapse. It is the final piece placed during house construction, because it serves the function of locking all the stones into position. The keystone allows the arch to bear the weight of all the construction. Without a perfectly fitted keystone, the unstable shelter would fall. Without Christ as the keystone, the house of faith would not hold together, for He makes everything fit together perfectly.
The Rock of Deliverance. As the Living Stone, Christ is the most important building material in our house of faith. He is the foundation stone, the cornerstone, the capstone, and the keystone. We build on Him, and with Him. We build for Him and because of Him. We build through Him and in Him. There would be no shelter of faith were it not for the Living Stone. Christ is the Rock of Salvation, and with Him we will never be disappointed. It is the Lord’s doing, and is a marvel, wondrous in our sight. “Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yahweh God, we have an everlasting Rock.” (Isaiah 26:4).
Standing On The Rock – YouTube
On Christ as the Stumbling Stone. “He will be a stone to stumble over, a rock obstructing their way; a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many of them will stumble and fall, be broken and trapped and captured.” (Isaiah 8:14-5).
The Rock of Offense. One dominant messianic theme in the Hebrew Bible was the prophecy that the coming Messiah would be a “rock of offense.” The Messiah would be rejected by many, including the religious authorities. This message of rejection was repeated at least five times in the New Testament. Jesus referred to Psalm 118:22 many times when He spoke of being rejected by His own people and by the leaders. “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” (re, Matt. 21:42; Mrk 12:10-11; Luke 20:17). And Jesus, as well as the early Christians, was not shy about letting the authorities know that their rejection of the Messiah, of Jesus the Anointed One, was actually prophesied in Scripture.
Jesus Offended Many. If Jesus Messiah was a stumbling stone, a rock to trip over, a Rock of Offense, what did Jesus do that was so offensive? How was Jesus living in such a way as to make people stumble over Him? How could anyone be so offended by a Person so full of love and mercy, of good will and comfort, of wisdom and insight? Why did Jesus feel compelled to say early in His ministry, “Blessed are those who are not offended in me.” (Matt. 11:6). Perhaps people tripped over Jesus as prophesied in Scripture because they fell hard over “offenses” like these:
(1.) Authority. Jesus spoke with authority, and acted with authority, and he seemed to assume authority in His ministry. His audience often left Him thinking, He was a man who could speak with authority, not like these Temple leaders. Christ’s authority was a major sticking point with the Pharisees and other leading religious figures. Jesus was often verbally assaulted after saying and doing things, by accusations like, From where do you get the authority to do this, Jesus? Who gave you the authority to whip the moneychangers in the Temple? Where did you get the authority to speak as if you know the mind of Yahweh? The religious authorities were jealous of Jesus, they were threatened by Jesus, and revealed that they actually did not have much spiritual authority at all. This caused many to stumble over Jesus.
(2.) Conflicting Values. Jesus valued traits like humility and honesty, grace and forgiveness, mercy and generosity. Sometimes Jesus held up servants and shepherds and farmers as role models. He discipled women and others who were overlooked and undervalued. He healed the unclean, He ate with sinners. It’s clear that Jesus had a whole different value system than many around him. This offended many and became a stumbling block for those who didn’t try to understand Him.
(3.) Misunderstanding. Jesus spoke with many parables and stories and allusions, and quite often the listeners were not quite up to the task of understanding what He was saying. For those who didn’t pursue His teaching points, they would remain confused and muddled. Jesus often said things that would easily be misunderstood in order to separate the serious disciples from the more casual observer. After declaring that He came down from heaven in John 6:41, for instance, the people said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” Jesus said things in His ministry that often led to misunderstandings, sometimes because they took Him literally instead of figuratively, and sometimes because they thought they knew him and refused to consider another perspective. Sometimes He was purposely unclear so that it would motivate those who really wanted to understand Him to follow Him more nearly and learn more deeply. For those who wanted to stay on a more superficial level with Jesus, they simply wouldn’t understand him. This remained a stumbling block throughout His ministry.
(4.) Difficult Words. Jesus wasn’t afraid to speak the truth in ways that He knew were difficult to accept. He wasn’t shy about speaking words that would be difficult to believe. One example is in John 6, when He said they would have no life in themselves unless they ate His body and drank His blood. Every Jew knew that it was forbidden to eat meat that wasn’t kosher, no less human flesh! And every Jew knew that it was forbidden to drink blood (Lev. 17). This was all repellant to religious Jews because it contradicts what they know about Scripture, and it had cannibalistic overtones too! Many left Jesus after these difficult words. A message like that proved to be a stumbling block to many.
(5.) Different Expectations. The Jews were primed for a victorious Messiah who would save the day and restore the throne of David. The Messiah was to be a triumphant king who would lead the nation into an idyllic era of universal justice and righteousness and peace. Jesus was a very different kind of Messiah, at least on the surface. He was the type of Messiah who would prove triumphant only through death, victory through defeat. He was executed as a common criminal, killed before He could fulfill their idea of what the Messiah was sent to do. This was proof positive for many that Jesus was not the Messiah everyone expected… “We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block.” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
(6.) I AM. Could there be anything more offensive to religious leaders than to see someone put himself on equal footing with the object of their worship, the Great I AM, the unspeakable Yahweh? Jesus spoke the I AM formula over 20 times in the gospel of John alone, and each time He declared I AM it was scandalous. It was outlandish in the eyes of Temple authorities for Jesus to claim to be co-equal to their eternal God in heaven. To assume the personal, holy Name of Yahweh given to Moses at the Burnish Bush! Jesus overtly claimed that He had eternal kinship with the Almighty God of Israel. This claim of I AM meant that Jesus declared His divinity and was not merely a super-prophet, a master teacher, a faith healer, or an inspired exorcist. This was one big reason Jesus was a Rock of Offense to so many who stumbled over this outrageous claim.
(7.) Works v. Faith. In Romans 9:30-32, Paul states, “Gentiles, even though they were not striving for righteousness, have obtained righteousness; but it is a righteousness grounded in trusting! However, Israel, even though they kept pursuing a Torah that offers righteousness, did not reach what the Torah offers. Why? Because they didn’t pursue righteousness as being grounded in trusting but as if it were grounded in doing legalistic works. They stumbled over the stone that makes people stumble.” (Complete Jewish Bible). In other words, people will trip over Jesus and fall flat on their face if they pursue a relationship with God by works and not faith. Those who think they can earn God’s favor and His salvation will be sorely disappointed and are clearly in conflict with the message of Jesus. This issue of faith, not works, was a major stumbling block for the religious authorities, who invested their whole lives on works righteousness.
(8.) Anger and Guilt. Jesus was the ultimate Whistleblower regarding the evils of the world. He uncovered the wickedness of the world. Various versions of John 7:7 are interesting… I provoke hatred because I show the world how evil its deeds really are; I give evidence that the world’s ways are evil; I keep telling the world how wicked its ways are; I expose the evils behind the world’s pretensions. Because Jesus was utterly pure, sometimes He didn’t even have to say or do a thing for people to see how He contrasts with the ways of the world. Sometimes the very presence of Jesus revealed the impurity of the world, merely by people noticing the contrast between Jesus and everybody else. No doubt, many felt truly guilty after being exposed, and hopefully they went straight to Jesus to receive comfort and forgiveness. Others felt angry that their inner nature was exposed for all the world to see, their pretensions were revealed. Jesus said in John 7:7 that the world hated Him because He kept accusing the world of its evil ways. In being a moral and spiritual whistleblower, Jesus was a stone of stumbling for many.
(9.) Judgment. Jesus seemed to reserve His harshest rebukes for those religious leaders who were hard-hearted and closed-minded. In Matthew 23, it’s as if He has been saving it in order to let it all come out at this moment, for He called them every name in the book. He accused them of missing the whole point of Scripture and then leading his people astray. He accused them of being religious hypocrites, of being pretentious and seeking honor and privilege. He criticized them for exalting themselves and seeking the admiration of people. Jesus said that because their eyes remained on themselves, they have lost sight of God. Matthew 23 is known as the “Grand Critique,” and was His most famous attack on the religious authorities. He didn’t mince words as He verbally cleared the Temple, basically declaring, I’ve had it with you! I’ve lost my patience with you! Woe unto you! For you are headed for disaster if you keep leading my people stray! The Temple leaders reacted the way we would expect them to, they were mortally offended. How does this unofficial rabbi from an uneducated class of Jews dare to judge us like this! The plain talk of Jesus in this passage did not exactly endear Him to the Temple authorities. They resented his accusations, and they wanted Him to pay for it with His life. The righteous judgments of the Lord proved to be a stone of stumbling once again.
(10.) Father and Son. Because the Aramaic term “abba” for father was so intimate and familiar, orthodox Jews refused to say it. But Jesus assumed intimacy with the Father and referred to abba all the time, and even encouraged His disciples to use that term in their prayers. Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God, as did His followers. Christ implied an eternal intimacy between Him and the heavenly Father, that He has come in the Father’s name, that His words are actually the Father’s words, that He is the only access to the Father. Jesus claimed that only the Son, Himself, truly knows the Father in heaven. He declared that the Father and Son are essentially One… the Father in the Son, the Son in the Father. Many Jews were outraged that Jesus would make these claims. They quoted the great Shema, “The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” So the Father is indivisible, there can’t be two Gods! What Jesus says about Himself and the Father is sacrilegious, it is blasphemy, it is outrageous and simply can’t be tolerated. Yes, the relationship between the Father and Jesus, between the Father and the Son, was rejected by many and became a great rock of offense.
On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand/Oh Praise The Name- Crossroads Music
The Cornerstone of Everything. Only Christ is the trustworthy foundation stone, the cornerstone, the capstone, and the keystone, building materials used for the individual faith of the believer, the corporate faith of the Church, and even for the structure of the universe. “Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yahweh God we have an everlasting Rock.” (Is. 26:4). Without Christ as the Living Stone, the entire cosmos itself would collapse, and everything within it.