Jesus, as this cornerstone, was rejected by men. After saying Jesus is a chief cornerstone, Peter says in 1 Peter 2:6-8, “Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.”
 
The word “rejected” here means “having studied and analyzed the facts, finding that person to not be acceptable.” It's not just ignorantly saying, “Oh well, I didn't know who Jesus was.” It means gathering all of the information, analyzing the data, knowing the details, and then coming to the conclusion that you are going to reject Jesus.
 
When Jesus walked this earth, he ministered to God’s people. He healed others. He taught. He performed miracles. He forgave sins. However, the religious leaders rejected Him. They knew the Scriptures and could observe how He ministered in the power of God, but they still rejected Him. They sought to find a way to crucify Him, which they ultimately did.
 
People not only reject Jesus, but they also reject His followers. You may feel rejection from coworkers, friends, family members, neighbors or even strangers because of your devotion to Jesus. Consider this: If the majority of the people of this world were wrong about Jesus when He walked this earth, why does it matter what they think of you today? Why does it matter if they reject you today? Jesus would say, “If they rejected Me, they’re going to reject you. If they rejected the Teacher, why would they not reject the student?”
 
In John 15:18-19, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Peter is making it plain and clear. Jesus has been rejected by others. He’s just in their way, so they reject Him.
 
Matthew 19:16-26 tells the familiar story where Jesus is introduced to the rich young ruler. The young man comes to Jesus and says, “What do I need to do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus, as God, knows the hearts and thoughts of people, and He understood the specific stumbling block for this rich young ruler. He says, "Honor your father and mother. Don't steal, don't kill." Jesus mentioned some of the commandments, but not all of them. He knew that this rich young ruler had mastered these commands.
 
The rich young ruler responds, "Well, all of these things I've done since I was a child." Then Jesus said, "But one thing you lack," and He pinpointed the idolatry of the rich young ruler's heart by saying, "Go and sell all you have and give it all to the poor. Come and follow me." The rich young ruler hung his head and walked away because he had a lot of possessions.
 
Jesus wasn't creating a universal command for all to obey, but He was pinpointing the idolatry of the rich young ruler's heart. Jesus knew he was a good moralistic person, but he also idolized money and material possessions. He didn't own things. Those things owned him. Jesus was encouraging him by saying, "Let them go. I'm worth more than that. Let them go. Come and follow me." Jesus only extended similar invitations to “come and follow Him” to those who would ultimately be His twelve disciples. How sad to observe this rich young ruler as he hung his head and walked away because he had a lot of material possessions.
 
It reminds me of individuals who would like to come to Jesus because they like the idea of forgiveness of sins. They may attend church because they enjoy the inspirational presence of God’s people. They enjoy the exciting music. They may feel entertained by the performance of professional music. They may enjoy the fellowship or comradery that can be found in a Bible study or Sunday School class. Then, the preacher gets up and preaches on the requirements of the gospel, and these same people back up. These same folks may reject hearing the preacher say, “Don’t allow that idolatry to grip your heart,” or ask challenging questions, like, “What are those things that are standing in your way from fully giving your heart and devotion to Jesus?”
 
They enjoy the music, the inspirational thoughts, the friends, but they will reject Jesus when He tells them to let go of the idols of the heart. Jesus has become to them a stumbling block and a stone of offense. That’s what the first-century people did. They heard Jesus teach, they watched Him perform miracles and still they shouted, “Crucify Him!”
 
Sometimes we ask ourselves the question, “What will God do to those who have never heard the gospel? What will happen to those people when they die?” And, there is a Bible answer for that. However, in light of these particular verses, we should ask ourselves, “What will God do to those who have clearly heard the gospel and have had the opportunity to understand the claims of Jesus Christ? They recognize that Jesus is not only the crucified Savior but also the risen Lord, Who proved He accomplished what He promised — dying for the sins of the world. What will happen to those who have heard this truth and yet dismiss it, concluding, ‘That's not for me’?” [1]
 
Jesus rebuked the cities in Matthew 11:20-24 that had witnessed His ministry and yet rejected Him.
 
Matthew 11:20–24 (NKJV)
20Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
23And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
 
These cities had seen the miracles. Capernaum, in particular, was the great headquarters of Jesus’ ministry. If any city had seen and heard Jesus it was Capernaum. Because they rejected Him, Jesus said to Capernaum in verse 24 that their judgment will be worse than the judgment that will come to Sodom, that immoral city. Verse 23 says, “If the same miracles had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah (those immoral cities), they would have repented.”
 
This is what it means to reject the cornerstone. Peter says that the temple builders rejected the cornerstone. They were annoyed by this stone. It was a rock of offense. It was a stumbling block. So, they threw it into the valley to get it out of the way. Later on they realized, “That was not just an awkwardly shaped stone. That was the cornerstone. The temple must have its cornerstone.”
 
Jesus is saying, “I am that stone that was rejected by men, but to those who know Me, they have esteemed Me as precious” (see 1 Peter 2:7).
 
“Dear Jesus, I choose to say ‘Yes’ to You! You are my Lord and Savior! I trust You today. Though others reject You, and may reject me as one of Your followers, I pray I would never be ashamed of being called one of Your followers. I love You. Amen.”
 
[1] Paraphrased from Adrian Rogers, “Life on the Rock,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), 1 Pe 2:4–9.

In 1501, world-renowned artist Michelangelo was going back from Rome to his home of Florence for three different reasons. First, he was a little homesick. Second, his family needed him. In the third place, there was a giant slab of flawless, white Carrara marble which was more than 18-feet high that was being given to him. Agostino di Duccio in 1464 tried to work with it, but ultimately rejected it. Leonardo wouldn’t touch it. Other sculptors refused to work with it. They called the marble “the giant”. It was being given to Michelangelo to see if he could do something with it. From 1501 to 1504, he masterfully worked on that gigantic piece of marble once rejected by others. From the once rejected stone, Michelangelo created one of the finest sculptures ever made by human hands - his iconic masterpiece "David". This marble slab was not just received by Michaelangelo, but it also became precious to him. Today, this breathtaking work of art stands proudly in the Accademia Gallery of Florence in Florence, Italy - a testament to Michelangelo's unmatched talent and vision.[1]
 
This story illustrates what Peter is writing about in 1 Peter 2:4-8. He says, "Jesus Christ is our cornerstone." Even though He is rejected by others, for you who are coming to Him, for you who believe in Him, for you who have esteemed Him as precious, He is your cornerstone. You can build your life on him. Verse 4 says, “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God.” Verse 6 says, “Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will not by any means be put to shame (or literally, be disappointed).”
 
Webster defines a “cornerstone” as “a stone which lies at the corner of two walls and serves to unite them; specifically, a stone built into a corner of the foundation of an important edifice as the actual or nominal starting point in the building.”
 
The foundation is the hardest part of any building. All of the dimensions and angles need to be right or the rest of the building will be off. Have you ever been in a house, perhaps even living in one, where it is not level in certain parts? You say, "Well, now that part of the ceiling is higher than the other part." It’s not only an eyesore. It can lead to other problems as well. A proper foundation will ensure the structural integrity of the rest of the building.
 
Today we have modern technology that helps the foundation of a building be laid properly without the use of a cornerstone. Many buildings will still have cornerstones, but they are only used in symbolic ways. They may have the year the building was built engraved on them and be placed in highly visible places of the buildings.
 
However, in biblical times, the cornerstone was essential to align all other stones and ensure the foundation was right and the rest of the stones were properly aligned. The cornerstone was the stone that everything else was measured by. It allowed you to have the right angles. It allowed you to ensure everything was level.
 
1 Kings 6 describes how Solomon’s temple was built. The master stone cutters would carve out the enormous stones from the rock quarry and ship them to the location where they would be put together without needing further cutting or hammering. In this way, the building of the temple was said to have been built reverently, without the use of a saw or hammer. 1 Kings 6:7 says, “And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.”
 
There is a legend[2] surrounding the building of the temple that has been repeated so many times that it is to be believed as history. While they were building this incredible temple, they were receiving deliveries of all these enormous rocks from the rock quarry. The master builder noticed one awkwardly shaped giant boulder that kept getting in people’s way. He would shout to the rest of the crew, “Who put this here? What is this for?” No one knew. “We didn’t put it there. We don’t know where it goes,” they would say. The men would have to work around it. It kept getting in the way of the construction of the temple. Finally, the master builder just said, “Toss it down that hill, and get it out of the way. We don’t need it.” They pushed it down a hill into a valley.
 
The temple took many years to build, and grass began to grow around that gigantic, awkwardly shaped stone. As they were nearing the end of construction. The master builder sent word to those in charge at the rock quarry, saying, “Where’s the last piece? Where’s the final piece that holds everything together?” The rock quarry manager sends word back, “We sent that to you.” The master builder responds, “We don’t have it.” Then, one of the workers says, “What about that big rock we pushed down into the valley?” They went to the valley, removed all the weeds and brush that had grown around the stone, and brought it back up the hill. They had to brush it off, and put it in place. It was the missing piece, almost like the final piece of a puzzle. It was the cornerstone of the temple. The temple was complete.
 
Now that imagery is repeated throughout the Bible, even Jesus would refer to Himself as the cornerstone rejected by men. To many people, Jesus is a stumbling block or a rock of offense. Some are annoyed by this giant rock that stands in their way. “Who is this Jesus?” “Why do I need a savior?” “Let’s get this giant rock out of our way!” While rejected by men, Jesus has become the chief cornerstone on Whom you can build your life. That is the imagery that Peter is referring to in 1 Peter 2:4-8. Jesus is the cornerstone. He’s the foundation by which everything else is built.
 
“Thank You, Jesus, that I can build my life on You. I thank You that I have not rejected You. I have come to You. I have believed on You. I have trusted You for my salvation. You are precious to me. I love You. Amen.”

[1] This story is from a sermon by Joel Gregory entitled “Cornerstone” from 1 Peter 2:4-8, www.gregoryministries.org.
[2] This story is from Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, 2004 Edition. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004), 86–87.

1 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV) - "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
 
In verse 3, Peter says, “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” That word “if”, in the Greek, can be translated “since,” and that’s what is implied. It’s not “if, and it might be the case.” It’s “if, and I know it is the case.” So, we would translate it like this, "Since you have tasted that the Lord is gracious," this verse of scripture is hearkening back to Psalm 34:8, which says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him."
 
Peter is conveying in this figure of speech, “Have you listened? Have you experienced the graciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have experienced the graciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you don't naturally have an appetite for anything else. Jesus is enough.”
 
Can you hear Peter, knowing of their walk with Christ, asking these questions, “Have you experienced the goodness of God? Have you felt God's grace? Have you found salvation?” Peter's saying that we should be reborn as God's children. He refers back to the same idea from the beginning of the letter and says, “Now, you've just begun a relationship with Jesus Christ. You're like a newborn baby. Don't let these five actions and attitudes hinder your growth. Also, make sure not to be influenced by the worldly activities or information. Crave the simple Word of God, and you will grow.” The Word is how they experienced their relationship with Jesus Christ.
 
1 Peter 1:22–23 (NKJV)
22Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
 
Can you remember the time when you were young, and your parents took you to a fancy restaurant, and you realized there was more to food than just chicken fingers and french fries? I still remember when Lydia and I first got married, and neither one of us knew how to cook. Lydia used to make pre-packaged meals where you just add meat, and I was perfectly fine with that. But over the years she started cooking meals from scratch and became a master in the kitchen. Suppose now, she asks if I want one of those pre-packaged meals? I would be grateful for the food, but after experiencing homemade meals, it's hard to settle for anything less!
 
And when you have had a relationship with Jesus Christ, when you've had your sins forgiven, when you've experienced the new birth, when you have a new nature on the inside, you don't want anything else. You don't want the philosophies of this world, and you're not satisfied with anything else. We put pacifiers in baby’s mouths to keep them quiet between meals. But when the milk of the bottle is there, that baby does not want to be distracted by the pacifier any more. Our heart cry should be, “I want the nourishment of God’s Word.” That's the mindset that every child of God should have. Nothing else will satisfy. We've experienced the real. That's all we want. It's only then that we will grow.
 
If my dog that had something in his mouth and I was trying to get it, do you know what I would do? It usually doesn’t work to run after him. I may try to deceive him somehow, but my dog is smart. That won’t always work. What does work every time is if I just hold up something that he wants or likes. All I have to do is ask, "Do you want a treat?" He'll drop the thing that's in his mouth, and he'll reach for the treat.
 
Now, in the same way, we may feel we are drawn to the things of this world. We may be continually asking, “Why do I continue to consume things that aren’t good for me, spiritually speaking?” We may feel tempted to look to the world for answers instead of God’s Word.
 
Maybe it's time to let go of those things that are not good for you, and begin to pursue and crave God’s good Word once again. Have you tasted that the Lord is gracious? Have you experienced the new birth? Once you’ve had the real, nothing else will satisfy.
 
“Thank You, Lord, for another reminder that You want me to grow in my walk with You. I pray that I never forget the reality of my relationship with You. I have tasted and seen that You are good. I know that You are gracious. I thank You that only You can satisfy. I love You! In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
​

1 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV) - "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
 
The desire of an ever-growing Christian is like that of newborn babes. We should have a childlike, even infant-like, attitude. What is this desire? It begins with the mindset of a baby. Nothing would satisfy my newborns at home except for what they truly desired. This is what the writer wants us to have: a desire for the pure, unadulterated word of God. We should crave it. That's the one command out of these three verses.
 
However, there are five actions and attitudes that we should avoid in our lives as they can kill our appetite. You might have a healthy appetite, but something might happen that makes you lose it. Have you ever been there? When I was in middle school, I would bring my own food from home because I didn't care for the cafeteria lunches. My friends would constantly tell me to buy lunch from the cafeteria because it was inexpensive, but I just wasn’t convinced. However, one time, they were serving hot dogs, so I thought, "How can you mess up hot dogs?" I bought one, took a big bite, and then a plastic wrapper came off as I pulled away. It turned me off, and I brought my own food for the rest of the school year.
 
Certain things can make us lose our appetite, which will ultimately hinder our growth. In verse one, Peter says to “lay aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking.” These things can hinder our growth as Christians.
 

• Malice - the intent to harm or punish others
• Deceit - manipulating others
• Hypocrisy - lack of authenticity
• Envy - discontent when others have what we want
• Evil speaking - slander and harmful criticism

 
James 1:21 says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Once again, negative traits that Christians should lay aside, and then return to the Word of God. As those negative traits are avoided, the appetite for God’s Word will return.
 
The Greek word for “desire” in 1 Peter 2:2 means to "long for it, yearn for it." Have an insatiable desire for the Word of God, not for popular philosophy or popular psychology, but for the simple Word of God. He continues that this desire is not simply to consume, but “that you may grow thereby.” It's not enough to just desire the word of God; we must also aim to grow by it. The aim is not just to fill our heads, but to grow as Christians.
 
After James 1:21 says to receive God’s Word, it says in verse 22 to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only.” The aim of that appetite is to grow.
 
In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.” Notice, the aim is that the man or woman of God is complete, or mature, and equipped for every good work. The aim is to do something with that nourishment.
 
In fact, our appetite for God’s Word will increase as we are living it out. It becomes more than merely another Bible study, whose focus is more information. It is for transformation.
 
There was an army officer in the 1950’s who was trying to train his soldiers in artillery. While they were in the classroom, most of the students were dozing and glossy-eyed. They were trying to stay awake in class, and the officer and teachers just didn't know how to help this. They were trying to teach them about their weapons, and yet they continued to lose focus. Five to seven years later, the same instructors noticed that a new group of students held onto every word that the teachers were giving. The officer said the difference was that our country were right in the middle of preparing for the Vietnam War, and everyone knew they had to know all about these weapons and artillery. They had to know the details because of the approaching war.
 
Once we, as God's people, recognize the spiritual war that's out there and how crucial it is to put God's Word inside our hearts, that's when our appetite will be what it needs to be. We will have the mindset of a baby who says nothing but that bottle will satisfy. Nothing else but God’s Word will satisfy.
 
In What Every Christian Ought to Know, Adrian Rogers recounted this story:
 
While on an airplane, I was browsing the magazine selection looking for a newspaper. I met a man there who asked what kind of newspaper I was looking for. I responded frankly that I was looking for a conservative newspaper.
 
He looked me up and down and said, “I’m looking for a liberal newspaper.” He was wearing a dark pin-striped suit, and I asked him what he did. He responded that he was a lawyer and in return asked me what I did. I told him I was a Baptist preacher.
 
He was interested in what I read, and I told him that I read books, journals, and newspapers, but that I primarily read the Bible.
 
“You don’t read any wider than that?” he asked.
 
“No, not really.”
 
“Do you speak to people?”
 
“All the time.”
 
He said, “Well then, how do you know what people’s needs and what their problems are if you don’t read any more widely than that?”
 
I said to this lawyer, “Man has only three problems: sin, sorrow, and death.”
 
He said, “No, there are more problems than that.”
 
I said, “All right, think about it and tell me a fourth problem.”
 
He thought for a while, and then he said, “Man has only three problems.”
 
Every other problem in the world is indeed just a subset of sin, sorrow, death, and the Bible is the only book on earth that has the   answer to all three conditions. For this reason it is important that you understand and have a rock-ribbed assurance that the Bible is the Word of God. It is not the Book of the Month; it is the Book of the Ages.[1]
 
Only the Bible can be as fresh as today's news, but eternal. The same Bible that has been read for thousands of years is just as applicable today as then. The Bible is not just a good book. The Bible is not just a challenging book. This is the Word of God. So you can build your life on the Word of God just the same way that a baby who is being breastfed just needs the nourishment of his mother. That milk has everything necessary for that baby to grow. In the same way, all you need as a child of God to grow is not today's philosophy, not tomorrow's cultural events, but rather just the simple, pure, undiluted Word of God applied to your life. The aim is not merely to know it or memorize it, but to live it out as a child of God.
 
God's Word is sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. We don't need to look beyond it for spiritual guidance or nourishment. Just as a balanced diet provides all the nutrients our bodies need, the Bible provides all the spiritual food we need for growth and maturity in Christ.
 
“Father, as a babe in Christ, I thirst for Your Word. I pray that nothing else satisfies like Your Word. Oh God, when the myriad of voices clammer for my attention, I pray I come back to the Bible. Thank You for Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
 


[1] Adrian Rogers and Steve Rogers, What Every Christian Ought to Know (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2012), 6–7.

You are what you eat. I was reading this comic book, and it had a little squirrel lying on a psychiatrist's couch and he was just trying to talk to the psychiatrist, and he said, "When I realized that 'you are what you eat,' that's when I knew I was nuts." Well, our spiritual nutrition is so important. It helps set the stage for being a healthy Christian.
 
We live in a world obsessed with diets, fads, and nutrition. We strive to stay in shape, cut calorie counts, and burn calories through exercise. I remember working at the YMCA while also serving as a student pastor. There was one trainer in his sixties who taught what he called the "push-away" exercise. When people asked for help losing weight, he'd say, "Well, I want to teach you how to do this exercise. It's called the push-away." He explained that while most people think getting in shape requires push-ups and sit-ups, what they really need is to "push away" from the table. They need to avoid certain meals, stay away from certain calories, and lower their calorie intake.
 
We know phrases like "you are what you eat" and "garbage in equals garbage out." We know this in our heads, yet we continue to feed on things that might not be good for us. Nutrition is important for physical health, but even more so for spiritual health. As Christians, we need to exercise our faith and learn spiritual disciplines, but first and foremost, we have to think of our spiritual nutrition.
 
In this passage, Peter describes an appetite, a diet of the Word of God - something you can feed on to help you grow as a Christian. We grow spiritually by feeding on God's Word.
 
1 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV) - "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
 
Sometimes, you might encounter someone who says, "I'm so weak. I have no energy. I'm lethargic." If you ask what they've eaten, they might respond, "Well, I haven't eaten all week. On Sunday morning, I'll come and I'll eat just a little crumb here or there, but then I just don't eat any other time during the week." It's no wonder they feel weak and empty.
 
That same thing happens spiritually when Christians only engage with God's Word on Sundays. We bring our Bible to church, hear a sermon, attend a Sunday school lesson, maybe even a midweek Bible study, but then try to live our lives on that spiritual nourishment for the rest of the week. While this can provide great nourishment, it's not sufficient to help you be as strong as you need to be as a child of God.
 
Remember Matthew 4:4, where Jesus, when tempted by the devil to turn rocks into bread, said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." He wasn't suggesting we should literally eat the Bible, but emphasizing that our spirits need spiritual nourishment even more than our bodies need physical nourishment.
 
Jeremiah 15:16 echoes this: "Your word was found and I ate them, and your word became to me the joy and rejoicing of my life." Jeremiah isn't saying he ate the scroll, but that God's Word became his spiritual nourishment, just as bread nourishes the physical body.
 
Well, 1 Peter 2:2 says something similar. He says, "as newborn babes desire or long for the sincere, the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby." He's not diminishing milk. He's actually saying milk is good for you, and the Word of God can be spiritual nourishment for you, just the same way that a baby needs the nourishment of milk to help us grow as a Christian.
 
“Dear God, thank You for Your Word. I pray that I would crave Your Word just as much as I physically crave nourishment each day. I pray that Your Word would satisfy the deepest longings of my soul. It would be the joy and rejoicing of my life. Thank You, In Jesus’ name. Amen.”