Jesus Christ, Our Cornerstone

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.