Say Yes to Jesus!

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.