1 Peter 2:4-9

1 Peter 2:4-9 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (NIV).

   It is of major theological significance that the one who was named “rock” by Jesus is telling us all that Jesus is the cornerstone. He is preaching Christ, not himself. The Church is not built on Peter by his own admission. The Church is built on faith in Jesus.

   Jesus told a parable in Luke 20:9-19 which identified Himself as the fulfillment of prophecy regarding the cornerstone. He was the stone, the Messiah, which the builders, the religious leaders, rejected. They killed Jesus on a cross just as the tenants killed the son of the owner of the fields in the parable. I add here that there have been a minority of Christians throughout Church history who have blamed the Jewish people for killing Jesus, which is wrong, because Jewish people did not kill Jesus, rather a select group of Jewish religious leaders along with a select group of Romans contributed to the murder of Jesus back around the year 33 A.D. (Actually closer to 28 A.D., because our calendar is a bit off.) For example, Peter was Jewish, and he did not murder Jesus. And in addition, Jesus forgave his murderers from the cross. And He is the One to be their judge.

   Peter’s denoting of the Old Testament as “Scripture,” is implying those writings are sacred. (1)  I consider the fact that he capitalizes the word on purpose to emphasize the sacredness over any old “writing.”

   Regarding the destiny of those who stumble, they are not destined to stumble by God, rather they are destined to stumble not just because they did not obey, but because they did not believe in the first place. People make decisions according to personal beliefs.

   I started going to a new church this past November, which I think is a special church though in a rather small building, and we have an extremely special pastor.  I love folks at Mountair.  On Easter Sunday one week ago, we had a blessed Easter service. Afterwards, I went down into the entrance of the church, and there was a door open to a room I had never seen open before, which is near the church entrance. I looked into the room, and the room is basically a one room church museum. I think history is a great educator, so I went in and started studying the pictures which went the course around the room, and I looked at the items which were in large glass display cases. Some of the history of our church is preserved in that room. In looking at the line of pictures of all of the employed ministers of the church, I gave special attention to the duration of their service. The church has had quite a few ministers over the past fifty years.

   Reflecting on this church history room, I consider that our church is more than a building, and more than a museum. Our church is a living body of people who are devoted to Jesus. Jesus is the Cornerstone, and there are people in our church who have been serving Him in that body of believers since 1951, 1953, 1960, etc. There are a bunch of loving people in my church, living by the love of Jesus.
   The Church of Jesus does not simply consist of buildings, artifacts, and people who get their picture on the wall. The Church is about loving relationships in the family of God. Jesus is the Cornerstone, the One who loved everyone, and chose to die on a cross as the substitute for all the sins that every person had ever committed, or would ever commit. If you believe in Jesus, you will be forgiven of your sins, and you will be bonded with Jesus. You even get to be a member of a holy priesthood.
   I add that even though a holy priesthood sounds glamorous, being a true blue follower of Jesus brings much suffering. Just a Jesus was rejected, there will likely be a time when you likewise will be rejected for your commitment to Christ. Be forewarned. Yet though rejection comes from certain people, those who are obedient to Jesus, following His commands, remain able to receive the true love of Jesus.  Being a follower of Jesus, you have the light of Christ in you, no matter what your circumstances.

   And in churches, there can be family love. As brothers and sisters in Christ, “church” can be an opportunity for growth in the love and knowledge of Jesus. Granted there are plenty of churches where this is not taking place. If you are in a church that does not seem to have Jesus as its Cornerstone, or does not seem like “family,” keep seeking God’s guidance to know whether He is going to use you there to make things better, or whether He has something better for you for the next season.
Hunter Irvine

(1)   Joel Green, ed., Hearing the New Testament:
Strategies for Interpretation (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 230.