Cornerstone:
1.An important quality or feature on which a
particular thing depends or is based.
2. A stone that forms the base of a corner of a
building, joining two walls.
Jesus – the Son of God, sent to reconcile God
and mankind, is revealed as the Cornerstone of salvation and our only way to
access the Kingdom of God. Contrary to the many delusions of what gets people
into heaven, whether it be simply ‘being a good person’ or ‘saying you love God’,
the word of God clearly shows us that it is only through Jesus Christ that we
can be promised eternal life with God. {John 14:16 - Jesus answered, "I am
the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me.} Jesus as the Cornerstone presents a
way to God that unifies and connects us to His mercy, in spite of the wall of
sin. Whether it ruffles feathers, is controversial or not accepted by society,
it is the TRUTH. The access to the Kingdom of God is open to all, but sadly is
only pursued properly by faith, by few.
Matthew
21: 33-46 – The parable of the vineyard/evil farmers
Here Jesus tells the parable of the
Landowner (God), who leased the vineyard (the earth) to tenant farmers (Jewish
leaders). God sends His prophets who are referred to as the ‘landowners
servants’, who are directed by God to warn people of their sin, to encourage
people to repent and to provide an appeal to come to God (these are the
prophets in the Old Testament). They are beaten, stoned and killed, and are ultimately
rejected as God’s messengers by the farmers, so therefore God sends another set
of servants (more prophets of God) to continue to collect their share of the
crop of the mighty harvest. This represents the fallen world of sinful souls
that need to be saved; the prophets in the Old Testament were sent forewarn and
alert people of God’s judgement and ultimately the coming of the Messiah.
So after their rejection, God sends His
only Son into the world (Jesus Christ), thinking that they will respect Him.
However, the tenant farmers see this as a selfish opportunity to gain the
inheritance of the worldly kingdom of this earth, and so they kill Him also.
The passage then continues to reveal that out of God’s graciousness, He opens
the vineyard to others (the gentiles – those who are not Jews), emphasising the
fact that Jesus has now come to provide salvation for ALL, and that those who
are stuck in the mind frame of ensured access to the Kingdom of God, due to
birth rites or the work of Abraham and his ancestors, will not necessarily be
granted entry unless then repent and have full faith in Jesus.
Verse 43 is where Jesus shows Himself as a
fulfilment of prophecy from the Old Testament, and foreshadows the rejection of
His purpose, and essentially presents Himself as the Cornerstone that will
eventually have die for His bride (the church), to fulfil the perfect will of
God.
It
reads… then Jesus asked them, "Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures?
‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is
the LORD's doing, and it is wonderful to see.'’ Jesus mentions later that many
will stumble over this stone and that it will crush anyone it falls on,
displaying the magnitude of power that the Cornerstone, which is Jesus Himself
has to destroy wickedness, but also to crumble and replace the Jewish religion
as the Messiah. Jesus references many points in the Old Testament where the
rejection of His ministry as the foundation of the church and the only true
connection to God the Father. Isaiah 28:16-17:
“So this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested
stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will
never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the
plumb line.’” God speaks of His precious Son Jesus that would be Himself
manifested in the flesh as a sign of grace, for all those who trust in this
stone. The chosen and sent Messiah would be the One who would determine the
whole position of the structure of the new Christian church.
In ancient building construction, the
cornerstone was the essential stone/brick that was vital in allowing the
building to stand firm without falling. If this one stone was removed, the
whole building would fall and would not be able to function, as it was the
largest, most solid and most essential part of the whole establishment. This same
critical role that a cornerstone plays on a practical scale is a direct
reflection of who Jesus is to both the church and us believers as individuals.
For the church, Jesus lays the foundation of the unity of believers, because as
Chief Cornerstone He invites the union of all people whether once Jew or
gentile under His name. For us as individuals Jesus represents the absolute necessity
of a Saviour. As we grapple with indwelling sin, Jesus remains our escape through
to God the Father. He must remain the focal point of our walks on this earth,
as we acknowledge that without Him as the Cornerstone of our lives, we too will crumble.
Join me on this journey to get expand our understanding of the heart of who our Saviour is - EVERY MONDAY FOR 7 WEEKS!
''He Is Everything He Says He is''
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Email - kingdomambassadors@hotmail.com
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