The Living Stone

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

1 Peter 2:4-12
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.”

I attend a Bible Study class, we all enjoy a lecture, and a video on the topic that we are studying. Afterwards we all go to our small group of women to discuss the week’s homework. Last week when I read in 1 Peter 2:4 about The Living Stone and a Chosen People, I was really moved. In the Bible Study homework it asked us to look up the definition of cornerstone:

Cornerstone
1. a stone uniting two masonry walls at an intersection. 2. a stone
representing the nominal starting place in the construction of a
monumental building, usually carved with the date and laid with
appropriate ceremonies. 3. something that is essential, indispensable,
or basic 4. the chief foundation on which something is constructed or
developed.

This definition really made me think. Has not Christ united us to the Father at the intersection of our life when we first gave our hearts to Christ? Was not Christ the foundation and starting place to the beginning of a new construction, a new life in Christ? Jesus Christ certainly is indispensable to me, and the foundation on which I base my newly constructed life, which He continues to develop. When I looked at a picture of a cornerstone, I saw an image that I wanted to create. I saw an image of Jesus Christ with His arms out-stretched in praise to God, and inviting us to His embrace.

I could see a shawl of purple symbolizing the Royal Priesthood draped over his shoulders, cascading down His back over His robe. The shawl was folded in such a way as to visually symbolize the shape of a cornerstone. When we accept the embrace of Jesus Christ into our lives, He connects us, as a living cornerstone to God because it is written “you also, like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” As He brings us into His Word Jesus teaches us how to be obedient to God. I created this collage to illustrate the image that I could see.

I have read this chapter so many times, yet it had never really come alive, until I looked up the definition of cornerstone. I believe it was the visual image of the cornerstone and the description that truly made me understand the meaning of the word in this scripture. The very day that we give our lives to Jesus, He connects us to God, just like a cornerstone and we become God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood and we belong to Him and just like the image of Jesus praising God, we too enter into that fellowship. Jesus was rejected by men and God made Him the chief cornerstone, a vessel for us to come to know God and become His children. If you have not yet given your life to Jesus Christ, I invite you to enter the embrace that will change your life forever. Then you will become part of the royal family, a holy nation, belonging to God and your life will become full of the light of Jesus Christ.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9