And He beheld them and said, What is this then that is written, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the corner. Luke 20:17
Many years ago, a team of workers doing restoration to an outside wall of a university building in Fredericton had to dig below the ground line to fix a crack. As they continued to dig, they came across an unusual stone in the building’s foundation. They alerted university officials, who determined that the workers had uncovered the building’s cornerstone. Excitedly, they excavated the stone, and opened it, to discover some interesting artifacts inside. When that cornerstone had been laid, it had a compartment carved into it, into which the builders had placed a newspaper, some coins, and several other items associated with the time that the stone was laid. The contents of that cornerstone were fascinating because they provided almost 150 years of history. As we contemplate our Cornerstone today, we discover a vast treasure-trove of history and value, far exceeding any cornerstone ever laid by men.
Isaiah tells us (Isaiah 28:16) and Peter reminds us (1 Peter 2:6) that it was God who laid the Cornerstone, elect and precious. Just as the cornerstone is the kingpin for the foundation of a building, so the Lord Jesus is the Kingpin for the foundation of all of Christianity. Just as a cornerstone of a building contains historical references and credentials, so too does our Cornerstone come of the vast heritage of all of Scripture, and with the appointment of God. The laying of our Cornerstone was an act of love, as John 3:16 reminds us: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Just as a cornerstone of a building is often buried out of sight and forgotten for many years, so too was the Lord Jesus rejected, despised, and forsaken.
On a day like this, the Saints of God gather to acknowledge the Cornerstone. We review His credentials, we recall His rejection and suffering, and we rejoice at His glorious resurrection. That is the portion of God’s people today. But a day comes when all will acknowledge the Cornerstone and recognize His title.
In our little corner today, the Lord Jesus is the Head. His position we acknowledge, and His work we appreciate. -Jim MacIntosh