Love goes both ways Pt 16: Our cornerstone
Psalm 118:22 22The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
Isaiah 28:16 16So 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 relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
1 Peter 2:4-8 4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you 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. 6For 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.”
The stone the builders rejected
In an age of Bluetooth and internet, builders don’t have much need for a cornerstone because exact precision during construction is easily available. Of course this wasn’t available 2000-3000 years ago. The solution was to create a stone corner piece whose angles were exactly 90o in all respects so foundation lines could be drawn to place the rest of the stones for the foundation of the building. The cornerstone thus became the most important stone in any building being constructed.
The metaphor of the “stone” evokes both literal and symbolic significance. In the ancient Near East, the cornerstone was the foundational stone upon which a structure was aligned and stabilized. To call a rejected stone the cornerstone was a self-contradictory statement which surprised and asserted an unexpected elevation and vindication. Within its original context, the psalm likely celebrated Israel's national deliverance from surrounding enemies. Israel, marginalized and oppressed, is vindicated and raised up by God as the capstone of His purposes.
However, early believers identified this stone with Jesus Christ. The Gospels explicitly connect Psalm 118:22 to Christ’s rejection by the religious authorities and his ultimate vindication in resurrection. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus quotes the verse following the parable of the tenants, casting himself as the stone rejected by the builders—i.e., the Jewish leaders. This interpretive leap reveals how the early church saw in Jesus’ passion and exaltation the embodiment of Israel’s narrative arc: suffering, rejection, and divine exaltation.1
Peter’s use of this motif in 1 Peter 2:7 mirrors this theological trajectory. He writes, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” applying the psalm not only to Jesus’ resurrection, but to the broader reality of believers’ identity shaped by union with Christ. The rejection Jesus experienced is not merely a historical event; it becomes a paradigm for the Church’s own posture in a hostile world.2 Believers are encouraged to embrace the paradox: that rejection by men often accompanies election by God.
Has become precious and sure
Isaiah looks at the concept of a cornerstone from a different aspect. Isaiah presents the stone as divinely placed, tested, and inherently precious. It is the sure foundation laid by Yahweh Himself, not so much as physical support—say for the Temple—but as a cornerstone of righteousness and faith.3 This stone is trustworthy, and those who rely upon it will be secure. In 1 Peter 2:6, Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16 to encourage believers facing persecution. By applying Isaiah’s image to Christ, Peter underscores the reliability of Jesus as the foundation for the Christian life. In a world of shifting allegiances and mounting hostility, Jesus is the "precious cornerstone." This is something we need to keep in mind as we approach the End of Days, Peter's epistle repeatedly affirms that the believer's hope is not in societal acceptance or institutional power but in Christ as the unshakeable foundation. This assertion carries weight: suffering believers are reminded that their security is not undermined by persecution, but reinforced by the tested reliability of their foundation.4 As Christ was appointed and upheld by God, so too are those who build their lives upon Him.
This image also implies judgment: for those who refuse to believe, the stone becomes a stumbling block, as Peter notes in verses 7–8, citing Isaiah 8:14. The same stone that stabilizes the believer unsettles the unbeliever. Christ is both a sanctuary and a snare, depending on the disposition of one’s heart toward Him.5
So you can become a holy priesthood
The stone motif culminates in 1 Peter 2:4–8 with a sweeping ecclesiological vision: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans 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.” The imagery shifts from Christ alone as the cornerstone to the Church as a temple constructed of “living stones.” The implication is profound: believers not only receive Christ’s benefits but participate in His identity and mission.
Peter calls the community a “holy priesthood,” a term rich with Old Testament resonance. Under the Mosaic covenant, priests served as mediators between God and Israel. Now, through Christ, the entire Church shares in this priestly calling. As living stones in God’s new temple, believers offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (v. 5). These sacrifices include worship, witness, generosity, and holy living.6
This priestly identity is not based on ethnicity or status but on coming to the "living Stone." The Greek tense in “as you come to him” indicates continual approach—a lifestyle of drawing near to Christ. The metaphor thus blends union with Christ with spread of the Kingdom: union with the rejected yet exalted Christ results in the Church becoming the dwelling place of God on earth.
Peter’s language here echoes Exodus 19:6, where Israel is called to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The Church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, inherits this vocation through Christ. The priesthood is no longer hereditary or limited but communal and spiritual. This democratization of priesthood empowers believers to serve, intercede, and proclaim.
Moreover, the temple imagery suggests that the Church is not a static edifice but a living organism, continually shaped and aligned by its cornerstone. As the community of faith takes shape around Christ, it embodies His character and mission in the world. Just as Jesus was rejected yet vindicated, so the Church may suffer rejection, yet remains precious and secure in God’s plan.
What about me?
Believers who come to this living Stone find not only stability but identity. They are built into God’s temple, serve as His priests, and reflect His purposes. Rejection by the world is not defeat but confirmation that they follow in the steps of the Cornerstone. In Christ, what is rejected becomes foundational; what is tested proves true; and those who come to Him become holy.
Children of God often come to Christ because of crisis. We are a stubborn, willful people whose pride and arrogance have to be overwhelmed through crisis to get their attention. Because of this we are likely to see ourselves as overwhelmed and burdened. Believer don’t fall into this trap. God loves you as you are and loves you deeply enough that he doesn’t want you to stay as you are.
We believers are often thrown here or there by shifting winds of a changing society, but we have a sure foundation in Jesus. If you find yourself overwhelmed by your situation, you can depend on Jesus, upon his precepts, and upon his unvarying nature. Trust in him at all times and in all things, no matter what.
Footnotes
1. France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 812.
2. Jobes, Karen H. 1 Peter, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005), 147.
3. Oswalt, John N. The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1–39 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 509.
4. Grudem, Wayne. 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: IVP, 1988), 101.
5. Davids, Peter H. The First Epistle of Peter, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 93.