“Haven’t you read this scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’”
Mark 12:10-11 (NIV)
Buildings are celebrated when the foundation is laid and when the last nail is driven in. This week’s question is a great reminder of a couple of things – first, the church is not ours it is Jesus’ and second the church is not an actual building, it is a unified group of people under HIS Lordship.
Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 as He concludes His parable of the evil farmers (see Mark 12:1-9) as he sends some shade toward the religious leaders (see Mark 12:12). The religious leaders understood what he was saying and it added to their grievances against him. But for us, it is an encouraging word. We stand on Christ the solid rock and be secure in our faith.
The Hebrew word that is translated as cornerstone in Psalm 118:22 can also be translated as capstone, making Jesus the first stone of the foundation and essentially the last nail. Jesus holds us and His church together. In the Book of Revelation – the capstone of Scripture so to speak, the Lord says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). The writer of the Book of Hebrews encourages the people to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus because he initiates and perfects our faith (Hebrews 12:2 NLT). Colossians 1:15-20 outlines Christ’s supremacy, and reminds us that He hold all of creation together and that He is the head of the church
So what does that mean for us? I think that first and foremost it means we can trust HIM above all else because He is our foundation and He holds us together so we are stable and strong. It means we don’t have to be afraid, we need to stay focused on what’s really Real. Jesus doesn’t promise us a life without trials and tribulation, in fact it makes it clear that we will face tough times. He does, however, promise a stable and secure place for us to stand during those times. He expects that his church (the people, not a building) will stand in unity against the powers that seek to destroy it, to destroy us. I will leave you with the chorus of Cody Carnes’ song Firm Foundation: Christ is my firm foundation, the rock on which I stand. When everything around me is shaking, I’ve never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus cause He’s never let me down. He’s faithful through generations, so why would He fail now? He won’t.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – stand firm on the foundation of Jesus Christ, knowing that you are secure because He holds everything together.
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