As you come to him, the living Stone—
These are the opening words of a beautiful passage. Peter is beginning a description of a house built of stone. But more than a house, it is a temple. A holy place.
The Scripture reference that he uses as the “foundation” of his own words is from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 28: 16). Isaiah is chastising Israel and Judah for abandoning the Lord. Through Isaiah, God explains his plan going forward.
Modern construction does not often require the use of a “cornerstone.” Today we use building materials that are consistent in dimension and quality. Surveyors lay out the corners of the building and mark the location of every part that touches the ground. But back in the days of the ancient Israelites, laying a foundation required starting with a cornerstone.
The cornerstone had to be true in every dimension. Every surface was critical to ensuring the rest of the building fit correctly. If the cornerstone were not made or laid properly, the rest of the building would never look right. In fact, without the right cornerstone, the rest of the building might not be safe to go in.
Rejected by his chosen people, God’s plan included building a new covenant. This covenant is not dependent on man in any way. In this covenant, the one written about in the New Testament, God lays down his cornerstone in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. True in every way, Jesus ensures that everything that follows will be true in every way as well.
Peter is mixing a lot of metaphors here. The “pure spiritual milk” that we are to crave is Jesus Christ himself. The Holy Spirit and the Word, are extensions of Jesus. You might say that they are the faces of the cornerstone that we are to build on.
In the rest of this passage, Peter explains more about the cornerstone and how it functions. Today it is enough to look at the “stone” and marvel. Jesus, the living stone, obeys his Father as though he were a stone set in place by ancient masons. Having been given his mission, Jesus obeys without deviating one iota.
And now, two thousand years later, our part is simply to come to Him. Come and kneel before the cornerstone. Bow to the humble Son of God himself.
Application: Honor the Son, the Cornerstone of all that is to come.
Food for Thought: What is the difference between a cornerstone and a capstone?
My understanding is the cornerstone is the starting point and the capstone deals with a finished product (see Zechariah 4: 7). The capstone is at the top while the cornerstone is at the bottom.
Saying Jesus is both the cornerstone and capstone is like saying He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. Jesus from first to last. He is the author and perfecter of our faith and faith in Him is required from beginning to end.
Cornerstone and Capstone: Definitions
A CORNERSTONE IS A FOUNDATIONAL STONE that is placed first. All the other stones are placed in relation to it and so its solid placement and solid resting place are key to the structure and survival of the building.
A CAPSTONE IS THE FINISHING STONE, THE LAST STONE PLACED IN A STONE BUILDING. It is the stone that finishes off the building and finally holds the completed walls in place or finishes off the appearance of the wall by being the last stone put in place. The capstone protects the masonry, causing water to flow in a certain way as to mitigate erosion.
Jesus is the cornerstone and we are blocks built on Him, our firm foundation building a house dedicated to God. We are included in this structure because of Christ and our position is made firm and secure by Christ. We are here by virtue of our relationship to Christ.
Jesus is a capstone, the final stone in a building. He will declare His church is complete, finished and is the protecting power holding it together for all eternity.
Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Isaiah 44:6, Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.
Revelation 1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come–the Almighty.
Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Rich & Ron,
Thank you both!! What a great overview of the two stones. I love that you both pointed to the eternal nature of our Lord. The symbolism of both types of stone would have been very clear to anyone living in earlier times. Now you have made it clear for us, too. Thank you!
What a great read this post & the comments are. Something that stood out, oddly enough, is what you placed in bold, Jeff.
“The cornerstone had to be true in every dimension.”
This resonated on a very deep level w/ me. Christ is a cornerstone like no other, and we are being built into a building (his Body) also like no other. These things are not being built in only 4 dimensions. It’s just pretty incredible to think about.
NMOP3PISdn
You are absolutely right. That is a great observation. How does one assign a dimension to righteousness, or humility? Yet Jesus is eternally perfect in every way.
👍🏻